38-547: Valle del Cauca , or Cauca Valley ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈbaʎe ðel ˈkawka] ), is a department in western Colombia abutting the Pacific Ocean . Its capital is Santiago de Cali . Other cities such as Buenaventura , Buga , Cartago , Palmira and Tuluá have great economical, political, social and cultural influence on the department's life. Valle del Cauca has the largest number of independent (i.e., nonmetropolitan) towns with over 100,000 inhabitants in
76-619: A municipal council ( concejo municipal ), both of which are elected by popular vote for four-year periods. Some departments have subdivisions above the level of municipalities, commonly known as provinces . The indigenous territories are at the third level of administrative division in Colombia, as are the municipalities. Indigenous territories are created by agreement between the government and indigenous communities. In cases where indigenous territories cover more than one department or municipality, local governments jointly administer them with
114-429: A distinctive flavor and aroma that have been described as "a delicate blend of celery, cabbage and roasted chestnuts." The boiled root is used in similar ways to boiled potatoes, including being served as side dishes, mashed or whipped into purées , formed into dumplings and gnocchi , as an ingredient in pastries, or creamed into soups, commonly garnished with chopped cilantro and croutons, though arracacia's flavor
152-597: A fourth group of explorers. The Department of Valle del Cauca was created by decree number 340 on April 16, 1910, which created 12 other departments in Colombia. The Valle del Cauca Department was a result of the union of four former departments: Cartago , Buga , and Cali . The government of Valle del Cauca is similar to the central government of Colombia , which has three branches of power: executive, legislative, and judicial, along with various control agencies with oversight capacity. The executive branch in Valle del Cauca
190-430: A governor ( gobernador ) and an Assembly ( Asamblea Departamental ), elected by popular vote for a four-year period. The governor cannot be re-elected in consecutive periods. Departments are country subdivisions and are granted a certain degree of autonomy. Departments are formed by a grouping of municipalities ( municipios , sing. municipio ). Municipal government is headed by mayor ( alcalde ) and administered by
228-445: A mayor, who is a popularly elected representative of the governor. Valle del Cauca has a diversified economy. Its valley contains sugarcane , cotton, soy , and sorghum crops, and there are coffee crops in the mountains. The department is known for its sugar industry, which provides sugar to the markets of the rest of the country and nearby countries. The sugar is obtained from the large sugar cane plantations, which were introduced to
266-471: A social structure of cacicazgos ("chiefdoms") that prevailed until the arrival of the Spaniards . The Ilama economy was based on migratory agriculture using maize , yuca , and beans; hunting; fishing; textile manufacturing; and metallurgy. The chief or cacique was the head of the settlement and had chamanes ("spiritual leaders"), warriors, farmers, hunters, pottery men, and goldsmiths. By 100 AD,
304-447: A week of harvest. Fresh arracachas can be kept in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks. Arracacha cultivation can be very lucrative. It was imported into Brazil in the 19th century and has been grown commercially since the 1960s. Brazilian crop improvement programs have developed varieties that are ready to harvest in seven months. The most widely used part of arracacia is its starchy root. It cannot be eaten raw, but when cooked it develops
342-462: Is a root vegetable that originates in the Andes , whose starchy taproot is a popular food item across South America where it is a major commercial crop. Being a South American plant, its most common names are in either Spanish or Portuguese , the two most spoken languages in that continent . The name arracacha (or racacha ) was borrowed into Spanish from Quechua raqacha , and
380-492: Is frequently grown with other crops such as maize , beans , and coffee . The plant is very susceptible to viruses and is slow to mature (10–12 months), but requires much less fertilizer input than the potato. Its harvest season in the Southern Hemisphere spans from January to September. Arracacia's roots need to be picked promptly lest they become woody. They have a short shelf life and must reach consumers within
