Claim: Shakira is South American.

Barranquilla -LRB- -LSB- baraŋˈkiʝa -RSB- -RRB- is a city and municipality located in northern Colombia . It is the only major city in South America that was populated before its formal foundation . Barranquilla is located near the Caribbean Sea . The city is located in the Atlántico Department , of which it is the capital . Barranquilla is the largest city and port in the northern Caribbean Coast region of Colombia , with a population of 2,370,753 in its metropolitan area , which makes it Colombia 's fourth most populous city after Bogotá , Medellín and Cali .   Barranquilla lies strategically next to the delta of the Magdalena River , 7.5 km -LRB- originally 25 km before rapid urban growth -RRB- from its mouth at the Caribbean Sea , serving as port for river and maritime transportation within Colombia . It is also the main industrial , shopping , educational and cultural centre of the Caribbean Region of Colombia . The city is the core of the Metropolitan Area of Barranquilla , which also includes the municipalities of Soledad , Galapa , Malambo , and Puerto Colombia .   Barranquilla was legally established as a town on April 7 , 1813 , although it dated from at least 1629 . It grew into an important port , serving as a haven for immigrants from Europe , especially during and immediately following World War I and World War II , when waves of additional immigrants from the Middle East and Asia arrived . Barranquilla became Colombia 's principal port , and with its level of industrialization and modernity earned the city the nickname Colombia 's Golden Gate -LRB- Spanish : La Puerta de Oro de Colombia -RRB- . In the 1940s , Barranquilla was the second largest city in Colombia and one of the most modern cities in the Caribbean and in South America , while later , local administrations , due to widespread corruption in their ranks , brought about a decline in the standard of living . As government investment increased in other Colombian cities , Barranquilla 's national position was eclipsed .   The city is home to one of the most important folk and cultural festivals of Colombia , the Carnival of Barranquilla , which was declared a National Cultural Heritage by the Congress of Colombia in 2001 and recognized by UNESCO in 2003 .  Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport , built in Barranquilla in 1919 , was the first airport in South America . The city is served by domestic and international flights .