Riohacha
Riohacha (Spanish pronunciation: [rjoˈa.tʃa]; Wayuu: Süchiimma) is a city in the Riohacha Municipality in the northern Caribbean Region of Colombia by the mouth of the Ranchería River and the Caribbean Sea. It is the capital city of the La Guajira Department. It has a sandy beach waterfront.
Riohacha | |
|---|---|
District and city | |
From top to bottom: View of Riohacha beachfront, Canyon Park, Beach. | |
|
Flag Seal | |
Location of Riohacha in the Department of La Guajira. Municipality (red), city (black dot). | |
Riohacha | |
| Coordinates: 11°32′39″N 72°54′25″W | |
| Country | Colombia |
| Region | Caribbean |
| Department | La Guajira |
| Foundation | 1545 |
| Founded by | Nikolaus Federmann |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Rafael Ceballos Sierra (L) |
| Area | |
| • District and city | 3,120 km2 (1,200 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 25.53 km2 (9.86 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Population (2023 Census) | |
| • District and city | 222,541 |
| • Density | 71/km2 (180/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 126,103 |
| • Urban density | 4,900/km2 (13,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-05 (Eastern Time Zone) |
| Postal code | 440001 |
| Area code | 57 + 5 |
| Climate | BSh |
| Website | Official website (in Spanish) |
| *Riohacha metropolitan area is yet to be determined. | |
Founded by conquistador Nikolaus Federmann in 1535, Riohacha was named after a local legend, "The legend of the Axe". Because of the powerful rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the area is mostly desertic. It is inhabited primarily by Amerindians, predominantly the Wayuu ethnic group. During colonial times, Riohacha was a very important port, as divers could retrieve vast numbers of pearls from the harbor.
In the second half of the 20th century, the city developed as one of Colombia's medium important, maritime commercial ports. It is also a multicultural center for La Guajira Department. The city is mentioned several times in novels written by Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Among his important works are One Hundred Years of Solitude, Love in the Time of Cholera, and Chronicle of a Death Foretold.