Tulua

4°5′0″N 76°12′0″W / 4.08333°N 76.20000°W / 4.08333; -76.20000 Tuluá (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Spanish pronunciation: [tuluˈa]), is a city located in the heart of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. A major industrial and commercial center, it is the region's fourth-largest city after Cali—the department capital—Palmira and Buenaventura. Founded around 1741 by Juan de Lemos y Aguirre, it has a population of approximately 178,000. It is also known as the Corazón del Valle (meaning 'The Heart of Valle'), as La Villa de Céspedes ('Town of Céspedes', named after the naturalist Juan María Céspedes) and Tierra Fácil ('Easy Land' in the native language). It is well known throughout Colombia and many parts of South America as a major center of salsa dancing. The Tuluá River runs through Tuluá's urban area. The city is located 269 miles from Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, 63 miles northeast of Cali and 108 miles from the important harbor city of Buenaventura, which lies on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Although it has a relatively small urban area, Tuluá's metropolitan area is comparatively big.[citation needed] The city lies between the two westernmost cordilleras of Colombia, about 50 miles east of Buenaventura.[citation needed]