San Andrés and Providencia

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San Andrés y Providencia
Department of Colombia

Image:Flag of San Andrés y Providencia.svg	Image:Coatsanandres.png
(Detail)	(Detail)

Motto:

Image:San Andrés y Providencia.png

Capital

San Andrés

Governor

Area

52 km²

Population
- Total (2003)
- Density

83,491
1,600 people/km²

Adjective

San Andrés and Providencia (Spanish: San Andrés y Providencia) is one of the departments of Colombia. It consists of an archipelago of islands about 775 km (480 miles) northwest of Colombia and 220 km (140 miles) from the coast of Nicaragua. Its capital is San Andrés.

1 History
2 Municipalities and Islands
- 2.1 Municipality of San Andrés, Colombia
- 2.2 Municipality of Providencia y Santa Catalina (Providencia Archipelago)
3 See also
4 Further reading
5 External links

[edit] History

It has been supposed that the islands were first discovered by Christopher Columbus during his first voyage in 1492.

In 1670 the English corsair Henry Morgan took over the islands until 1689. In 1803, after Spain's Viceroyalty of New Granada had been reestablished in 1739, the archipielago and the province of Veraguas – covering the western territory of Panama and the eastern coast of Nicaragua – were added to its area of jurisdiction. In the later colonial era the territory was administered from the province of Cartagena.

After gaining its independence, the Republic of Gran Colombia occupied the islands in 1822 and transferred control over them to the department of Magdalena. Subsequently, the United Provinces of Central America (UPCA) did not recognize the occupation of the islands and claimed ownership over them, while Colombia in turn protested the UPCA's occupation of the eastern coast of modern day Nicaragua. The UPCA federation dissolved in civil war between 1838-1840 and the resulting state of Nicaragua carried on with the dispute, as did the Republic of New Granada (made up of modern Colombia and Panama) that emerged from the dissolution of Gran Colombia.

Colombia later established a local administration ("intendencia") in the islands during 1912. The signing of the Esguerra-Bárcenas treaty in 1928 between both governments temporarily resolved the dispute in favor of Colombia. However, since 1980, when the Sandinista government assumed power in Nicaragua, a constitutional reform was enacted and the treaty was renounced.

Nicaraguans claim that the treaty was signed under United States pressure and military occupation and thus does not constitute a sovereign decision, while Colombia argues that the treaty's final ratification in 1930, when U.S. forces were already on their way out, confirms its validity.

In 2001 Nicaragua filed claims with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the disputed maritime boundary involving 50,000 km² in the Caribbean, which includes the islands of San Andrés and Providencia. Colombia has claimed that the ICJ has no jurisdiction over the matter and has increased its naval and police presence in the islands. It has also prepared the legal defense of its case that will be presented before the tribunal. In addition, Colombia and Honduras signed a maritime boundary treaty in 1999 which implicitly accepts Colombian sovereignty over the islands. It should be noted that Nicaragua and Honduras still maintain several other territorial and legal disputes.

The island of Providencia was hit by Hurricane Beta on October 29, 2005, inflicting minor to moderate damage.

[edit] Municipalities and Islands

Besides the main islands of San Andrés and Providencia, with their respective small satellite islands, there are eight atolls that belong to the department, including submerged Alicia Shoal.

[edit] Municipality of San Andrés, Colombia

[edit] San Andrés Island

This is the main island of the archipelago and of the departamento, located at 12°33′N 81°43′W. It measures 12 km in length with a width of 3 km and covers an area of 26 km². San Andrés is located 80 km southwest of the Isla de Providencia, 190 km east of the Nicaraguan coast of Central America, and over 700 km northwest of the Caribbean coast of Colombia. San Andrés consists of sedimentary rocks that have been laid down upon a former volcano of ancient origins. It consists of a chain of low hills, forming a central spine to the island, which is in turn bordered by a low coastal plain. There is a tiny lagoon in the center of the island called Big Pond. The principal town is San Andres in the north of the island. Another town is San Luis on the east coast. Cayo Johnny (Cayo Sucre) lies 1.5 km ENE of German Point (Punta Norte), the island's northern tip, and Haynes Cay about the same distance east of the island. Cotton Cay is less than 1 km south of San Andrés town, on the northeastern coast.

[edit] Cayos del Este Sudeste (Courtown Cays, Cayos de E.S.E.)

This atoll is 22 km ESE of San Andrés Island and 35 km northeast of Cayos de Alburquerque, at 12°24′N 81°28′W. It is 14 km long and 4 km wide. There are a few sand cays in the Southeast. The largest ones are called Cayo del Este, Cayo Bolivar, West Cay, and Cayo Arena. None of thoseis higher than 2 metres. All cays are overgrown with palm trees and bushes, and surrounded by mangroves. There is a Colombian Navy lighthouse on Cayo Bolivar. The cays are regularly visited by fishermen from the Colombian mainland or from San Andrés. There are two concrete buildings on Cayo Bolivar, and a few wooden huts on the other Cays.

[edit] Cayos de Albuquerque (Cayos de S.W., Southwest Cays)

This atoll is Southwest of San Andrés at 12°10′N 81°51′W, and therefore the westernmost point of Colombia. The diametre of the fringing reef is about 7 km. In the southern part are the cays Cayo del Norte and Cayo del Sur. Cayo del Norte, the larger of the two, is up to 2 m high and overgrown with palm trees and bushes. Cayo del Sur, a few hundred metres further South, reaches a height of a little more than 1 m and is vegetated with a few bushes, and in the South with mangroves. There is a lighthouse on Cayo del Norte, at 12°10′N 81°50′W, operating since 1980, which is maintained by the Colombian Navy.

