View source for Paisa (region)

{{Short description|Region in northwestern Colombia; also the demonym for an inhabitant}}
{{About|the region in [[Colombia]]|other uses|Paisa (disambiguation)}}
{{Original research|date=April 2009}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}

[[File:"Juan Valdez" actor.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.9|The fictional character [[Juan Valdez]] is a paisa [[stereotype]].]]

A '''Paisa''' is someone from a region in the northwest of [[Colombia]], including part of the [[Cordillera Occidental (Colombia)|West]] and [[Cordillera Central (Colombia)|Central]] ''cordilleras'' of the [[Andean natural region|Andes in Colombia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://paisas.biz/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615202458/http://paisas.biz/|archive-date=15 June 2009|title=Región paisa|website=Paisas.biz|language=es|date=13 December 2008}}</ref> The Paisa region is formed by the [[departments of Colombia|departments]] of [[Antioquia Department|Antioquia]], [[Caldas Department|Caldas]], [[Risaralda Department|Risaralda]] and [[Quindío Department|Quindío]]. Some regions of [[Valle del Cauca Department]] (north) and [[Tolima Department]] (west) culturally identify as ''paisas''. The main cities of the Paisa region are [[Medellín]], [[Pereira, Colombia|Pereira]], [[Manizales]] and [[Armenia, Colombia|Armenia]].

The name Paisa derives from the Spanish [[apocope]] of ''Paisano'' (fellow countryman), but they are also known as "Antioqueños" (those from the old [[Antioquia Department|Antioquia]], which included the other Paisa provinces, which was a single administrative body until the creation of the [[Caldas Department|Caldas State]] in 1905). Although many refer to Paisas as an ethnic group (''raza antioqueña'' or ''raza paisa''), they are a part of the [[Colombian people|Colombian]]s and [[Latin American]] peoples.

Paisas can be found in other regions of Colombia and the [[Americas]] where they have migrated. They have a particular way of speaking Spanish that some writers refer to as ''español antioqueño''.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=José J. |last1=Zapata |url=http://biblioteca-virtual-antioquia.udea.edu.co/pdf/11/11_2046837952.pdf |title=Gregoria Gutierrez González |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609105056/http://biblioteca-virtual-antioquia.udea.edu.co/pdf/11/11_2046837952.pdf |archive-date=9 June 2007 |journal=Repertorio Historico |volume=8 |issue=134 |date=1934 |quote=y como solo para Antioquia escribo, yo no escribo español sino antioqueño |trans-quote=Because I write only for Antioquia, I do not write in Spanish but in Antioquean |language=es }}</ref>
[[File:La Raza-Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt.JPG|thumb|upright=0.9|''[[Monumento a la Raza (Medellín)|Monumento a la Raza]]'' by [[Rodrigo Arenas]]. Bronze and concrete, 38 m height, located in [[Medellín]] [[La Alpujarra Administrative Center]] [[Antioquia Department|Antioquia]].]]

