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Valle del Cauca department

Department of Valle del Cauca
Departamento del Valle del Cauca
Department
Flag of Department of Valle del Cauca
Flag
Coat of arms of Department of Valle del Cauca
Coat of arms
Valle del Cauca shown in red
Valle del Cauca shown in red
Topography of the department
Topography of the department
Coordinates: 3°25′N 76°31′W / 3.417°N 76.517°W / 3.417; -76.517Coordinates: 3°25′N 76°31′W / 3.417°N 76.517°W / 3.417; -76.517
Country  Colombia
Region Andean Region/Pacific Region
Established 16 April 1910
Capital Cali
Government
 • Governor Dilian Francisca Toro (2016-2019) (Social Party of National Unity)
Area
 • Total 22,140 km2 (8,550 sq mi)
Area rank 23
Population (2005)
 • Total 4,560,196
 • Rank 3
 • Density 210/km2 (530/sq mi)
Time zone UTC-05
ISO 3166 code CO-VAC
Municipalities 42
Website www.valledelcauca.gov.co

Valle del Cauca, or Cauca Valley (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈbaʎe ðel ˈkauka], locally: [ˈbaʝe ðel ˈkauka]) is a department of Colombia. It is in the western side of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean, and it is considered one of the most important departments in the Republic of Colombia. Its capital is Santiago de Cali. Given its privileged location, lately it has been considered as the Pacific Door of Colombia. Besides Cali such cities as Buenaventura, Cartago and Tulua have great economical, political, social and cultural influence on the department's life. Valle del Cauca has the largest number of independent towns (i.e. not in Metropolitan areas) with over 100,000 inhabitants in the country, counting six within its borders.Buenaventura has the largest and busiest seaport in Colombia, moving about 8,500,000 tons of merchandise.

The anthem of Valle del Cauca Department is "Salve Valle del Cauca, mi tierra" ("Hail Valley of the Cauca, my land").

The department of Valle del Cauca is located in the western part of the country, between 3° 05’ and 5° 01’ latitude N, 75° 42’ and 77° 33’ longitude W. It borders the departments of Risaralda and Quindío to the north, Cauca to the south, Tolima, and Chocó and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The valley is geographically bounded by the Central and Western mountain ranges and is watered by numerous rivers which empty into the Cauca River. The department is divided into four zones: the Pacific Fringe, which is humid and mostly jungle; the western mountain range, also humid and full of jungle, heavily deforested due to the paper industry; the Andean valley of the Cauca river, whose surrounding lands are the most fertile of the country; and the western ridge of the central mountain range.


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