San José del Palmar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids San José del Palmar
Municipality
Location of the municipality and town of San José del Palmar in the Chocó Department of Colombia.
Country	Colombia
Department	Chocó Department
Founded	19 March 1938
Area
• Municipality	947 km2 (366 sq mi)
Elevation	1,288 m (4,226 ft)
Population  (2017)
• Municipality	4,768
• Density	5.035/km2 (13.040/sq mi)
• Urban	1,132 hab.
Time zone	UTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time)
Website	[1]

San José del Palmar is a town and a municipality in the Chocó Department, Colombia. It is located in the central part of the country. The town is about 240 kilometers west of Bogotá, the capital city.

San José del Palmar sits 1,288 meters (about 4,226 feet) above sea level. In 2017, its population was around 4,800 people. The area around San José del Palmar is mostly rainforest. To the east, the land is mountainous, while to the west, it is hilly.

Climate and Weather

San José del Palmar has a tropical rainforest climate. This means it has heavy rainfall and warm, cloudy weather all year. Because the town is high up, it is not as hot or wet as lower areas in the Chocó Department.

The climate here has high humidity and lots of rain. Rainfall happens in two main wet seasons and two drier seasons. Every month gets more than 200 millimeters (about 8 inches) of rain. The wettest months are May, October, and November, with over 400 millimeters (about 16 inches) of rain. February and July are the driest months, but they still get a lot of rain.

History of San José del Palmar

The land where San José del Palmar is located was first home to the Embera-chami indigenous group. They still live in the municipality today. Later, settlers from other parts of Colombia, like Antioquia and Valle del Cauca, came to the area.

The town was officially founded on March 19, 1938. Some of the first founders were Esther Espinosa, Luis Angel Colorado, and Paulino Villegas. They settled near the borders of the Risaralda and Valle del Cauca departments.

Geography and Location

San José del Palmar is in the southeast of the Chocó Department. It shares borders with the departments of Risaralda and Valle del Cauca. The municipality is part of the San Juan Subregion. It is located between two important rivers: the San Juan and the Cauca.

The town's center is about 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) high. The total area of the municipality is about 947 square kilometers (366 square miles). To the north, it borders Condoto. To the south, it borders Sipi and Novita. To the east, it borders Risaralda and Valle del Cauca. To the west, it borders Novita. The small town of El Sinai is also part of this municipality.

Natural Ecosystems

A part of San José del Palmar's land is within the Tatama National Park. Near the border with the Valle department, there is a mountain range called Serrania of Los Paraguas. This area has cloud forests, which are forests often covered in mist.

These forests are home to many interesting plants. You can find bromeliads, "platanillos" (like Canna indica and Heliconia collinsiana), mountain grapes, and different types of palms. Some unique trees like "trompeteros" and Colombian pine also grow here.

Wildlife in the Ecosystems

The forests are also home to amazing animals. You might find the spectacled bear, which is the only bear native to South America. Other animals include the Colombian opossum and different kinds of deer.

In the Torra hill region, you can also see spectacled bears. There are also special birds like white-throated hummingbirds and animals like Colombian weasels. These areas, along with Tatama National Park, create an important natural pathway. This pathway connects the Pacific coast with the Andes mountains.

Mountainous Terrain

San José del Palmar is a very mountainous area. It has many hills and valleys that are part of the Western Mountain Range. The land often has a steep slope, around 35%.

The lowest areas are near the Tamana river basin. Some of the highest points in the municipality are the Tamana hills, which are 4,200 meters (13,780 feet) high. The Tatama mountain is 3,950 meters (12,960 feet) high. The Torra mountain, part of the Paraguas range, reaches 3,670 meters (12,040 feet).

Economy and Land Use

The land in San José del Palmar is used for different purposes. About 8,700 hectares (21,500 acres) are good for large-scale farming. Another 5,270 hectares (13,000 acres) are suitable for growing crops more intensely in flat areas and valleys. Some land is also used for specific crops like coffee, citrus fruits, and plantains.

Most of the land is part of the Pacific Forest Reserve. About 85% of the land is currently being used. Around 6,200 hectares (15,300 acres) are used for pasture for animals. Another 2,447 hectares (6,000 acres) are used to grow crops like cocoa, plantains, sugar cane, fruits, corn, and yucca.

However, many cultivated soils have problems with degradation. This means the soil is losing its quality. Expanding farms and cutting down trees in forest areas make erosion worse. This can lead to dangerous mudslides. Even naturally, the soil is prone to erosion because of heavy rainfall and rocky ground.

Population and People

The people of San José del Palmar come from different backgrounds. The first people to live here were the indigenous Chamies group. Before the town was founded, there were also Afro-Colombian communities along the San Juan river.

Later, settlers from other parts of Colombia, like Antioquia and Valle del Cauca, moved to the area. Today, the indigenous group has a smaller presence. This is mainly because their traditional ways of life have changed due to the arrival of new populations. A few descendants of the original natives live in areas like Copeg and Rio Blanco.

Other ethnic groups now make up most of the population. Life can be challenging due to a lack of economic opportunities. Because of this, many people have moved away from the rural areas. They often move to the main town first, and then sometimes leave the municipality entirely.

See also

In Spanish: San José del Palmar para niños