San Andrés (island) is a coral island among the Colombian islands in the Caribbean Sea. Past historically tied to England, and politically part of Colombia,” San Andrés and the nearby islands of Providencia and Santa Catalina form the department of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina. San Andrés, in the southern group of islands, is the largest of the department. The official languages in the department are Spanish, English, and Creole. While San Andrés island is located 50 km to the south of Providencia, the Colombian archipelago is approximately 750 km from the Colombian main land and about 230 km east of Nicaragua. This archipelago encompass a total area of 57 km, including the outer cays, reefs, atolls and sand banks with 45 km being the area of the islands. In 2000, it 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 km . The purpose of this declaration is to ensure that the ecosystem which has a large biodiversity is well preserved and conserved. Located on the northern end of the island, the department's capital, also named San Andrés but nicknamed El Centro, is the main urban center. Along the 30 km road that circles the island, there are many picturesque beaches, coral reefs, cays, geysers, and coves. Also of note are La Loma, the town of San Andrés, the Baptist Church, Seaquarium, the large pond of La Laguna, and a fresh water lake amidst mangrove forests. There are coconut palm plantations, lush pastures, and tall native trees reaching 20 meters . Surrounded by the warm Caribbean Sea, all of these features have made the island an "exotic holiday destination".
Superficie total (m2)
26000000.000000
Población total
67912
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