Cesar Department

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Department of Cesar
Departamento del Cesar
Department of Colombia

(Detail) (Detail)
Motto:
Capital	Valledupar
Governor	Hernando Molina Araujo
Area	22,905 km²
Population  - Total (2003)  - Density	1,050,303 46 people/km²
Adjective	Cesarences (cesarens)

Department of Cesar or Cesar Department (es: Departamento del Cesar), is a department of Colombia. It is in the north-east of the country, borders to the north with La Guajira Department, to the west with the Magdalena Department and Bolivar Department, to the south with Santander Department, and to the west with the Norte de Santander Department, also bordering the country of Venezuela. Its capital became Valledupar when the Department was created in 1967 by decree. The "Cesar" name is an adaptation from the amerindian name Chet-tzar to Spanish, which means "calm Water", name also of the same river (Cesar River) and the valley that its basin crosses, most of the department.[1]

Contents 1 Municipalities 2 History 2.1 Governors 3 Economy 4 Geography

[edit] Municipalities

1. Aguachica
2. Agustin Codazzi
3. Astrea
4. Becerril
5. Bosconia
6. Chimichagua
7. Chiriguana
8. Curumani
9. El Copey
10. El Paso
11. Gamarra
12. González
13. La Gloria
14. La Jagua de Ibirico
15. Manaure
16. Pailitas
17. Pelaya
18. Pueblo Bello
19. Rio de Oro
20. Robles La Paz
21. San Alberto, Cesar
22. San Diego
23. San Martín
24. Tamalameque
25. Valledupar

[edit] History

Before the Spanish conquerors arrived, the territory was populated by numerous groups of Amerindians, among them the Malibu tribe, Tairona tribe, Arhuaco tribe, Motilones tribe, Eupari tribe, Guatapuries tribe, Chimila tribe and Tupe tribe; all of them part of the Caribe Indians family. The first European conqueror to arrive at these lands was Pedro de Badillo in 1529, and in 1531 the German Ambrosius Ehinger, who invaded the territory, and because of encountering a great resistance by the local tribes he ordered the execution of their chief Upar. The colonization finally was accomplished by Capuchin friars who subdued the Indians.

[edit] Governors

1. Alfonso López Michelsen
2. Luis Roberto García
3. Alfonso Araújo Cotes
4. José Antonio Murgas
5. Manuel Germán Cuello
6. Luis roberto García
7. Guillermo Baute Pavajeau
8. Ernesto Palencia Caratt
9. Alfonso Araújo Cotes
10. Armando Barros Baquero
11. Jaime Murgas Arzuaga
12. José Guillermo Castro Castro
13. Carmen García Vargas
14. Jorge Dangond Daza
15. Edgardo Pupo pupo
16. Luis Rodriguez Valera
17. Maria Inés Castro de Ariza
18. Alfredo Araujo Castro
19. Paulina Mejía de Castro
20. Armando Maestre Pavajeau
21. Adalberto Ovalle Muñoz
22. Juan Carlos Quintero Castro
23. Abraham José Romero
24. Carlos Alberto Henao
25. Lucas Segundo Gnecco Cerchar
26. Mauricio Pimiento
27. Lucas Segundo Gnecco Cerchar
28. César Gustavo Solano Noriega (Temporary)
29. Rafael Bolaños Guerrero
30. Hernando Molina Araujo

[edit] Economy

The economy of the César Department is sustained by the agropecuary (cattle?) sector, secondly by Customer Services following with Commercial Industry and Mining. Cattle raising is exploited extensively (using large farms), and for this reason large portions of forests have been chopped off to create corrals. In agriculture, plantations of cotton, rice, sugar cane, oil palm, yucca and plantain. Services are centered on commerce and the industry is represented by oil products, fats and milk derived products. As one of the biggest water resources areas of Colombia, if not America, part of the Magdalena River crosses the Department and helps create the Cienaga de Zapatosa (Zapatosa Marsh) along with the Cesar river. It has a great potential to develop a fishing industry also, but it is practiced at a minimum. Most of the territory has not been explored in the search of more minerals due to violence, but because of recent findings, it became a potential source.

[edit] Geography

The César Department has an extension of 22.905 km², its geography is divided into two different regions: the mountainous region of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Serranía del Perija and the flat lands belonging to two valleys between this two mountain systems, the César river valley and the Magdalena River Valley.

Lower lands present a warm and dry climate, annual precipitations are less than 1,300 mm a year. The mountainous regions are characterized by low temperatures and precipitations ranging more than 2,000 mm a year.