San Andres
San Andreas island is located 50 km (31 mi) to the north of its sister island ‘Providencia’. The Colombian archipelago is approximately 750 km (470 mi) from the Colombian main land and about 230 km (140 mi) east of Nicaragua. This archipelago encompass a total area of 57 km2 (22 sq mi), including the outer cays, reefs, atolls and sand banks with 45 km2 (17 sq mi) being the area of the islands.
In the year 2000, the whole area was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, named “Seaflower Biosphere Reserve”, which not only includes the islands but also about 10% of the Caribbean Sea, amounting to a vast marine area of 300,000 km2 (120,000 sq mi). The purpose of this declaration was to ensure that the ecosystem, which has enormous biodiversity, is well preserved and conserved.
Located at the northern end of the island, the department's capital, also called ‘San Andres’ but nicknamed ‘El Centro’, is the main urban center.
The culture of the San Andres Archipelago is intimately linked to its people, who have diverse origins. There are three main groups: the Raizal people of African and British origin speaking Creole and English; the Continentals who preserve the Colombian culture and speak Spanish as their mother tongue and foreigners. 16th Century 17th century English puritans and Scotish protestants started to arrive and settle between 1627 and 1629. They were very attracted to the salubrious climate and fertile lands of the islands. The British evicted the Dutch settlers in 1631. Settlers also came from Wales and Holland. After first arriving on San Andres island, the colonists later moved to Providencia island as its mountain terrain provided fresh water resources and safety from invaders. Black slave labour was introduced by the British in 1633 from Jamaica to exploit the forest and to grow cotton and tobacco. In 1635, the Spaniards, realizing the economic importance of the islands, attacked the archipelago, but they were driven out soon afterwards. Pirates also operated from here, including English pirate Henry Morgan who used them as one of the centers of his operations in the 1670’s. His pirates attacked Spanish ships carrying gold and other precious material that sailed in the nearby Caribbean waters. The bounty looted by these pirates is still believed to be hidden in some underwater cave in the area.
History
History of the San Andres and Providencia is replete with adventures of pirates, their invasions and occupation of the islands. San Andrés was discovered sometime before 1527 by Spanish voyagers but it wasn't until this year that the islands began appearing on Spanish maps. The Dutch are reported to have come to these islands at the end of the 16th century and British settlers arrived there in 1628. It is also mentioned that Columbus discovered these islands during his fourth exploration voyage.
(Pirate - Henry Morgan)
18th century
After the Spanish, the British occupied the islands from 1740 up to 1787, agreeing to give the islands’ indigenous population more independence. On the 20th May 1792, a Royal Warrant was signed by Spain’s rulers informing the then Captain General of Guatemala, Don Bernardo Troncoso, of his duty to recognize the archipelago as a part of Guatemala and to take more control of it. Catholicism was then spread over the island, and a church was built and run by Guatemalan Catholic priests. San Andres was also, by this time, an import and export tax free zone.
19th century
On November 25, 1802, the inhabitants of the archipelago requested that they be dependent upon the ‘Viceroyalty of New Granada’ along with the ‘Mosquito Coast’, and not on the Captaincy of Guatemala. The relevant document was signed by Mr. Roberto Clark, Procurator, as well as Isaac Brooks, Solomon Taylor, Jorge Olis, and Juan Taylor.
As early as 1803, reports suggest that it was for political and economic reasons that San Andrés became a dependent Viceroyalty of New Granada. Set up on the 27th May 1717, the ‘Viceroyalty of New Granada’ was a Spanish colonial jurisdiction in northern South America corresponding mainly to modern Colombia, Equador, Panama and Venezuela.
The Caribbean Mosquito Coast (or Miskito Coast) historically consisted of an area along the Atlantic coast of present-day Nicaragua and Honduras, and part of the ‘Western Caribbean Zone’. The Mosquito Coast was named after the local Miskito Indians and was long dominated by British interests. The Mosquito Coast was incorporated into Nicaragua in 1894; however, in 1960 the northern part was granted to Honduras by the International Court of Justice.
The ‘Western Caribbean Zone’ is a historic region that formed in the late sixteenth century and includes the Caribbean coasts of Central America, from Yucatan in Mexico to northern Colombia, and also the islands west of Jamaica. The zone emerged in the late sixteenth century as the Spanish failed to completely conquer many sections of the coast, and northern European powers supported opposition to Spain, sometimes through alliances with local powers.
In 1810, independence from Spain arrived in New Granada. Councils were established in San Andrés and Providencia during this year. The government of Tomas Oneille granted land titles to the white families of the two islands assuring people the ownership of the land. In July 1818, Luis Aury and the independent forces of Simon Bolivar occupied the islands, and it became part of Gran Colombia on the 23rd June, 1822.
(Constitution of Cucuta)
After independence was recognized by the coastal territories of the Caribbean Sea, the British then proclaimed an independent territory in disregard to other treaties and agreements of the time but the islands continued to remain free from British rule. In 1848, Tomas Cipriano de Mosquera declared San Andrés a Free port. In 1851, slavery was abolished by the constitution of Colombia, which led to a successful literacy movement led by pastor Philip Beekman Livinston.
