Caribbean region of Colombia

The Caribbean region of Colombia or Colombian Caribbean is the northern, coastal region of Colombia located contiguous to the Caribbean. It is mainly composed of 8 departments.^[1] It is the second most populated region in the country after the Andean Region with approximately 11 million residents according to the Colombian Census 2018.^[2] The area covers a total land area of 110,000 km² (42,000 sq mi), including the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina in the Caribbean Sea.^[1]

Caribbean region of Colombia
The Caribbean region detailed in dark red with territorial waters
Interactive map of Caribbean region of Colombia
Coordinates: 10°27′N 74°21′W
Country	Colombia
Largest city	Barranquilla
Departments	8
Area [1]
• Total	110,000 km2 (42,000 sq mi)
Population  (2018)
• Total	11,796,624[2][a]

The Caribbean region coast extends from the Gulf of Urabá to the Gulf of Venezuela. Straddling the coast are Colombia's two main Atlantic port cities of Barranquilla and Cartagena.^[3] The administration of the region is covered by eight department governments: Atlántico, Bolívar, Cesar, Sucre, Córdoba, Magdalena, La Guajira and San Andrés and Providencia. These eight departments also cover approximately 182 municipalities according to the 2018 Census by DANE Colombia.^[4] Most of its inhabitants speak a dialect of Caribbean Spanish with variations within its subregions.^[5]

Administrative divisions

See also: Departments of Colombia

Eight departments form the Caribbean region:

Department	Capital
Atlántico Department Bolívar Department Cesar Department Córdoba Department La Guajira Department Magdalena Department San Andrés and Providencia Sucre	City of Barranquilla City of Cartagena City of Valledupar City of Montería City of Riohacha City of Santa Marta City of San Andrés City of Sincelejo

Partial territory pertaining to:

• Antioquia Department: in the Gulf of Urabá most of the territory of the subregion of Urabá Antioquia.^[6]
• Chocó Department: covering a small territory in the Gulf of Urabá. Chocó is the only Department of Colombia with coasts on both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Demographics

It is considered the only tri-racial region, giving it the status of the most diverse and mixed region in the country, as the predominant ethnic group in the region is the Pardo, a mixture of European, mainly Spanish, the indigenous peoples and Afro-Colombian unlike the other regions, where predominantly White, Castizo and Mestizo of Colombia such as Andean Region and Orinoquia Region and black as is the case of the Pacific Region. During the 19th and 20th century, a wave of immigrants came from Europe and the Middle East, mostly from Lebanon, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Ireland, Syria, and Palestine. A second wave followed during World War II from other parts of Europe such as Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Austria, Hungary, the Netherlands, Romania, Belgium, Armenia, Croatia and Jews from other countries affected by the war. There were also important settlements of British, White Americans, and Canadians who founded dozens schools such as Marymount International School Barranquilla, Colegio Karl C. Parrish, Colegio Jorge Washington, Colegio Albania, Colegio Británico de Cartagena, Colegio Británico de Monteria, Altamira International School, British International School Barranquilla, Boston International School Barranquilla, American School Barranquilla, Bureche School of Santa Marta, and Cartagena International School among many others across the region. Most of the immigrants settled in the main urban centers or trade port towns such as in Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Cartagena, Monteria, Sincelejo, Mompós, Santa Cruz de Lorica, El Banco, etc. The two most populous indigenous ethnic groups are the wayuu in the Guajira Peninsula and the Arhuacos and Koguis. Black population is mostly concentrated near Cartagena predominantly in the town of San Basilio de Palenque, which was proclaimed Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO for preserving its African heritage.

Population according to 2018 Census Report by DANE^[2][4]

Department	2018 Census	2005 Census	Capital
Atlántico	2,835,509	2,112,001	Barranquilla
Bolívar	2,258,929	1,836,640	Cartagena de Indias
Cesar	1,359,719	878,437	Valledupar
Córdoba	1,868,166	1,462,909	Montería
La Guajira	1,015,909	655,943	Riohacha
Magdalena	1,476,665	1,136,819	Santa Marta
San Andrés and Providencia	65,663	55,426	San Andrés
Sucre	981,727	762,263	Sincelejo
Total Caribbean	11,796,624	8,900,438

Economy

The economy of the Caribbean region is based mainly in the exploitation of natural resources such as coal and natural gas, salt, agricultural products mainly bananas, coffee and oil palm, cotton, tropical fruits among many other products, livestock raising which is practiced extensively in almost all the territory, in Córdoba, Sucre, Atlántico, Magdalena, Bolívar, Cesar and southern La Guajira. There is also a service industry and a local import-export industry, mainly in the ports of Cartagena, Barranquilla, and Santa Marta. Another major part of the economy is tourism, which concentrates also in Cartagena and Santa Marta along with San Andres and Providencia Islands.

