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Barranquilla
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Geography
The city's topographical layout is simple: to the east, it's bordered by the Magdalena river; to the west, it's bordered by a bypass called Circunvalar. The city grid is divided in the typical Colombian way: calles (streets, going from north to south) and carreras (avenues, going from east to west). Downtown is located near the river, on the eastern edge of town. The two main axes of the city are Olaya Herrera Avenue, which goes from downtown to the western edge of town, becoming the highway to nearby Cartagena de Indias, and Murillo Street, which goes from the southern, working-class neighborhoods to the city's downtown. Upper and middle-class neighborhoods are to the west and north of the city.
ClimateThe climate is hot and very humid. Daytime temperature usually remains around 32°C (82°F). Nevertheless, from late November to early April, the trade winds more or less cool it to a more comfortable temperature during the day. During the evening and through the night the temperature can change due to the strong winds it receives. The rainy seasons are from April to June and from August to November, when some streets flood producing "arroyos" (streams) that are very dangerous, given the lack of appropriate rain drainage in some sectors of town.
History
It is known as Colombia's Golden Gate (Spanish: La Puerta de Oro de Colombia) as well as La Arenosa (the Sandy City). While the city bears no established record of its foundation, its settlement or foundation can be traced back to at least 1629. However, its residents traditionally have come to commemorate the city's "birthday" as the date when Barranquilla was legally established as a village, April 7 1813. By 1834 Barranquilla had a population of 11,212 (official census), which made it slightly smaller than Santa Marta and not quite half the size of Cartagena. As Barranquilla became an important port, it also served as a haven for immigrants from Europe during World War I and World War II, and for different waves of immigrants from the Middle East and Asia.
Barranquilla was Colombia's first port and is proud of its level of industrialization and modernity, which earned it the name of Colombia's Golden Gate. The first airport in South America was also built in Barranquilla, and the world's second oldest commercial airline doing business today was founded there, SCADTA (now known as Avianca). The Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport, the first airport built in South America, is served by domestic and international flights.
In the 1940s, Barranquilla was the second largest city in Colombia and one of the most modern cities on the Caribbean and South America, but sadly later local administrations, given to widespread corruption, brought about a decline in the standard of living. As government investment increased in other Colombian cities, Barranquilla's national stature was surpassed. Nowadays, Barranquilla is Colombia's fourth largest city after Bogotá (capital), Medellín, and Cali as well as the most populated city on the Atlantic coast of Colombia with a 2.6%, (1'112.837) of the country population.
Education
Barranquilla is home to a number of universities, like the Universidad del Norte, Universidad del Atlántico, the Universidad Metropolitana, the Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, the Universidad Simón Bolívar, and the Corporación Universitaria de la Costa. There are also many bilingual schools, such as Marymount International School Barranquilla, Karl C. Parrish, Altamira International School, Lyndon B. Johnson, Deutsche Schule Barranquilla (http://www.colegioaleman.edu.co), and the British International School, generally accessible to the city's elite. Barranquilla is also home to a number of more traditional Catholic schools, like Colegio Biffi La Salle, Liceo de Cervantes, Colegio Sagrado Corazón, and the Jesuits' Colegio San José. Other schools include the Colegio Hebreo Unión (a Jewish school), and Presbyterian academic centers like the Colegio Americano. The city is also remarkable for having one of highest literacy rates in the country: 96.4 percent and also one of the most bilingual young rates.
Economy Barranquilla is home to a thriving trading industry, as well as to a number of staples of the Colombian economy, such as Bavaria S.A., Carulla-Vivero, Monómeros, Olímpica y SAO, Expreso Brasilia S.A. and Cementos Argos. The city is the birthplace of Grupo Santo Domingo, one of the major business conglomerates in Colombia.
Media The city's two main newspapers are El Heraldo and La Libertad. Other dailies include newspapers of nationwide distribution, such as Bogotá's El Tiempo. The local TV channel is Colombia's Caribbean regional network, Telecaribe.
Local radio includes the customary assortment of tropical music and news. The two main highbrow alternatives, Radiodifusora Nacional de Colombia and Uninorte FM Estéreo, broadcast on 640 AM and 103.1 FM, respectively.
Transportation
Public transportation in Barranquilla mainly consists of buses and taxis. The main bus terminal is located near the southern edge of town, at the end of Murillo Street. A bus rapid transit system called Transmetro, similar to Bogotá's TransMilenio, will begin operating by late 2007.
Recently, an illegal form of transportation denominated mototaxismo developed. A regular motorcycle is used to carry a passenger for a lower fare than a bus or taxi. This unregulated and potentially dangerous practice has led to protests by the legally operating transport companies and drove many of them into bankruptcy.
