Palmira

Palmira, city, Valle del Cauca departamento (department), southwestern Colombia. It lies in the rich Cauca River valley. Founded in 1688, the city has long been an important agricultural and livestock-raising centre. Now the second largest city in its department, Palmira is referred to as the “agricultural capital of Colombia”; tobacco, coffee, sugarcane, rice, and grain are grown in the surrounding area. The city houses an agricultural experiment station and a college of agronomy. Palmira is accessible by the Pan-American Highway and railroad from Cali, the departmental capital, and from other cities in the Cauca valley. Pop. (2007 est.) 233,267.