[edit] Municipality of Providencia y Santa Catalina (Providencia Archipelago)

[edit] Providencia Island (with Santa Catalina Island)

This is the main island (often referred to as Old Providence in English of the archipelago and the second largest of the departamento, located 80 km NNE of San Andrés Island, at 13°21′N 81°22′W. Together with Santa Catalina Island a small satellite island close off its northern end, these islands extend 7.2 km in a north-south direction, not taking into account Low Cay which is more than 10 km further north, at 13°32′N 81°21′W. The land area of Providencia Island measures 17 km². Along with its smaller sister island of Santa Catalina (2 km²) it is enclosed by an extensive barrier reef system of some 35 km in length and covering over 250 km² in area — making it one of the most significant reefs occurring outwith the Pacific and Indian oceans. The mountainous center of Providencia Island rises to three peak of about the same elevation and up to 363 m high. The island consists of sedimentary rocks that have been laid down upon a former volcano of ancient origins. The chief settlement is Isabel Village in the north of the island, close southeast of Santa Catalina Island. Other villages are San Felipe on the west coast, and La Paz in the southeast.

[edit] Alice Shoal (Banco Alicia)

This wholly submerged reef, located at 16°05′N 79°22′W, with no islands, and with a depth of at least 6 meters over it, is the northernmost feature of Colombia, although it is also claimed by Jamaica, which is closer (260 km to the main island and 200 km to the Pedro Cays), while the Colombian mainland is 740 km away).

[edit] Bajo Nuevo Bank

Bajo Nuevo is an atoll 26 km long and 9 km wide, with a size of 240 km² (mostly water – lagoon), located at 15°53′N 78°33′W, with some small islets, some covered with grass. Those islets are the northernmost land areas of Colombia. The most prominent islet is Low Cay, 300 m long and 40 m wide. Today the cays are frequently visited by lobster fishers. A lighthouse, in operation since 1980, 20 m high, stands on Low Cay, at 15°51′N 78°38′W. Low Cay is about 2 m high and barren. Originally claimed by the United States under the Guano Act of 1856, the atoll is disputed with the United States, together with Serranilla Bank.

[edit] Serranilla Bank

The bank, a former atoll is about 40 km wide, 32 km long, located at 15°55′N 79°54′W with an area of 1200 km² (mostly water – lagoon). There are only a few islands: West Breaker, Middle Cay, East Cay and Beacon Cay, mostly with sparse vegetation of bushes and some trees. Most of the reef is drying and hundreds of wrecked ships are located in its vicinity. Beacon Cay is the biggest islet on the reef, completely overbuilt with houses and some military facilities, used by the US Marines during the Cuba Crisis. The station is abandoned today. The Serranilla Bank Lighthouse, inhabited today, which has been in operation since 1977, stands on a corall ledge in the southwest approach to the bank, at 15°48′N 79°51′W. The lighthouse is 20 m (65 ft) high. Originally claimed by the United States under the Guano Act of 1856, the atoll is disputed with the United States, together with Bajo Nuevo Bank.

[edit] Quita Sueño Bank

The bank, located at 14°15′N 81°15′W, has no islands, but in the northeastern part is a 37 km long reef which partly dries at low tide. There is a lighthouse on the reef, Quita Sueño Light, at 14°28′N 81°07′W, in operation since 1977. Originally claimed by the United States under the Guano Act of 1856, the atoll was returned by the United States to Colombia in 1982, together with Serrana Bank and Roncador Bank.

[edit] Serrana Bank

The mostly submerged atoll, located at 14°24′N 80°16′W, is about 50 km long and 13 km wide, with a size of roughly 500 km² (mostly water – lagoon). Several cays and small islets are located on the reef. The most prominent cay is Southwest Cay, about 1200 m by 800 m in area, with several ruines of a former military base, used by the US Marines during the Cuba Crisis. The islets are all covered with sparse vegetation, bushes and some trees. On Southwest Cay and on Narrow Cay are lighthouses, at 14°17′N 80°24′W, operating since 1977, and adminstered by Columbia. The Southwest Cay light is a 25 m high tower, constructed by a combination of a concree dwelling and a white iron framework tower with a light on its top. North Cay is permanent inhabited by turtle fishers, and several new wooden huts are standing on the islet. Originally claimed by the United States under the Guano Act of 1856, the atoll was returned by the United States to Colombia in 1981, together with Quita Sueño Bank and Roncador Bank.

[edit] Roncador Bank

The Roncador Bank, a mostly submerged atoll with several sandy cays, located at 13°34′N 80°04′W, is 14 by 6 km in size, with an area of 65 km² (mostly water – lagoon). In the northern area lies Roncador Cay, about 600 m by 300 m in area, and rising to 4 m elevation. There are several houses on it, partly ruined, build up during the Cuba Crisis, by American troops. An old disused lighthouse is at its northern end. A new lighthouse has been operating since 1977, at 13°34′N 80°05′W. Originally claimed by the United States under the Guano Act of 1856, the atoll was returned by the United States to Colombia in 1981, together with Serrana Bank and Roncador Bank.

[edit] See also

San Andrés-Providencia Creole

[edit] Further reading

Diemer, Christian / Šeparović, Amalija. Territorial Questions and Maritime Delimitation with Regard to Nicaragua’s Claims to the San Andrés Archipelago. Heidelberg Journal of International Law (HJIL), Vol. 66 (2006), 167-186. ISSN 00442348.