Cali

Industrial city and capital of Valle del Cauca department, western Colombia, 300 km/185 mi southwest of Bogotá, situated in the fertile valley of the River Cauca, 975 m/3,200 ft above sea level; population (2005) 2,039,600. The River Cali, a tributary of the Cauca, flows through the city. Cali is the western region's largest urban centre and third-largest city in Colombia. It is the commercial centre of a rich farming area which produces sugar, coffee, cotton, and rice, and there is a trade in livestock, tobacco, and minerals. Industries include textiles, sugar, and engineering. The colonial town of Cali was founded in 1536 by the Spanish conquistadors, but began to expand as an industrial centre only from 1900, following the arrival of the railway.