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carnaval

who claims that the so called "carnaval de Barranquilla" is just second to Rio? There are thousands of carnival festivities in the world. I dont know a ranking containing all of them. Where are the sources of this? They dont mention anything about the increasing poverty levels (70% of the population) and that the "golden gate" of Colombia is just a name because the main colombian harbor is in Buenaventura and the second one in Cartagena de Indias. They dont mention anything about the real documentated history of the city and how after being a model during the 1950´s became slowly in a just a big city without any organization.

Please sign your comments, otherwise discussion doesn't work very well. No doubt the remarks you note were inserted by a local resident - it is common for locality pages to attract a bit of boosterism of this sort. If you think they are inflated (I don't know enough about Colombia to say, myself), I suggest that you edit the page to say something like "Local residents believe that the carnaval de Barrnquilla is second only to that in Rio, but the evidence for this is unclear". And similarly for the other points you make - i.e. don't obliterate the previous editor's view, but put in something to balance it. seglea 4 July 2005 17:25 (UTC)

are you sure there is a 70% poverty rate? Im not so sure about that, What is your source? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 200.89.119.203 (talk) 20:56, 22 October 2010 (UTC)

• Barranquilla has more than the sixty percent of the inmigrant of Colombia, specially from USA, Canada, Europe, Philines and the rest of the countries of Latinamerica —Preceding unsigned comment added by 200.122.182.99 (talk) 00:26, 29 April 2009 (UTC)

• Barranquilla's carnival is second to the brazilian carnival by determination of the UNESCO. It was declared: masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity. It's also considered part of Colombia's National Heritage.

UNESCO LINK Don Quijote's Sancho

I am sad to hear about the decline of Barranquilla, the poverty rate is much more than I imagined. I still hear it is a beautiful city. My great grandfather was Karl C. Parrish and from what I know of him, he loved that city. I don't know much about my family's history there, though I plan on visiting soon. Thanks for the good information. If by chance you know any information about the state of Barranquilla or the Parrish family, I would love to know- I am just now trying to do some research. Thanks! emilyguerrera@comcast.net —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.199.240.96 (talk) 01:51, 24 January 2009 (UTC)

Barranquilla article in general

The article lacks a proper intro and sounds more of a POV of barranquilla refering to the city. It has two intros, which I don't see necessary! and has more information that the rest of the article. It's very disorganized and doesn't have any sources.-- Don Quijote's Sancho 15:01, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

"Barranquilla's peaceful territory is an isle amid Colombia's political problems" WOW! the pearl of POV's! --Don Quijote's Sancho 15:33, 26 April 2006 (UTC) It's true that the article needs some rephrasing. However, Barranquilla is not directly dealing with the most mediatised political problems in Colombia. ---moyogo 22:33, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

If you know some spanish, please feel free to visit local news #1 or local news #2. In case you don't understand spanish, the images will speak for themselves. --Don Quijote's Sancho 18:25, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

There's crime and violent accidents in every city. What we need is some kind of statistics from a credible source. If we can cite such a source instead of just conveying a general impression, the article will be much more credible itself. ---moyogo 06:23, 29 April 2006 (UTC)

in the schools thers the international berckley school is a bilingual school

Barranquilla is called the "golden gate" because acording to the article it was the first in having many thnigs that other cities didn't have.although Barranquilla's harbor is not NOW the biggest but, it was the biggest one in his time, and was the first one in Colombia. And about the bad news about Barranquilla every cities eventhough being the most importants in the world have many problems about security. is that clear Mogoyo?

please everybody don't look for bad things about other cities look for the good in yours, or is that yours doesn't have any possitive to say about?

The COLEGIO AMERICANO DE BARRANQUILLA is one of the best school in Barranquilla and one of the oldest ones, i think the oldest one (117 years old) important people grauated from it, the examples are Estercita Forero, Ernesto Cortizos, Romelio Martinez amoung others that have been important personalities for the Barranquilla's community.

