Arauca, Arauca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arauca
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Municipality and city
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Monument in front of the Arauca City Hall
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Location of the municipality and town of Arauca in the Arauca Department
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 Arauca, Arauca
Location in Colombia
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| Country |  Colombia |
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| Department | Arauca Department | ||
| Founded | December 4, 1780 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Municipality and city | 5,788 km2 (2,235 sq mi) | ||
| • Urban | 21.39 km2 (8.26 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 125 m (410 ft) | ||
| Population
(2018 Census)
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| • Municipality and city | 85,585 | ||
| • Density | 14.7866/km2 (38.297/sq mi) | ||
| • Urban | 74,195 | ||
| • Urban density | 3,468.7/km2 (8,983.8/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (COL) | ||
| Postcode |
810001-9
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| Area code(s) | 57 + 7 | ||
| Climate | Aw | ||
| Website | Official website: http://arauca-arauca.gov.co/ | ||
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Arauca is an important city and the capital of the Arauca Department in Colombia. Its full name is Villa de Santa Bárbara de Arauca. It is located at 7° 05′ 25″ North and 70° 45′ 42″ West. In 2018, about 85,585 people lived in the municipality of Arauca.
Contents
History of Arauca
The Arauca region was first explored by a German explorer named Jorge de la Espira in 1536. The early Spanish explorers did not stay long because they were looking for a legendary lost city of gold called El Dorado. Later, religious groups called Jesuits and people who were given land started the first small towns.
Arauca was officially founded on December 4, 1780. It was started by Juan Isidro Daboín in a place where about ten families of indigenous people, called Guahibo, lived. The city was named after the Arauca River, which now forms the border with Venezuela. The river itself was named after the local indigenous people, the Arauca. The area around the city is very flat and often floods because of the river.
Over time, Arauca has been a very important place in Colombia's history:
- It was once the capital of a large province called Casanare, which was part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada (a big Spanish colony).
- It became the capital of the Republic for a short time under a revolutionary government on July 16, 1816.
- It has been the capital of different administrative regions, like a special police district since 1911 and a national province from 1955 to 1991.
- Since 1986, it has been known as the "Oil Capital of Colombia" because of the oil found nearby.
- Since 1991, it has been the capital of the Arauca Department.
Climate in Arauca
Arauca has a tropical savanna climate, which means it is generally hot all year round. It has a wet season and a dry season. The wet season brings a lot of rain, while the dry season is much drier.
| Climate data for Arauca (Santiago Pérez Quiroz Airport), elevation 128 m (420 ft), (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 33.1 (91.6) |
34.3 (93.7) |
34.6 (94.3) |
33.2 (91.8) |
31.2 (88.2) |
30.0 (86.0) |
29.9 (85.8) |
30.6 (87.1) |
31.5 (88.7) |
31.7 (89.1) |
31.5 (88.7) |
31.9 (89.4) |
32 (90) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.4 (81.3) |
28.3 (82.9) |
28.8 (83.8) |
27.7 (81.9) |
26.6 (79.9) |
25.8 (78.4) |
25.7 (78.3) |
26.1 (79.0) |
26.6 (79.9) |
26.8 (80.2) |
26.9 (80.4) |
26.9 (80.4) |
26.9 (80.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.6 (69.1) |
21.2 (70.2) |
22.2 (72.0) |
22.9 (73.2) |
23.0 (73.4) |
22.8 (73.0) |
22.6 (72.7) |
22.7 (72.9) |
22.8 (73.0) |
22.9 (73.2) |
22.9 (73.2) |
21.9 (71.4) |
22.4 (72.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 11.9 (0.47) |
23.8 (0.94) |
50.6 (1.99) |
147.2 (5.80) |
267.5 (10.53) |
304.7 (12.00) |
309.6 (12.19) |
224.7 (8.85) |
187.1 (7.37) |
200.1 (7.88) |
109.7 (4.32) |
30.8 (1.21) |
1,867.7 (73.53) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 2 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 148 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 71 | 66 | 66 | 76 | 84 | 87 | 87 | 86 | 85 | 85 | 84 | 79 | 80 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 272.8 | 228.7 | 201.5 | 162.0 | 151.9 | 138.0 | 145.7 | 164.3 | 177.0 | 201.5 | 210.0 | 248.0 | 2,301.4 |
| Mean daily sunshine hours | 8.8 | 8.1 | 6.5 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 6.3 |
| Source: Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales | |||||||||||||
People of Arauca (Demographics)
Arauca is home to a diverse mix of people. Most of the population is made up of White and Mestizo people, who are a mix of European and indigenous backgrounds. Together, they make up about 92.4% of the city's population.
Human biological diversity and ethnicity White and Mestizo (92.4%) Afro-Colombian (includes Mixed) (5.9%) American Indian (1.7%)
About 5.9% of the people in Arauca are Afro-Colombian, meaning they have African heritage. The remaining 1.7% are Indigenous people, who are the original inhabitants of the land.
Economy of Arauca
For a long time, the main business in Arauca has been raising cattle. This is still a very important part of the local economy today. However, since 1984, the city's income has mostly come from the oil industry. There are large oil deposits nearby that are very valuable.
The economy also got a big boost when the Puente José Antonio Páez bridge was built. This bridge connects Arauca with Venezuela. Another important development was the completion of the highway to Bogotá, which is called The Route of the Liberators. Now, Arauca is on a major road that connects Caracas (the capital of Venezuela) and Bogotá (the capital of Colombia).
Transportation
People can travel to and from Arauca by air through the Santiago Perez Airport. This airport helps connect the city to other parts of Colombia and beyond.
See also
In Spanish: Arauca (Arauca) para niños
