Cesar Department

The department of Cesar is located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Valledupar and it is part of the Andean and Caribbean regions.

It borders the north with La Guajira, the east with Venezuela and Norte de Santander, the south with Santander, the west with Bolívar and Magdalena.

Its astronomical position is between 7°41′ and 10°52′ of northern latitude, and 72°53′ and 74°08′ of western longitude.

Cesar is the second department with the highest exports in Colombia after Antioquia.

The department has indigenous settlements in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, where the Arhuacos, Arzarios, Kankuamos, Koguis, Chimilas live, and in the Perijá mountain range, the Yucos live.

IMPORTANT DATA

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CAPITAL

VALLEDUPAR

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POPULATION

1’065.637

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GENTILICIO

CESARENSE

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SURFACE AREA

22905 km²

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GOVERNOR

Elvia Milena Sanjuán Dávila

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OFFICIAL WEBSITE

www.cesar.gov.co

Map of the Department of Cesar

Below are the municipalities of Cesar located on the map:

Map by: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA

SUBREGIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CESAR

The department of Cesar is divided into 4 subregions, which are:

• Center
• North
• South
• Northwestern

MUNICIPALITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CESAR

The department of Cesar has 25 municipalities listed below in their respective subregion:

Center

• Becerril
• Chimichagua
• Chiriguaná
• Curumaní
• La Jagua de Ibirico
• Pailitas
• Tamalameque

North

• Agustín Codazzi
• La Paz
• Manaure
• Pueblo
• Bello
• San Diego
• Valledupar

South

• Aguachica
• Gamarra
• González
• La Gloria
• Pelaya
• Río de Oro
• San Alberto
• San Martín

Northwestern

• Astrea
• Bosconia
• El Copey
• El Paso

HISTORY

During the pre-Hispanic period, it was inhabited by indigenous Euparí and Guatapuríes belonging to the Caribe and Arawac family; the main expeditionary was the conquistador Pedro Badillo, who arrived in the area in 1528, in 1531 Ambrosio Alfínger conquered the lands of the Upar valley.

In independence, the figure of doña Concepción Loperena de Fernández de Castro stands out, who on February 4, 1814, took the Spanish out of the Upar Valley. In 1864, it was erected as a department.

RELIEF

This area of the country, known as the “Region of Valleys and Mountains”, is a territory that is part of the Pericaribbean belt. It has elevations of over 5,000 msnm, such as the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, where the highest peaks of Colombia are located, and the Serranía de los Motilones.

CLIMATE

In the Cesar department, there is a variety of climates since it presents its own tropical savanna climate and the high-altitude or thermal floors climate.

HYDROGRAPHY

It is a department bathed by the Cesar River, the main river of the department, Magdalena which serves as a limit with the Bolivar department, the Lebrija River which serves as a limit with the Santander department and the Guatapurí River.

ECONOMY

Since the soil is rich in organic matter and sediments, it facilitates agriculture, the main products are cotton, African palm, rice, sorghum, corn, cassava, banana, sesame, bean, cacao, sugarcane and coffee.

In the same way, livestock is also important, especially for breeding and fattening; the tourism industry also contributes to the regional economy given the special natural conditions that exist in the department and the festivals that take place there annually.

NATURAL RESERVES

In the Cesar department, we find a natural reserve: The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Natural Park, important not only for the natural riches it possesses, but also for the indigenous groups that inhabit it.

HYMN

Lyrics: Nabonazar Cogollo Ayala

Music: Manuel Avendaño Castañeda

CHORUS

History shouts at us: March forward!
March, for Colombia is already singing in its voice
The lyrical song of our troubadours,
with faithful guacharaca, drum and accordion.

I

Raise Cesar your flag to the skies!…
That one that displays its green splendor;
of clean cultivation and of white dreams
of a friendly land of efforts and sweat.
A river runs through you, fertile and triumphant
its name left to your beautiful region
opening paths in your fertile valleys;
irrigating tirelessly your sun-kissed fields

II

Yesterday on your soil, the chain of subjection
was broken with patriotic ardor
the august matron, the great Loperena
who raised the new song of the free…
Today it also sings in the clear Sierra
the fervent arhuaco of faith and tradition
that watches grow...oh Cesar! In your land,
the light of your people, unmatched fighter.