Leticia, Amazonas

For other uses, see Leticia (disambiguation).

Leticia
Flag of Leticia Flag Official seal of Leticia Seal
Location map of the municipality and town of Leticia in the Department of Amazonas. Location map of the municipality and town of Leticia in the Department of Amazonas.
Leticia Location in Colombia
Coordinates:
Country	Colombia
Department	Department of Amazonas
Foundation	1867
Government
• Mayor	José Ignacio Lozano Guzmán
Area
• Total	5,968 km2 (2,304 sq mi)
Elevation	96 m (315 ft)
Population (2005)
• Total	32,450
• Density	5.4/km2 (14/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Leticiano
Area code(s)	57 + 8
Website	Official website

Leticia (Spanish pronunciation: [leˈtisja]) is the southernmost city in the Republic of Colombia, capital of the department of Amazonas, Colombia's southernmost town (4.09° south 69.57° west) and one of the major ports on the Amazon river. It has an elevation of 96 meters above sea level and an average temperature of 27 °C (80.6 °F). Leticia has long been Colombia's shipping point for tropical fishes for the aquarium trade. Leticia has approximately 33,000 inhabitants on the left bank of the Amazon river, and is located at the point where Colombia, Brazil and Peru come together in an area called Tres Fronteras.

Amazonas shore.

File:Leticia Town SG.jpg

Leticia center.

A long-standing border dispute involving Leticia, between Colombia and Peru, was decided in 1934 by the League of Nations after these two nations were engulfed in an armed conflict known as the Colombia-Peru War. This was the first instance of action by an international body using its powers covered by the Monroe Doctrine.

History

Early history and etymology

Early Leticia history mentions a Portuguese explorer who, after becoming lost on the Amazon, died of starvation at the present site of Leticia with the rest of his crew. The Peruvian captain Benigno Bustamante, then governor of the Peruvian department of Loreto, founded the city itself on April 25, 1867. Legend has it that when the Peruvian government decided to colonise the area (in order to prevent the Colombian government from claiming it first), they found a cross inscribed with the words "San Antonio", naming the new town after this cross.

A legend states that a Colombian soldier fell in love with an Amerindian woman named Leticia and decided to name the settlement after her. It could also be named after Saint Leticia. However, Peruvian records indicate that on the 15 December 1867, the port of "San Antonio" was renamed to "Leticia" by Peruvian engineer Manuel Charón. Charón named the port in honor of a young female resident of the Peruvian city of Iquitos named Leticia Smith.

Small border incidents between Peru and Colombia occurred in 1911, and in 1922 the two governments of those countries reached a controversial agreement awarding the Leticia area to Colombia in exchange for recognizing Peru's rights to the zone south of the Putumayo River, which was also claimed by Ecuador. This agreement proved to be unpopular among the Peruvian population, despite the treaty's ratification in 1928, because the treaty was signed in secret and it awarded Colombia a region that had been founded by Peruvians and that had a large Peruvian population living within its borders.

A small war between Colombia and Peru over the town began in September 1932 when two hundred Peruvians, followed later by military troops, occupied public buildings in Leticia. Hand-to-hand combat ensued between small Colombian and Peruvian forces in early 1933. The conflict lasted until May 1933, when a cease-fire negotiated by the League of Nations went into effect in order to settle the conflict. The League finally awarded the disputed area to Colombia in June 1934.

The population of Leticia

Though the League of Nations' intervention had officially ended the war, the Colombian government remained wary of the Peruvians, and decided to populate Leticia with people from Bogotá in order to ensure the town's loyalty to Colombia. Most of the people who came from Bogotá from the 1940s to 1965 still live in Leticia as of 2012. During that time Leticia has expanded greatly, with a new main street being built. However, the city's industries have changed little since then, with agriculture and tourism still the prime sources of income.

1970s

In the 1970s, illegal drug trafficking became a new way to make money in this region. During the late 1960s and 1970s narcotic drugs were bought and sold in broad daylight.

For Leticia, this was a time for great growth. Several rich cartel leaders built large houses, such as the Casa Grande and contributed to the economy. Drugs were transported by truck to boats on the Putumayo River. This was to avoid shipping by air. The concept was to build a 70 km (~35 miles) highway to the small city of Tarapacá. The first 12 km were all that were ever finished before cartel members were arrested.

The drug business was eventually slowed down when new tough-hitting police were brought to Leticia. They stopped many drug cartel leaders in the city, seizing such famous places as the Casa Grande for the government.

Recent history

Tourism in Leticia has boomed and the town is today the second tourism destination for foreigners after Cartagena de Indias. International students travel to Leticia to learn Spanish at The Amazon Spanish College. Meanwhile, students and visitors can enjoy the attractions nearby the city like Mundo Amazonico Ecological Park.