418-762: Is represented by the governor , the legislative branch is represented by the department assembly and its deputies, and the judicial branch is represented by four department-wide court systems: the Superior Tribunal of Cali , the Penal Court of the Circuit of Cali , the Administrative Tribunal of Valle del Cauca , and the Superior Military Tribunal for military cases. Valle del Cauca has 42 municipalities, each with
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#1732772898993456-595: Is sometimes called white carrot or yellow cassava in English , but these names may also refer to other vegetables. The leaves of arracacha are similar to parsley , and vary from dark green to purple. The roots resemble fat short carrots , with off-white skin. The interior may be white, yellow, or purple. The plant is native to the region west of the Andes and grows at altitudes varying from 200 to 3,600 meters with an optimal altitude of between 1,800 and 2,500 meters. It
494-399: Is stronger, and (depending on the variety) its color is more brilliant. In the Andes region, arracacia is made into fried chips, biscuits, and ground into a coarse flour. The small size of arracacia starch grains make it highly digestible, and so purées and soups made from it are considered excellent as food for babies and young children. The young stems can be eaten cooked or in salads, and
532-1058: Is used in the Andean region. The plant is also called apio or apio criollo (" Creole celery ") in Venezuela, apio in Puerto Rico , zanahoria blanca ("white carrot") in Ecuador , and virraca in Peru . Its Portuguese names are usually derived from the plant's similarity to other well known vegetables and roots . It is known as either mandioquinha ("little cassava ") or batata-baroa (" baroness potato ") in most regions of Brazil , but other common names in certain regions of that country include batata-salsa (“ parsley potato”), batata fiúza (" trustworthy potato"), cenourinha-branca ("little white carrot "), and cenourinha-amarela or simply cenoura-amarela ("little yellow carrot" or simply "yellow carrot"), among others. It
570-519: The Casa del Virrey , "House of the Viceroy"), Roldanillo (location of the museum containing works by the artist Omar Rayo), Tuluá (located in the center of the department), Yumbo (an industrial center with more than 2,000 industries), Ginebra , Palmira , Buga , and Jamundí . The population of nonmetropolitan towns with over 100,000 inhabitants is as follows (capital in italics): The Cauca Valley
608-582: The Cauca River . According to these, in 5000 BC these societies already had some level of primitive agriculture and cultivated maize . There is little information about the years between 3000 and 1500 BC. In 1500 BC the first agricultural–pottery society, the Ilama culture , appeared, extending along the Calima River (in what is now the towns of Restrepo and Darién ). Its society had
646-458: The administrative divisions of Colombia . As of 2024 , the unitary republic is made up of thirty-two departments. Each department has a governor and an assembly , elected by popular vote for a four-year period. Colombia is a unitary republic made up of thirty-two administrative divisions referred to as departments ( Spanish : departamentos , sing. departamento ) and one Capital District ( Distrito Capital ). Each department has
684-1338: The states of Colombia into departments, with the state presidents renamed as governors. The states formed the following original departments: [REDACTED] Amazonas [REDACTED] Antioquia [REDACTED] Arauca [REDACTED] Atlántico [REDACTED] Bolívar [REDACTED] Boyacá [REDACTED] Caldas [REDACTED] Caquetá [REDACTED] Casanare [REDACTED] Cauca [REDACTED] Cesar [REDACTED] Chocó [REDACTED] Córdoba [REDACTED] Cundinamarca [REDACTED] Guainía [REDACTED] Guaviare [REDACTED] Huila [REDACTED] La Guajira [REDACTED] Magdalena [REDACTED] Meta [REDACTED] Nariño [REDACTED] N. Santander [REDACTED] Putumayo [REDACTED] Quindío [REDACTED] Risaralda [REDACTED] San Andrés [REDACTED] Santander [REDACTED] Sucre [REDACTED] Tolima [REDACTED] Valle del Cauca [REDACTED] Vaupés [REDACTED] Vichada Capital district: [REDACTED] Bogotá Arracacha Arracacia xanthorrhiza
722-832: The Ilama had developed into the Yotoco , whom expanded the region of the Ilama further, down the Cauca River to the Pacific Ocean, and southward to the present-day region of Santiago de Cali (Cali) . The Yotoco were a highly stratified society, headed by caciques , who managed several settlements. They existed in the region until around 1200 AD. A rising population forced them to develop effective agricultural systems to meet food demand, which improved pottery and metalworking techniques. Yotoco agriculture — based on maize, yuca, beans, arracacha , and achiote , among other foods -
