page_title: La Guajira Department
section_title: Municipalities
hierarchical_section_title: La Guajira Department / Politics / Administrative divisions / Municipalities
caption_attribution_description: Map of La Guajira municipalities, Colombia. 1. Albania 2. Barrancas 3. Dibulla 4. Distracción 5. El Molino 6. Fonseca 7. Hatonuevo 8. La Jagua del Pilar 9. Maicao 10. Manaure 11. Riohacha 12. San Juan del Cesar 13. Uribia 14. Urumita 15. Villanueva
context_page_description: La Guajira is a department of Colombia. It occupies most of the Guajira Peninsula in the northeast region of the country, on the Caribbean Sea and bordering Venezuela, at the northernmost tip of South America. The capital city of the department is Riohacha.
  Various indigenous tribes populated the arid plains of the region long before the Spanish expeditions reached the Americas. In 1498, Alonso de Ojeda sailed around the peninsula of La Guajira, but the first European to set foot in what is known today as La Guajira was the Spanish explorer Juan de la Cosa in 1499. During the colonial era, the territory of La Guajira was disputed by the governors of Santa Marta and Venezuela, owing to deposits of pearls. English pirates, Frenchmen, and Germans also fought for control of the territory.
  Martin Fernandez de Enciso founded Nuestra Señora Santa María de los Remedios del Cabo de la Vela, the first colonial village in the territory. In 1535, Nicolás de Federmán refounded the settlement as the village of Riohacha, as a result of constant attacks by the Wayuu people. In 1544, it was moved to the site of the present-day city.
context_section_description: Albania
   Barrancas
   Dibulla
   Distracción
   El Molino
   Fonseca
   Hatonuevo
   La Jagua del Pilar
   Maicao
   Manaure
   Riohacha
   San Juan del Cesar
   Uribia
   Urumita
   Villanueva
caption: Municipalities of La Guajira Department. Municipality and city of Riohacha highlighted in dark gray and red respectively.
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