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86-514: In 2005, the Raizal were 57% of the 60,000 inhabitants of the San Andrés y Providencia Department , according to official statistics, but based on the 2015 census, they are now only 39.4% of the population in the archipelago because of migration from and to mainland Colombia. Raizals are mostly multi-racial, with a majority being of West African and Northern European descent. The Raizal community in

172-671: A League and Confederation Treaty with the United Provinces of Central America was signed and on June 15, 1826, the Treaty of Union, League and Confederation, between the Republics of Colombia , Central America , Peru and Mexico was signed in Panama in that "Contracting Parties shall ensure the integrity of its territories, then, under special conventions and to hold each other, have been demarcated and set their respective limits,

258-459: A base to attack Panama . The buccaneers abandoned the islands by 1672. There is no record of anyone inhabiting the islands from then for another century. In 1775, Lieutenant Tomás O'Neil, a Spaniard of Irish descent, was given military command of the islands and, in 1790, was named governor. He requested the transfer of the islands to the jurisdiction of the Viceroyalty of New Granada , which

344-448: A calm sea which permits snorkeling activity. The site has abundant fish resources. Hoyo Soplador is situated at the southern end of the island. A geyser emerging from the sea shoots up to a height of 20 meters (66 ft), emerging from a hole in the coral rock. This phenomenon is noticed only at certain times of the year when tide and wind direction favor such an action. It is also the center of an International Surf Competition held once

430-519: A census population of 59,573. The latest official estimate for 2007 is 72,923. Before 1960, the population of the islands was almost entirely Raizals , who are an Afro-Caribbean group, Protestant in religion, speaking San Andrés–Providencia Creole . There is a minority of white English-speaking Protestants of British descent. Colombia has promoted the migration of Spanish-speaking mainlanders, with Catholic missions participating since 1947. This policy seems to be an answer to growing discontent within

516-1410: A few Central American countries. The airport is one of Colombia's fastest growing airports with a 13.4% increase in the number of passengers between 2005 and 2006. [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 San Andr%C3%A9s (island) San Andrés ( Islander Creole English : San Andres )

602-631: A few years after the voyages of Christopher Columbus . In 1544, the territory was placed under the administration of the Captaincy General of Guatemala . During the early years, Spain concentrated on exploring and colonizing the mainland and hardly settled the islands. In 1630, English Puritans arrived in Providence Island, under the aegis of the Providence Island Company . The Puritans decided to settle

688-416: A large influx of tourists to the island apart from immigrants from the mainland. The majority of foreigners to immigrate to the island were Lebanese and who continue to dominate the local economy till today. This also resulted in the local government imposing restrictions in the 1990s to control the influx of people from the mainland, with the intent to preserve local culture. However, there are no industries on

774-489: A more moderate one, Comunidad Raizal (Native Foundation and Integración Básica) led by former governors who are friends of the Colombian establishment, mainly Felix Palacios, Carlos Archbold and Alvaro Archbold N. The latter group is understandably more ready to participate in bipartite institutions set up by the Colombian authorities. On April 28, 2002, the Raizal people signed a declaration of self-determination and asked

860-468: A political ally of the new governor, was elected with 1,013 votes against Liberal Mark Taylor (515 votes), SNUP Arturo Robinson (514 votes) and Conservative Peter Bent. Besides the San Andrés and Providencia island groups, there are eight atolls that belong to the department, including submerged Alice Shoal . This is the main island of the San Andrés group, and the largest of the department. It

946-405: A visibility of 10–30 meters (33–98 ft) are favorable conditions for diving. The underwater formations seen during the diving are of three types namely, walls of seaweed and minor coral reefs, large groups of different types of coral, and underwater plateaus with much marine life. Diving lessons are provided by several sports agencies. La Piscinita, located in the western part of the island has

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1032-474: A year. The Pond, also called La Laguna ("Big Pond"), situated on top of the hill, is 400 meters (1,300 ft) long and 250 meters (820 ft) wide. Its fresh water source is from rainfall and the lake is 30 meters (98 ft) deep. It has rich biodiversity of white heron, pigeon, palm trees and fruit trees. Brown caimans can also be observed here. Morgan's Cave, named after the Welsh privateer Henry Morgan,

