Cesar Department

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Department of Cesar
Departamento del Cesar

Deparment of Colombia
Flag of the Department of Cesar Coat of arms of the Department of Cesar
Anthem: Himno del Cesar
Established	January 6, 1550
Region	Caribbean Region
Capital	Valledupar
Number of Municipalities	25
Governor - Governor's Political Party	Hernando Molina Colombian Liberal Party
Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of total)	Ranked 22 22,925 km² km² km² (%)
Population  - Total (2005)  - Density	Ranked 15 879,914[1] 43.43/km²
ISO_Code	CO-CES
Goverment's Website: www.gobcesar.gov.co

Department of Cesar or Cesar Department (es: Departamento del Cesar), is a department of Colombia. It is in the north of the country in the Caribbean region, bordering to the north with La Guajira Department, to the west with the Magdalena Department and Bolivar Department, to the south with Santander Department, and to the west with the Norte de Santander Department, also bordering the country of Venezuela.

Valledupar became its capital when the Department was created in 1967 by decree. The "Cesar" name is an adaptation from the amerindian name Chet-tzar to Spanish, which means "calm water", name also of the same river (Cesar River) and the valley that its basin crosses, most of the department.[1]

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Political Divisions 3.1 Municipalities 4 Government and Politics 4.1 Governors 5 Economy 6 References

[edit] History

Before the Spanish conquerors arrived, the territory was populated by numerous groups of Amerindians, among them the Malibu tribe, Tairona tribe, Arhuaco tribe, Motilones tribe, Eupari tribe, Guatapuries tribe, Chimila tribe and Tupe tribe; all of them part of the Caribe Indians family. The first European conqueror to arrive at these lands was Pedro de Badillo in 1529, and in 1531 the German Ambrosius Ehinger, who invaded the territory, and because of encountering a great resistance by the local tribes he ordered the execution of their chief Upar. The colonization finally was accomplished by Capuchin friars who subdued the Indians.

[edit] Geography

The César Department has an extension of 22.905 km², its geography is divided into two different regions: the mountainous region of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Serranía del Perija and the flat lands belonging to two valleys between this two mountain systems, the César river valley and the Magdalena River Valley.

Lower lands present a warm and dry climate, annual precipitations are less than 1,300 mm a year. The mountainous regions are characterized by low temperatures and precipitations ranging more than 2,000 mm a year.

[edit] Political Divisions

[edit] Municipalities

1. Aguachica
2. Astrea
3. Becerril
4. Bosconia
5. Chimichagua
6. Chiriguana
7. Codazzi
8. Curumani
9. El Copey
10. El Paso
11. Gamarra
12. González
13. La Gloria
14. La Jagua de Ibirico
15. Manaure
16. Pailitas
17. Pelaya
18. Pueblo Bello
19. Rio de Oro
20. Robles La Paz
21. San Alberto
22. San Diego
23. San Martín
24. Tamalameque
25. Valledupar

[edit] Government and Politics

[edit] Governors

Main article: Governor of Cesar Department

1. Alfonso López Michelsen(December 21, 1967 - August 14, 1968)
2. Luis Roberto García (Interim) (August 16, 1968 - September 28, 1968)
3. Alfonso Araújo Cotes (September 21, 1968 - August 21, 1970)
4. José Antonio Murgas (August 22, 1970 - June 17, 1971)
5. Manuel Germán Cuello (June 19, 1971 - August 13, 1974)
6. Luis Roberto García (August 14, 1974 - March 13, 1975)
7. Guillermo Baute Pavajeau (March 14, 1975 - May 19, 1975)
8. Ernesto Palencia Caratt (Interim) (May 22, 1975 - June 5, 1975)
9. Alfonso Araújo Cotes (June 7, 1975 - August 30, 1977)
10. Armando Barros Baquero (August 31, 1977 - April 25, 1978)
11. Jaime Murgas Arzuaga (April 25, 1978 - August 24, 1978)
12. José Guillermo Castro Castro (August 25, 1978 - March 12, 1981)
13. Carmen García Vargas (Interim) (March 12, 1981 - March 23, 1981)
14. Jorge Dangond Daza (March 23, 1981 - August 27, 1982)
15. Edgardo Pupo Pupo (August 27, 1982 - August 23, 1983)
16. Luis Rodriguez Valera (August 23, 1983 - August 25, 1986)
17. Maria Inés Castro de Ariza (August 25, 1986 - March 6, 1987)
18. Alfredo Araujo Castro (Interim) (March 7, 1987 - April 13, 1989)
19. Paulina Mejía de Castro (April 14, 1989 - February 8, 1990)
20. Armando Maestre Pavajeau February 9, 1990 - September 2, 1990)
21. Adalberto Ovalle Muñoz (September 3, 1990 - June 14, 1991)
22. Juan Carlos Quintero Castro (June 15, 1991 - July 18, 1991)
23. Abraham José Romero (July 19, 1991 - November 13, 1991)
24. Carlos Alberto Henao (November 14, 1991 - January 1, 1992)
25. Lucas Segundo Gnecco Cerchar (January 1, 1992 - January 1, 1995)
26. Mauricio Pimiento (January 1, 1995 - January 1, 1998)
27. Lucas Segundo Gnecco Cerchar (January 1, 1998 - 2000)
28. César Gustavo Solano Noriega (Interim) (2000)
29. Rafael Bolaños Guerrero (January 1, 2001 - January 1, 2004)
30. Hernando Molina Araujo (January 1, 2005 - incumbent)

[edit] Economy

The economy of the César Department is sustained by the agropecuary (cattle?) sector, secondly by Customer Services following with Commercial Industry and Mining. Cattle raising is exploited extensively (using large farms), and for this reason large portions of forests have been chopped off to create corrals. In agriculture, plantations of cotton, rice, sugar cane, oil palm, yucca and plantain. Services are centered on commerce and the industry is represented by oil products, fats and milk derived products. As one of the biggest water resources areas of Colombia, if not America, part of the Magdalena River crosses the Department and helps create the Cienaga de Zapatosa (Zapatosa Marsh) along with the Cesar river. It has a great potential to develop a fishing industry also, but it is practiced at a minimum. Most of the territory has not been explored in the search of more minerals due to violence, but because of recent findings, it became a potential source.[2]

[edit] References

• Cesar 30 Años de Progreso - Gobernacion del Cesar (1997) booklet
• Cesar Department official website