Barranquilla - History
Before
the Spaniards came, Barranquilla was habituated since two millenniums
before Christ by Caribbean tribes. During the conquest and the colony
(1500-1810) never was an interesting point to the Spanish authorities,
because there was never any mines of precious metals found like gold or
silver, nor a numerous Indian population that would have justified an
active presence for the conquerors.
The
rise of Barranquilla as a long lasting human settlement happened in the
middle of XVII century with the apparition, by spontaneous generation, of
the primitive settlement that back then was called "El partido de
tierra adentro".
Barranquilla
simply "appeared", it had its genesis in a group of countryman
that decided to stay. They came from other zones. One of them settled a
farm that was name after him: Don Nicolás de Barros, near the Indian
town. The farm activity was an important impulse for the growth of the
activities of the settlement, because it attracted a great quantity of
people that found jobs in the daily activities of the farm. In the XVIII
century, the place achieved the category of parish and the settlement got
closer to the colonial administration whose center was in the government
of "Cartagena de Indias".
The
place was known as the "Barrancas de San Nicolás", because it
was a landing place of canoes, which is the meaning of word "Barranca"
after which it took the name of Barranquilla. The most important activity
was commercial trade and the transportation of merchandise that came by
way of cannel from the Magdalena River to this "barranca". When
the first census took place in 1777 the "Sitio y Feligresía de San
Nicolás de Barranquilla" total count of 2590 souls resided in 384
houses.
Perhaps
for the activities related with trade and the smuggling, Barranquilla was
on the side of the patriots during the war against Spain. Its courageous
attitude made them deserve the category of Village in 1813, which begins
the Republican period.
As
a consequence of the establishment of the fluvial navigation in the middle
of this past century, begins the commercial take off of the village, and
so, the European and the Asian migration, principally. With this, came to
our city the architectural concepts of the Old World. The appearance of
the village changed during the first 40 years of this century offering to
the country the most brilliant process of development in the urban and
institutional areas in Colombia. In the early part of the 20th Century
Barranquilla became known as the "Golden Gate to Colombia" due
to its excellent Public Works, fresh water sea port and river traffic to
the interior of the country.
At
present, Barranquilla is honoured to have the second most modern
international airport in Colombia. The economy of the city is based on
industry and commerce.
The
Population is about 2.000.000 habitants.
Temperature:
32° C climate cooled by sea breezes at the night.
In
February each year Barranquilla host one of the largest and most famous
carnivals honouring Mardi Gras in all of Latin America.
Barranquilla city (1993 pop. 990,547), capital of Atlántico dept., N. Colombia, on the Magdalena River, 8 mi (12.9 km) from the Caribbean Sea. Colombia’s largest port on the Caribbean, it also has shipbuilding, textile, glass, perfume, beer, sugar, publishing, and other industries. Founded in 1629, Barranquilla was a sleepy tropical town until the mid-19th cent., when steamboats began navigating the river and railroads connecting it with other cities in the region were built. The port was enlarged in the 1920s, and the city gradually surpassed its old rival, Cartagena. Barranquilla’s carnivals attract many tourists. It has an international airport and two universities.
© COPYRIGHT 2000 - 2001 - AMERICATRAVELLING.NET