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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) north of Colombia and 80 km (50 miles) from the coast of Nicaragua. Its capital is San Andrés.
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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 States of Central America (USCA) did not recognize the occupation of the islands and claimed ownership over them, while Colombia in turn protested the USCA's occupation of the eastern coast of modern day Nicaragua. The USCA federation dissolved in 1838 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 sovereignity over the islands. It should be noted that Nicaragua and Honduras still maintain several other territorial and legal disputes.
Municipalities
- Providencia y Santa Catalina
- San Andrés
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 (from North to South):
Alice Shoal (Banco Alicia)
This reef, located at 16°05'N, 079°22'W, is the northernmost point of Colombia.
Serranilla Bank
The bank, a former atoll is about 40 km wide, 32 km long, 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 hundrets of wrecked ships are located into its vicinity. Beacon Cay is the biggest islet on the reef, completely overbuild with houses and some military facilities, used by the US Mariners during the Cuba Crisis. The station is abandoned today. The Serranilla Bank Lighthouse, inhabited today, and 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. The atoll was returned by the United States to Colombia in 1982.
Bajo Nuevo Bank
Bajo Nuevo is an atoll 26 km long and 9 km wide, with a size of 240 km² (mostly water – lagoon), with some small islets, some covered with grass. 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. The atoll was returned by the United States to Colombia in 1982.
Quita Sueño Bank
The bank has no islands, but in the northeastern part is a 37 km long reef which partly dries at low time. Originally claimed by the United States under the Guano Act of 1856, the atoll was returned by the United States to Colombia in 1982. There is a lighthouse on the reef, at 14°28'N, 81°07'W, in operation since 1977.
Serrana Bank
The mostly submerged atoll 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 position 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 1982.
Roncador Bank
The Roncador Bank, a mostly submerged atoll with several sandy cays, 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 troups. 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 1982.
Cayos del Este Sudeste (Courtown Cays, Cayos de E.S.E.)
This atoll is 35 km northeast of Cayos de Alburquerque. It is 14 km long and 4 km wide. There are a few 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 meters. All cays are overgrown with palm trees and bushes, and surrounded by mangroves. There is a lighthouse of the Colombian Navy on Cayo Bolivar. The cays are regularly visited by fishermen from the Colombian mainland or from San Andres. There are two concrete buildings on Cayo Bolivar, and a few wooden huts on the other Cays.
Cayos de Albuquerque (Cayos de S.W., Southwest Cays)
This atoll is Southwest of San Andres at 12°10'N, 81°51'W, and therefore the westernmost point of Colombia. The diameter 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 meters 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.
External links
- Information on some Atolls (German) (http://mitglied.lycos.de/dc3mf/Albu.htm)
- Information on Colombian lighthouses (German) (http://www.luechthuus.de/lt7000/kolumbien.htm)
Template:ColombianDepartmentsde:San Andrés und Providencia es:San Andres y Providencia (Departamento) pt:San Andrés e Providencia