The city's airport, the Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport, receives domestic and international flights. Domestic flights are mainly operated by Avianca.
The port of Barranquilla is located by the Magdalena River, and accessible to ships coming from the sea thanks to dredge ships, that constantly make way for the ship canals, named Canal de Acceso (Access Canal).
Culture
LiteratureBarranquilla was home to Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez during his early years as journalist and bears substantial weight on his literary production. García Márquez's old bohemian hangout, La Cueva, has been restored and is open to the public as an artsy bar. It was here that the writer met with the Grupo de Barranquilla, an informal group of local writers and journalists.
MusicBarranquilla is lovingly known as Curramba, La Bella (Curramba, The Beautiful One). Great musicians hail from Barranquilla, like international recording artist Shakira and Billboard-award winning Rock Band The Monas. Other local celebrities include Esthercita Forero, a popular composer and singer, also known as "The Bride of Barranquilla."
Along the carnival the city celebrated the Festival of Orchestras competing for the Congo de Oro.
The city has been a meca for the caribbean traditional music (rhytms like cumbia which come way back in time from Spanish colonization era) as well as a place for creation of new rhythms, specially tropical ones (related to its location in the caribbean), back in the first half of the XXth century the city was the birthplace of Merecumbé, Porro, Raspacanilla and so on and was a critical point in terms of the spreading of Cuban Salsa throughout South America.
Other events in the city are Barranquijazz (a jazz festival as well as numerous salsa music spots) and the Miche Rock Festival, which is a small and young yet ever growing event which supports local and regional rock, metal, punk rock and alternative rock bands which are mostly in the underground scene of the city. The Miche Rock Festival has been organized for less than a decade now with huge support from the local audience.
SportsThough baseball is popular, the locals fervently follow Barranquilla's soccer team, Atlético Junior. The team plays at the Estadio Metropolitano, one of the largest soccer stadiums in the Americas.
Detroit Tigers shortstop Edgar Rentería, are known as "curramberos" (curramberos literally means party people, hinting at the locals' gregarious temperament). The adjective for a woman from Barranquilla is barranquillera, while a man is a barranquillero.
Shooting sports, Basketball, Auto racing, Boxing, Golf and tennis tournaments also take place in the city.
Arts
In 2006, the city unveiled a massive six-ton statue of famous local Shakira after she attended the groundbreaking ceremony of a school she is sponsoring in La Playa, a depressed suburb of Barranquilla. . The Teatro Municipal Amira de la Rosa is the city's main cultural scenario. Barranquilla is also home to the Cinemateca del Caribe, the Alliance Française (Barranquilla Chapter), the Centro Cultural Avianca, and the Centro Colombo Americano. Performances by touring bands or artists are usually held at the city's Coliseo Cubierto or within the facilities of the local Country Club.
Sofia Vergara, a Latin TV actress who works mainly in US-based shows and sitcoms, was also born in the city.
Back in the 1940s the city lived a passionate modern art development: Alejandro Obregón, personal friend of Gabriel García Márquez lived in Barranquilla and Cartagena and many of the institutional buildings of that time have unique relation with modern artist frescos and wall paintings, sculptures and color design. A type of Aesthetics now lost but present in many houses of that time include many unique artwork in the entrance acces.
The city has also a Modern Art Museum, the MAMB (Museo de Arte Moderno de Barranquilla)as well as numerous art Galleries.
There is an art carnival as well which takes place in April, called Carnaval Internacional de las Artes (International Arts Carnival).
FashionNina Garcia, a fashion director at Elle Magazine and judge on the Bravo reality television program Project Runway, was also born in this city. The city is also developing a fashion industry with renowned fashion designers Silvia Tcherassi, Amalín de Hazbún, Judy Hazbún and Paola Dangond.
FestivitiesThe Barranquilla's Carnival (Spanish: Carnaval de Barranquilla), which is celebrated four days before Ash Wednesday, is broadly recognized as one of the world's largest carnivals; residents claim it is second only to the carnival of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. In November of 2003, UNESCO proclaimed it as one of 28 different "masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity"
With a predominantly Roman Catholic population, the city celebrates Christmas as not only a holy and special day but an entire season that goes from December 1st until January 6th. The city is filled with multicolored lights and most of houses are adorned with beautiful Christmas decorations being the Nativity the theme of the season, and some neighborhoods of the city are adorned. Also celebrating the "Dia de las Velitas". Most of the citizens also celebrate New Year's Eve.
Sister Cities Sister cities of Barranquilla include:
External links - Municipality Page
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- Official Page on the Carnival
- Barranquilla people online
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- Official zoo page, small section in English
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