Montería

Geography and climate

The city, which lies in the Sinú valley, is divided by the Sinú river and surrounded and sparsely populated by tropical flora and fauna. The town's weather is mainly warm and moderately humid, with average yearly temperatures of 27 °C (80.6 °F). The area is subject to flooding.

Media and communications

Newspapers

• El Espectador (national daily newspaper)
• El Heraldo de Barranquilla (regional newspaper)
• Diario El Meridiano de Córdoba(regional newspaper)
• El Tiempo (national daily newspaper)
• El Universal (regional newspaper)

Economy

The town's outskirts fuel the economy mainly through cattle and cattle ranching; within the city limits, there is a highly prosperous commercial district consisting of several shopping centres and malls, streets lined with shops, and numerous restaurant chains. It is considered to be the “Cattle Farming Capital” of Colombia, and celebrates this title with a yearly festival. The singer-songwriter Manuel Turizo (along with his older brother Júlian, also a talented musician) was born in Montería and grew up on a local cattle farm, the family having been involved in the cattle industry. In one particular interview, when asked what his "favorite foods" were, Turizo answered confidently, "The 'cow-meat'! Cows!"

Additionally, Montería is one of the most important destinations for musical acts in the country, featuring several excellent stadiums, arenas, convention centres, and other performance venues. Montería has hosted many notable musicians and celebrities on tour, such as Maelo Ruiz, Jorge Celedón, Shakira, Years and Years, Juanes, Carlos Vives, and others.

Transportation

Monteria lies on a major highway connecting Medellín to Sincelejo and extending to Cartagena and Barranquilla. It has an effective public transportation system and arterial connections to the rest of the country.

Public transportation

As is common in most Colombian municipalities, public transportation is tightly integrated into the city. A system of taxis and several lines of large and small buses serve the community on surface streets. The streets of Monteria are also full of motorcycle taxis or "rapimotos" that provide economical transportation.

A passenger-only ferry system known as "Planchones", consists of roofed wooden rafts. It traverses the Sinu river along a system of manual cable tows. It was made as a way to cross the river before a proper bridge could be built and has served as an alternative to cross the river ever since. It is one of the most remarkable features of the city.

Water

The city is served by a fishing port, but the waters of the Sinu river do not run deep enough and are not wide enough to serve as a commercial channel. High quality sand is brought up from the bottom of the river in buckets placed by divers, for use in the making of cinder blocks for local and regional construction projects.

Air travel

Monteria is home to an international airport, Los Garzones Airport, which provides service to major cities via Avianca, LATAM airlines and other cargo and passenger airlines.

Major cities served from the airport include Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and other places.

Demographics

The region is populated by a diverse mix of people, including the descendants of Spaniards/Basque, Arabs, French, Italians and Sinu Indians, a tribe of natives with their own language that once produced ornate pottery and goldworks. According to 2018 estimates, the population of Monteria was 490,935, with a population density of 160 persons per square kilometer.

Tourism and sport

Sites of interest

Sites of interest in Monteria include:

• The city's 1st Avenue runs along the Sinú river.
• Simon Bolivar Park separates the river from 1st Avenue and is home to wild monkeys and sloths.
• San Antero Beach is a beach which has a lot of tourist attractions.
• The Colonial-era Cathedral of Saint Jeronimo is surrounded by a park.
• Alamedas del Sinu is a shopping center in the area.
• The bridge spanning the Sinu river is a local landmark.
• Centro Comercial Buenavista Montería

Sporting clubs

• Centro Recreacional Tacasuán
• Club Campestre
• Club de golf
• Vaqueros de Montería - Professional Baseball team that plays in June 18 Stadium
• Jaguares de Cordoba - Professional Soccer team that plays in Jaraguay Stadium in Montería

Education

Both public and private educational institutions run the gamut from unlicensed private preschools to fully accredited universities.

Universities

• University of Cordoba (website) (Public)
• Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (website) (Catholic)
• Universidad del Sinú
• Fundación Universitaria Luis Amigó
• Cooperative University of Colombia
• Corporación Universitaria del Caribe

Health care

A new hospital was recently constructed in Barrio Urbina, called The Hospital of Saint Jeronimo. Other facilities include 2 government hospitals, 17 health care facilities and 32 health care clinics.

External links and references

• El Meridiano De Cordoba - Local Paper (Spanish).
• Fact Sheet, Colombian Government
• Cordoba Official Government Website
• Monteria Official Government Website
• https://web.archive.org/web/20120414101215/http://www.turismonteria.com/