page_title: Cúcuta
section_title: Industrial Revolution
hierarchical_section_title: Cúcuta / History / 19th century: Major events / Industrial Revolution
caption_attribution_description: Estación Cúcuta - 1910
context_page_description: Cúcuta, officially San José de Cúcuta, is a Colombian city, capital of Norte de Santander department. It is located in the northeast of the country, in the eastern branch of the Colombian Andes, on the border with Venezuela. Cúcuta has a population of 711,715 people according to the 2018 census, making it the 6th largest city in the country. Due to its proximity with Venezuela, Cúcuta is an important commercial center, hosting many billion dollar companies. The international border in Cúcuta is said to be the most dynamic of South America.
  The city has a length of 12 kilometres from north to south and 11 kilometres from east to west. It is divided into 10 communes and it is the political, economic, administrative, industrial, cultural and tourism hub of the Norte de Santander department.
  Cúcuta has experienced a great urban development, as a result other cities have been formed around it, like Los Patios in the east, and Villa del Rosario in the south. They are part of the Metropolitan Area of Cúcuta which has a population of about 850,000 people.
context_section_description: In the 19th century, the construction of a railroad set off an Industrial Revolution in the city. The railroad had four branches: North, East, South and West. The North branch was constructed from 1878 to 1888, and connected Cúcuta with Puerto Santander and Venezuela. Construction of the Eastern and Southern branches began in 1878; the South branch linked with Pamplona, Colombia, and ended in El Diamante. The West branch was not built owing to economic problems. The railroad company fell into bankruptcy and was closed in 1960.
  Many of the city's historic buildings lie within the Park of Greater Colombia, including the House of Santander, the historic church, and the historic tamarind. All these are well preserved.
caption: Railroad of Cúcuta – 1910
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