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Ciénaga, Magdalena

Ciénaga
municipality
Central Park in the town of Ciénaga
Central Park in the town of Ciénaga
Flag of Ciénaga
Flag
Location of the municipality and town of Cienaga in the Department of Magdalena
Location of the municipality and town of Cienaga in the Department of Magdalena
Ciénaga is located in Colombia
Ciénaga
Ciénaga
Location of the municipality and town of Cienaga in the Department of Magdalena
Coordinates: 11°00′25″N 74°15′00″W / 11.00694°N 74.25000°W / 11.00694; -74.25000
Country Colombia
Region Caribbean
Department Magdalena
Foundation 1521
Incorporated 1817
Government
 • Mayor Tete Luis Samper
Area
 • Total 1,812 km2 (700 sq mi)
Elevation 10 m (30 ft)
Population (2005)
 • Total 100,908
 • Density 56/km2 (140/sq mi)
 
Demonym(s) Cienaguero,-a
Area code(s) 57 + 3
Website Official website (Spanish)

Ciénaga (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈsjenaɣa]) is a municipality and a town in the Magdalena Department, Colombia, the second largest population center in this department, after the city of Santa Marta. It is situated at 11° 00' North, 74° 15' West, between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the Caribbean Sea and the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta marsh in northern Colombia. The town is situated in the northern part of Magdalena, 35 km from Santa Marta. In 1993, there were 121,681 inhabitants (65,357 in urban areas and 56,324 in rural areas). The mean annual temperature is 34 °C.

Prior to the arrival of the Spanish colonizers the area was vastly populated by Chimila indigenous people and a village known as Pongueyca. The foundation of Ciénaga has always been a matter of dispute due to many different historical theories and the lack of documented sources. It is believed to be founded first in what is now a small village known as Pueblo Viejo and the site of a former Chimila tribe. In 1585 monk Fray Tomás Ortiz established a parish that would later burn in a fire. It was then refounded as a city by Fernando de Mier y Guerra under the name of Villa de San Juan Bautista de la Ciénaga but also was known with the names of San Juan del Córdoba, Aldea Grande, Córdoba, Pueblo de la Ciénaga and simply Ciénaga.

During the war of independence from Spain, Ciénaga became a battle ground on November 10, 1820, between loyalists and independentists of what became known as the Battle of Ciénaga.

On December 6, 1928, the Banana massacre (in Spanish, matanza de las bananeras) occurred in this town. It was a massacre of workers for the United Fruit Company; an unknown number of workers died after the government decided to send the military forces to end a month-long strike organized by the workers' union in order to demand better working conditions.


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Wikipedia

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