San Andrés, San Andrés y Providencia

San Andrés
City and municipality
San Andrés Island.
View of San Andrés Beach

Maps of the islands of San Andrés and Providencia
San Andrés
Location of San Andrés in Colombia
Coordinates: 12°35′5″N 81°42′2″W / 12.58472°N 81.70056°W / 12.58472; -81.70056Coordinates: 12°35′5″N 81°42′2″W / 12.58472°N 81.70056°W / 12.58472; -81.70056
Country  Colombia
Region Insular
Department San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina
Area
 • Total 26 km2 (10 sq mi)
Population (2005)
 • Total 55,426[1]
 • Languages spoken Creole, English, Spanish
 • Ethnic groups 20% Raizals and 80% mainland Colombians
Time zone UTC-05 (Eastern Time Zone)

San Andrés (Spanish pronunciation: [ˌsan anˈdɾes]) is the capital city of the department of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, in Colombia. As of 2005 its population was of 55,426.[1]

Overview

It is situated at the north end of San Andrés Island, on the Caribbean Sea. The population is considered to be about 20% Raizals and 80% mainland Colombians. The economy is mainly sustained by tourism and commercial fishing. Once a duty-free port, it still has a relatively vigorous shopping district selling various consumer goods at bargain prices, including Colombian gold and emerald jewellery, leather goods and other distinctively Colombian wares.

San Andres has become such a byword for bargain shopping in Colombia that many towns and cities have a bargain shopping area known as a San Andresito ("little San Andres").

Twin towns

References

  1. 1 2 (in Spanish) "Census 2005 - San Andrés" (PDF). (DANE)

Media related to San Andrés at Wikimedia Commons


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