Valle del Cauca Department

Department of Valle del Cauca
Departamento del Valle del Cauca
Anthem: Himno al Valle del Cauca
Valle del Cauca shown in red
Topography of the department
Coordinates: 3°25′N 76°31′W / 3.417°N 76.517°W / 3.417; -76.517
CountryColombia
RegionAndean Region/Pacific Region
Established16 April 1910
CapitalCali
Government
  GovernorClara Luz Roldán (2020-2023) (Social Party of National Unity)
Area
  Total
22,140 km2 (8,550 sq mi)
  Rank23
Population
 (2018)
  Total
4,475,886
  Rank3
  Density200/km2 (520/sq mi)
GDP
  TotalCOP 139,863 billion
(US$ 32.9 billion)
Time zoneUTC−5
ISO 3166 codeCO-VAC
Municipalities42
HDI0.782
high · 2nd of 33
Websitewww.valledelcauca.gov.co

Valle del Cauca, or Cauca Valley (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈbaʎe ðel ˈkawka]), is a department in western Colombia abutting the Pacific Ocean. Its capital is Santiago de Cali. Other cities such as Buenaventura, Buga, Cartago, Palmira and Tuluá have great economical, political, social and cultural influence on the department's life. Valle del Cauca has the largest number of independent (i.e., nonmetropolitan) towns with over 100,000 inhabitants in the country, counting six within its borders. Buenaventura has the largest and busiest seaport in Colombia, moving about 8,500,000 tons of merchandise annually.