| Barrancabermeja | |||
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| Nickname: Oil Capital of Colombia | |||
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| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Carlos Contreras, Alianza Social Indígena | ||
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| Elevation | 75 m (246 ft) | ||
| Population | |||
| - Total | 208,501 | ||
| - Density | 186/km² (481. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Carlos Contreras (born June 8, 1970 in Mexico City) is the first Mexican born driver in any NASCAR national series The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 7/sq mi) | ||
Barrancabermeja is a city and municipality in Santander Department, in northeastern Colombia. The Municipalities of Colombia are decentralized subdivisions of the Republic of Colombia. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. It is located on the banks of the Magdalena River in the Middle Magdalena region, 110 km west of Bucaramanga. The Magdalena River (Spanish Río Magdalena) also called Yuma River (Spanish Río Yuma) is the principal River of Colombia, running The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand Bucaramanga is a municipality and capital city of the department of Santander, Colombia. Founded in 1536, Barrancabermeja is home for the biggest petroleum refinery in Colombia, which is owned by the state company Ecopetrol. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit A refinery is composed of a group of Chemical engineering unit processes and Unit operations used for Refining certain materials or converting Ecopetrol, formally known as Empresa Colombiana de Petróleos S Petroleum and farming comprise most of city's economic activity. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture
Barrancabermeja has seen extensive fighting between the various armed groups in Colombia's ongoing civil war. A civil war is a War between a State and domestic political actors that are in control of some part of the territory claimed by the state Currently, the city is predominantly under the influence and control of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), an umbrella paramilitary group. The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia ( Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, or AUC, in Spanish) were formed in April 1997 as an umbrella The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the country's largest guerrilla group, remains active in the surrounding countryside. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo also known by the Acronym of Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc Because of the oil refinery, the city is also home to various gasoline cartels. Illegal tapping of the oil pipelines and sale of stolen gasoline is a common occurrence. Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe.
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History
Although there is evidence of a small settlement in the area dating back to the 16th century, the city was not incorporated until 1922, not long after the discovery of oil and the foundation of the first extraction wells by the Tropical Oil Company (Standard Oil Company) [1]. West Texas PumpjackJPG|thumb|right|300px|This Pumpjack located south of Midland TX is a common sight in West Texas. Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing transporting refining and marketing company The name Barrancabermeja comes from the explorer Gonzalo Jiménez de Quezada, who wrote that the area of the river near the present-day city was characterized by some "reddish ravines", "unas Barrancas Bermejas"[2]. The state-owned oil company Ecopetrol took over the refinery in 1951 [3], and since then, Barrancabermeja has grown into a city of 214,192 inhabitants (as of 2005 [4]). The city has become a major industrial base for the country, providing most of Colombia's gasoline and petroleum products.
Barrancabermeja has a long history of labour activism and leftist organisations; until recently, it was largely under the influence and control of guerrilla insurgents. The National Liberation Army (ELN) began moving into Barrancabermeja in the late 1970s and early 1980s. National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional ELN is a Revolutionary Marxist, Insurgent guerrilla group that has been operating The FARC arrived in the early 1990s. The city was considered a warzone while guerrilla groups, the Colombian military, and paramilitary organizations fought over the contested territory.
On May 16, 1998, a large group of paramilitaries swept through the city, killing 11 people and kidnapping 25, who were later killed [5]. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) This massacre signaled the beginning of the AUC takeover of the city, which would culminate in 2001. During the final year of the invasion, 539 people were killed. [6]
Since 2001, the United Nations, the US State Department, and independent human rights organizations have denounced links between the paramilitaries and the Colombian military [7]. Those human rights groups that continue to operate have done so partly with support from members of Peace Brigades International, who provide international volunteers to accompany human rights workers in their work. Peace Brigades International ( PBI) is an NGO, founded in 1981 which "protects Human rights and promotes nonviolent transformation of In the rural regions surrounding the city, a number of the small fishing and farming communities along the river were displaced by the armed groups. By the request of the Colombian Mennonite Church in Bogotá, Christian Peacemaker Teams has maintained an international violence reduction team in the region. The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after Menno Simons (1496&ndash1561 though his teachings were a relatively Bogotá —officially named Bogotá DC (DC for " Distrito Capital " which means "Capital District" formerly called Santa Fe de Bogotá Christian Peacemaker Teams ( CPT) is an international organization set up to support teams of peace workers in conflict areas around the world With their presence, the communities have returned home and remain there in the face of threats and assassinations of community leaders by the paramilitaries and FARC guerrillas.
