VALLEDUPAR

capital of Csar department, northern Colombia. It is situated on a plain between two mountain ranges, the Sierra de Perij and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Founded in 1550, the settlement prospered during the colonial era but suffered much damage in 19th-century civil wars. It is now a commercial centre for the agricultural and pastoral hinterland. Factories produce ice and bricks, and there is a sawmill. The city lies on the Santa MartaBogot highway; another road leads north to Rohacha. Valledupar is also served by domestic airlines. Pop. (1985) 142,771.