María La Baja | |
|---|---|
Municipality and town | |
.svg) Flag | |
 Location of the municipality and town of María La Baja in the Bolívar Department of Colombia | |
| Country |  Colombia |
| Department | Bolívar Department |
| Area | |
• Municipality and town | 559.9 km2 (216.2 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 2.91 km2 (1.12 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 14 m (46 ft) |
| Population (2018 census)[1] | |
• Municipality and town | 46,112 |
| • Urban | 20,451 |
| • Urban density | 7,000/km2 (18,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time) |
María La Baja is a town and municipality located in theBolívar Department, northernColombia.
María La Baja was founded byAlonso de Heredia (brother ofPedro de Heredia) on December 8, 1535.
The municipality of María La Baja has a total area of 547 km², bordering to the north with the municipality ofArjona, to the east with the municipalities ofMahates andSan Juan Nepomuceno, south with the municipalities ofEl Carmen de Bolívar andSan Jacinto and to the west with the municipality ofSan Onofre,Sucre. The town of María La Baja has an area of approximately 150 km² and it is some 72 km away from the Department's capitalCartagena.
A warm climate prevails throughout the year at an average temperature of 28 °C.
| Climate data for María La Baja (Nueva Florida), elevation 13 m (43 ft), (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 33.9 (93.0) | 34.1 (93.4) | 34.2 (93.6) | 33.8 (92.8) | 32.8 (91.0) | 32.8 (91.0) | 33.0 (91.4) | 33.0 (91.4) | 32.4 (90.3) | 32.0 (89.6) | 32.1 (89.8) | 32.8 (91.0) | 33.1 (91.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.8 (80.2) | 27.3 (81.1) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.7 (81.9) | 27.7 (81.9) | 27.6 (81.7) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.3 (81.1) | 26.9 (80.4) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.7 (80.1) | 27.2 (81.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.8 (69.4) | 21.4 (70.5) | 22.2 (72.0) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.8 (74.8) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.0 (73.4) | 22.9 (73.2) | 22.7 (72.9) | 22.7 (72.9) | 22.9 (73.2) | 21.7 (71.1) | 22.6 (72.7) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 19.3 (0.76) | 28.9 (1.14) | 41.6 (1.64) | 126.0 (4.96) | 180.0 (7.09) | 186.5 (7.34) | 194.1 (7.64) | 197.7 (7.78) | 186.1 (7.33) | 191.8 (7.55) | 179.5 (7.07) | 74.2 (2.92) | 1,542.6 (60.73) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 6 | 112 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 83 | 82 | 80 | 83 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 87 | 87 | 86 | 85 | 84 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 248.0 | 203.3 | 189.1 | 159.0 | 139.5 | 141.0 | 167.4 | 158.1 | 126.0 | 130.2 | 147.0 | 210.8 | 2,019.4 |
| Mean dailysunshine hours | 8.0 | 7.2 | 6.1 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 5.1 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 6.8 | 5.5 |
| Source:Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales[2] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for María La Baja (San Pablo), elevation 20 m (66 ft), (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 34.0 (93.2) | 34.5 (94.1) | 34.4 (93.9) | 34.5 (94.1) | 32.9 (91.2) | 33.0 (91.4) | 33.1 (91.6) | 33.1 (91.6) | 32.7 (90.9) | 32.0 (89.6) | 32.2 (90.0) | 33.0 (91.4) | 33.3 (91.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.3 (81.1) | 27.9 (82.2) | 28.2 (82.8) | 28.2 (82.8) | 27.8 (82.0) | 27.9 (82.2) | 27.8 (82.0) | 27.8 (82.0) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.1 (80.8) | 27.1 (80.8) | 27.6 (81.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.6 (70.9) | 22.2 (72.0) | 23.0 (73.4) | 23.8 (74.8) | 23.9 (75.0) | 23.8 (74.8) | 23.5 (74.3) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.5 (74.3) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.2 (73.8) | 22.3 (72.1) | 23.1 (73.6) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 18.6 (0.73) | 23.4 (0.92) | 49.0 (1.93) | 124.8 (4.91) | 190.6 (7.50) | 183.8 (7.24) | 184.0 (7.24) | 230.3 (9.07) | 215.5 (8.48) | 237.8 (9.36) | 173.9 (6.85) | 93.5 (3.68) | 1,725.4 (67.93) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 8 | 133 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 79 | 75 | 75 | 78 | 83 | 82 | 81 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 85 | 82 | 81 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 257.3 | 220.2 | 201.5 | 174.0 | 151.9 | 165.0 | 189.1 | 179.8 | 141.0 | 145.7 | 162.0 | 223.2 | 2,210.7 |
| Mean dailysunshine hours | 8.3 | 7.8 | 6.5 | 5.8 | 4.9 | 5.5 | 6.1 | 5.8 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 7.2 | 6.1 |
| Source:Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales[2] | |||||||||||||
María La Baja has grown substantially in recent years as some 7000 people have moved into the town from the surrounding countryside, since 2000 when theFARC guerrilla group arrived in the hills nearby. According to reports[3] the FARC militants stole cattle. The situation deteriorated further whenAUC paramilitaries began to battle FARC, catching civilians in the crossfire. However the security situation has improved more recently with the AUC blocHeroes de los Montes de María giving up their weapons on July 14, 2005, under a national demobilization plan speared by the government ofÁlvaro Uribe. Marines have set up a base on the edge of the town.[3]
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