Barranquilla, Atlántico Department, Caribbean Region, Colombia

Economy | Statistics | Economic zones

🇨🇴 Barranquilla is the capital district of Atlántico Department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the northern Caribbean Coast region; it is Colombia's fourth-most populous city.

Barranquilla lies strategically next to the delta of the Magdalena River, 7.5 km (4.7 miles) (originally 25 km (16 miles) before rapid urban growth) from its mouth at the Caribbean Sea, serving as a port for river and maritime transportation within Colombia. It is also the main economic centre of Atlántico department in Colombia. The city is the core of the Metropolitan Area of Barranquilla, with a population of over 2 million, 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 dates 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 main port, and with its level of industrialization and modernity earned the nickname "Colombia's Golden Gate" (Spanish: La Puerta de Oro de Colombia). 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; 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.

Barranquilla has hosted the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games and will host the 2027 Pan American Games. 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 recognised 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.

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Economy To give a boost to the infrastructure development of the city, World Bank (IBRD) loans were sought from 1952 onwards to improve municipal water works, sewage system and slaughterhouse services. Because of its importance in the sector of national economy, the municipality of Barranquilla passed to the category of Special Industrial District and Port in 1993. Barranquilla is a major industrial centre and its economic activity is dynamic, concentrated mainly in industry, commerce, finance, services and fishing. Among the industrial products are vegetable fats and oils, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, industrial footwear, dairy products, meats, beverages, soap, building materials, furniture, plastics, cement, metalworking parts, garments clothing, buses and boats, and petroleum products. Its port is also the hub for cotton from the rural areas, coffee and petroleum, apart from the diversified industrial products manufactured in the city. The Arabs (Syro Lebanese) and Jews who were a small group of immigrants to the country in the late 19th century were exclusively involved in commercial activities and made significant value additions to the economy of the Caribbean natural region in Colombia as a whole and Barranquilla in particular. Their prominent presence in the community known as "cosmopolitan bourgeoisie" as social and political elites, which has enabled them to diversify their activities.

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Statistics According to the Integrated Household Survey by DANE, in Barranquilla, during the quarter February to April 2010, the overall participation rate (TGP) was 58.5% occupancy rate (TO) of 53 5%, the underemployment rate subjective (TS Sub), 8.4%, the underemployment rate target (TS Obj) of 6.5% and the unemployment rate (TD) of 5.5%. Also, for the period May 2009 – April 2010, the TGP was 58%, 52.4% OT, ST (U) of 10.6%, CS (Obj) 5.6% and TD of 4.7%. According to the 2005 census, 12.0% of establishments engaged in industry, 65.2% in trade, services 51.3% and 1.4% to another activity. 24.8% of rural homes were occupied in farming. 43.5% of the establishments served between 1 and 10 jobs the month before the census. Most households simultaneously have 2 or 3 types of activities to make a living. The Gran Central de Abastos del Caribe market hall is very important for the collection and distribution of food to the city. The City of Barranquilla is today under a new administration of Mayor Alejandro Char,who made a lot of changes in the whole metropolitan area,with the construction of Trans Millennium, modernizing the city and promoting the industry and commerce taken the city to have the lowest unemployment of the whole nation, Barranquilla has today only 5.6% unemployment,while the nation is over 12%.

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Economic zones According to the results of the Index of Industrial density by department in four major cities (IDI) 2000–2006 DANE, Barranquilla is fourth with a coefficient of 1.4338 establishments per km ². The primary industrial corridors are the Vía 40, Circunvalar, Calle 30, and Barranquillita. Industrial parks include Metroparque, Industrial del Caribe, Industrial Riomar, Industrial, Comercial y Portuario (PIPCA), Industrial del Norte, Industrial La Trinidad, and the long established Marisol and Almaviva.

The city is divided into different infrastructure zones; the Zona Franca de Barranquilla is the oldest and largest of the country which has around 90 companies operating within it. As of 2007, the construction of three new zones is underway with all international specifications, the first in Galapa, to 11 km (7 mi) and 20 minutes from the port, the second in Barranquillita and third in the neighboring village of Juan Mina, known as the La Cayena.

The sea and river terminals are the engines of industrial and commercial development of the Caribbean Region. The port of Barranquilla covers two main routes, the Magdalena River, which communicates with the interior of the country and the Caribbean Sea, from which millions of tonnes of goods are traded Europe and Asia. With the growing expansion and demand for coal, the authorities are considering developing a Deep Water Port of Barranquilla, "Superpuerto", as it is called locally, with an initial investment of $170 million.

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Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia 
Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
Image: Adobe Stock Tony Amador #396602871

Barranquilla is rated Sufficiency by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) which evaluates and ranks the relationships between world cities in the context of globalisation. Sufficiency level cities are cities that have a sufficient degree of services so as not to be overly dependent on world cities.

Barranquilla was ranked #903 by the Nomad List which evaluates and ranks remote work hubs by cost, internet, fun and safety. Barranquilla has a population of over 1,214,253 people. Barranquilla also forms the centre of the wider Barranquilla metropolitan area which has a population of over 2,370,753 people. Barranquilla is ranked #836 for startups with a score of 0.162.

To set up a UBI Lab for Barranquilla see: https://www.ubilabnetwork.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/UBILabNetwork

Twin Towns, Sister Cities Barranquilla has links with:

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Aberdeen, Scotland 🇵🇸 Bethlehem, Palestine 🇺🇸 Brownsville, USA 🇦🇷 Buenos Aires, Argentina 🇹🇼 Kaohsiung, Taiwan 🇺🇸 Miami, USA 🇨🇳 Nanjing, China 🇺🇸 Tampa, USA 🇷🇺 Tula, Russia
Text Atribution: Wikipedia Text under CC-BY-SA license | GaWC | Nomad | StartupBlink

Antipodal to Barranquilla is: 105.2,-10.99

Locations Near: Barranquilla -74.8004,10.9897

🇨🇴 Soledad -74.769,10.917 d: 8.8  

🇨🇴 Santa Marta -74.205,11.242 d: 70.7  

🇨🇴 Cartagena -75.495,10.396 d: 100.6  

🇨🇴 Cartagena de Indias -75.5,10.4 d: 100.7  

🇨🇴 Valledupar -73.253,10.465 d: 178.8  

🇨🇴 Santa Cruz de Mompox -74.424,9.241 d: 198.8  

🇨🇴 Sincelejo -75.393,9.297 d: 199  

🇨🇴 Agustin Codazzi -73.233,10.033 d: 201.6  

🇨🇴 Riohacha -72.907,11.545 d: 215.5  

🇨🇴 Montería -75.882,8.757 d: 275.1  

Antipodal to: Barranquilla 105.2,-10.99

🇮🇩 Jatinegara 106.167,-6.817 d: 19539.1  

🇮🇩 Sukabumi 106.926,-6.921 d: 19524.6  

🇮🇩 Banten 106.25,-6.5 d: 19502.7  

🇮🇩 Singaparna 108.11,-7.35 d: 19499.5  

🇮🇩 Bogor 106.797,-6.597 d: 19496  

🇮🇩 Padalarang 107.478,-6.844 d: 19490.5  

🇮🇩 Tasikmalaya 108.198,-7.316 d: 19490.5  

🇮🇩 Cimahi 107.555,-6.871 d: 19489.1  

🇮🇩 Bandung 107.571,-6.877 d: 19488.8  

🇮🇩 Ngamprah 107.483,-6.817 d: 19487.6  

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