Cali, city in western Colombia, capital of Valle del Cauca Department, on the Cali River. Cali is a major transportation, commercial, and industrial center for the Cauca River valley, where sugarcane, coffee, tobacco, cotton, cacao, bananas, rice, and corn are grown and cattle and hogs are raised. Coal mines are also in the region. In the city, textiles, clothing, shoes, pharmaceuticals, tobacco products, soap, cement, processed food, and furniture are manufactured.
Cali is the site of the University of Valle (1945) and Santiago University of Cali (1958). Points of interest also located in the city are San Pedro Cathedral and the Church and Monastery of San Francisco. Cali was founded in 1536 by the Spanish conquistador Sebastian de Belalcázar. Population (1997 estimate) 1,985,906.