1118-418: Is Cerro La Loma , also known as El Cliff. San Andrés' soils indicate that their formation is due to the eruption of a volcano which threw rocks older than the seafloor to the surface, creating the islands. Despite this, there is fertile soil and the soil is mostly red clay. It is easy to find small deposits of quartz on the island, especially in the neighborhood of La Loma Cove. Aside from the main settlements,

1204-427: Is 14 km (8.7 mi) long and 4 km (2.5 mi) wide. There are a few sand cays in the southeast. The largest ones are Cayo del Este, Cayo Bolivar, West Cay, and Cayo Arena, none of which are higher than 2 metres (7 ft). All cays are overgrown with palm trees and bushes, and surrounded by mangroves . There is a Colombian Navy lighthouse on Cayo Bolivar. The cays are regularly visited by fishermen from

1290-526: Is a coral island in the Caribbean Sea . Politically part of Colombia , and historically tied to the United Kingdom , San Andrés and the nearby islands of Providencia and Santa Catalina form part of the department of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina ; or The Raizal Islands . San Andrés, in the southern group of islands, is the largest of Colombia . The official languages of

1376-417: Is a popular center for snorkeling since the sea here has shallow and calm waters. The island experiences a tropical monsoon climate that borders on a tropical wet and dry climate . Average temperatures range from 24 °C (75 °F) to 30 °C (86 °F) in two periods dominated by dry and rainy spells. The rainy season is from May to January, when humidity is also high here. The trade winds from

1462-412: Is a small, innocuous, but delicate bird, green in color, in the family Vireonidae of order Passeriformes . It is about 5 inches (130 mm) in length, weighs about 16–20 g, found in clutch size of 2, and feeds on insects and fruits. IUCN has listed this bird species under the critically endangered list. Its habitat has been threatened due to large-scale expansion of the island lands for development of

1548-429: Is also mentioned in this reference for San Andrés), making it the largest island in the archipelago. Providencia, the next largest in area, is located 80 km (50 mi) to the northeast. San Andrés has a fairly flat topography with the highest point in the island reported at an elevation of 55 m (180 ft) above sea level . San Andrés is crossed from south to north by a small mountain range whose highest peak

1634-511: Is inhabited by the native islander population and is at the centre of the island. Its traditional fame is due to the Baptist Church that was established in 1847. This church was rebuilt with pine wood imported from Alabama. The Baptist church was built along the central road to La Loma, which functioned as a beacon for shipping. Located at the top of the hill, La Loma provides lovely views of the "seven coloured sea" (Caribbean Sea). On

1720-409: Is located at 12°33′N 81°43′W  /  12.550°N 81.717°W  / 12.550; -81.717  ( San Andrés Island ) . It measures 12 km (7.5 mi) in length with a width of 3 km (1.9 mi) and covers an area of 26 km (10 sq mi). There is a tiny lagoon in the centre of the island called Big Pond. The principal town is San Andrés in the north of

1806-555: Is located on the northern end of the island. Named San Andrés but nicknamed El Centro, it is the department's main urban center. Along the 30 km (19 mi) road that circles the island there are many picturesque beaches, coral reefs , cays, blowholes, and coves. Also of note are La Loma, the town of San Andrés, the Baptist Church, Seaquarium, the large pond of La Laguna, and a freshwater lake amidst mangrove forest. There are coconut palm plantations, lush pastures, and tall native trees reaching 20 meters (66 ft). Surrounded by

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1892-422: Is located on the southeastern coast. Suky Bay lies in the central western part of the island near Cove Sea Side. The northern part of the island has a beach, while the western part of the island has no beaches. The island is surrounded on its northwest side by a small coral reef ( arrecifex ) and several keys that are home to varied fauna and flora, and are visited by many tourists every year. The small cay in

1978-527: Is one of the departments of Colombia , and the only one located geographically in Central America . It consists of two island groups in the Caribbean Sea about 775 km (418 nmi; 482 mi) northwest of mainland Colombia, and eight outlying banks and reefs. The largest island of the archipelago and Colombia is called San Andrés and its capital is San Andrés . The other large islands are Providencia and Santa Catalina Islands which lie to

