Cartagena, Colombia
City in coastal northern Colombia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Cartagena (/ˌkɑːrtəˈheɪnə/ KAR-tə-HAY-nə), known since the colonial era as Cartagena de Indias (Spanish: [kaɾtaˈxena ðe ˈindjas] ⓘ), is a city and one of the major ports on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region, along the Caribbean sea. Cartagena's past role as a link in the route to the West Indies provides it with important historical value for world exploration and preservation of heritage from the great commercial maritime routes.[5] As a former Spanish colony, it was a key port for the export of Bolivian silver to Spain and for the import of enslaved Africans under the asiento system. It was defensible against pirate attacks in the Caribbean.[6] The city's strategic location between the Magdalena and Sinú Rivers also gave it easy access to the interior of New Granada and made it a main port for trade between Spain and its overseas empire, establishing its importance by the early 1540s.
Cartagena | |
|---|---|
District and city | |
| Cartagena de Indias | |
 Top: Bocagrande Harbor. Second row: View of Santa Cruz Manga Island, Heredia Theatre. Third row: ClockTower (Torre del Reloj), Pilar Republicano, San Felipe Barajas Castle (Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas) (above), Charleston Hotel (below). Bottom: City Skyline. | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nicknames: La ciudad mágica (The Magic City) La ciudad cosmopolita (The Cosmopolitan City) La heroica (The Heroic) El corralito de piedra (The Rock Corral) La fantástica (The Fantastic) | |
| Motto: "Por Cartagena" | |
 | |
  Cartagena  Cartagena | |
| Coordinates: 10°24′N 75°30′W | |
| Country | Colombia |
| Department | Bolívar |
| Region | Caribbean |
| Foundation | 1 June 1533 |
| Founded by | Pedro de Heredia |
| Named for | Cartagena, Spain |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | William Jorge Dau Chamat[1] |
| Area | |
| • District and city | 83.2 km2 (32.1 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 597.7 km2 (230.8 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2 m (7 ft) |
| Population (2020[2]) | |
| • District and city | 914,552 |
| • Rank | Ranked 5th |
| • Density | 11,000/km2 (28,000/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 1,028,736[3] |
| • Metro density | 1,721/km2 (4,460/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Cartagenero(s) (in Spanish) |
| GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values) | |
| • Year | 2023 |
| • Total | $17.1 billion[4] |
| • Per capita | $15,600 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (COT) |
| Postal code | 130000 |
| Area code | 57 + 5 |
| Patron saints | Saint Catherine and Saint Sebastian |
| Average temperature | 30 °C (86 °F) |
| City tree | Arecaceae |
| Website | www |
| Official name | Port, Fortresses and Group of Monuments, Cartagena |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iv, vi |
| Designated | 1984 (8th session) |
| Reference no. | 285 |
| Region | Latin America and Caribbean |
Modern Cartagena is the capital of the Bolívar Department, and had a population of 876,885 according to the 2018 census,[7] making it the second-largest city in the Caribbean region, after Barranquilla, and the fifth-largest city in Colombia. The metropolitan area of Cartagena is the sixth-largest urban area in the country, after metropolitan area of Bucaramanga. Economic activities include the maritime and petrochemical industries, as well as tourism.
The present city – named after Cartagena, Spain and by extension, the historic city of Carthage – was founded on 1 June 1533, making it one of South America’s oldest colonial cities;[8] but settlement by various indigenous people in the region around Cartagena Bay dates from 4000 BC. During the Spanish colonial period Cartagena had a key role in administration and expansion of the Spanish empire. It was a center of political, ecclesiastical, and economic activity.[9] In 1984, Cartagena's colonial walled city and fortress were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It was also the site of the Battle of Cartagena de Indias in 1741 during the War of Jenkins' Ear between Spain and Britain.