The economy of Santander, a Colombian department, is one of the most prosperous in that country. Since the beginning of the 20th century it has been focused mainly on agriculture.
However, since 1930 there has been a process of development of industrialization, transportation, commerce and communications. This has helped make Santander one of the areas with the highest economic growth in Colombia.
Cocoa
It is significant to mention that tourism, livestock activities, mining exploitation and power generation also occupy an important place in the local economy.
Currently this department has one of the highest per capita income in the country.
The 5 main economic activities of Santander
one-
Santander is the leading national producer of various agricultural elements. The production of the cocoa crop stands out.
38% of the total production of this fruit in the country is generated in the department. Of the 143,000 hectares planted in Colombia, 53,000 hectares are located in Santander.
In addition, it is relevant to mention the production of coffee, black and blond tobacco, sugar cane and oil palm.
Among the fruits that are grown in the department are watermelon, pineapple, tangerine and orange.
two-
The department has great tourist attractions. These include the Chicamocha Canyon National Park, considered one of the most beautiful natural wonders in the country.
The Cueva de los Indios, a historical heritage located in the city of Vélez, is highly recognized. Inside there are underground waterfalls, sectors of stalagmites and stalactites.
Among the many towns and cities to visit are Barichara, Girón, El Socorro, Vélez and San Gil. Its chapels, history and culture stand out.
Thanks to the rugged terrain of Santander, adventure tourism sports activities have grown greatly. These include hiking, boating, rafting, and horseback riding.
3-
Santander has an important activity in the refining of oil and derivatives. This is mainly concentrated in the city of Barrancabermeja.
The exploitation deposits are on sedimentary soils of tertiary and quaternary origin.
This activity began in this area in 1917 with the completion of the first well that was drilled.
Throughout the years Santander was going from being a simple town of small houses to an emerging city.
4-
The department has abundant deposits of metallic minerals; among these stand out those of gold and silver. The areas where these resources are found are Vetas, Suratá and California, among others.
Currently, the exploitation and extraction of gold is being carried out mainly by foreign companies. These companies intend to invest in technology so that exploitation is not so harmful.
It seeks to eliminate the use of chemicals that permanently damage the earth, which destroys the ecosystem.
5-
The large-scale exploitation of this activity began with the energy project of the Sogamoso River hydroelectric plant, which is called Hidrosogamoso. This hydroelectric plant is owned by the power generating company Isagen.
It is located where the Sogamoso River meets the Serranía de la Paz mountain range. The dam is 190 m high and 345 m wide. The reservoir covers about 7000 hectares.
There is a project to incorporate four more hydroelectric plants to the department.
References
- Economic map. (sf). Obtained from Santander Government: santander.gov.co
- Santander Department. (sf). Obtained from In Colombia: encolombia.com
- Barrancabermeja, Oil Capital. (sf). Obtained from Ecopetrol: ecopetrol.com.co
- Why is Santander's economy doing well? (sf). Obtained from Local Vanguardia: vanguardia.com
- Santander (Colombia). (sf). Retrieved from Wikipedia: wikipedia.org