La Guajira (lä gwähēˈrä) [key], peninsula, c.100 mi (160 km) long, N Colombia, extending into the Caribbean Sea. Punta Gallinas, at the tip, is the northernmost point of South America. On the sparsely populated peninsula are outliers of the Cordillera Oriental, surrounded by hot, arid plains. Salt and pearls are found along the shoreline.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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