Medellín

Industrial city and capital of Antioquia department, northwest Colombia; situated at 1,538 m/5,048 ft above sea level in the Aburrá Valley, Central Cordillera of the Andes; population (1999 est) 1,861,300. It is the second city and a leading industrial centre of Colombia, producing over 80% of the country's total textile output. Other main industries include gold and silver mining, chemicals, coffee-growing, and engineering. Medellín has also had a reputation for cocaine production.

Founded in 1616, the city has a 17th-century cathedral and is home to four Universities, including the Universidad de Medellín (1950). A large shanty population is located on the slopes surrounding the city. The Museo de Antioquia (1881) is dedicated to Colombian contemporary artist Fernando Botero.

Medellín was the base of Colombia's main cocaine-trafficking organization, the Medellín cartel, until the death of its leader, Pablo Escobar, in 1993.