2064-514: Is the Jamaican fruit bat ( Artibeus jamaicensis ). The population is grouped around a few residential areas. San Andrés , known locally as El Centro, is the largest town, as well as the most developed commercial and tourist hub of the island. It is located at the northern end and is the capital of the department. The departmental administration, commerce, banks, several hotels and the airport are located in this area. A smaller village, La Loma,

2150-679: Is the largest of the island group in the Department of the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providence and Saint Catherine. San Andrés is located in the Caribbean Sea, about 750 km (470 mi) northwest of the coast of Colombia. The island is 13 km (8.1 mi) in length and 3 km (1.9 mi) in width. It has an area of 26 km (10 sq mi) within the total area of the group of islands of 45 square kilometres (17 sq mi) (27 km (10 sq mi)

2236-687: Is the main language. However, until the 1970s, the English language, architecture and religion were very much part of the island's culture with the Creole -speaking locals. This culture was called the Raizal culture of the Afro-Caribbean ethnic group. It is now more a blend of Latin American and English-Caribbean culture that is witnessed in the island. Other minority groups living in the island are

2322-458: Is the place where cruise ships are docked. There are a number of large coral farms here with variety of species. The place is also popular for water sports activities like snorkeling and diving. Diving here with a mask and sandals (protection against sea urchins) colourful fish species can be seen. El Acuario (The Aquarium) Cay is off to the east coast of San Andrés, adjoins the Haynes Cay. It

2408-416: Is the westernmost point of Colombia. The reef is about 7 km (4.5 mi) across. In the southern part are Cayo del Norte and Cayo del Sur. Cayo del Norte, the larger of the two, is up to 2 m (7 ft) high and overgrown with palm trees and bushes. Cayo del Sur, a few hundred metres further South, reaches a height of a little more than 1 m (3 ft) and is vegetated with a few bushes, and in

2494-548: The Argentine flag , captured Old Providence and St. Catherine islands. The island was populated by white English-speaking Protestants and their slaves. Aury and his team used the islands as their new base from which to pursue Central American independence. However, his efforts to also support Bolivar in his fight for Venezuelan and Colombian independence were repeatedly turned down. After the Spanish colonies became independent,

2580-866: The Democratic Colombia Party ) 8,160 votes (38.8%), and Jack Housni Jaller ( Social National Unity Party ) 4,063 votes (19.3%). Only 21,991 out of 41,197 potential electors voted in the gubernatorial election. At the departmental assembly, elected the same day, the 9 seats were distributed among 6 parties: three Liberals (Arlington Howard, Qwincy Bowie Gordon, and Leroy Carol Bent Archbold), two MIR (Jorge Méndez and Freddy Herazo) two Democratic Colombia Party (former MP María Teresa Uribe Bent and former Interior Secretary Rafael Gómez Redondo), two SNUP (Fernando Cañon Florez and María Said Darwich), one Radical Change (Heber Esquivel Benitez), and one Conservative (Julio César Gallardo Martínez). The new mayor of Providence, Janeth Archbold ( Team Colombia party),

2666-517: The Esguerra-Bárcenas Treaty was signed, in which Nicaragua recognized Colombia's sovereignty over the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providence and Saint Catherine. In November 1943, Colombia joined World War II , because a German submarine sank one of their boats that had to transport British troops to San Andrés. In 1953, at the request of several representatives of the island community, President Gustavo Rojas Pinilla reaffirmed

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2752-776: The Viceroyalty of New Granada with the Mosquito Coast , and not on the Captaincy of Guatemala . The document was signed by Roberto Clark, procurator, Isaac Brooks, Solomon Taylor, Jorge Olis, and Juan Taylor. As early as 1803, reports suggest that it was for political and economic reasons that San Andrés became a dependent Viceroyalty of New Granada. In 1810, factions in New Granada declared independence from Spain. Councils were established in San Andrés and Providence in this year. The government of Tomás O'Neill granted land titles to English and Spanish-speaking families of

2838-488: The archipelago . The first separatists, an underground movement, were led by Marcos Archbold Britton, who addressed a memorandum to the United Nations asking for the inclusion of the archipelago in the list of colonized territories. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) paid a private visit to the archipelago shortly afterwards, arousing suspicion in mainland Colombia. The second movement, which started in

