Cesar Department

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Template:CoDepartment infobox 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.

Contents 1 Municipalities 2 History 3 Economy 4 Geography

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. Gonzalez, Cesar
13. La Gloria
14. La Jagua Ibirico
15. Manaure Balcon Cesar
16. Pailitas
17. Pelaya
18. Rio de Oro
19. Robles La Paz
20. San Alberto
21. San Diego
22. San Martin
23. Tamalameque
24. Valledupar

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 this 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 pacified the indians.

Economy

The economy of the Cesar 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.

Geography

The Cesar Department has an extension of 22.905 km², its geography is divided into two different regions: the mountanious region of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Serrania del Perija and the flat lands belonging to two valleys between this two mountain systems, the Cesar 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. Image:Cesarmunicipios.JPGca:Departament de Cesar de:Cesar (Kolumbien) es:Cesar eo:Cezaro Departemento fr:Cesar no:Cesar pt:Cesar (Colômbia) sv:Cesar Template:Colombia-geo-stub Template:Departments of Colombia