area is subject to flooding. Media and communications Newspapers El Espectador (national daily newspaper) El Heraldo de Barranquilla (regional newspaper) Diario El Meridiano de Córdoba(regional newspaper) El Tiempo (national daily newspaper) El Universal (regional newspaper) Economy The town's economy is based mainly on cattle farming, and a very prosperous commercial district consisting of modern malls, shops, and restaurant chains. It is considered to be the Cattle Farming Capital of Colombia and celebrates this title with a yearly festival. Plus, the city is one of the most important destination with venues of the country by having Great Stadiums and Convention centers, and have received important celebrities such as Maelo Ruiz, Jorge Celedón, Shakira, Years and Years, Juanes, Carlos Vives, among others. Transportation Monteria lies on a major highway connecting Medellín to Sincelejo and extending to Cartagena and Barranquilla. It has an effective public transportation system and arterial connections to the rest of the country. Public transportation As is common in most Colombian municipalities, public transportation is tightly integrated into the city. A system of taxis and several lines of large and small buses serve the community on surface streets. The streets of Monteria are also full of motorcycle taxis or "rapimotos" that provide economical transportation. A passenger-only ferry system known as "Planchones", consists of roofed wooden rafts. It traverses the Sinu river along a system of manual cable tows. It was made as a way to cross the river before a proper bridge could be built and has served as an alternative to cross the river ever since. It is one of the most remarkable features of the city. Water The city is served by a fishing port, but the waters of the Sinu river do not run deep enough and are not wide enough to serve as a commercial channel. High quality sand is brought up from the bottom of the river in buckets placed by divers, for use in the making of cinder blocks for local and regional construction projects. Air travel Monteria is home to an international airport, Los Garzones Airport, which provides service to major cities via Avianca, Easyfly and LATAM airlines. Major cities served from the airport include Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and Panama City. Demographics The region is populated by a diverse mix of people, including the descendants of Spaniards/Basque, Arabs, French, Italians and Sinu Indians. Tourism and sport Sites of interest Sites of interest in