San Andrés y Providencia

▪ department, Colombia

      island departamento, Colombia, consisting of the Andrés and Providencia islands and several small keys in the Caribbean Sea, 440 miles (710 km) northwest of Cartagena, Colom., and 110 miles (180 km) off the coast of Nicaragua. Three of the keys are also claimed by the United States. The islands were settled in 1629 by English Puritans and later by planters, woodcutters, and black slaves from Jamaica. They were awarded to Spain in 1786 and became part of Colombia in 1822. The population remains English-speaking and Protestant. The main industry is tourism. San Andrés, the capital, produces coconuts, copra, and oranges; Providencia relies on subsistence agriculture. The islands are served by several international airlines. Area 17 square miles (44 square km). Pop. (2007 est.) 72,923.

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