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Cartagena, Colombia

Cartagena (/ˌkɑːrtəˈhnə/ 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.

For the Spanish city, see Cartagena, Spain.

Cartagena

1 June 1533

William Jorge Dau Chamat[1]

83.2 km2 (32.1 sq mi)

597.7 km2 (230.8 sq mi)

2 m (7 ft)

914,552

11,000/km2 (28,000/sq mi)

1,028,736[2]

1,721/km2 (4,460/sq mi)

Cartagenero(s) (in Spanish)

2023

$17.1 billion[4]

$15,600

130000

57 + 5

30 °C (86 °F)

www.cartagena.gov.co (in Spanish)

Port, Fortresses and Group of Monuments, Cartagena

Cultural

iv, vi

1984 (8th session)

285

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.

and Mestizos: 63.2%

Whites

: 36.1%

Black, mulatto, Afro-Colombian or Afro-descendant

: 0.3%

Palenquero

: 0.2%

Indigenous

: 0.1%

ROM

: 0.1%

Raizal

Parque Central Zona Franca: Opened in 2012 the zone is located in the municipality of Turbaco, within the District of Cartagena de Indias. It covers an area of 115 hectares (284+14 acres). It has a permamente Zone (Phase 1 – Phase 2) and a Logistics and Commercial Zone for SMEs.

[70]

Zona Franca Industrial Goods and Services ZOFRANCA Cartagena SA: located 14 kilometers (8+34 miles) from the city center, at the end of the industrial sector and has Mamonal private dock.

Zona Franca Turística en Isla De Barú: located on the island of Baru, within the swamp Portonaito. Approved in 1993 the tourist zone offers waterways, marine tourism and urban development.

[71]

Infrastructure[edit]

Transportation[edit]

As the commercial and touristic hub of the country, the city has many transportation facilities, particularly in the seaport, air, and fluvial areas.


In 2003,[76] the city started building Transcaribe, a mass transit system. In 2015 the system began operating in the city. Taxis are also a prevalent form of public transportation and there is a bus terminal connecting the city to other cities along the coast and in Colombia.[77]


Cartagena has problems of traffic congestion.[78]

University of Cartagena

Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar

Teatro Adolfo Mejía: former Teatro Heredia, opened in 1911, inspired by the of Havana, was designed by Jose Enrique Jaspe. After years of abandonment, it was rebuilt in the 1990s and continues to be a cultural center. It is located in Plazuela de La Merced 5.[90]

Teatro Tacón

(1969), with Marlon Brando, was filmed in Cartagena.

Burn!

In the movie (1984), romance novelist Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) travels to Cartagena to deliver a treasure map, in an effort to ransom her kidnapped sister. The Cartagena scenes were actually filmed in Mexico. In the movie, Michael Douglas' character refers to it as Cartage(ny)a. This has largely been adopted by tourists and is an irritant to the locals. The "N" in Cartagena is hard.

Romancing the Stone

The film (1986), with Robert De Niro, was filmed in Cartagena and Brazil[93]

The Mission

The film (2007) was filmed in Cartagena.

Love in the Time of Cholera

Scenes of (2019), with Will Smith, were filmed in Cartagena.

Gemini Man

Scenes of the (2023) film

Sound of Freedom

salsa music composer and singer[112]

Joe Arroyo

conceptual artist[113]

Alvaro Barrios

politician, journalist, Governor of Panama (1856–58), President of the Granadine Confederation in 1861

Bartolomé Calvo

boxer

Bernardo Caraballo

diplomat and historian[114]

Alfonso Múnera Cavadía

boxer

Antonio Cervantes

Jesuit priest, pastor and missionary to the slaves brought to Cartagena ("Slave of the slaves forever"), human rights advocate. Beatified 1850 by Pope Pius IX, canonized 1888 by Pope Leo XIII. 1985, the Colombian Congress declared 9 September, his feast day, as Human Rights national day in his honor.[115]

Saint Peter Claver SJ

writer, author of "La Tejedora de Coronas" (The weaver of crowns) and 40 other works[116]

Germán Espinosa

politician, early "juntismo" movement member, later independentist; President of the Supreme Junta of Cartagena (1810–11)[117]

José María García de Toledo

Miss Colombia 2017

Laura González

painter, born in Panama but raised in the city where most of his work was done and inspired[118]

Enrique Grau

professional baseball player[119]

Dilson Herrera

actress[120]

Zharick León

documentary photographer[121]

Nereo Lopez

singer

Manuel Medrano

Miss Colombia 2001

Andrea Nocetti

politician, journalist, diplomat, writer, lawyer and judge. Dominant political figure in Colombia in the 19th century, and the first to did so by civil means: In 1848 just after another civil war entered in local politics. Then became MP for Cartagena in the Colombian Congress, also was Governor of Bolívar (1854), then briefly Minister of War in 1855–57. President of the Sovereign State of Bolivar twice, (1876–77) (1879–80) was finally elected 4 times President of Colombia. During this time the country stabilized and the economy grew after decades of civil war and established the foundations for civil-led government with the Colombian Constitution of 1886 that lasted 105 years. Also wrote the country's national anthem.

Rafael Núñez

Miss Universe Colombia 2020

Laura Olascuaga

boxer

Alfonso Pérez

guerrilla fighter for the 19th of April Movement

Carlos Pizarro Leongómez

politician and ambassador, Minister of Interior (2003–06)[122]

Sabas Pretelt de la Vega

footballer

Frey Ramos

actor

Ramses Ramos

footballer

Hugo Soto

professional baseball player[123]

Julio Teherán

professional baseball player

Gio Urshela

boxer

Rodrigo Valdez

singer

Kevin Flórez

singer

Karoll Márquez

writer

Teresa Román Vélez

baseball player

Orlando Cabrera

beauty queen and model

Jeymmy Vargas

author

Vanessa Rosales Altamar

actress

Laura De León Céspedes

actress

Angie Cepeda

actress

Lorna Cepeda

historian

Eduardo Lemaitre

TV host

Salomón Bustamante Sanmiguel

singer

Patricia Teherán Romero

List of colonial buildings in Cartagena, Colombia

according to UNESCO, the first free African town in the Americas, located 50 kilometres (31 mi) from Cartagena de Indias

San Basilio de Palenque

an archipelago located 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Cartagena with a large coral reef

Rosario Islands

List of tallest buildings in Cartagena

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cartagena in Colombia

Manuel Rodríguez Torices

Cartagena Manifesto

United Provinces of New Granada

Gran Colombia

War of the Supremes

in which 4000 Cartageneros died in 1849[17]: 72 

1829–51 cholera pandemic

Reference volumes and maps regarding the history of Cartagena. Library of the Royal Geographical Society of South Australia

(in Spanish)

Cartagena City Government website

(in English)

Discover the Charms of Cartagena de Indias

from 1735

Map of the City and Bay of Cartagena de las Indias