2924-578: The 1928 Bárcenas-Esguerra Treaty of 1928 wasn't a boundary treaty between Colombia and Nicaragua. Nicaragua filed a formal complaint to the International Court of Justice in The Hague , claiming territory east of longitude 82, as their continental marine platform included sovereignty over the archipelago of San Andrés. On 13 December 2007, the ICJ recognized the full sovereignty of Colombia over

3010-521: The Caribbean waters but the convoy system of the Spanish treasure fleet made it more difficult. They also attacked Panama and Santa Maria . The bounty looted by the privateers is still believed to be hidden in some underwater cave in the area. After the failed Spanish invasion of the islands, they were controlled by England until 1787, when they agreed to return control of the island to Spain. In

3096-441: The Caribbean, including the San Andrés and Providencia Archipelagoes. Colombia responded that the court has no jurisdiction over the matter and increased its naval and police presence in the islands. Colombia also defended its claim in the ICJ. On 13 December 2007, the ICJ ruled that the islands were Colombian territory but left the maritime border dispute unresolved. On 19 November 2012, the ICJ held that Colombia had sovereignty over

3182-765: The Chinese and the Middle Eastern people. San Andrés is also famous for its local version of music that includes calypso , soca , reggae and church music . Concerts are held yearly in May at the Old Coliseum during the "Green Festival". Other celebrations and events held in the island are the independence day celebrations on 20 July and the "Coconut Reign" ( Reinado del Coco ) festival held in November. The islanders are majority Protestant, with Baptists being

3268-499: The Colombian government and the International Court of Justice for a major recognition of their autonomy and for appropriate resources to improve the quality of life in the island. San Andr%C3%A9s y Providencia Department The Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina ( Spanish : Archipiélago de San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina , pronounced [aɾtʃiˈpjelaɣo ðe ˌsan anˈdɾes pɾoβiˈðensja j ˌsanta kataˈlina] ), or San Andrés and Providencia ,

3354-444: The Colombian mainland and San Andrés. There are two concrete buildings on Cayo Bolivar, and a few wooden huts on the other cays. Colombia claims sovereignty over six additional outlying banks and shoals: Alice Shoal , Bajo Nuevo Bank , Serranilla Bank , Quita Sueño Bank , Serrana Bank , and Roncador Bank . The Departamento de San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina covers a land area of 44 km (17 sq mi) and had

3440-798: The Protestant native population. A member of the departmental assembly for 15 years, Pedro Gallardo Forbes, of the Regional Integration Movement (MIR), won the 28 October 2007 gubernatorial election , with support from the Colombian Conservative Party and the Radical Change party. He succeeded a governor from the Colombian Liberal Party . He got 8,187 votes (38.93%), Aury Guerrero Bowie (Liberal Party, with support from

3526-539: The Raizal community that could strengthen separatist movements; a Raizal majority would in this case win a pro-independence referendum but this could be neutralized by outnumbering them with mainland Colombians. By 2005, Raizals were only 30% of the 60,000 or more inhabitants of the islands, with the rest being mainland Colombians and English-speaking whites of British descent. Most Raizals are multilingual and can speak Spanish , Creole , and English . Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport ( IATA : ADZ ) serves

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3612-762: The Republic of Colombia. In 1903, the Colombian Department of Panama became an independent nation. The islanders again refused to join the United States or Panama when they were visited by a U.S. warship in the same year. On 26 October 1912, the Municipality of San Andres and Providencia was established by Law 52, giving administrative independence. In August 1920, a boundary treaty was signed between Colombia and Panama in Bogota . On 24 March 1928,

3698-470: The San Andrés Bay is said to be the most visited place in the archipelago. Johnny Cay is a small coral islet that is located 1.5 km (0.93 mi) to the north of San Andrés Town. It is a scenic place with white-sand beaches surrounded by coconut plantations. The sea here is not suitable for swimming as the current of flow could be risky. A natural park was also created here in 2001. Haynes Cay

