Cartagena
[key], city, capital of Bolívar dept., NW Colombia, a port on the
Bay of Cartagena in the Caribbean Sea. It exports oil, coffee, and platinum.
Manufactures include leather and tobacco products, cosmetics, and textiles.
Tourism is a growing industry. Cartagena was founded in 1533 and became the
treasure city of the Spanish Main, where precious stones and minerals from
the New World awaited transshipment to Spain. Although the harbor was
guarded by 29 stone forts and the city was encircled by a high wall of
coral, Cartagena suffered sackings and invasions—in 1544, 1560, and
in 1586 (by Sir Francis Drake). In 1741 it withstood a three-month British
siege. The city was the first of those in Colombia and Venezuela to declare
(1811) absolute independence from Spain. Known as the Republic of Cartagena,
it was one of the bases used by Simón Bolívar to launch his
campaign to liberate Venezuela. In 1815 the city was besieged and captured
by the Spanish general Pablo Morillo, who inflicted savage reprisals
on the population. Captured by rebel forces in 1821, Cartagena was
incorporated into Colombia. After the revolution the city lost its
importance and did not regain it until the 20th cent., with the improvement
of communications and the laying of a pipeline to the oil fields of the
Magdalena basin. Shady plazas and narrow cobblestone streets make Cartagena
one of the most picturesque cities in Latin America. Points of interest
include walls and fortifications from colonial times, a 16th-century
cathedral, and the Univ. of Cartagena.
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