Barranquilla, city, northwestern Colombia, capital of Atlántico Department. Located about 13 km (about 8 mi) upstream from the mouth of the Magdalena River, it is one of the nation's chief ports and industrial centers. Small oceangoing vessels can reach Barranquilla, and larger vessels are accommodated at the nearby port of Puerto Colombia. The city is linked by rail with Ciénaga. Manufactures include chemicals, cement, textiles, and banana-packing equipment. Atlántico University (1941) and the University of the North (1966) are here. Barranquilla developed as a river port in the 19th century and expanded rapidly as an ocean port after the mouth of the Magdalena was dredged in the 1930s. Population (1997 estimate) 1,157,826.