3784-714: The San Andrés Island and the free port. In 1972, the archipelago was declared as a Special Municipality. In the Colombian Constitution of 1991, the Department Archipelago of San Andrés, Providence and Saint Catherine was established as one of the Departments of Colombia . In 2000, the archipelago of San Andrés, Providence and Saint Catherine became a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve as per of the five biosphere reserves listed with

3870-667: The South with mangroves. There is a lighthouse on Cayo del Norte, at 12°10′N 81°50′W  /  12.167°N 81.833°W  / 12.167; -81.833  ( Cayo del Norte ) , operating since 1980. It is maintained by the Colombian Navy. This atoll is 22 km (14 mi) east-south-east of San Andrés Island and 35 km (22 mi) northeast of Cayos de Alburquerque, at 12°24′N 81°28′W  /  12.400°N 81.467°W  / 12.400; -81.467  ( Cayos del Este Sudeste ) . It

3956-470: The Spaniards, realizing the economic importance of the island, attacked the archipelago. However the Spaniards were driven out soon after they occupied the islands. Privateers also operated from the island, including Welsh privateer Sir Henry Morgan , who used it in 1670 as one of the centers of his operations. The privateers attacked Spanish ships carrying gold and other precious material that sailed in

4042-666: The UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere programme. In 2001, Nicaragua National Assembly declared the Bárcenas-Esguerra Treaty null because it claimed that it was signed under pressure of US army occupation (1928–1933). Nicaragua signed a boundary treaty with Colombia, in which it disputed the boundaries alleged by Colombia at 82 degrees longitude. In 2007, the International Court of Justice announced that

4128-650: The United States. In 1903, the local Raizal population rejected an offer from the US to separate from Colombia in the wake of Panama 's secession from Colombia . However, the island's native population soon changed its mind when the policies of successive Colombian governments tried consistently to modify the majority Raizal and British ethnic composition of the Islands by the extensive migration of Spanish-speaking mainland Colombians. The efforts at assimilation and immigration were led largely by Catholic missionaries, which angered

4214-440: The capital city in the last few decades. It is reported that habitat of these birds is now confined to about 18 km (6.9 sq mi) area in the southern part of the island. Its distinguishing noise feature (song feature) is a single note repeated 2–20 times. In order to protect this local species, it has been suggested that the mangrove swamps of the island be declared as a protected area. Another bird found in abundance on

4300-483: The coral islet of Johnny Cay, the Pond, Haynes Cay, Morgan's Cave, West View and Acuaro of the coast known for its diving center. The small cay in the San Andrés Bay is said to be the most visited place in the Archipelago. El Cove ("the cove") provides the deepest anchorage facilities on the island. Diving is a popular water sport in the island. The depth of water which varies in the range 3–30 meters (9.8–98.4 ft) has

4386-435: The country, due to poor international direct service to the island. Many international tourists have to fly to one of Colombia's largest airports to be able to reach the islands. Copa Airlines maintains a passenger service between San Andrés and Panama City . In 2021, American Airlines began serving San Andrés nonstop from Miami . In recent years, San Andrés has also received seasonal charter flights, mainly from Canada and

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4472-686: The creation of an independent state. There are now, according to a document from the Colombian government, two trends among the Raizals: a radical one, the Pueblo Indígena Raizal , represented by the Indigenous Native Organizations , among whom Amen, Barraca New Face, Infaunas (a Rastafarian -inspired group of farmers and fishermen), Ketna (Ketlënan National Association) and the SOS Foundation, and

4558-407: The department are Spanish , English , and San Andrés–Providencia Creole . While San Andrés is located 50 km (31 mi) south of Providencia, the Colombian archipelago is approximately 750 km (470 mi) north of the Colombian mainland. This archipelago encompasses a total area of 57 km (22 sq mi), including the outer cays, reefs, atolls and sand banks, with the area of

4644-469: The dispute, as did Gran Colombia's successors: New Granada and Colombia. A local administration ( intendencia ) was established in the islands in 1912 by Colombia. In 1928, Colombia and Nicaragua signed the Esguerra-Bárcenas Treaty , which gave control of the islands to Colombia. However, when the Sandinista government assumed power in the 1980s, Nicaragua repudiated the treaty. Colombia argues that

