Santander Department
Encyclopedia
Santander is a department
of Colombia
. Santander inherited the name of one of the nine original states of the United States of Colombia
. It is located in the central northern part of the country, east of the Magdalena River
, bordered to the south and southeast by Boyacá
, to the northeast by Norte de Santander Department, to the north by Cesar Department
, and to the west by Bolivar
and Antioquia Department
s. Its capital is the city of Bucaramanga
.
, the territory now known as Santander was inhabited by Amerindian ethnic groups: Muiscas, Chitareros, Laches
, Yariguí, Opón
, Carare and Guanes
.
Their political and social structure was based on Cacicazgos, a federation of tribes led by a cacique
, with different social classes. Their main activity was planting maize
, bean
s, yuca
, arracacha
, cotton
, Agave
, tobacco
, tomato
, pineapple
, guava
, among others. Their agricultural skills were sufficiently developed to take advantage of the different mountainous terrains. The Guanes utilized terraces
and an artificial system of irrigation
. They had a knowledge of arts and crafts based on ovens to produce ceramics
. They had cotton to make clothing and accessories such as hats and bags.
in a quest to find El Dorado
. This disrupted or destroyed many of the Amerindian villages. Some ethnic groups like the Yariguíes, Opones, and Carares fought the conquerors until they became extinct. Explorer Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada
later went to the area in an effort to appease the tribes. The colonization process in the area was started by Martín Galeano who founded the village of Vélez
on July 3, 1539 and Pedro de Ursúa
and Ortún Velasco founded the village of Pamplona (now part of the Norte de Santander Department) in 1549.
Once the Amerindian tribes were dominated, the Spanish organized the territory based on Cabildo
s (councils) to maintain the dominance and administer justice in the conquered territory. Amerindians were enslaved and forced to work in agriculture, manufacturing goods, and mines. These two villages functioned as centers for the Cabildos' territories. In 1636 the Cabildo of Vélez was transferred to a new jurisdiction centered on the village of Girón
, with an area which went from the Sogamoso River, Río del Oro to the Magdalena River
. The village of San Gil
was created in 1689, segregated from the Jurisdiction of Vélez. In 1789 the village of Socorro
was also segregated from Vélez and they were all put under the mandate of the Province of Tunja
, a subdivision of the Viceroyalty of New Granada
. On July 9, 1795 the corregimiento of Vélez - San Gil - Socorro was created due to the unsustainability of the Province of Tunja, and local government was established in the village of Socorro.
and Pacheco de Suratá.
s:
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 Colombia
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...
. Santander inherited the name of one of the nine original states of the United States of Colombia
United States of Colombia
The United States of Colombia was the name adopted in 1861 through the Rionegro Constitution for the nation which had been known as the Republic of New Granada since the dissolution of the federation of Gran Colombia in 1830-1831....
. It is located in the central northern part of the country, east of the Magdalena River
Magdalena River
The Magdalena River is the principal river of Colombia, flowing northward about through the western half of the country. It takes its name from the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. It is navigable through much of its lower reaches, in spite of the shifting sand bars at the mouth of its delta, as...
, bordered to the south and southeast by Boyacá
Boyacá Department
Boyacá is one of the 32 Departments of Colombia, and the remnant of one of the original nine states of the "United States of Colombia".Boyacá is centrally located within Colombia, almost entirely within the mountains of the Eastern Cordillera to the border with Venezuela, although the western end...
, to the northeast by Norte de Santander Department, to the north by Cesar Department
Cesar Department
Cesar Department or simply Cesar is a department of Colombia located in the north of the country in the Caribbean region, bordering to the north with the Department of La Guajira, to the west with the Department of Magdalena and Department of Bolivar, to the south with Department of Santander, to...
