Distracción, La Guajira
Encyclopedia
Distracción is a town and municipality in the Colombia
n Department
of La Guajira. Founded in 1845 by a man from neighboring Barrancas
named Antonio María Vidal on the right margin of the Ranchería River
.
The town celebrates the Festival de los Laureles (Spanish for Festival of the Laurels
). The town's economy relies mostly in agriculture
, farming and the rudimentary exploitation of a Limestone
mine.
, on the Valley of Upar formed by the mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
and Serrania del Perija
. It has a total area of 220 km² bordering to the north with the municipality of Riohacha
; to the east with the municipality of Fonseca
; to the south with the municipalities of San Juan del Cesar
and Fonseca and to the west with the municipality of San Juan del Cesar.
one of these is the 2nd Mechanized Cavalry Battalion also known as the Batallon Rondon.
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n Department
Departments of Colombia
Colombia is an unitary republic formed by thirty-two departments and a Capital District . Each department has a Governor and a Department Assembly , elected by popular vote for a four-year period. The governor cannot be re-elected in consecutive periods...
of La Guajira. Founded in 1845 by a man from neighboring Barrancas
Barrancas, La Guajira
Barrancas is a town and municipality of the Colombian Department of La Guajira. The municipality of Barrancas is located to the left margin of the Ranchería River in a valley formed between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains and the Serrania del Perija. Barrancas has a total area of 742 km²...
named Antonio María Vidal on the right margin of the Ranchería River
Ranchería River
The Ranchería River is a river located in northern La Guajira Department, Colombia. Born in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta southern steps flows south, abruptly turns northeast and then north towards the Caribbean sea where it finally flows into.-2007 Floods:...
.
The town celebrates the Festival de los Laureles (Spanish for Festival of the Laurels
Lauraceae
The Lauraceae or Laurel family comprises a group of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. The family contains about 55 genera and over 3500, perhaps as many as 4000, species world-wide, mostly from warm or tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia and South America...
). The town's economy relies mostly in agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, farming and the rudimentary exploitation of a Limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
mine.
Geography
The municipality of Distracción is located in the Guajira PeninsulaGuajira Peninsula
Guajira Peninsula , is a peninsula in northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea...
, on the Valley of Upar formed by the mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is an isolated mountain range apart from the Andes chain that runs through Colombia. Reaching an altitude of 5,700 metres above sea level just 42 km from the Caribbean coast, the Sierra Nevada is the world's highest coastal range...
and Serrania del Perija
Serrania del Perija
The Serranía del Perijá, Cordillera de Perijá or Sierra de Perijá is a mountain range, an extension of the eastern Andean branch , in northern South America, between Colombia and Venezuela, ending further north in the Guajira Desert, a total distance of about 310 km...
. It has a total area of 220 km² bordering to the north with the municipality of Riohacha
Riohacha
Riohacha, Rio Hacha or Rio de la Hacha , is a city in the Riohacha Municipality in the northern Caribbean Region of Colombia by the mouth of the Ranchería River and the Caribbean sea, capital city of the La Guajira Department. Founded by conquistador Nikolaus Federmann in 1535, Riohacha was named...
; to the east with the municipality of Fonseca
Fonseca, La Guajira
Fonseca is a town and municipality located in the Colombian Department of La Guajira. The town celebrates the Festival del Retorno in honor of St Augustine with religious celebrations, vallenato music events and others.-Geography:...
; to the south with the municipalities of San Juan del Cesar
San Juan del Cesar
San Juan del Cesar is a municipality and town located in the La Guajira Department, Colombia.-Etymology:San Juan Bautista del Cesar name in and Chet-tzar or Sasare indigenous language for calm water, the name of the Cesar River.-History:...
and Fonseca and to the west with the municipality of San Juan del Cesar.
Defense
The Colombian National Army has two major units in the department part of the 1st Division1st Division (Colombia)
The 1st Division is a Colombian National Army division consisting on two brigades; The 2nd Brigade based in the city of Barranquilla and the 10th Armored Brigade based in the city of Valledupar its actual commander is general Ricardo Melo Quijano an infantry officer.- 2nd Mechanized Brigade :* 2nd...
one of these is the 2nd Mechanized Cavalry Battalion also known as the Batallon Rondon.