4730-466: The eastern coast of the island is Saint Louis, which is a small tourist town. It is notable both as a tourist establishment and for its impressive stretch of white-sand beach. Traditional wooden houses are also located on the shores of the beach, spread over a 3 km (1.9 mi) stretch. Here also, in view of generally calm sea water (only occasionally rough), snorkeling is a popular sporting activity. It used to be port for export of coconuts. Spanish

4816-562: The establishment of an airport in the northern part of the island, transport services from the mainland of Colombia ushered economic development in the island, particularly in the San Andrés town. Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport has flight services offered by American Airlines , Avianca , LATAM Colombia , Viva Air Colombia , Wingo , and SATENA to Barranquilla , Bogotá , Cartagena , Cali , Medellín , Miami , and Providencia . There are also charter flights offered by Air Transat from Montréal during winter months. However,

4902-663: The inhabitants of San Andrés, Providence and St. Catherine voluntarily adhered to the Republic of Gran Colombia in 1822, which placed them under the administration of the Magdalena Department . The First Mexican Empire , which was succeeded by the United Provinces of Central America (UPCA), also claimed the islands. Gran Colombia, in turn, protested the UPCA's occupation of the eastern coast of Nicaragua. The UPCA broke up in 1838 to 1840, but Nicaragua carried on

4988-478: The island is almost entirely covered in grass, trees and other vegetation, as well as sand along the coastline rather than rocks. The central area is marked by a chain of hills (Flowers, Orange, Shingle and Lion's Hill). The island has only small, ephemeral streams draining the land area, but no major rivers. On the southwest coast of the island are some features, namely (from north to south) Bobby Rock, Boobie Rock, Fisher Rock and Tyler Rock. A feature named Rock Point

5074-567: The island is the white-winged dove ( Zenaida asiatica ). A number of subspecies of birds are endemic to the island. These include The aqua faunal species found here are oysters and crabs . The coral species found in the island's shores are: staghorn coral ( Acropora cervicornis ), Elkhorn coral ( Acropora palmata ), pillar coral , brain coral , Erythropodium caribaeorum , star coral ( Astreopora ), soft corals ( Alcyonacea ), finger coral ( Porites porites ) and sea pens . The only wild mammal that has been recorded from San Andrés

5160-534: The island than football is in England, is considered to be a traditional sporting event rather than animal cruelty. Also, there are three small capacity stadiums in the town centre, each one for a different sport: softball, football and baseball. These sports are also practiced widely by the islanders in many areas of the island, especially in the southern part. Football teams participate in the Copa Claro . With

5246-457: The island's population. The native islanders are the descendants of the African and European settlers that first inhabited the islands. The economy of the island, which was largely dependent on fishery resources and meager agricultural production, underwent a change with the opening of air services from Colombia, followed by a 1954 declaration of the island as a duty-free zone. This brought about

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5332-513: The island. The three years from 2003 to 2006 saw a greater than 10 percent increase in the number of tourists to San Andrés. Tourists increased from 341,293 in 2003 to 377,619 in 2006, of whom 292,741 were foreign nationals and 84,878 were from elsewhere in Colombia. In July 2011, the archipelago received 23,000 tourists more than the previous year, in the same period. Furthermore, it has invested in hotel infrastructure 27,000 million. Among

5418-524: The island. Another town is San Luis on the east coast. Cayo Johnny (Johnny Caye) lies 1.5 km (0.9 mi) ENE of German Point (Punta Norte), the island's northern tip, and Haynes Cay about the same distance east of the island. Cotton Cay is less than 1 km (0.6 mi) south of San Andrés town, on the northeastern coast. This atoll is southwest of San Andrés at 12°10′N 81°51′W  /  12.167°N 81.850°W  / 12.167; -81.850  ( Cayos de Albuquerque ) . It

5504-459: The islands being 45 km (17 sq mi). In 2000, it was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve , named "Seaflower Biosphere Reserve", which not only includes the islands but also about 10% of the Caribbean Sea, amounting to a vast marine area of 300,000 km (120,000 sq mi). The purpose of this declaration is to ensure that the ecosystem, which is rich in biodiversity, is well preserved and conserved. The department's capital

