Distracción, La Guajira

Distracción (Spanish pronunciation: [distɾakˈsjon]) is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department of La Guajira. Founded in 1845 by a man from neighboring Barrancas named Antonio María Vidal on the right margin of the Ranchería River.[3]

Distracción
town
Flag
Seal
Nickname(s): 
The Star of La Guajira
Location of the town and municipality of Distracción in La Guajira Department.
CountryColombia
RegionCaribbean
DepartmentLa Guajira
Foundation1845 by Antonio María Vidal
Government
 • MayorPedro Javier Guerra Chinchia (L)[1]
Area
 • Total220 km2 (80 sq mi)
Elevation
65 m (213 ft)
Population
 (Census 2018[2])
 • Total11,934
 • Density54/km2 (140/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5
ClimateAw

The town celebrates the Festival de los Laureles (Spanish for Festival of the Laurels). The town's economy relies mostly in agriculture, farming and the rudimentary exploitation of a limestone mine.[3]

Geography

The municipality of Distracción is located in the Guajira Peninsula, on the Valley of Upar formed by the mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Serranía del Perijá. It has a total area of 220 km² bordering to the north with the municipality of Riohacha; to the east with the municipality of Fonseca; to the south with the municipalities of San Juan del Cesar and Fonseca and to the west with the municipality of San Juan del Cesar.[4]

Politics

Defense

The Colombian National Army has two major units in the department part of the 1st Division one of these is the 2nd Mechanized Cavalry Battalion also known as the Batallon Rondon.[5]

References
  1. (in Spanish) Colombian Registry of the Civil State: 2007 election results
  2. "Censo Nacional de Población y Vivienda 2018" (in Spanish). DANE. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  3. (in Spanish) Government of La Guajira: Distraccion Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  4. (in Spanish) Distraccion: Geography
  5. (in Spanish) 1st Division of the Colombian National Army: Second Brigade and Tenth Brigade

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