Culture

Sports

Unlike the rest of the country where soccer predominates, baseball in this region is the most popular sport, with teams such as Caimanes de Barranquilla, Tigres de Cartagena, Vaqueros de Montería, Leones de Barranquilla and Toros de Sincelejo competing in the Colombian Professional Baseball League. The Caribbean region has been the cradle of not only successful baseball players, but also for having perhaps the most important and outstanding athlete in the region, Édgar Rentería, St. Louis Cardinals hall of famer, in addition to other successful Major League players and even world champions with the Colombia national baseball team at the already extinct Amateur World Series such as Orlando Cabrera, Petaca Rodríguez, Orlando Ramírez, Joaquin Gutierrez, Gio Urshela, Julio Teherán, José Quintana, Donovan Solano, Dayan Díaz, Nabil Crismatt, Ernesto Frieri, Jorge Alfaro, Jordan Díaz, Harold Ramírez, or Didier Fuentes. It is the most followed, loved and practiced sports discipline in most of the region, more specifically in the cities of Cartagena, Montería, Sincelejo, and many municipalities in the subregion of Urabá Antioquia, where the "king of sports" is baseball. It has a traditional game of more than 110 years called "bate tapita" (name it receives in Cartagena), "tapilla" (name it receives in Montería) or "checa" (name it receives in Barranquilla, Sincelejo, and Riohacha). This variant game of baseball contains a long, thin wooden stick, like a bat, and a metal cap like a ball.

On the other hand, soccer is another sport that grew significantly to become one of the most popular sports in this Caribbean area, the second most popular sport now, with teams such as Junior de Barranquilla, Unión Magdalena, Real Cartagena or Jaguares de Córdoba competing in the first and second divisions of the country. The Caribbean region has been the birthplace of successful soccer players, many of them world-renowned such as Carlos Valderrama, Radamel Falcao, Teófilo Gutiérrez, and Carlos Bacca.

The region is also known for its love of combat sports. Boxing is a popular sport in certain areas and the region has given rise to numerous world champions, such as Antonio Cervantes (one of the most important athletes in the history of Colombia alongside with Rentería), Rodrigo Valdez and Miguel "Happy" Lora. In some municipalities of Urabá, it is the most popular sport above baseball and soccer, although the latter sports are dominant in almost the entire subregion. Traditionally alongside with baseball, it was one of the two most popular sports, but its popularity declined over the years, and soccer grew immensely in the Caribbean region.

Music and dance

See also: Music of Colombia

Monument to the dance and music of cumbia

The Sombrero Vueltiao is the most representative element of the Caribbean region of Colombia, it was later adopted as a symbol of the national identity of Colombia.

The most popular local rhythms are the cumbia and vallenato however, there is a great musical influence from the rest of the Caribbean nations with Salsa, merengue, more recently reggaeton and many Afro-Caribbean rhythms. This influence also developed the Champeta which has similarities with reggaeton. Other genres include porro.

Traditional dances are mostly of Afro-Colombian origin with the influence in cumbia and the mapalé.

Myth and legend

The Caribbean region has a rich tradition of myths and legends that include La Llorona, El Hombre Caimán, La Ciguapa, the Vallenato Legend, La Madre Monte, El Simborcito, la Mojana Legend, El Lucio, etc.

Celebrations

The most popular and known celebration in the Caribbean region is the Carnival of Barranquilla celebrated every year in February or March. The Miss Colombia Pageant i, Colombia|Cartagena]], the Vallenato Legend Festival in Valledupar, Feast of the Sea in Santa Marta and the Corralejas Festivities in Sincelejo.

Food

The typical food of the Caribbean region varies according to the geographical location in the sabanas the typical meal is the sancocho made with rabo (cow's tail) and accompanied with coconut rice. In the coast, the typical meal is fish, sometimes fried or sometimes cooked in coconut milk. A popular soup is also prepared with the head of the tarpon, yuca, plantain, coconut milk, lime, and salt. The arepa is also a popular dish with numerous variations like arepa limpia (plain arepa), arepa e' queso (arepa with cheese) and arepa e'huevo (arepa with egg). Cazuela de mariscos, a seafood stew, is also a typical dish found in the region.^[7]

See also

• Caribbean natural region
• Caribbean South America
• La Mojana, large area of wetlands, inland river delta
• Pacific region of Colombia

References

1. Not counting Antioquia and Chocó departments