5590-460: The islands of San Andrés, Providence and Saint Catherine, but left open the question about the demarcation of the maritime boundary and the sovereignty over the cays of Serranilla , Quitasueño , Serrana , Roncador and Bajo Nuevos with Nicaragua. The ICJ also ruled it "upheld preliminary objections of Colombia to its jurisdiction only insofar as they concerned sovereignty over the islands of San Andrés, Providence and Saint Catherine". San Andrés

5676-509: The islands. In the 19th century, the United States claimed several uninhabited locations in the area under the Guano Island Act , including several now claimed by Colombia. In 1981, the US ceded its claims to Serrana Bank and Roncador Bank to Colombia and abandoned its claim to Quita Sueño Bank . The US still maintains claims over Serranilla Bank and Bajo Nuevo Bank and considers them both to be unincorporated territories of

5762-465: The islands. The first appearance of San Andrés on Spanish maps was in 1527. The Dutch are reported to have come to these islands at the end of the 16th century and English settlers arrived there in 1628. It is also mentioned that Columbus came across these islands during his fourth voyage of exploration . The English Puritans arrived to the islands; they hailed from Barbados and also from England . Between 1627 and 1629, they came to settle in

5848-686: The late 1970s, grew stronger in the following decade, and culminated in the creation in March 1984 of the Sons of the Soil Movement (S.O.S.), openly claiming the right to self-determination . Since 1999, another organization, the Archipelago Movement for Ethnic Native Self-Determination for the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providence and Santa Catalina (AMEN-SD), a radical separatist movement led by Rev. Raymond Howard Britton, has demanded

5934-596: The mainland is represented by the Organización de la comunidad raizal con residencia fuera del archipiélago de San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina (Orfa, based in Bogotá ). In 1903, the local Raizal population of the Providencia and Santa Catalina Islands rejected an offer from the United States to separate from Colombia and to imitate Panama . Towards the late 1960s, separatist movements became active in

6020-405: The most common. Other religious groups, including Seventh-day Adventists, Roman Catholics, Muslims, and Jews are also present on the island. The San Andrés Island, which attracts a large number of visitors, has many places of interest. Some of the important ones are: La Loma with its Baptist Church, a small blowhole at Hoyo Soplador, the snorkeling site at La Piscinita, white beaches of Saint Louis,

6106-413: The north begin to blow in late October and during November and December until mid-January, the wind usually blows from the east, when there are storms in the northeastern Caribbean. The island's last reported population is 75,000; it was 72,912 in 2007, 55,000 in 1993, and 20,000 in 1973. The continuous growth and influx of people from the mainland of Colombia means that they now form about two thirds of

6192-416: The north-east of San Andrés; their capital is Santa Isabel. The name is sometimes abbreviated to "Archip. de San Andres". The official website abbreviates it as San Andrés ("Gobernación de San Andrés"). ISO 3166-2:CO lists it as "San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina". Statoids lists it as "San Andrés y Providencia". Spain formally claimed the archipelago of San Andres and Providencia in 1510,

6278-547: The present-day Honduran and Nicaraguan Caribbean coast. They referred to the main island as Abakoa. Documentation about the Island began in the 16th century with Spanish mapping of the Caribbean Sea, which included the Island of San Andres. Although historical records state that Christopher Columbus visited San Andres during his fourth exploration voyages between 1492 and 1500. The history of both San Andrés and Providence includes stories of pirates, their invasions and occupation of

6364-461: The protection will then be placed under the protection of the confederation." After independence was recognized by the coastal territories of the Caribbean Sea, the British proclaimed an independent territory in disregard of treaties and agreements of the time but the island remained free from British autonomy. In 1848, Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera declared San Andrés as a Free port. In 1851, slavery

6450-643: The salubrious climate and take advantage of the fertile land of the islands. The Puritans evicted the Dutch settlers in 1631. Some settlers also came from Wales . All colonists first came to San Andrés and later moved to the Providence Island colony on what is now Providencia Island as its mountain terrain provided fresh water resources and safety from invaders. Slaves were brought from 1633 onwards from Jamaica . They were initially brought to work in lumbering, as well as to grow cotton and tobacco. In 1635,