20th century
In September 1900, France issued a ruling in which it recognized all of the islands of the archipelago as belonging to Colombia. In 1902, two commissioners of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt came to San Andrés by boat and requested that the islanders becomes part of Panama, but American proposals were rejected outright as unpatriotic, proving local loyalty to the Republic of Colombia. In 1903, the Colombian Department of Panama became an independent nation. The islanders again refused to join the United States or Panama when they were visited by a U.S. warship in the same year. In 1912, the Municipality of San Andres and Providencia was established, giving administrative independence. In August 1920, a boundary treaty was signed between Colombia and Panama in Bogota. On the 24th March 1928, the Esguerra-Barcenas Treaty was signed, in which Nicaragua recognized Colombia's sovereignty over the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina.
In November 1943, Colombia joined World War II because a German submarine sank one of its boats that was transporting British troops to San Andrés at the time. In 1953, at the request of several representatives of the islands’ community, President Gustavo Rojas Pinilla reaffirmed San Andres Island and its free port. In 1972, the archipelago was declared a ‘Special Municipality’. In the Colombian Constitution of 1991, the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina was established as one of the Departments of Colombia. In 2000, the archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina became a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, one of the five biosphere reserves listed with The UNESCO Biosphere programme.
21st century
In 2001, Nicaragua declared that it disputed the 82 degrees longitude agreement which they signed under the Treaty of 1928 (as well as the 1930 Protocol of Exchange of Ratifications) and filed a formal complaint before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, claiming the territory east of longitude 82, including the archipelago of San Andrés.
On the 13th December, 2007, the ICJ recognized the full sovereignty of Colombia over the islands of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, but left open the question about the demarcation of the maritime boundary in the meridian 82 and the sovereignty of one of the two nations over the keys of Serranilla, Quitasueno, Serrana, Roncador and Bajo Nuevos. The ICJ also ruled that it "upheld preliminary objections of Colombia to its jurisdiction only insofar as they concerned sovereignty over the islands of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina". San Andrés is the largest of the island group in the Colombian Department of the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina. San Andrés is located in the Caribbean Sea, about 230 km (140 mi) from the coast of Nicaragua and north-eastern Costa Rica, and 750 km (470 mi) northwest of the coast of Colombia. The island is 12.5 km (7.8 mi) in length and 3 km (1.9 mi) in width. It has an area of 26 km2 (10 sq mi) within the total area of the group of islands of 45 square kilometres (17 sq mi), making it the largest island in the archipelago. Providencia, the next largest in size, is located 80 km (50 mi) to the northeast. San Andrés has a fairly flat topography with the highest point on the island reported to be 84 km (52 mi) above sea level.
GEOGRAPHY
The island is surrounded on its northwest side by a small coral reef (arrecifex) and several cays (keys) that are home to a varied list of fauna and flora. Johnny Cay is a small coral islet that is located 1.5 km (0.93 mi) to the north of San Andres Town. It is a scenic place with white-sand beaches surrounded by coconut plantations. The sea here is not suitable for swimming as the current is quite strong. A natural park was also created here in 2001. Haynes Cay is the place where cruise ships dock. There are a number of large coral farms here with a variety of species. The place is also popular for water sports activities like snorkeling and diving. Diving with a mask and sandals (protection against sea urchins) is very popular here. Many colourful species of fish can be seen. El Acuaro (Aquarium) Cay is off to the east coast of San Andres, adjoining Haynes Cay. It is a popular center for snorkeling since the sea here has quite shallow and calm waters.
CLIMATE
The island is treated to a warm climate with average temperatures ranging from 26 °C (79 °F) to 29 °C (84 °F) in two periods dominated by dry and rainy spells. The rainy season is from September to December and also from May to June, when humidity is also high. The trade winds from the north begin to blow in late October, and during November and December until mid-January. The wind usually blows from the east, when there are storms in the northeastern Caribbean.
DEMOGRAPHICS
The island's most recently reported population was 75,000; it was 55,000 in 1993 and 20,000 in 1973. The continuous growth and influx of people from the mainland of Colombia form about two thirds of the island's population. The native islanders are the descendants of the original Jamaican slaves and they grudgingly tolerate the immigrants from the mainland.
ECONOMY
The economy of the island, which was largely dependent on fishery resources and meager agricultural produce, underwent a change with the opening of air services from Colombia, followed by a 1954 declaration of the island as a duty free zone. This brought about a large influx of tourists to the island apart from immigrants from the mainland. This also resulted in the local government imposing restrictions in the 1990s to control the influx of people from the mainland, with the intention of preserving local culture. However, there are no industries in the island.
FLORA AND FAUNA
The island has rich floral diversity in its vast mangrove swamps, the largest mangrove forest on the island being the Old Mangrove Point Regional Park. There are 12 mangrove forests in red, black and white colors, rich with many species of flora and fauna revitalizing the ecosystem. There are also coconut palm trees, tall growth of local trees, green and lush pastoral lands and farm lands.