Geography
To the north of Barrancabermeja lies Puerto Wilches; to the south, Puerto Parra, Simacota and San Vicente de Chucurí; to the east, San Vicente de Chucurí and Girón; and to the west, Magdalena River. It is approximately 2 hours by car from the capital of Santander, Bucaramanga.
Culture
Barrancabermeja's culture has been largely affected by the migratory movements caused by the oil boom. The Magdalena River (Spanish Río Magdalena) also called Yuma River (Spanish Río Yuma) is the principal River of Colombia, running The city exhibits an amalgam of many South American customs.
The predominant music in the city is vallenato and Caribbean rhythms such as salsa and merengue. Porro, fandango, and puya rhythms from the Atlantic Coast and "papayeras" bands are also prominent.
Partly due to its history as an oil boomtown, Barrancabermeja has a reputation as an open and vibrant city. A boomtown is a Community that experiences sudden and rapid population and Economic growth. However, its history of violence, proximity to ongoing clashes between paramilitaries and guerrillas, and extremely high murder rate have given the city a seedy reputation. Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with Malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries Nonetheless, Barrancabermeja's night life flourishes. Salsa and merengue dance clubs abound, and the port area is vibrant as bars compete for patrons. Salsa refers to a fusion of informal dance styles having roots in the Caribbean (especially in Cuba and Puerto Rico) Latin and North America Merengue is a style of Latin American music and dance with a two-step beat The drink of choice is Aguila, a Colombian beer whose yellow logo is painted on walls and billboards throughout the town. Bavaria Brewery (Cervecería Bavaria formally known as Bavaria S Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea Despite paramilitary rule, the city has several local and national political organizations including unions, women's organizations, and human rights groups; marches and rallies are quite common. A demonstration is an historically and geographically common form of Nonviolent action by groups of people
The commercial area of the city is adjacent to the river ports, where motor canoes constantly arrive with fish and agricultural products from farmers along the river, including maize, cassava (or yuca in Spanish), plantain, and cacao. A canoe is a small narrow Boat, typically human-powered though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica The cassava, yuca, manioc, or mandioca ( Manihot esculenta) is a woody Shrub of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge family native The plantain is a crop in the genus Musa and is generally used for cooking in contrast to the soft sweet Banana (which is sometimes called the CACAO is a research Java Virtual Machine developed at Vienna University of Technology.
References/Works Cited
1. Gibb, George and Evelyn Knowlton, The History of Standard Oil Company (New Jersey): The Resurgent Years, 1911-1927 (New York: Harper, 1956): 39-370.
2. City of Barrancabermeja official website.
4. Population statistics from Mongabay.com
5. "Barrancabermeja: A City Under Siege" - Report from Amnesty International on the 1998 massacre published in May 1999
6. Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a Western based international Non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to "The New Masters of Barranca" - An extensive report from Center for International Policy study on Barrancabermeja, Colombia based on a trip in March 6-8, 2001
7. "In the Spotlight: The United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC)" summary by the Center for Defense Information.
General Sources for More Information
- "The Sixth Division" -Report on paramilitary-military ties in Colombia by Human Rights Watch
- "Barrancabermeja, La Otra Versión". Human Rights Watch is a United States -based international Non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on Human rights. Report on forced disappearance between 2000 and 2003. CREDHOS & Banco de Datos del CINEP.
External links
- Ecopetrol - the city's main petroleum company
- Vanguardia Liberal - the city's main newspaper
- Corporación Regional para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos - human rights organisation operating in Barrancajabermeja and the surrounding Magdalena Medio region
- Organización Femenina Popular - the main women's rights and development organisations in the city
- Christian Peacemaker Teams - International violence reduction work.
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