Villanueva (La Guajira)

Santo Tomás de Villanueva is a redirect to this article. On the saint, see Thomas von Villanova .

Villanueva
Coordinates: 10 ° 36 ′  N , 72 ° 59 ′  W Villanueva​ Villanueva on the map of Colombia
Location of the municipality of Villanueva on the map of La Guajira
Basic data
Country	Colombia
Department	La Guajira
City foundation	1662
Residents	28,736  (2019)
City insignia
Detailed data
surface	265 km 2
Population density	108 people / km 2
height	250  m
Waters	Río Villanueva
City Presidency	Luis Alberto Baquero Daza (2016-2019)
Website	villanueva-guajira.gov.co

Villanueva , officially Santo Tomas de Villanueva , is a municipality ( municipio ) in the department of La Guajira in Colombia . Villanueva is close to the border with Venezuela .

geography

Villanueva is located at an altitude of about 250 meters near the Venezuelan border in the south of the La Guajira department . The Río Villanueva flows through the municipality . Villanueva is located 163 kilometers south of Riohacha and only 32 kilometers from Valledupar . The municipality borders in the north on El Molino , in the west on San Juan del Cesar and Valledupar im Cesar , in the south on Urumita and in the east on Venezuela .

population

The municipality of Villanueva has 28,736 inhabitants, of which 19,877 live in the urban part (cabecera municipal) of the municipality (as of 2019).

history

The area was inhabited by the Chimila indigenous people even before the arrival of the Spaniards . Villanueva was founded in 1662, but little is known of its early history.

economy

The main industries in Villanueva are trade and agriculture . In the future, mining can also gain in importance, as there are large deposits of limestone .

Culture

Many Vallenato musicians known in Colombia come from Villanueva , which is why the city is nicknamed cuna de los acordeones (cradle of the accordions). The Cuna de Acordeones Festival , which has been held since 1979 , takes place every year in September .

Personalities

The diplomat and politician Jorge Bendeck Olivella was born in Villanueva .

Web links

Commons : Villanueva  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Alcaldia de Villanueva. Alcaldía de Villanueva - La Guajira, accessed on June 11, 2019 (Spanish, website of the municipality of Villanueva). 
• Cuna de Acordeones Festival. Festival Cuna de Acordeones, accessed on June 11, 2019 (Spanish, website of the Festival Cuna de Acordeones). 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Nuestro municipio. Alcaldía de Villanueva - La Guajira, accessed June 11, 2019 (Spanish, information about the municipality). 
2. ↑ ESTIMACIONES DE POBLACIÓN 1985 - 2005 Y PROYECCIONES DE POBLACIÓN 2005 - 2020 TOTAL DEPARTAMENTAL POR ÁREA. (Excel; 1.72 MB) DANE, May 11, 2011, accessed on June 11, 2019 (Spanish, extrapolation of the population of Colombia).