Santa Marta
| Santa Marta | |||
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| Nickname(s): America's Pearl (La Perla de America) | |||
 Municipality (dark gray) City (red) |
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  Santa Marta
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country |  Colombia |
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| Region | Caribbean Region | ||
| Department | Magdalena | ||
| Foundation | July 29, 1525 | ||
| Founder | Rodrigo de Bastidas | ||
| Named for | Martha | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Juan Pablo Diazgranados Pinedo (Liberal) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 2,393.35 km2 (924.07 sq mi) | ||
| - Urban | 55.10 km2 (21.27 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 6 m (19.68 ft) | ||
| Highest elevationAt Pico Cristóbal Colón | 5,775 m (18,946.85 ft) | ||
| Population (2005)[1] | |||
| - City | 415,270 | ||
| - Density | 173.5/km2 (449.3/sq mi) | ||
| - Urban | 385,122 | ||
| - Urban density | 6,989.5/km2 (18,106.3/sq mi) | ||
| DANE | |||
| Time zone | Colombia Standard Time (UTC-5) | ||
| Twin Cities | |||
| - Miami Beach | United States | ||
| Website | http://www.santamarta-magdalena.gov.co | ||
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Santa Marta is a city and municipality located in northern Colombia by the Caribbean sea and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains, capital of the Magdalena Department. The city is an important maritime port and hub for tourism, history and culture. It was founded on July 29, 1525 by a Spanish conqueror named Rodrigo de Bastidas, who named the city after the Catholic day for Saint Martha, which in Spain was celebrated with festivities. However many historians argue that he named it after the Spanish city of Santa Marta de Astorgas, which he had also visited. It was one of the first cities to be founded in Colombia. The first one was Santa María la Antigua del Darién.
El Libertador Simón Bolívar died at a ranch named Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino on the outskirts of Santa Marta on December 17, 1830. The city has been affected to some extent by the Colombian Armed Conflict.
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History
Prior to the Arrival of Spanish explorers, the area where Santa Marta lies was inhabited by Amerindians from the Tairona culture, and its subsequent families: Arhuacos and Koguis, among others.
The city was founded in July 29, 1525 by Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, accompanied by some two hundred of his men and a few Amerindians. He named the city after the Catholic day for Saint Martha, which in Spain was celebrated with festivities. However, many historians argue that he named it after the Spanish city of Santa Marta de Astorgas, which he had visited.[2] With its foundation, the Spanish colonization also started the conquering of lands from this region, and the set up of administrative functions for the colony, including a maritime port and the construction of defenses to prevent pirate raids.
During the Colonial times the city started losing its importance as maritime port to nearby city port of Cartagena.
During the mid-19th century, French, English and North American immigrants along with some locals started to introduce industrial ways of productions and founded trade associations among industrials and the farmers. As a result they built railways which would connect productive networks.
In 1871, the University of Magdalena was founded, initially with two faculties: law and medicine.
During the 20th century the city served as a main port for massive exports of bananas and coal, produced inland with the assistance of major multinational corporations.
In 1968 the government decentralized the Port Authority, leaving Santa Marta with its own Port Authority (Capitania de Puerto).[3]
In recent years, Santa Marta has attracted large numbers of people displaced by the paramilitary groups operating in the area. The warm climate and the possibility of occasional work serving the tourist industry has increased the city's population drastically.
Geography and climate
Climate
Temperatures in the city of Santa Marta ranges from 27 to 35 degrees Celsius at sea level, but the Municipality of Santa Marta stretches up to the highest snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and each 100 meter of higher altitude means 1 Celsius lower temperature. Rainfall in this region varies from 12 to 975 mm per month.
Economy
Tourism
Tourism has its peak during December 15 to January 15 and another peak during the Easter week. The district of Rodadero is the favorite resort of the Colombians together with Cartagena and San Andres. The recently renovated downtown of Santa Marta with its blend of colonial and republican architecture attracts more and more visitors among them several cruise ships a week. Downtown Santa Marta is also building its own international marina that will be inaugurated 2011. In this way Santa Marta hopes to attract international sailing boats especially during the hurricane season since Santa Marta is protected from hurricanes by the surrounding mountains. Las Fiestas del Mar (The Festival of the Sea) is celebrated on a yearly basis in this city. It serves as a tourist attraction during the midyear vacation period. One of the main events in the festival is the jetski show organized by Santa Marta Esqui. There are beauty pageants, parades and parties in the city. The Festival's slogan is "Santa Marta, la magia de tenerlo todo", which translates as "Santa Marta, the magic of having it all."
- Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino: Built in the 17th century, was the last home of Simon Bolivar, today it is a house/museum in his honor.
- The Cathedral: it is a national monument built in 1766, it held the remains of Simon Bolivar until 1842.
- La Casa de la Aduana (Customs House): it is the oldest house of America, built in 1530. Today it is the Tayrona Museum.
- Madame Agustine House: it is a jewel of colonial architecture.
- San Fernando Fort: built by Spanish conquerors to protect the city from the pirates, it is a fine sample of colonial military architecture.
- Tayrona National Natural Park: located 34 km north of Santa Marta, it is the most important ecological reserve in Colombia. It has camping zones, virgin beaches and tropical forest. The park also has its own archeological site Pueblito also known as Cahirama, it is one of the 200 pre-Columbian cities discovered near Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
- Quebrada Valencia: a majestic waterfall emerging in the middle of the rain forest.
- Taganga: an authentic fishing town, it is known as a great place for scuba diving, and it has beautiful beaches nearby.
- The Mamancana Natural Reserve: This natural reserve offers the possibility to see wildlife and practice extreme sports such as paragliding, downhill, rock climbing, and canopying.
- Rodadero Sea Aquarium and Museum an aquarium with a dolphin and sea lion show.
Sister Cities
Santa Marta has one sister city:[4]
Sports
The town has a football (soccer) team, Unión Magdalena nicknamed El ciclón bananero (The Banana Cyclone).
Santa Marta is the birthplace of Carlos Valderrama, Colombia's most famous football (soccer) player, Carlos Vives, as well as Johan Vonlanthen, a Swiss international.
See also
- Santa Marta Massacre
- Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
- Arhuacos
- Taironas
- Simon Bolivar
- Carlos Vives
- Carlos Valderrama (footballer)
Notes
- ↑ (in Spanish) (PDF) Censo General 2005, Bogotá: DANE, 2005, p. 486, ISBN 978-958-624-072-7, http://www.dane.gov.co/censo/files/libroCenso2005nacional.pdf, retrieved June 1, 2009
- ↑ Santa Marta: City government santamarta.gov.co Accessed 29 September 2006.
- ↑ DIMAR: Port Authority of Santa Marta dimar.mil.co Accessed 29 September 2006.
- ↑ Miami Beach Sister Cities Program
References
- (Spanish) Santa Marta in analitica.com
- (Spanish) UNIMAGDALENA
- (Spanish) Bank of the Republic, economic history of Santa Marta
External links
- Santa Marta Travel Guide
- (Spanish) Santa Marta official website
- (Spanish) The Samarian Agenda Project
- Tourist guide of Santa Marta
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