| Department of Córdoba Departamento de Córdoba |
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| — Department — | |||
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| Córdoba shown in red | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Colombia | ||
| Region | Caribbean Region | ||
| Established | June 18, 1952 | ||
| Capital | Montería | ||
| Government | |||
| • Governor | Marta del Socorro Sáenz Correa | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 25,020 km2 (9,660.3 sq mi) | ||
| Area rank | 15 | ||
| Population (2005)[1] | |||
| • Total | 1,472,699 | ||
| • Rank | 9 | ||
| • Density | 58.9/km2 (152.4/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | UTC-05 | ||
| ISO 3166 code | CO-COR | ||
| Provinces | |||
| Municipalities | 30 | ||
| Website | www.cordoba.gov.co | ||
Córdoba is a Department of the Republic of Colombia located to the north of this country in the Colombian Caribbean Region. Córdoba faces to the north with the Caribbean sea, to the northeast with the Sucre Department, east with the Bolívar Department and south with the Antioquia Department. Its capital is the city of Montería.
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Cordoba is considered a conflict zone due to the high amount of paramilitaries and drug traffickers active in the region. As of 2011 a number of armed neo-paramilitary groups control large parts of Cordoba, among them Aguilas Negras, Los Urabeños and Los Rastrojos.[2] Paramilitary drug gangs are thought to be responsible for over 500 murders in Cordoba in 2010, effectively making this region one of the most violent in Colombia.[3] The victims of violence are often those who fight to reclaim land that has been stolen by the paramilitaries. according to reports many victims are often of afro-Colombian or idengenous descent. Although the paramilitaries retain a firm hold over large land estates, often in agreement with corrupt local government officials, the guerrilla movements FARC and ELN also have a presence here.[4] The largest concentration of FARC guerillas are located in the border regions with Antioqia and Bolívar, while their paramilitary enemies are estimated to be in control of Cordoba's more central regions. The violence in Cordoba became heavily publiscided when two university students from Bogotá were assassinated by drug runners while taking photos on a Caribbean beach in January 2011,[5] although critics point out that the killings of afro-Colombians and indigenous people often go by unnoted by the media.[6]
Córdoba is made up of 30 municipalities and main towns:
The Congress of Colombia approved by Law 9 December 17, 1951 which created the Department of Córdoba and later sanctioned by the then President of Colombia Roberto Urdaneta Arbeláez, but only came into effect six months later.
According to the Colombian Constitution of 1991 the executive power for this region will be vested in a single individual elected by popular vote (starting from 1991, governors were previously appointed by the President of Colombia) and will be called Governor of the Córdoba Department.
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