760-418: The country, counting six within its borders. Buenaventura has the largest and busiest seaport in Colombia, moving about 8,500,000 tons of merchandise annually. The department of Valle del Cauca is located in the western part of the country, between 3° 5′ N and 5° 1′ N latitude and 75° 42′ W and 77° 33′ W longitude. It borders the departments of Risaralda and Quindío to
798-457: The department by Sebastián de Belalcázar . The production by the city of Yumbo also stands out, where several companies are found, most prominently the paper and cement businesses. The port at Buenaventura is Colombia's main port on the Pacific coast, allowing for the import and export of goods, and is of great importance for the economy of both the department and the country. More than 80% of
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#1732772898993836-1435: The department is sancocho de gallina , a stew made with an old hen, potatoes, yucca, corn, and other ingredients; the characteristic flavor comes from a herb called cimarrón or recao ( Eryngium foetidum ). [REDACTED] Amazonas [REDACTED] Antioquia [REDACTED] Arauca [REDACTED] Atlántico [REDACTED] Bolívar [REDACTED] Boyacá [REDACTED] Caldas [REDACTED] Caquetá [REDACTED] Casanare [REDACTED] Cauca [REDACTED] Cesar [REDACTED] Chocó [REDACTED] Córdoba [REDACTED] Cundinamarca [REDACTED] Guainía [REDACTED] Guaviare [REDACTED] Huila [REDACTED] La Guajira [REDACTED] Magdalena [REDACTED] Meta [REDACTED] Nariño [REDACTED] N. Santander [REDACTED] Putumayo [REDACTED] Quindío [REDACTED] Risaralda [REDACTED] San Andrés [REDACTED] Santander [REDACTED] Sucre [REDACTED] Tolima [REDACTED] Valle del Cauca [REDACTED] Vaupés [REDACTED] Vichada Capital district: [REDACTED] Bogotá Departments of Colombia Departments of Colombia refer to
874-521: The dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1826 by the Revolution of the Morrocoyes ( La Cosiata ), New Granada kept its 17 provinces. In 1832 the provinces of Vélez and Barbacoas were created, and in 1835 those of Buenaventura and Pasto were added. In 1843 those of Cauca, Mompós and Túquerres were created. At this time the cantons ( cantones ) and parish districts were created, which provided the basis for
912-686: The end of the Pleistocene and the beginning of the Holocene . The extinction of the Pleistocenic megafauna in the beginning of the Holocene forced humans to adapt to their new environment, becoming hunter-gatherers. In the lower basin of the Calima River (Sauzalito River, El Recreo River, and El Pital River), archaeologists found the oldest traces of hunter-gatherers who inhabited the Valley of
950-673: The explorers founded the village of Villa de Ampudia , named after one of them, Juan de Ampudia . By orders of Belalcázar the village was then moved to the Riviera of the Cauca River, within the Gorrones indigenous people's territory. In 1536, a Captain Muñoz ordered the city to be moved to the Valley, where the Village of Cali was founded on 25 July of that same year. Another Spanish explorer, Juan de Vadillo [ es ] , coming from
988-445: The functions of INCORA, one of the most important being to declare which territories will acquire the status of indigenous protection and what extension of existing ones will be allowed. Decree 2164 of 1995 interprets Law 160 of 1994, providing, among other things, a legal definition of indigenous territories. Indigenous territories in Colombia are mostly in the departments of Amazonas, Cauca, La Guajira, Guaviare, and Vaupés. When it
1026-720: The indigenous councils, as set out in Articles 329 and 330 of the Colombian Constitution of 1991 . Also indigenous territories may achieve local autonomy if they meet the requirements of the law. Article 329 of the 1991 constitution recognizes the collective indigenous ownership of indigenous territories and repeats that are inalienable. Law 160 of 1994 created the National System of Agrarian Reform and Rural Development Campesino, and replaced Law 135 of 1961 on Agrarian Social Reform; it establishes and sets out
1064-432: The leaves can be fed to livestock. 100 grams of arracacha provide about 100 calories , 26g of which are dry matter, 23g being carbohydrate , and less than 1g of protein . The plant is rich in calcium , having four times as much as potatoes . The yellow cultivar contains substantial amounts of carotenoid pigments, precursors to vitamin A , to the point that excessive consumption of arracachas may cause yellowing of
1102-543: The new constitution of 1853 introduced federalism, which lead to the consolidation of provinces into states. By 1858 this process was complete, with a resulting eight federal states: Panamá was formed in 1855, Antioquia in 1856, Santander in May 1857, and Bolívar, Boyacá, Cauca, Cundinamarca and Magdalena were formed in June 1858. 1861 saw the creation of the final federal state of Tolima. The Colombian Constitution of 1886 converted
1140-574: The north, Cauca to the south, Tolima to the east, and Chocó and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The valley is geographically bounded by the Cordillera Central and Occidental and is watered by numerous rivers that 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 because of
1178-739: The paper industry; the Andean valley of the Cauca River, whose surrounding lands are the most fertile in the country; and the western ridge of the Cordillera Central. Valle del Cauca also administers Malpelo Island in the Pacific. Palynological analyses performed by experts have determined that during the Superior Pleistocene some 40,000–10,500 years ago, the valleys of El Dorado and Alto Calima had Andean forests and sub-Andean vegetation. The discovery of projectiles indicated that there were communities of hunter-gatherers at
Valle del Cauca Department - Misplaced Pages Continue
1216-404: The population lives in cities or towns. The coverage of public services is among the highest in the country, with electrical power and education standing out the most. The capital of the department is Santiago de Cali , with approximately 2,800,000 inhabitants. It is made up of 42 municipalities, the most populous being, from north to south, Cartago (famous for its craftsmanship, embroidery, and
1254-470: The present-day municipalities. By 1853 the number of provinces had increased to thirty-six, namely:Antioquia, Azuero, Barbacoas, Bogotá, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Casanare, Cauca, Chiriquí, Chocó, Córdova, Cundinamarca, García Rovira, Mariquita, Medellín, Mompós, Neiva, Ocaña, Pamplona, Panamá, Pasto, Popayán, Riohacha, Sabanilla, Santa Marta, Santander, Socorro, Soto, Tequendama, Tunja, Tundama, Túquerres, Valle de Upar, Veraguas, Vélez and Zipaquirá. However,
1292-410: The region was inhabited by the late Sonso culture, Pichinde, Buga, and Quebrada Seca. Their development is attributed to population growth. Almost all the settlers in the area became subject to the rule of one main cacique . The first 67 Spanish explorers arrived in the area after founding the village of Popayán , in an expedition from Quito headed by Sebastián de Belalcázar . In the Valle del Cauca
1330-644: The village of Cartagena de Indias , entered Cali on 23 December 1538 with a second group of explorers, but he returned to Cartagena, leaving many of his men behind including Pedro Cieza de León . A third group of explorers, led by Admiral Jorge Robledo under orders of Lorenzo de Aldana [ es ] , advanced to the North of the Valle del Cauca and founded the villages of Anserma (now part of Caldas Department ; 15 August 1539), Cartago (9 August 1540), and Antioquia (25 November 1541), and under command of Pascual de Andagoya who came from Panama to Cali with
1368-472: Was first established in 1819, The Republic of Gran Colombia had three departments. Venezuela , Cundinamarca (now Colombia) and Quito (now Ecuador). In 1824, the Distrito del Centro (which became Colombia) was divided into five departments and further divided into seventeen provinces. One department, Isthmus Department , consisting of two provinces, later became the sovereign country of Panama . With
1406-489: Was historically a place dedicated to cattle and agricultural activities. For this reason, the region has not developed an artistic and European-influenced architectural style, as the relative near city of Popayán , located in the department of Cauca ; instead, the department generates simple and pragmatic constructions, with a few exceptions. The material of the colonial constructions was basically of wood and bricks, with some use of stones. The food most closely associated with
1444-491: Was more diverse than that of the Ilama. The Yotoco experienced a decline beginning in the 6th century AD. This archeological period is called the Late Period and is divided into Late Period I (6th to 13th centuries) and Late Period II (14th to 16th centuries). In Late Period I the Valle del Cauca region was inhabited by the early Sonso culture , Bolo, Sachamate, and La Llanada. During Late Period II
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