Climate

Leticia features a tropical rainforest climate with minimal difference in average high and low temperatures throughout the course of the year. Leticia does have noticeably wetter and drier months, with its wettest month (May) seeing a little more than twice as much precipitation as its driest month (July). The average monthly rainfall in the city is above 100 mm.

Climate data for Leticia
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	35.8 (96.4)	36.4 (97.5)	35.9 (96.6)	36.2 (97.2)	33.8 (92.8)	34.2 (93.6)	35.2 (95.4)	35.7 (96.3)	37.0 (98.6)	37.0 (98.6)	37.5 (99.5)	39.0 (102.2)	39 (102.2)
Average high °C (°F)	30.5 (86.9)	30.6 (87.1)	30.5 (86.9)	30.3 (86.5)	29.9 (85.8)	29.3 (84.7)	29.6 (85.3)	30.6 (87.1)	31.1 (88)	31.3 (88.3)	31.0 (87.8)	30.6 (87.1)	30.44 (86.79)
Daily mean °C (°F)	25.9 (78.6)	26.0 (78.8)	26.1 (79)	25.9 (78.6)	25.8 (78.4)	25.1 (77.2)	25.0 (77)	25.6 (78.1)	25.9 (78.6)	26.2 (79.2)	26.1 (79)	25.9 (78.6)	25.79 (78.43)
Average low °C (°F)	22.5 (72.5)	22.5 (72.5)	22.5 (72.5)	22.6 (72.7)	22.5 (72.5)	21.5 (70.7)	20.7 (69.3)	21.3 (70.3)	21.6 (70.9)	22.3 (72.1)	22.3 (72.1)	22.5 (72.5)	22.07 (71.72)
Record low °C (°F)	18.0 (64.4)	19.2 (66.6)	17.0 (62.6)	18.2 (64.8)	16.0 (60.8)	14.3 (57.7)	14.6 (58.3)	14.8 (58.6)	16.4 (61.5)	18.3 (64.9)	17.6 (63.7)	18.0 (64.4)	14.3 (57.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	353.2 (13.906)	340.4 (13.402)	357.4 (14.071)	349.8 (13.772)	277.2 (10.913)	209.4 (8.244)	157.5 (6.201)	172.9 (6.807)	243.1 (9.571)	263.4 (10.37)	301.7 (11.878)	289.4 (11.394)	3,315.4 (130.529)
Average precipitation days	24	20	22	22	23	18	16	16	18	19	20	23	241
Average relative humidity (%)	88	88	87	87	87	87	85	84	84	85	86	88	86.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours	131.4	119.0	131.3	138.1	152.3	144.6	188.7	194.0	171.0	168.9	149.6	136.7	1,825.6
Source: Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales

Leticia
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     209     32 22     181     32 22     205     32 22     200     32 22     219     31 22     137     31 22     101     31 21     116     32 21     120     32 22     156     32 22     167     32 22     164     32 22 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: MSN Weather
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     8.2     90 72     7.1     90 72     8.1     90 72     7.9     90 72     8.6     88 72     5.4     88 72     4     88 70     4.6     90 70     4.7     90 72     6.1     90 72     6.6     90 72     6.5     90 72 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

Culture

People

The majority of Leticia's population have migrated from elsewhere. There is no obviously dominant segment, but migrants from Bogotá, Medellín, and Tolima are the majority. Few people from Cali live in Leticia. A significant proportion of Leticia's population comprises native Amerindians (as opposed to mestizos or caboclos). The prevailing trend is for people to move from the village of their birth in far-lying rural communities into the city to make a "better" living.

Food

Although the inhabitants commonly eat the same things each week, a wide variety of food is available in Leticia. Dishes specific to each of Colombia's regions are made here. For example, people make Sancocho, a hearty soup, with regional variations in different parts of Colombia. But even within regions, each family has its own recipe. Leticia's cuisine includes Brazilian and Peruvian influences. Common staples in Leticia include river fish, domestic (and occasionally wild) meat, rice, locally-grown vegetables and potatoes. Meals are usually cooked over a wood-fired stovetop in a pan. A typical Sunday meal might comprise grilled meats, cooked in makeshift charcoal grillers, served with rice and plantains.

Attractions

Parque Nacional Natural Amacayacu (River) Isla de los Micos(River) Puerto Nariño(River) Lago Tarapoto(River) Lago Yahuarcacas (km.2) Parque temático Mundo Amazónico (Km. 7) Museum Banco de la República (Downtown) Parque Orellana and Santander (Downtown)

Transportation

• Vásquez Cobo International Airport

See also

• Tabatinga, the Brazilian town and harbour that adjoins Leticia. The two cities cooperate closely, and altogether their urban area and adjacent suburbs along the Amazon river have a population of more than 100,000 people.

External links

• Leticia travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Official website (Spanish)