Diario las Américas., 1958-07-18
Know thy
NeighborI
By ANTONIO RUIZ

VI DOllVdI Is IOCdICu VII CAS AoALi
west part of the country, and the
Magdalena River flows along the
eastern part of it. 1t has a tropic-
al temperature and it is flat and
low, the highest point being at vi
llanueva, 1,476 feet above sea level.
1t is sixth in area among the oe-
partments of the Republic, and
eighth in population, which is es-
timated at 800, 900. The area is IA,
636 square miles. The Department
of Bolivar is represented at the
National Congress by 5 senators
and II representatives. The AS
sembly of the Department has %
deputies.
The excellent grassland of the
region makes Bolivar the first de.
partment of the country in cattle
raising. Agriculture has also
achieved a high degree OF develop
ment.
Cartagena, the capital OF the
Department, has a population es-
timated at 200, 900 and is one Of
the most attractive cities in the
country for tourists, since it has
many historical monuments. Called
the Heroic City by the Liberat-
or, Simon Bolivar, Cartagena was
founded in 1888 by Pedro de He.
redia, and was the first city of its
type in the Continent, famous for
its walls and forts built in the
18th. century at a cost OF SO mil
lion gold pesos. The height OF the
walls is about forty feet and the
width between fifty and sixty feet.
They are built of stone, witha
mixture of sand, lime and crushed
snailS. The old part of the city is
completely surrounded by these
walls, which were intended to de-
fend it from the raids of the pi-
rates, who used to attempt fire.
quent attacks, since Cartagena was
at that time the principal Spanish
center of the New World.
The outstanding defensive fort
is "San Felipe de Barajas", CON
sidered to be the most important
colonial fortification in America,
built between 1857 and 1852 at a
cost of eleven million gold pesos,
with underground passages con
Meeting it to the city. 1t is said
that when the cost of building the
walls and forts of Cartagena was
revealed to the King of Spain, ne
went 10 the window of his palace,
and placing his hand as a shade
over his eyes, he remarked: 81
want to see them, for that money
l should be able to see them from
here. Other forts are the Dove
das de Bocachica", at the entrance
of the bay, and the castles Of San
Fernando and San Jose.
Old Cartagena was built strictly
for military and defensive pur-
poses, none Of its streets is
straight, and is in itself a Spanish
monument in America. Most Of
the buildings date from colonial
times, and those deserving special
attention are the Palace of the In
QUESTION, the Government Palace,
the Cathedral, the Convent of San
ia Cruz de la Popa, and the Con-
vent of San Pedro Claver.
Cartagena was the city of the
Americas which suffered the
greatest and most frequent attacks
from pirates and buccaneers, all Of
which it fought back with great
heroism. That is the reason why
the Liberator gave it the name of
the Heroic City. Several islands
which can be reached from the
city across narrow canals, give
this Colombian port an aspect of
great beauty.
The principal manufacturing in
dustries of Cartagena are; process
sing of foods, beverages, clothing,
shoes, chemical products, tobacco
printing and publications lumber,
furniture, textile, leather goods
metal products, rubber goods, pa
per and many others.
Other cities of some import
ance in the Department of Bolivar
are Mompos, a river port in the
Magdalena founded in 1887, with
a population of 10000; Maganque
founded in 1910, with a population
of 46, 900; Corozal, with $4,000 and
S~incelejo, with As, 600.
Spanish Version Pag. S.