EL YOPAL

town and capital of Casanare departamento, eastern Colombia. The original settlement (casero) of El Yopal was founded in 1935 by Pedro Pablo Gonzlez, and it has been the seat of Casanare intendency (now departamento) since the creation of Casanare in 1974. An isolated settlement at the western edge of the Llanos (Plains), El Yopal has road connections to Sagamosa in the Cordillera Oriental. The local economy depends upon cattle raising and agriculture; the principal crops are rice, corn (maize), coffee, sugarcane, beans, plantains, and citrus fruits. Pop. (1985) 16,351.