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Magdalena is a department of Colombia, located to the north of the country by the Caribbean Sea. Its capital is Santa Marta and was named after the Magdalena River. It inherited the name from one of the original nine states of the United States of Colombia that its current territory was part of.
In the north it borders the Caribbean Sea. In the north-east it borders the Department of La Guajira, by the Palomino River. To the East it borders with the Department of Cesar, which is in partly divided by the Guaraní River. The west shares a border with the Magdalena River, with the departments of Atlantico in the Northwest, and Bolívar in the west and south-west.
The territory contained in the department is formed by four drainage basins, namely:
- Sierra Nevada’s Northern Slope
- Sierra Nevada’s Southwestern Slope
- Magdalena Basin
- Ariguaní Basin
The whole western side of Magdalena department its dotted with marshes and lakes due to spillover from the Magdalena River. Permanent marshes include, Chilloa, La Rinconada, Tesca, Pijiño, Juan Criollo, Jaraba, Playa Afuera, Grande de Santa Marta, and Zapatosa. 
The biggest marsh is Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta. It is located in the north-west of the department and is separated from the sea by a very thin margin of land. The Zapatosa Marsh, located in the municipality of El Plato in the southernmost part of the department, is shared with the Department of Cesar. It has an extension of 310 km² and at its deepest it reaches about 8m. This marsh drains into the Magdalena River.
Because of its terrain and proximity to the sea, Magdalena has an unsettled weather. It experiences hot temperatures with high humidity, but varies depending on altitude differences. Altitudes vary from 0m to 5,775m above sea level. The first 200m of altitude are called "the warm lands" and they occupy a big area where the average temperature is about 30°C. The main urban centers are located in the warm lands, including all of the downtown urban area of Santa Marta. The altitude increases because of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain which has the honour of being the highest coastal mountain on earth.
The territory of Magdalena has an area of approximately 23,188 km², small compared to other regions, but its territory has contains a great variety of ecoregions. Ecoregions repreented here include beaches and coastal areas in the north, snow covered peaks in the Sierra, swampy marshes in the west, cloud forests, inland grasslands, desert landscapes, rain forest, rivers, farmlands, and urban areas. These ecosystem support a huge diversity of flora and fauna including many rare species.
The Department of Magdalena is subdivided into 30 municipalities, and 1 district. The municipalities are governed by a democratically elected Municipal Mayor and a Municipal Council, and the Turistic, Cultural, and Historic District of Santa Marta.
Municipalities
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