Cartagena (Colombia)

Cartagena
City
Cartagena de Indias
Top: Bocagrande Harbour. Second row: View of Santa Cruz Manga Island, Heredia Theatre. Third row: ClockTower (Torre del Reloj), Pilar Republicano, San Felipe Barajas Castle (Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas) (above), Charleston Hotel (below). Bottom: City Skyline.
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): "The Magic City", "The Cosmopolitan City", "The city of Cartagena", "The Heroic" , "The Rock Corral" , " The fantastic"
Motto: "Primero la Gente" ("People First" (2016–2019)
Cartagena
Coordinates: 10°24′N 75°30′W / 10.400°N 75.500°W / 10.400; -75.500Coordinates: 10°24′N 75°30′W / 10.400°N 75.500°W / 10.400; -75.500
Country	Colombia
Department	Bolívar
Region	Caribbean
Foundation	June 1, 1533
Founded by	Pedro de Heredia
Government
• Mayor	Manuel Vicente Duque
Area
• City	572 km2 (221 sq mi)
Elevation	2 m (7 ft)
Population (2016)
• City	971,592
• Rank	Ranked 5th
• Metro	1,013,389
Demonym(s)	Cartagenero(s) (Spanish)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
Postal code	130000
Area code(s)	57 + 5
HDI (2008)	0.798 – High
Patron saints	Saint Catherine and Saint Sebastian
Average temperature	82º
Website	www.cartagena.gov.co (Spanish)

The city of Cartagena (Spanish: Cartagena de Indias [kaɾtaˈxena ðe ˈindjas]), is a port located on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region; it is the capital of the Bolívar Department, and had a population 971,592 as of 2016. It is the fifth-largest city in Colombia and the second largest in the region, after Barranquilla. The urban area of Cartagena is also the fifth-largest urban area in the country. Economic activities include the maritime and petrochemicals industries, as well as tourism.

The city was founded on June 1, 1533, and named after Cartagena, Spain, which in turn was named after Carthage in Tunisia. Settlement in the region around Cartagena Bay by various indigenous people dates back to 4000 BC. During the Spanish colonial period Cartagena served a key role in administration and expansion of the Spanish empire. It was a center of political and economic activity due to the presence of royalty and wealthy viceroys. In 1984, Cartagena's colonial walled city and fortress were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Puerto Hormiga Culture, found in the Caribbean coast region, particularly in the area from the Sinú River Delta to the Cartagena Bay, appears to be the first documented human community in what is now Colombia. Archaeologists estimate that around 4000 BC, the formative culture was located near the boundary between the present-day departments of Bolívar and Sucre. In this area, archaeologists have found the most ancient ceramic objects of the Americas, dating from around 4000 BC. The primary reason for the proliferation of primitive societies in this area is thought to have been the relative mildness of climate and the abundance of wildlife, which allowed the hunting inhabitants a comfortable life.