The avifaunal species of San Andrés (Vireo caribaeus), exclusive to the island, favours mangrove and scrub bush habitats. It is a small, innocuous, but delicate bird, green in color, in the Aves class of Passeriforms of the Vireonidae family. It is about 5 inches (130 mm) in length, weighs about 16–20 g, found in clutch sizes of 2, and feeds on insects and fruits. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed this bird species under the Critically endangered list. Its habitat has been threatened due to large-scale projects in respect of the development of the capital city over the last few decades. It is reported that the habitat of these birds is now confined to an 18 km2 (6.9 sq mi) area in the southern part of the island. Its distinguishing song feature is a single note repeated 2–20 times. In order to protect this local species, it has been suggested that the Mangrove swamps of the island be declared a ‘protected area’. Another bird found in abundance on the island is the Pacific Dove (Zenaida meloda). White Herons and Pigeons are also found in the large pond in the hill area.
The aqua faunal species found here are oysters and crabs. The coral species found within the island’s shores are: Cuerno de Venado, Cuervo de Arce, Coral Columna, Brain coral, Coral Latigo, Star coral, Fan coral, Finger coral and Coral Pluma.
The only mammal that has been recorded as coming from San Andrés is the bat Artibeus jamaicensis.
SETTLEMENTS
The population is grouped around a few residential areas. San Andres, known locally as El Centro, is the largest town as well as the most developed commercial and tourist hub of the island. It is located at the northern end and is the capital of the department. The departmental administration, commerce, banks, several hotels and the airport are located in this area.
A smaller village, La Loma, is inhabited by the native islander population and is at the center of the island. Its traditional fame is due to the Baptist Church that was established there in 1847. This church was rebuilt with pine wood imported from Alabama. The Baptist church was built along the central road to La Loma, which functioned as a beacon for shipping. Located at the top of the hill, La Loma provides lovely views of the “seven colored sea” (Caribbean Sea).
(Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel, built in La Loma in 1847)
On the eastern coast of the island is San Luis, which is a small tourist town. It is notable both as a tourist establishment and for its impressive stretch of white-sand beach. Traditional wooden houses are also located on the shores of the beach, spread over a 3 km (1.9 mi) stretch. Here also, in view of generally calm sea water (only occasionally rough), snorkeling is a popular sporting activity. San Luis used to be a port for the export of coconuts.
CULTURE
Spanish is the main language. However, until the 1950s, the English language, architecture and religion were very much part of the island's culture with the Creole-speaking locals. This culture was called the Raizal culture of the Afro-Caribbean ethnic group. It is now more a blend of Latin American and English-Caribbean culture that is witnessed in the island. Other minority groups living on the island are the Chinese and some Middle Eastern people.
San Andres is also famous for its local version of music that includes calypso, soca, reggae and church music. Concerts are held yearly in May at the Old Coliseum during the "Green Festival". Other celebrations and events held on the island are the independence day celebrations on the 20th July and the "Coconut Queen" (Reinado del Coco) festival held in November.
ATTRACTIONS
San Andrés Island, which attracts a large number of visitors, has many places of interest. Some of the important ones are: The La Loma with its Baptist Church, a small geyser at Hoyo Soplador, the snorkeling site at La Piscinita, the white sandy beaches of San Luis, the coral islet of Johnny Cay, the Pond, Haynes Cay, Morgan's Cave, West View and the Acuaro (Aquarium) known for its diving center. The small cay in the San Andres Bay is said to be the most visited place in the Archipelago. El Cove ("the cove") provides the deepest anchorage facilities on the island. Diving is a popular water sport on the island. The water depth, which varies between 3–30 meters (9.8–98 ft), and has a visibility of 10–30 meters (33–98 ft), provide favorable conditions for diving. The underwater formations seen during the diving jaunts are of three types: namely, walls of seaweed and minor coral reefs, large groups of different types of coral and underwater plateaus with a plethora of marine life.
SPORT
Held on Saturdays, horseracing is a weekly event, even if only two horses race. Cockfighting, more popular on the island than football is in England, is considered to be a traditional sporting event rather than animal cruelty.
TRANSPORTATION
With the establishment of an airport on the northern side of the island, transport services from the mainland of Colombia ushered in economic development on the island, particularly in San Andres town. Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport has flight services offered by Avianca, Intercontinental, AeroRepublica and Caribbean Airways to Bogota, Cali, Cartagena, Costa Rica (San Jose) and Providencia. However, the sea route to visit the island is by cruise ships only (3–4 days journey). There are no passenger services to the island though some cargo ships do carry a few passengers. The island also has a good network of paved lateral roads connecting the main circular road which is of 30 kilometres (19 mi) in length. A tourist train (improvised tractor with coaches) also operates around the island. Boat services are also available within the island to visit various small towns and other locations of tourist interest along the coast line.