El Colegio Aleman es la escuela mas grande & famosa en Barranquilla! boobylicious86

the population numbers are wrong! according to www.dane.gov.co (colombian estadistics department) the city population is: 1.148.506 and the metro: 1.762.143

External links

Could someone whose Spanish is more facile than mine, check out the external links. I suspect that more than just the two I deleted are inappropriate per Misplaced Pages:External links. --Bejnar 01:25, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

The Diverse Peoples of Barranquilla

I can't imagine an entry discussing the multicultralism and the people of Barranquilla without any mention of the strong historic and contemporary imprint of enslaved Africans and their descendants throughout the region. There is nothing wrong with discussing Asian, European and other immigrants in the 20th century, but this entry fails to include the pivitol contributions of Africans to the culture and people of the region.

feel free to add that info for us... with proper links plz.. --I am greener than you! 04:57, 20 June 2007 (UTC)

Multiculturalism

That section is a vulgar plagiarism from the Universidad del Norte web site. That's why I deleted it. And there is more... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.1.149.83 (talk) 01:50, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

About The Article

• Many sections in this article seem to be based mostly on opinion. The article needs concise, documented information.
• Pictures are outdated, and some of them are irrelevant. The article needs up to date, high quality pictures.
• The article doesn't mention Transmetro.

I'll be working on this article. It contains too much irrelevant information (locals, please abstain from editing to add irrelevant information). Finally, this article needs a global perspective (instead of the local perspective it has).

--Zxcv1234asdf (talk) 22:27, 8 September 2010 (UTC)

.

Transportation

The Transportation section looks as if it was translated with an automated translator => unnecessary commas, words being repeated, .. .
Could someone please take a look at that? --Saftorangen (talk) 08:38, 5 January 2011 (UTC)

Oh, and there was also opened an article for the Transmetro, but it's almost empty. I made it stub and will try to fill it with some content. --Saftorangen (talk) 08:41, 5 January 2011 (UTC)

To be copy edited and references and improved and then returned to article

Economy

The economic liberalization process begun in the country to the 80s as a result of a previous process of liberalization of the economy, would make the domestic economy and affect resent other national urban centers as the first order Medellín and Cali, while was the process of adaptation to new conditions imposed by the international market. The main requirements can be noted the improvement of national infrastructure and key development in the industrialization and marketing. The ports then become unavoidable and indeed whether they are in strategic locations as in the case of Barranquilla. The city then literally lives up to the name "Puerta de Oro de Colombia", because it remains one of the main points of contact with the rest of the world. Much of national imports and exports pass through Barranquilla, necessitating that the city is prepared increasingly to the growing investment demand. The city is the gate of contact between the main foreign customers like the United States, Mexico, Venezuela and other countries in the Caribbean Sea basin, as well as the hub of major economic zones of the interior as Antioquia and Bogotá. With the construction of the Panama Canal in 1914, the two Colombian coasts on two oceans had the ease of connection, which makes a port as Barranquilla had easy access to the Pacific Ocean and direct contact with the other major economic region as the Valle del Cauca with all that that means for economic development in the region and country.

Because of its importance in the sector of national economy, the municipality of Barranquilla passed to the category of Special District, Industrial and Port in 1993. The city is located on the first tourist region of Colombia, North Coast, the main poles of attraction as Cartagena and Santa Marta southwest to northeast. Barranquilla is a major industrial center. Economic activity is dynamic and is concentrated mainly in industry, commerce, finance, services and fishing. Among the industrial products are vegetable fats and oils, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, industrial footwear, bodies for buses, dairy products, meats, beverages, soap, building materials, furniture, plastics, cement, metalworking parts, garments clothing and boats.

Sea and river terminals are engines of industrial and commercial development of the Caribbean Region. The port of Barranquilla covers two main routes, the Magdalena River, which communicates with the interior of the country (an advantage not possessed by other ports on the Caribbean coast) and Caribbean Sea, which are traded million tonnes Europe and Asia.

With the growing expansion and demand for coal, it is feasible to build the new Deep Water Port of Barranquilla, in concession to the Sociedad Portuaria Bocas de Ceniza. The "Superpuerto", as it is called locally, will have an initial investment of $ 170 million. For future expansion provides for the use of "Superpuerto" in mixed load.

Although that is still the city is agricultural, for both agriculture and livestock play an important role even at the base of its economy from the 70s, when frustrated long drought and cattle crops suffered from lack of water and pasture, coastal women took their role as entrepreneur and going to his natural talent, first with crafts such as gopher flowers and feathers, enrruchados hats, canvas bags and finally making clothes, work on which stands at the national level international and coastal induced man to become a trader to take the product of the coastal microentrepreneurs to beyond the borders homelands. Attracted by the booming trade, many citizens of German, American, Italian, Spanish, Syrian, Arab and Lebanese, are set out in the city, giving rise to many companies that helped strengthen the industrial and economic thrust, which made it one of the four largest cities in the country with high population density. With adequate public infrastructure, multiple tariff advantages, a modern and efficient free zone industrial parks, the capital of the Atlantic is a strategic location for international trade development.

Barranquilla is a major industrial center. Economic activity is dynamic and is concentrated mainly in industry, commerce, finance, services and fishing. Among the industrial products are vegetable fats and oils, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, industrial footwear, bodies for buses and motor vehicles, dairy products, meats, beverages, soap, building materials, furniture, plastics, cement, metalworking parts, clothing and crafts. The city has a complete infrastructure zones. The Zona Franca de Barranquilla is the oldest and largest of the country has around 90 companies installed. Beginning in 2007, has undertaken the construction of three new zones with all international specifications, the first in Galapa, 11 km and 20 minutes from the port, the second in Barranquillita and third in the neighboring village of Juan Mina, called the Cayenne.

Education

Education in the city is regulated by the Secretary of Education, District Mayor dependence. The city offers the national education system in their levels of primary, secondary and university levels, in addition to many technical and technological institutions. In recent decades, Barranquilla served as host to the under-served student population in other parts of the Colombian Caribbean Coast and some from the rest of the country, who could not pursue higher education studies in the absence of institutions in their places of origin. This tends to decrease in recent years due to increased educational coverage has been achieved in these regions.

Some of the personalities who have contributed to the educational development of the city have been Manuel Maria Salgado, a pioneer of secondary education in Barranquilla, founder of the Barranquilla Institute in 1849; German educator Karl Meisel, founder of the Ribón School in 1881 which became the Barranquilla High School in 1908 (initially called Atlantico High School and then the Industrial School of Barranquilla), on the request of Governor José Francisco Insignares Atlantic, don Julio Enrique Blanco, founder of the Atlantico University, don Ramon Renowitzky, Secretary of Education by mid-century, and Turkish educator and translator Alberto Assa.

Barranquilla is home to a number of universities, such as the Universidad del Norte, Universidad del Atlántico, the Universidad Metropolitana, the Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, the Universidad Simón Bolívar, and the Corporación Universitaria de la Costa. There are also bilingual schools, such as Marymount International School Barranquilla, Karl C. Parrish, Altamira International School, Lyndon B. Johnson, German School (Deutsche Schule) and the British International School, generally accessible to the city's elite.

Barranquilla is also home to a number of more traditional Catholic schools, like Colegio Biffi La Salle, Liceo de Cervantes, Colegio Sagrado Corazón, and the Jesuits' Colegio San José and Instituto San Jose. Other schools include the Colegio Hebreo Unión (a Jewish school). The city is also remarkable for having one of highest literacy rates in the country: 96.4 percent and also one of the most bilingual young rates.

Science and research

Science and research are carried out mainly by universities at the request of state policies defined by the National Science and Technology, the National Innovation System and Colciencias. Atlantico University is the institution with more research groups Colciencias recognized by and registered with the International Network for Information and Knowledge Sources for Sciences, Technology and Innovation, Red ScienTI Colciencias: 51 groups recognized by Colciencias of 130 registered. The University of the North has 34 recognized out of 42 registered, Simón Bolívar University 45 regisetred, 26 recognized, the Autonomous University of the Caribbean with 77 registered and 14 recognized groups, and the Free University Barranquilla Sectional with 32 registered and 12 recognized. Universities carry out scientific activities and research in different fields such as Medicine, Chemistry, Geophysics, Biology, Physics, Microbiology, Law, History, Philosophy, Caribbean Culture, telecommunications and several branches of Engineering.

Among the city's public libraries are the Departmental Library, the Pilot of the Caribbean Library and the Julio Hoenigsberg Library. Other libraries are Norte and Atlántico universities' and Combarranquilla's and Comfamiliar's family compensation funds.

Media

The town has an adequate telecommunications infrastructure, which emphasizes the submarine fiber optic cable that part of the costs of the neighboring municipality of Puerto Colombia to the United States, connecting to Colombia with the main centers of global communication. From 2008, the cable runs from Barranquilla South America 1 (Sam1), operated by the company Telefónica-Telecom, which increased by 50 percent the capacity of Colombia's access to broadband Internet, which projected as a Barranquilla new telecommunications free zone.

Television

From 1986, the Colombian Caribbean Coast has the Telecaribe regional television, which has its operational headquarters in the city. In addition, Barranquilla operate local television channels TB3 (cable) Channel 23 at the Autonomous University of the Caribbean (open signal) and the five national television channels (RCN TV, Caracol TV, Canal Uno, Señal Colombia and Institutional) . From the city also generate signal Canal and the Canal Universitario Nacional Jerusalem TV (Channel LUZ) with transmission for the entire country. Since April 2008 is produced and transmitted by Internet Tveo + channel of the telecommunications company Metrotel.

Radio

Barranquilla transmits various AM and FM stations, both local and national, which keep the public informed and provide a varied musical program.

Press

The city's two main newspapers are El Heraldo and La Libertad. Other dailies include newspapers of nationwide distribution, such as Bogotá's El Tiempo. From September 2008 circulating ADN, a free daily newspaper in Colombia, the publisher of El Tiempo.

Transportation

This article may lack focus or may be about more than one topic. Please help improve this article, possibly by splitting the article and/or by introducing a disambiguation page, or discuss this issue on the talk page. (February 2011)

Traffic in the city and its metropolitan area is governed from 2009 by the Ministry for Mobility.

Public transport

In 2001, the district administration started developing Transmetro, metropolitan mass transit system. The system operates articulated buses that on exclusive lanes, stopping at fixed stops, like the TransMilenio system in Bogotá. Construction began in 2007 and is expected to come into operation on April 7, 2010, 197, Barranquilla ephemeris. In 2010, the taxis handle a minimum rate for 4300 COP (USD 2.17 USD) for a distance of 3.5 km. To cover distance races over the minimum, the fee is negotiated directly with the driver and can reach a COP 20,000 (USD 11.4) depending on the distance covered. The races at the airport or surcharges Transport Terminal and night racing from 8:00 pm, and services on holidays and Sundays. These prices are contained in a table that the driver must be located on a decal on the car. Taxi service can also be contracted by the hour, COP 15,000 (USD 7.58). Several private companies provide taxi service in the city, which can be ordered by phone for safety.

The city operates a network of buses and minibuses routes where fares vary depending on the model (old) and amenities such as air conditioning. These prices are visible in the windshield of the vehicle and range from COP 1,200 (USD 0.60) and COP 1,500 (USD 0.75). The bus transport is the most used by the population. In the municipality of Soledad, south of the city, is the Metropolitan Transportation Terminal in Barranquilla, from which ground transportation is available to major domestic destinations and Venezuela.

Air transport

The air terminal is Barranquilla Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport, one of the major airports in Colombia, 7 km from the city in the neighboring municipality of Soledad. The airport has two terminals, one for domestic flights and one for international. It also operates as an international hub for airlines Aires and Avianca. Since 1997, the airport is managed and operated by Aeropuertos del Caribe S.A. In 2007 it was declared "open skies" by the Civil Aviation to promote tourism and the projection of the city. During 2009, through Cortissoz Ernesto have moved 1.5 million passengers were carried out 36 000 operations and 24 678t were transported commodities.

In early 2009 the Ministry of Transport announced the construction of a mega-airport that will serve Barranquilla and Cartagena, which came into operation in 2015. The new facility will be located equidistant between the two cities, near Highway to the Sea Its construction is because the Cartagena Rafael Nunez Airport has become insufficient to handle traffic and the impossibility of its expansion, and to promote the consolidation of the megalopolis Barranquilla-Cartagena. The airport will be Ernesto Cortissoz for military operations. In that sense, since May 2009 is built air base at the airport Caribbean Ernesto Cortissoz annexed and attached to the Navy. With the Base is looking for better job maritime interdiction against drug trafficking, supporting the work of the Marine Corps in rural areas and Joint Command Caribbean.

Maritime

Barranquilla has an important river port and third in importance of volume in the country. The sea and river terminal is administered, operated and marketed by private Sociedad Portuaria Regional Barranquilla. The North Port Authority provides port and logistics services such as multi-sea and river terminal. The traffic through the port of Barranquilla is regulated by the Captain of the Port of Barranquilla, attached to the General Maritime, which is responsible for the direction, coordination and control of maritime activities such as arrivals, departures, location of ships, safety, licensing, advertisements, among others.

Health

Health in Colombia is governed by legislation (Act 100 of 1993) and is regulated by the Ministry of Social Protection. At the local level, is in charge of two state institutions, the Ministry of Health, which depends on the District and City Hall since December 2008, the Social Enterprise Caprecom State as manager of the Hospital Administrative Units (four hospitals 6 Units Maternal and Child Health Centers) in place of the Network of Public Hospitals (Redehospital), in liquidation. In April 2009 the service was to be in District Hospital Network, February 2010, Caprecom continues to provide services while deciding on the final scheme. Other institutions are the Colombian Red Cross, the Colombian Civil Defense, in charge of emergencies, calamities and natural disasters, and the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF), responsible for the comprehensive protection of the family and childhood.

The district has four hospitals (General de Barranquilla, Nazareth, La Manga and Paediatric), 6 maternal-child units, 19 health centers and 28 health posts. In each town of the city, a center or health post. These institutions can provide services for the first and second level of care, with the exception of the Pediatric Hospital, which serves part-third level. In addition, the city operates a large number of private clinics that serve high levels of complexity (3 and 4) and multiple medical specialties, such as clinics in the Caribbean, el Prado, La Asunción, Northern General, Queen Catherine, among others.

Since 2008 he enlisted a special zone of health services with domestic and foreign capital, which will include a clinic class. Will be located between the races 56 and 51B, the university hall area in farms in the municipality of Puerto Colombia.

Public services

In terms of coverage of public services, 98.8% of dwellings in Barranquilla is connected to electricity, sewerage 98.3%, 99.5% at Aqueduct, 89.3% natural gas and 63.5% a telephone. Public services are entirely in the hands of private enterprise. According to the report, Key Indicators of the Information Technologies and Communication of DANE, Barranquilla and its metropolitan area is the third urban cluster with a lower percentage of households with computers (18.1%).

Electric power

The city is home to two power plants: Termobarranquilla S.A. (Tebsa) and Thermoelectric Las Flores. Termoflores consists of three units of power generation: Flowers One, Two and Three, with an installed capacity of 160, 112 and 175 megawatts respectively. Tebsa has an installed capacity of 870 megawatts, which plans to expand to 910 megawatts. Generated under normal conditions, over 10% of domestic demand and can supply electricity to most of the Colombian Caribbean Coast. Electricaribe The company is responsible for the provision of electricity to the city and its metropolitan area.

Water

The Triple A mixed economy company, is responsible for water services, sewer and toilet. Barranquilla is supplied water from the Magdalena River, drawing an average flow of about 6.5 m³ / s at a flow rate of consumption of about 4 m³ / s. The estimated per capita consumption is about 227.3 L / person. Barranquilla's aqueduct contains the Magdalena river by two independent systems of collecting and pumping raw water. The first, called system of low pressure pump No. 1, it supplies three water treatment plants and pumping system of low pressure N 2 supplying two treatment plants. The recruitment is done through a common dock the two systems, a channel that is derived from the wharf and directs the water catchment system No. 1. The water purification system in Barranquilla consists of five treatment plants located all on the same site, with respective rated capacities of 1.2, 0.5, 1.8, 1.0 and 3.0 m³ / s.

Sewerage

The sewage system of the city is underground and unique. Drainage networks leading the wastewater in parallel to the water network into bodies of water without receiving any treatment. According to the topography of Barranquilla, the city's sewer system is divided into three zones: East, Southwest and Northwest. The Oriental discharges its wastewater into the Magdalena River through the pipe system and the other two belong to the basin of the streams Leon and Arroyo Grande, through which water drains into bodies of water near the marsh of Majorca. The Southwest area discharges its sewage into the stream Leon after being treated by the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), the district El Pueblito. This plant is estimated that about 20% of the wastewater from the city.

Cleanliness

The public sanitation is carried out using mechanical sweeping equipment with dust filters and powerful suction. At sites of difficult access such as boulevards and public stairs, use the direct labor work and hand tools. Also implements the "El Baldeo", which combines direct labor using high pressure water for sites that require high levels of cleanliness as plazas and parks. In the public market the service is provided washing of sidewalks or pathways after mopping. The collection of waste from large producers (non-residential users) producing volumes in excess of 1 cubic meter of waste per month, is implemented using 11 macrorutas compaction equipment.

The final disposal of solid waste takes place in the environmental park Los Pocitos, located at Kilometer 11 between Barranquilla and Tubará, which handles about 1,200 tons of garbage and covers a total area of 135 ha, of which 75 are used for garbage disposal. Another 30 are designed for an eco-park with trails that can be used for ecological walks. The company replaced "El Henequen" type containment landfill which operated until March 31, 2009. The life of Los Pocitos is estimated at 30 years at a cost of 22 billion.

Natural gas

The service natural gas distribution company is operated by Caribbean Gas since 1987. The transportation of natural gas to large consumers of fuel, i.e. those with higher consumption of 100 thousand cubic feet per day (0.1 MPCD), as the city's power plants, gas distributor above, and cement industries, petrochemical and mining is provided by Promigas.

Telecommunications

With regard to local telephone service is provided by Telecom and Telefonica Metrotel. These companies also provide telecommunications and Internet services (broadband, dedicated channels), as well as service companies providing long distance telephony, Telefonica, Telecom, UNE and ETB, in addition to Promitel and Telmex. The subscription television service is provided by local and national companies such as Cable Union, Telmex, Telefónica–Telecom DirecTV (the latter two satellite television). The cellular mobile telephone service is provided by the companies Comcel and Movistar (850 MHz, GSM technology), and Tigo (1900 MHz PCS + NGN technology).

Culture

Barranquilla's culture is born of a convergence of the indigenous cultures of the Colombian Caribbean Coast with European and African-arrival of the Spanish in America. From the nineteenth century, through the immigrants who settle in the city are present contributions of cultures such as Arabic, Jewish, American, German, French and Italian. Cultural activities are promoted at local government level by the District Institute of Culture and Tourism of Barranquilla, attached to the Mayor. Other organizations that promote cultural activities are the Cayenne Cultural Center of the University of North, the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of the Atlantic, the Cultural Center of Comfamiliar, Combarranquilla, Carnaval de Barranquilla Foundation, the Bank of the Republic, the Colombo-French Alliance, the Centro Cultural Colombo-Americano, Avianca, the Corporation Luis Eduardo Nieto Arteta, which administers the Cultural Complex Old Customs House (which houses the Caribbean Pilot Library, the Historical Archives of the Atlantic and Central Federico Hans Neuman Musical Documentation), universities and colleges, among other cultural associations.

Throughout the year, the city developed in cultural activities, as more representative sample is the Carnival of Barranquilla, one of the most famous festivals in Colombia. It is celebrated annually during the four days preceding Ash Wednesday-Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of Carnaval, usually in February or early March. In 2001 it was declared "Heritage of the Nation" by the National Congress of Colombia, and in 2003 as one of the "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO. Other events that stand out are the folk art shows and events such as exhibitions, literary workshops, talks philosophy, plays, poetry workshops, stories, dances, exhibitions, concerts and festivals.

Music

Cumbia is the most important and representative musical rhythm and dance, rooted in the Colombian Caribbean region and representative of Colombia. Other important musical rhythms are la puya ("La Puya Loca"), el jalao ("La Estera"), el garabato ("Te Olvidé"), el cumbión, el chandé, el porro, la gaita, el bullerengue, el merecumbé, vallenato and el pajarito. Children sing songs and rondas such as "la Marisela" and "Los bollos de mi cazuela".

The Festival Orchestra of the Carnival of Barranquilla, which currently takes place on Carnival Monday is a musical competition where the most important national and international bands take part in different categories and folk rhythms such as salsa, merengue and vallenato. The winning bands are awarded with the coveted and legendary Golden Congo. Barranquijazz is another musical event, the annual space for dissemination of jazz.

It should be noted urban cultural phenomena such as verbena, livened up by the popular dance stung, many painted with a bright amp. Also include the house, dancing entertained by orchestras and musical groups (in vivo). Currently, foreign musical genres greater acceptance in the city are the salsa, reggaeton and merengue, among others.

Currently in Barranquilla there is a huge following of music groups inspired by the musical style of Shakira, who was born there in 1977.

Literature

Barranquilla has produced several prominent writers from the late nineteenth century until the mid-twentieth century, coinciding with the golden age of the city. Among the most important may be mentioned Amira de la Rosa, poet and dramatist, author of the lyrics of Barranquilla, Meira Delmar, renowned poet of Lebanese origin, Alvaro Cepeda Samudio, writer, storyteller and journalist, the poet Miguel Island Rasch, Don José Félix Fuenmayor, poet and novelist; Alfonso Fuenmayor, Leopoldo de la Rosa, poet Zachary Abraham Lopez-Penha, novelist of Sephardi Jewish origin, and also a novelist and Marvel Fanny Buitrago Luz Moreno. In the mid-twentieth century created the mythical Barranquilla Group, which brought together a number of writers and intellectuals who years later would gain worldwide fame as the Nobel prize for literature Gabriel García Márquez, who received his secondary education at the Jesuit college of San José and has always said that was formed as writer in Barranquilla.

It should highlight the activities of cultural and literary magazine Voices (1917–1920), founded by Don José Félix Fuenmayor and writer Ramon Vinyes, the Catalan scholar, who also joined the Group of Barranquilla and lived many years in the city. Manuel Garcia Herreros In 1922 he founded the magazine Road, which brought together leading writers of the city as the poets Fernando de Andreis, Angel Rafael Donado, Jose Miguel Orozco and Antonio Salcedo Cotes. In 1950 there was a sports magazine called Cronica, reproducing texts by Felisberto Hernández, was directed by Alfonso Fuenmayor and counted among its partners to Gabriel García Márquez and Alvaro Alvarez Germain Cepeda Samudio. In the literary supplement of La Nación contributed important figures in Colombia as the scientist Armando Dugand Gnecco, the historian and philosopher Luis Eduardo Nieto Arteta, historians and Julio Alberto Miramón Hoenigsberg, essayist Maya Bernardo Restrepo, the playwright Rafael Fernández Díaz, the chronicler Vergara Rafael Mendez and humorous author Carlos Osio Noguera. Other magazines were Mundial and Semana Ilustrada, founded and directed by José Félix Fuenmayor.

Religion

Rooted from the Spanish colonial period, Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion. There are other Christian minorities too, including the Baptist Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons etc. Small Muslim and Jewish communities are also present in the city.

The official patron of the city is St. Nicholas of Tolentino, whose temple was declared a pro-cathedral church when the Holy See created the Diocese of Barranquilla in 1932. In 1982 the temple enshrines the Holy See as the new Queen Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral Barranquilla. San Roque de Montpellier is considered the patron popular. One of the most popular religious celebrations were the fiesta of San Nicolas and San Roque, patron of law and popular Barranquilla respectively, with solemn processions, as well as wheels, bullfights, bazaars and all types of popular games. They were also celebrated the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and the Feast of All Saints or Angels Day (November 1), which was replaced by the American Halloween. Currently, the most important religious celebrations are traditional Easter and the feast of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel, on July 16, deeply rooted in the popular sectors and the union of the transporters.

Sports

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The sport is governed in Barranquilla and is promoted at the governmental level by the Department of Recreation and Sport of the District Municipality. Since the early twentieth century, in the city have been carried out mainly football, baseball and boxing. Also done a variety of disciplines such as basketball, athletics, swimming, chess, cycling, skating, tennis, golf, shooting, microfútbol, karate, taekwondo, paragliding, BMX, go-karts, motor sports, fishing, squash, surfing, weightlifting, softball and bowling.

Barranquilla has hosted the Colombia national football team during the qualifiers for the World Cup in Italy (1990), USA (1994), France (1998) and Germany (2006) XIV host the National Games in 1992, secondary venue the Central American and Caribbean Games 2006; host the V Central American and Caribbean Games in 1946, home of the Bolivarian Games IV in 1961 and hosted the games in Group A in the Copa America 2001. In 2011 will be one of the venues for the FIFA World Cup Under-20 to be held in Colombia.

Tourism

In Barranquilla is developed throughout the years an active business and commercial tourism, and especially during times of carnival and the end of the year, receives a large influx of visitors. In terms of hotels, the city has an adequate infrastructure market focused mainly executive and carnival season. Everything from residences to inns and 5-star hotels of recognized national and international chains are available. The best hotels are located in the north of the city, near important business districts and shopping centers, which offer all facilities for holding events, conventions, conferences, among others. Another important sector is the Center hotel, more oriented to smaller budgets.

Bocas de Ceniza and the Magdalena River

A place of particular importance to the city are the Bocas de Ceniza, as known to the mouth of the Magdalena River in the Caribbean Sea. Its importance lies in making up the access to the port of Barranquilla. Occasionally, organized rides aboard river barges that depart from Las Flores to the bridge Pumarejo and returned to Bocas de Ceniza to complete their journey at the starting point. Visitors may also make special excursions on small boats along the river, enjoy the restaurants in the area and visit the nearby swamps and arms. A compensation fund of the city organizes a daily tourist train ride on the railroad's western breakwater until shortly before its final stretch, which is impossible to go by your state of deterioration and the danger it represents.

The port of Puerto Colombia

Built in 1893 by The Barranquilla Railway & Pier Company under the direction of Cuban engineer Francisco Javier Cisneros, the spring of the neighboring municipality of Puerto Colombia was once one of the longest in the world. As he entered the progress and hundreds of immigrants into the country in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Partially closed in 2008 due to its progressive ruin. On March 7, 2009 suffered the collapse of the final 200 meters of its structure because of strong winds, forcing its complete closure and evacuation of the inhabitants of the area. Despite having been declared a National Monument in 1998, it has never done restoration work. Because of the latest calamity, the local government steps forward to rebuild.

Barranquilla Zoo

Barranquilla Zoo is a wildlife sanctuary which houses colorful animal species, both native and exotic, emphasizing Colombian fauna and the protection of endangered species. Over 500 animals of 140 species are exhibited, from chickens to elephants or lions, going through all kinds of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians and primates.

Northern

The sector most modern and best equipped in terms of infrastructure, with the best neighborhoods, parks, hotels and shopping centers. It is also the axis of the business and cultural life of Barranquilla. It presents new developments in infrastructure and urban architectural projects of great importance.

Surroundings

No more than an hour away by road there are several tourist attractions in neighboring villages. Northwest of the department, bordering the Caribbean Sea, there are a number of resorts like Pradomar, Salgar, Sabanilla, Puerto Colombia, Santa Veronica, Cano Dulce, Playa Mendoza, Puerto Velero, Puerto Mocho and Swan Lake, where visitors can enjoy a variety of water sports, camping, fishing and excursions. In Cupino hill in the town of Puerto Colombia, paragliding is practiced. At the house of the poet Julio Flórez in Usiacurí, visitors can buy handicrafts. The municipalities of Repelón and Luruaco provide water sports and other recreational activities listed in the swamps and Guajares Luruaco respectively. In other towns of the department of livestock fairs are held Atlantic (Sabanalarga), cultural festivals, gastronomic, folkloric and musical as the Festival of the Egg in Luruaco Arepa, the Plum Festival in Campeche, the Festival of pigeon pea in Sibarco, carnivals, among others. Barranquilla is a little more than 1 hour from Cartagena and Santa Marta, important tourist and colonial cities.

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