Guajira Peninsula

Guajira Peninsula (Spanish: Peninsula de La Guajira, also spelled Goajira, mainly in colonial period texts), is a peninsula in northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea. It is the northernmost peninsula in South America and has an area of 25,000 km2 (9,700 sq mi) extending from the Manaure Bay (Colombia) to the Calabozo Ensenada in the Gulf of Venezuela (Venezuela), and from the Caribbean Sea to the Serrania del Perija mountains range. It was the subject of a dispute between Venezuela and Colombia in 1891, and on arbitration was awarded to the latter and joined to its Magdalena Department. Nowadays, most of the territory is part of Colombia, making part of La Guajira Department, while the remaining strip pertains to the Venezuelan Zulia State. The northern most part of the peninsula is called Punta Gallinas (12° 28´ N) and is also considered the northernmost part of mainland South America.