cartagena (pronounced in spanish; the usual english pronunciation is or ), also known as cartagena de indias ("cartagena of the west indies"), is a large city seaport on the northern coast of colombia. it is the capital of the bolívar department. as of 2005, it has a population of roughly 895,400. it was founded in 1533 by don pedro de heredia, and named after the port of cartagena in spain's murcia region. it was a major centre of early spanish settlement in the americas, and continues to be an economic hub as well as a popular tourist destination.