Barranquilla

Barranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's fourth most populous city after Bogotá, Medellín and Cali.

Barranquilla lies strategically next to the delta of the Magdalena River, 7.5 kilometres (originally 25 km before rapid urban growth) from its mouth at the Caribbean Sea, serving as port for river and maritime transportation within Colombia. It is also the main industrial, shopping, educational and cultural centre of the Caribbean Region of Colombia. The city is the core of the Metropolitan Area of Barranquilla, which is constituted by the municipalities of Soledad, Galapa, Malambo, and Puerto Colombia.

Barranquilla was legally established as a town on April 7, 1813, although it dated from at least 1629. It grew into an important port, serving as a haven for immigrants from Europe, especially during and right after World War I and World War II, with waves of additional immigrants from the Middle East and Asia. Barranquilla became Colombia's principal port, and with its level of industrialization and modernity earned the city the nickname Colombia's Golden Gate (Spanish: La Puerta de Oro de Colombia). In the 1940s, Barranquilla was the second largest city in Colombia and one of the most modern cities in the Caribbean and in South America, while later, local administrations, given to widespread corruption, brought about a decline in the standard of living. As government investment increased in other Colombian cities, Barranquilla's national position was surpassed.

The city is home to one of the most important folk and cultural festivals of Colombia, the Carnival of Barranquilla, which was declared a National Cultural Heritage by the Congress of Colombia in 2001 and recognized by UNESCO in 2003. Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport, was built in Barranquilla in 1919, becoming the first airport in South America. The city is served by domestic and international flights.

21st century

In the 21st century, the city has been working on new projects to restore itself as the strategic capital within the country. Rapid urban growth, including the mass migration of peasants to the main cities, attracted by economic development, has led to the demand of numerous proposals to accommodate such growth. Barranquilla has always been famous for its chaotic urban planning, understandable given its spontaneous origin as a port and the reality of high administrative corruption which has hampered the channeling of resources for building an urban centre of greater structure and dimensions. The presentation of a new infrastructure, changes in local and regional administration, decentralization since 1991, international pressure to open markets, and competition between the other major Colombian cities will bring about considerable development in Barranquilla into the 21st century.

Flora

According to the Agustín Codazzi Geographic Institute (Instituto Geográfico Agustín Codazzi), Barranquilla has a dry tropical forest vegetation (according to the Holdridge life zones), which includes species like cacti, mangroves, Opuntia elatior, Acanthocereus, Prosopis juliflora, Divi-divi, Tabebuia rosea, Cordia alba and varieties of acacia like Flamboyant or flame tree and Leucaena leucacephala.

In the fertile lands water by the Magdalena River, one can find species like Eichhornia azurea, Typha angustifolia, Heliconia, Eichhornia crassipes, Bactris minor, Anacardium excelsum, Ficus radula, and Lecythis minor.

In the urban areas, one can find tree species such as Gliricidia sepium, Cassia nodosa, Bursera simaruba, Terminalia catappa, Casuarina equisetifolia, and varieties of Ceiba like Ceiba pentandra, Hura crepitans and Bombax septenatum, Ficus elastica, Ochroma pyramidale, Erythroxylum cartagenensis, Licania tomentosa, Ficus religiosa, Ficus benghalensis, Spathodea campanulata, Enterolobium cyclocarpum, Samanea saman, Capparis odoratissima, Tabebuia coralibe, Gmelina arborea, Ficus nitida, Cordia sebestena, Tabebuia chrysantha, Pithecellobium lanceolatum, Kigelia pinnata, Swietenia macrophylla, Thespesia populnea, Sterculia apetala, Calophyllum mariae, Platymiscium pinnatum, Cordia bidentata, Cocos nucifera, Ficus benjamina, Guazuma ulmifolia, Albizia guachapele, Erythrina variegata, Crescentia cujete, Cassia fistula, Zyzygium cuminil, Azadirachta indica, Sapindus saponaria and varieties of palm trees like Roystonea regia and Phoenix roebelenii.

Fruit trees in the area include mangifera indica, Manilkara zapota, Melicoccus bijugatus, Psidium littorale, Coccoloba uvifera, Zyziphus vulgaris, Annona squamosa, Tamarindus indica, Spondias purpurea, Anacardium occidentale, guanábana, Citrus x limon and Swingla ornata.

