CHOCÓ DEPARTMENT
17.01.2013 14:08
HISTORY
The lands of the department of Chocó were inhabited before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors by several indigenous groups, including cribs, that lived near the Gulf of Urabá and Bajo Atrato, Choco or citarares those inhabiting the upper Atrato, the noanamaes, located in the basin of the San Juan, and baudoes that populated the Pacific coast.
The first Spanish who explored the Gulf of Urabá was Rodrigo de Bastidas in 1501. Then Vasco Nunez de Balboa was established in 1510 in Santa Maria la Antigua del Darién, first foundation in Colombia, by Martin Fernandez de Enciso, this town survived for a short time, due to the rivalry of the conquerors. Balboa then organized an expedition and discovered the Pacific Ocean on September 25, 1513, which called Mar del Sur.
The exploitation of the vast mineral resources of Chocó, due to difficult weather conditions forced the colonists to use African slaves, who displaced the indigenous inhabitants of the region in which blacks occupied and populated the territory. Mining has been the strongest mobile through the years in the colonization of these lands. By Decree 1347 of 1906, separated the province of Cauca and Chocó emerged as national quartermaster comprising the provinces of San Juan and Atrato. By Act 13 of 3 November 1947 was created the department of Chocó.
Chocó Department is located in the west of the country, in the region of the Pacific plate, located between 04 º 00'50'' and 08 º 41'32'' N and 76 º 02'57'' and 77 º 53'38'' west longitude. It has an area from 46,530 km2 representing 4.0% of the country. Bordered on the north by the Republic of Panama and the Caribbean Sea, on the east by the departments of Antioquia, Risaralda and Valle del Cauca, on the south by the department of Valle de Cauca, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.
ADMINISTRACTIVE DIVISION
The Chocó Department is divided into 30 municipalities, 147 districts, 135 police posts, as well as numerous villages and populated places. The municipalities are grouped into 16 circles notary, with a total of 17 notaries, a primary circle based Registry Quibdo and 3 sectional registration offices based in the municipalities of Quibdo, Istmina and Nuquí, a judicial district, Quibdo, with 2 headers judicial circuit and Istmina Quibdo. The department forms the constituency of Chocó.
Municipalities of the department of Chocó
QUIBDO, BAHIA SOLANO, ACANDI, ALTO BAUDO, ATRATO, BAGADO, BAJO BAUDO, BOJAYA, LITORAL DEL SANJUAN, CANTON DEL SAN PABLO, CARMEN DE ATRATO, CERTEGUI, CONDOTO, ISTMINA, JURADO, EL CARMEN, LLORÓ, MEDIO ATRATO, MEDIO BAUDO, MEDIO SAN JUAN, NOVITA, NUQUI, RIO IRO, RIO QUITO, RIO SUCIO, SAN JOSÉ DEL PALMAR, SIPI, TADO , UNGUIA, UNION PANAMERICANA.
HIDROGRAPHY
The hydrographic system of the department of Chocó is one of the most abundant and interesting country, mainly because it is one of the sectors with the highest average rainfall in the world. It has the Atrato, San Juan and Baudo, as its principal, but has other major rivers as Andágueda, Bebará, Bebaramá, Bojayá Docampadó, Domingodó, Munguidó, Opogodó, Quito, Salaquí, Dirty and Tanela.
The department of Chocó territory is within the doldrums, characterized by high rainfall, with records above the 9,000 mm of annual rainfall. The temperature in the valleys and coastal lowlands is above 27 ° C, usually accompanied by high relative humidity (90%), these factors have been unfavorable to the full incorporation of this territory to the national economy. The vegetation, due to its location and climate, is varied and rich. The department is the National Park Utría and share with the department of Antioquia, the National Park of the Katíos, departments and Risaralda and Valle del Cauca, the National Wildlife Park Tatamá.
ECONOMY
The Chocó economy is fragile, dependent on mining, forestry, fisheries, agriculture and livestock. Mining is concentrated mainly in gold mining, followed to a lesser extent silver and platinum, although there are also deposits of limestone, molybdenum and copper. Logging has been intense and now poses a threat to the ecosystem of the department.
Industrial development of Chocó, along with the departments of Sucre and the Orinoco and the Amazon, the lowest in the country, standing grouped manufacturing food products, beverages and wood furniture. The major economic and population centers are Quibdó, the capital Istmina Nóvita; Acandí on the coast of the Caribbean Sea, and in Solano Pacific coast. In recent decades, tourism has become a minor source of income.
ROUTES OF COMMUNICATION
The road system of Chocó Department consists of a road between Medellin and Quibdo with others by Bahia Solano, Condoto, Nuquí and Riosucio, due to poor road network terrestrial communication system its main river is therefore most part of its rivers are navigable for medium and small boats; inspections has two basins, Riosucio on the Atrato River and the Istmina on the San Juan River. Marine Communication has two ports, one on Solano Bay in the Pacific Ocean, and another in Acandí, on the Caribbean coast. The department has seven runways.
TOURIST PLACES
The Chocó Department offers many tourist attractions from the standpoint of natural, cultural and scientific. The main tourist attractions stick & natural national parks Katíos, Utría and Tatamá. Jungles and beaches offer visitors the flora and fauna of tropical exotic: exclusive mangrove habitat. From its volcanic soil spring hot springs that allow certain areas compared with Hawaii. Its calm waters allow sports like skiing, scuba diving, fishing and sailing, among others.