Aguachica

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Area
Aguachica
The San Roque Park in Aguachica.
Region	Caribbean Region (Colombia)
Department	Department of Cesar^*
Foundation	August 16, 1748
Mayor	Luz Irina Perez Sanchez
- City	876.26 km² (Municipality) km²
Elevation	200 m
Population
- City ()
Website: www.alcaldiadeaguachica.gov.co

Aguachica, is a small city and municipality in the southern region of the Department of Cesar, Colombia. It was officially founded in August 16, 1748 by José Lázaro de Rivera.

[edit] History

The territory of present day Aguachica was inhabited by amerindian Chimila tribes, before the Spanish conquerors arrived. This tribe was later brutally decimated by the Spanish.

During the first decades of the 18th Century, the area was established as the Hacienda de San Roque by the Spanish and was owned by Don Anton Garica de Bonilla, but due to pests and illnesses the settlement was moved a few hundred meters to the south. By 1722 the settlement had grown in the middle of an hacienda predominantly owned by Don Casimiro Ramos de Barahoja. The settlement was serving now as a rest area for merchants traveling to and from the nearby fluvial port town of Gamarra and Ocana in the neighboring Norte de Santander Department.

In August 17, 1748 the settlement was officially founded by Jose Lazaro de Riverala

[edit] Geography

The municipality is located south of the Department of Cesar, bordering to the north with the municipality of La Gloria (Cesar Deparment), The municipality of Aguachica is subdivided into 22 Corregimientos: