Villanueva | |
---|---|
Toun an municipality | |
Location o the municipality an toun o Villanueva in La Guajira Depairtment. | |
Coordinates: 10°36′32″N 72°59′3″W / 10.60889°N 72.98417°W | |
Kintra | Colombie |
Region | Caribbean |
Depairtment | La Guajira |
Foondation | 16 Januar 1662 bi Roque de Alba |
Govrenment | |
• Mayor | Luis Erasmo Dangond (Colombie Conservative Pairty)[1] |
Area | |
• Total | 265 km2 (102 sq mi) |
Elevation | 250 m (820 ft) |
Population (2005) | |
• Total | 18,804 |
[2] | |
Time zone | UTC-5 |
Website | villanueva-guajira.gov.co |
Villanueva is a toun an municipality locatit in the northren Depairtment o La Guajira, Colombie. Villanueva is kent in Colombie for bein the cradle o mony vallenato sangsters an componers. The economy o the toun relies hivily on agricultur an fermin.
The municipality o Villanueva is locatit in the soothren region o the Depairtment o La Guajira athin the valley o the Cesar River, atween the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta muntains an the Serranía del Perijá which Villanueva borders. The municipality is crossed bi the Villanueva River which flows intae the Cesar River.[3] The municipality seat is locatit bi the Cerro Pintao ("Pentit Hill") which covers the municipalities o San Juan del Cesar, El Molino and Urumita an aw an in the Depairtment o Cesar the municipalities o Manaure, La Paz, San Diego an Codazzi, coverin a aurie o 25,000 ha an wi a altitude rangin frae 1600 tae 3,688 m (Páramo) giein birth tae some 13 rivers.[4]
Villanueva limits tae the north wi the municipalities o El Molilno, wi Venezuela tae the east; tae the sooth wi the municipalities o Urumita an San Juan del Cesar; an tae the wast wi the Depairtment o Cesar coverin a total aurie o 265 km² an at altitude o 250 m ower sea level. Mair nor hauf o the total aurie o the municipality is pairt o the Serranía del Perijá while the rest is flat, athin the valley.[3]
Climate in the municipality o Villanueva is determined bi altitude an precipitation. The municipality haes a average temperatur o 28 °C throuoot the year with twa rainy saisons an twa dry saisons.[5]
Prior tae the arrival o the Spainyie splorers in the early 16t hunderyear the aurie o wha is present-day Villanueva wis inhabitit bi a Chimila tribe; the Itotos, then led bi Cacique Canopan an their dounset wis cried "Timiriguaco" (Great veelage). The veelage wis allegedly foondit bi Don Roque de Alba in 1662.[6]
The economy o Villanueva is based primarily on agricultur an commercial trade atween the ither Soothren Guajira municipalities an the ceety o Valledupar in the Depairtment o Cesar. O the 26,500 Ha, 7,300 Ha are uised for plantations, 8,000 for cattle raisin, 10,146 Ha wur unuised an 454 covered urban auries.[7]
In the lawer pairt o the Serranía del Perijá thare are limestane deposits which are exploitit in airtisan manner.[7]
Villanueva celebrates in the month o September the Cradle o Accordions Festival, a vallenato muisical contest as well as a releegious celebration in honor o Saunt Thomas.[8]