Fauna

Some animal species can be found in the city such as birds like the owl, wren, the parrot; fish such as mullet in the marshes; insects such as butterflies, flies, mosquitoes, gnats, cockroaches and termites; mammals such as dogs, wolves and cats, monkeys and rodents like squirrels; reptiles such as iguanas, snakes, tortoises. In some rural areas horses and donkeys and cattle such as pigs and goats are reared.

Ecology and natural resources

Barranquilla has important ecosystems such as the Magdalena River, Mallorquín Swamp and the Eastern pipe system. The completion of the construction of embankments of Bocas de Ceniza in 1936 resulted in the deterioration of the swamp, which was originally four marshes, and led to the detriment of the nearby beaches of Puerto Colombia.

The stream of La Victoria flows through Barranquilla Botanical Garden, a community and recreational green area for public use with an approximate area of 7 hectares, located in the southeastern part of the city, in the neighborhood of La Victoria. The lush vegetation and clear water springs have allowed a suitable habitat for rare native plant and animal species found within the city.

Environmental pollution

Air quality

Under wind, atmospheric pollutants move in a north and northeasterly direction, and in times of low winds or moderate winds, are more evenly distributed over the city. The most polluting industrial processes in the city are ammonium sulfate, cement, plaster and paper pulp. The emission of gases from motor vehicle traffic is more critical in the central district, where much of the business is. The main source of air pollution is from the vehicles at 34% and then industry with 18%. The pollutants emitted by vehicles are carbon monoxide (89.12%), sulfur dioxide (0.23%), hydrocarbons (6.46%), oxides of nitrogen (3.82%) and other particles (0. 37%). To help remedy this problem, several state enterprises and private sector have supported a project to convert liquid fuel vehicles to natural gas. Furthermore, the city has installed more than 12 service stations catering to natural gas vehicles. Barranquilla is the fourth biggest atmospheric polluter from industry. According to research conducted by the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies of Colombia (IDEAM), monthly concentrations in Barranquilla of particulate matter smaller than 160 micrograms per cubic meter exceeds the highest international standard allowed of 70. The causes of this problem lie heavily on the poor quality of petrol and diesel used by vehicles of the city, with record levels of 5,000 ppm (parts per million sulfur) and 4,500 ppm respectively, when there are countries whose rates do not even exceed 50.

Water pollution

All of the surface water systems of Barranquilla, the Magdalena River, the Mallorquín swamp, and the system of pipes and streams in the east are subject to water pollution as well as the dumping of raw sewage and solid waste by individuals. The environmental impact has been reduced mainly on the Mallorquín swamp with the construction of ponds and the Estación Depuradora de Aguas Residuales (EDAR) by the Triple A.

Noise

The maximum noise allowed is 64 decibels for residential areas, and 70 to 75 for commercial and industrial areas. In the center of Barranquilla, the noise generated by vehicular traffic and commercial activity in peak hours can reach levels above 90 decibels, making it a risk factor for population health.

Economy

To give a boost to the infrastructure development of the city, World Bank (IBRD) loans were sought from 1952 onwards to improve municipal water works, sewage system and slaughterhouse services. Because of its importance in the sector of national economy, the municipality of Barranquilla passed to the category of Special Industrial District and Port in 1993. Barranquilla is a major industrial centre and its economic activity is dynamic, concentrated mainly in industry, commerce, finance, services and fishing. Among the industrial products are vegetable fats and oils, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, industrial footwear, dairy products, meats, beverages, soap, building materials, furniture, plastics, cement, metalworking parts, garments clothing, buses and boats, and petroleum products. Its port is also the hub for cotton from the rural areas, coffee and petroleum, apart from the diversified industrial products manufactured in the city.

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 1970s, when frustrated long drought and cattle crops suffered from lack of water and pasture. The women excelled in crafts such as gopher flowers and feathers, enrruchados hats, canvas bags and finally making clothes.

The Arabs (Syro Lebanese) and Jews who were a small group of immigrants to the country in late 19th century were exclusively involved in commercial activities and made significant value additions to the economy of Caribbean Columbia as a whole and Barranquilla in particular. Their prominent presence in the community known as “cosmopolitan bourgeoisie” as social and political elites, which has enabled them to diversify their activities.