6536-439: The sea route to visit the island is by cruise ships only (3–4 days journey). There are no passenger services to the island, though some cargo ships do carry a few passengers. The island also has a good network of paved lateral roads connecting the main circular road, which is of 30 kilometres (19 mi) length. A tourist train (improvised tractor with coaches) also operates within the island. Boat services are also available within

6622-725: The tourist attractions of the island are: The island has rich floral diversity in its vast mangrove swamps, the largest mangrove forest on the island being the Old Mangrove Point Regional Park. There are 12 mangrove forests in red, black and white colors, rich with many species of flora and fauna revitalizing the ecosystem. There are also coconut palm trees, breadfruit trees, tall growth of local trees, green and lush pastoral lands and farm lands. The bird species named San Andres vireo ( Vireo caribaeus ), which can also be found at Providence and St. Catherine Islands, favors mangrove and scrub bush habitat. It

6708-405: The towns of San Andrés and San Luis , but also commercially serves the nearby island of Providencia Island through feeder flights from El Embrujo Airport . Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport was initially called Sesquicentenario International Airport. It is the 6th busiest airport in Colombia, handling 836,234 passengers in 2006. Most of these passengers come from the continental part of

6794-422: The treaty's final ratification in 1930 (when the US forces were already on their way out) confirms its validity. Colombia and Honduras signed a maritime boundary treaty in 1999, which implicitly accepts Colombian sovereignty over the islands. In 2001, Nicaragua filed claims with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the disputed maritime boundary and claimed 50,000 km (19,305 sq mi) in

6880-484: The tropical islands, rather than cold, rocky New England , but the Providence Island colony did not succeed in the same way as the Massachusetts Bay Colony . They established slave -worked plantations and engaged in privateering , which led to the Spanish and Portuguese conquering the colony in May, 1641. In 1670, English buccaneers , led by Henry Morgan , took over the islands, which he used as

6966-519: The two islands assuring people the ownership of the land. In July 1818, French privateer Luis Aury , and others of the independent forces of Simón Bolívar occupied the islands, and it became part of Gran Colombia on June 23, 1822. In 1821, the issuing of the Constitution of Cúcuta determined that every child born in Colombia, was born as a free citizen. This at a minimum meant the eventual abolition of slavery in San Andrés. On March 5, 1825,

7052-462: The warm Caribbean Sea, all of these features have made the island an "exotic holiday destination". In pre-Colombian times before 1492, the main island of the archipelago, San Andrés, and the smaller ones Providencia and Santa Catalina were already frequented by members of the Miskitu people during their traditional marine hunting activities. After these tasks, they would return to their homes along

7138-488: The year 1792, by royal warrant on 20 May, the Spanish informed the Captain General of Guatemala , Don Bernardo Troncoso , to recognize the archipelago as under Spanish control. The Catholic religion was spread on the island and a church was built and run by its own priest. San Andrés gave exemption from import and export taxes. On November 25, 1802, the inhabitants of the archipelago requested that they depend on

7224-503: Was abolished by the constitution of Colombia, which led to a successful literacy movement led by pastor Philip Beekman Livingston . In September 1900, France issued a ruling in which it recognized all of the islands of the archipelago as belonging to Colombia. In 1902, two commissioners of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt came to San Andrés by boat and requested that the islands become part of Panama, but American proposals were rejected outright as unpatriotic, proving local loyalty to

7310-420: Was granted in 1803. That year, Spain assigned the islands, together with the province of Veraguas (western Panama and the east coast of Nicaragua ), to the Viceroyalty of New Granada . The territory was administered from the province of Cartagena . Soon, trade links with Cartagena were greater than those with Guatemala. On 4 July 1818, a French corsair, Louis-Michel Aury , with 400 men and 14 ships flying

7396-466: Was the location where he allegedly hid his treasures. The cave is approached through an underwater passage. There is also a museum here. A seawater aquarium here has good display of Caribbean marine life. West View, as the name suggests, has 3–10 meters (9.8–32.8 ft) depth of water and is a favorite place for snorkeling, swimming and diving. Held on Saturdays, horse racing is a weekly event, even if only two horses race. Cockfighting, more popular on

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