, and to the west by Bolivar
Bolívar Department
Bolívar is a department of Colombia. It was named after one of the original nine states of the United States of Colombia. It is located to the north of the country, extending from the coast at Cartagena near the mouth of the Magdalena River, then south along the river to a border with Antioquia.Its...
and Antioquia Department
Antioquia Department
Antioquia is one of the 32 departments of Colombia, located in the central northwestern part of Colombia with a narrow section that borders the Caribbean Sea. Most of its territory is mountainous with some valleys, much of which is part of the Andes mountain range...
s. Its capital is the city of Bucaramanga
Bucaramanga
Bucaramanga is a Colombian city, and capital city of the department of Santander, Colombia. Bucaramanga has the fifth largest city economy and sixth largest population in Colombia, with 1,212,656 people in its metropolitan area...
.
Pre-Colombian
Prior to the arrival of the SpaniardsSpanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
, the territory now known as Santander was inhabited by Amerindian ethnic groups: Muiscas, Chitareros, Laches
Laches (people)
The Laches were an indigenous, agrarian people in the highlands of what is now central Colombia's northern Boyacá and Santander departments. They were part of the Cocuy Confederation and spoke a Chibchan language, trading predominantly with other Chibchan speakers, such as the Muiscas, Guanes,...
, Yariguí, Opón
OPON
OPON can refer to:*Lapu-Lapu City, nickname for a city in Cebu province of Philippines*Special Purpose Police Unit , special forces detachment in Azerbaijan...
, Carare and Guanes
Guanes
The Guanes were a South American people that lived mainly in the area of Santander and north of Boyacá, both modern departments of Colombia. They were farmers cultivating cotton, pineapple and other crops, and skilled artisans working in cotton textiles....
.
Their political and social structure was based on Cacicazgos, a federation of tribes led by a cacique
Cacique
Cacique is a title derived from the Taíno word for the pre-Columbian chiefs or leaders of tribes in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles...
, with different social classes. Their main activity was planting maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, bean
Bean
Bean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of the family Fabaceae used for human food or animal feed....
s, yuca
Cassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
, arracacha
Arracacha
The arracacha is a garden root vegetable originally from the Andes, somewhat intermediate between the carrot and celery...
, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, Agave
Agave
Agave is a genus of monocots. The plants are perennial, but each rosette flowers once and then dies ; they are commonly known as the century plant....
, tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
, pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
, guava
Guava
Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...
, among others. Their agricultural skills were sufficiently developed to take advantage of the different mountainous terrains. The Guanes utilized terraces
Terrace (agriculture)
Terraces are used in farming to cultivate sloped land. Graduated terrace steps are commonly used to farm on hilly or mountainous terrain. Terraced fields decrease erosion and surface runoff, and are effective for growing crops requiring much water, such as rice...
and an artificial system of irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
. They had a knowledge of arts and crafts based on ovens to produce ceramics
Ceramics (art)
In art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...
. They had cotton to make clothing and accessories such as hats and bags.
Colonization
Spanish Conqueror Antonio de Lebrija led the first expedition through the area in 1529. The area was later invaded c. 1532 by German Ambrosius EhingerAmbrosius Ehinger
Ambrosius Ehinger, also Dalfinger, Thalfinger, was a German conquistador and the first governor of the Welser concession, also known as “Little Venice” , in New Granada, now Venezuela and Colombia.Ehinger was a factor in Madrid for the Welser...
in a quest to find El Dorado
El Dorado
El Dorado is the name of a Muisca tribal chief who covered himself with gold dust and, as an initiation rite, dived into a highland lake.Later it became the name of a legendary "Lost City of Gold" that has fascinated – and so far eluded – explorers since the days of the Spanish Conquistadors...
