Cali
[key], city, capital of Valle del Cauca dept., W Colombia, on the Cali
River. It is an industrial and commercial center of the upper Cauca valley.
Coffee, cotton, sugarcane, and soybeans are shipped through the city; and
tires, tobacco products, textiles, paper, chemicals, and building materials
are manufactured. Cali is also a tourist center. The city was founded in
1536, but its growth is relatively recent, with the population more than
doubling in the 1950s. In the city are two universities and the headquarters
of the Cauca valley development project, which is modeled after the
Tennessee Valley Authority. The Cauca River has been drained for irrigation,
hydroelectric power, and flood prevention. Cali's landmarks include an
aqueduct and a cathedral. In the late 1980s and early 90s the city gained
notoriety for the cocaine “cartel” based there.
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