San Andrés, San Andrés y Providencia

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]

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
Country	Colombia
Region	Insular
Department	San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina
Area
• Total	26 km^2 (10 sq mi)
Population  (2005)
• Total	55,426[1]
• Languages spoken	San Andrés Creole English Spanish
• Ethnic groups	20% Raizals and 80% mainland Colombians
Time zone	UTC-05 (Eastern Time Zone)

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 Andrés 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

• San Clemente (California, USA)

References

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

External links

• Media related to San Andrés at Wikimedia Commons
•  Colombia portal