. This disrupted or destroyed many of the Amerindian villages. Some ethnic groups like the Yariguíes, Opones, and Carares fought the conquerors until they became extinct. Explorer Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada
Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada
Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada was a Spanish explorer and conquistador in Colombia. He explored the northern part of South America. While successful in many of his exploits, acquiring massive amounts of gold and emeralds, he ended his career disastrously; and has been suggested as a possible model...
later went to the area in an effort to appease the tribes. The colonization process in the area was started by Martín Galeano who founded the village of Vélez
Vélez, Santander
Vélez is a town and municipality of the Santander Department in northeastern Colombia....
on July 3, 1539 and Pedro de Ursúa
Pedro de Ursúa
Pedro de Ursúa was a Spanish Basque conquistador from Baztan in the 16th century. In Panama, Ursúa subdued a Cimarron revolt by tricking Cimarron leader Bayano into coming unprepared to negotiate a truce, but then captured him and sent him back to King Philip II of Spain...
and Ortún Velasco founded the village of Pamplona (now part of the Norte de Santander Department) in 1549.
Once the Amerindian tribes were dominated, the Spanish organized the territory based on Cabildo
Cabildo (council)
For a discussion of the contemporary Spanish and Latin American cabildo, see Ayuntamiento.A cabildo or ayuntamiento was a former Spanish, colonial administrative council that governed a municipality. Cabildos were sometimes appointed, sometimes elected, but were considered to be representative of...
s (councils) to maintain the dominance and administer justice in the conquered territory. Amerindians were enslaved and forced to work in agriculture, manufacturing goods, and mines. These two villages functioned as centers for the Cabildos' territories. In 1636 the Cabildo of Vélez was transferred to a new jurisdiction centered on the village of Girón
Girón, Santander
Girón is a town and municipality in the Santander Department in northeastern Colombia....
, with an area which went from the Sogamoso River, Río del Oro to the Magdalena River
Magdalena River
The Magdalena River is the principal river of Colombia, flowing northward about through the western half of the country. It takes its name from the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. It is navigable through much of its lower reaches, in spite of the shifting sand bars at the mouth of its delta, as...
. The village of San Gil
San Gil
San Gil is a town and municipality in the Santander Department in northeastern Colombia.-Monuments:*Statue of Antonia Santos, one of the great figures of the Colombian Independence Struggle. This sculpture by Colombian artist Oscar Rodríguez Naranjo is located in the main park in San Gil.-External...
was created in 1689, segregated from the Jurisdiction of Vélez. In 1789 the village of Socorro
Socorro, Santander
Socorro is a town and municipality in the Santander Department in northeastern Colombia. It was founded in 1681 by Don José de Archila and Don José Díaz Sarmiento.The town was very influential in the history of Colombia...
was also segregated from Vélez and they were all put under the mandate of the Province of Tunja
Tunja
Tunja is a city and municipality located in the central part of Colombia, in the region of "Alto Chicomocha". As of the 2005 Census it had 152,419 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Department of Boyacá and part of the subregion of the Central Boyacá Province. It is approximately 145 km...
, a subdivision of the Viceroyalty of New Granada
Viceroyalty of New Granada
The Viceroyalty of New Granada was the name given on 27 May 1717, to a Spanish colonial jurisdiction in northern South America, corresponding mainly to modern Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. The territory corresponding to Panama was incorporated later in 1739...
. On July 9, 1795 the corregimiento of Vélez - San Gil - Socorro was created due to the unsustainability of the Province of Tunja, and local government was established in the village of Socorro.
Artists
The most outstanding and representative artists of the Colombian Santander region are Segundo Agelvis, Mario Hernández Prada, Carlos Gómez Castro, Martín Quintero, Oscar Rodríguez NaranjoOscar Rodríguez Naranjo
Oscar Rodríguez Naranjo was a painter from Socorro, Santander Department, Colombia. His works include mainly oil paintings and sculptures.Rodríguez Naranjo studied at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes in Bogotá...
and Pacheco de Suratá.
Provinces
The department is subdivided into provinceProvince
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
s:
- Metropolitan ProvinceMetropolitan ProvinceThe Metropolitan Province was a multi-member electoral province of the Western Australian Legislative Council, located in the metropolitan region of Perth. It was created by the Constitution Acts Amendment Act 1893, and became effective on 22 May 1894 following the first council elections following...
- North Soto Province
- Comunera Province
- Guanentá Province
- Vélez Province
- García Rovira Province
- Mares Province
- Carare-Opón Province