departamento, northeastern Colombia. It lies in the Orinoco River basin and is bounded north by Venezuela and south by the Casanare and Meta rivers. Arauca was given intendency status in 1955 and department status in 1991. It consists of llanos (plains) except in the extreme west, where it rises abruptly into the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes. It is drained by several tributaries of the Orinoco River. Cattle raising is the dominant economic activity; agricultural products include corn (maize), cacao, sugarcane, and rice. Furs, hides, rubber, and resins are shipped by river to Venezuela. Arauca town, the capital of the department, is connected by road northwest to San Cristóbal, Venezuela. Area 9,196 square miles (23,818 square km). Pop. (2007 est.) department, 238,605.