== Genetics ==
The Paisas have been considered a [[Peripatric speciation|genetically isolated population]] according to scientific studies.<ref name="Bedoya Montoya García 2006">{{cite journal |last1=Bedoya |first1=Gabriel |last2=Montoya |first2=Patricia |last3=García |first3=Jenny |last4=Soto |first4=Ivan |last5=Bourgeois |first5=Stephane |last6=Carvajal |first6=Luis |last7=Labuda |first7=Damian |last8=Alvarez |first8=Victor |last9=Ospina |first9=Jorge |last10=Hedrick |first10=Philip W. |last11=Ruiz-Linares |first11=Andrés |title=Admixture dynamics in Hispanics: A shift in the nuclear genetic ancestry of a South American population isolate |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=9 May 2006 |volume=103 |issue=19 |pages=7234–7239 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0508716103 |pmid=16648268 |pmc=1464326 |bibcode=2006PNAS..103.7234B |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Service |first1=Susan |last2=DeYoung |first2=Joseph |last3=Karayiorgou |first3=Maria |last4=Roos |first4=J. Louw |last5=Pretorious |first5=Herman |last6=Bedoya |first6=Gabriel |last7=Ospina |first7=Jorge |last8=Ruiz-Linares |first8=Andres |last9=Macedo |first9=António |last10=Palha |first10=Joana Almeida |last11=Heutink |first11=Peter |last12=Aulchenko |first12=Yurii |last13=Oostra |first13=Ben |last14=van Duijn |first14=Cornelia |last15=Jarvelin |first15=Marjo-Riitta |last16=Varilo |first16=Teppo |last17=Peddle |first17=Lynette |last18=Rahman |first18=Proton |last19=Piras |first19=Giovanna |last20=Monne |first20=Maria |last21=Murray |first21=Sarah |last22=Galver |first22=Luana |last23=Peltonen |first23=Leena |last24=Sabatti |first24=Chiara |author24-link=Chiara Sabatti|last25=Collins |first25=Andrew |last26=Freimer |first26=Nelson |title=Magnitude and distribution of linkage disequilibrium in population isolates and implications for genome-wide association studies |journal=Nature Genetics |date=May 2006 |volume=38 |issue=5 |pages=556–560 |doi=10.1038/ng1770 |pmid=16582909 |s2cid=3229287 }}</ref> As evidenced by the analysis of direct-line mitochondrial DNA or [[mtDNA]] (inherited from mother-to-child) and Y-chromosomal DNA or [[Y-DNA]] (inherited from father-to-son), the initial founding of the Paisa population occurred primarily through the admixture of male [[Iberians]] (mostly from various [[Spaniard]] ethnic groups, and a smaller [[Sephardic Jewish]] element) and female [[Amerindians]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Carvajal-Carmona |first1=Luis G. |last2=Soto |first2=Iván D. |last3=Pineda |first3=Nicolás |last4=Ortíz-Barrientos |first4=Daniel |last5=Duque |first5=Constanza |last6=Ospina-Duque |first6=Jorge |last7=McCarthy |first7=Mark |last8=Montoya |first8=Patricia |last9=Alvarez |first9=Victor M. |last10=Bedoya |first10=Gabriel |last11=Ruiz-Linares |first11=Andrés |title=Strong Amerind/White Sex Bias and a Possible Sephardic Contribution among the Founders of a Population in Northwest Colombia |journal=The American Journal of Human Genetics |date=1 November 2000 |volume=67 |issue=5 |pages=1287–1295 |doi=10.1016/S0002-9297(07)62956-5 |pmid=11032790 |pmc=1288568 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Carvajal-Carmona |first1=Luis G. |last2=Ophoff |first2=Roel |last3=Service |first3=Susan |last4=Hartiala |first4=Jaana |last5=Molina |first5=Julio |last6=Leon |first6=Pedro |last7=Ospina |first7=Jorge |last8=Bedoya |first8=Gabriel |last9=Freimer |first9=Nelson |last10=Ruiz-Linares |first10=Andrés |title=Genetic demography of Antioquia (Colombia) and the Central Valley of Costa Rica |journal=Human Genetics |date=1 May 2003 |volume=112 |issue=5 |pages=534–541 |doi=10.1007/s00439-002-0899-8 |pmid=12601469 |s2cid=298604 }}</ref>

Subsequently, within the emerging Paisa colonial society, a continued flow of additional male Spaniards immigrating into the Paisa region in the following generations encouraged marriages of these males to the early established Paisa population. This [[castizo|increased the overall European component]] and resulted in the "[[blanqueamiento|racial whitening]]" of the founding mixed-race population by preventing the mixed-race individuals marrying among themselves and growing in numbers, as well as preventing further unions of either Spaniards or mixed-race individuals with unmixed Amerindians.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

Ultimately, this led to the overall predominantly [[Ethnic groups in Europe|European]] ancestry of today's Paisa population according to testing of autosomal DNA or [[atDNA]],<ref name="Bedoya Montoya García 2006"/> despite the asymmetrical sex-specific genetic markers that they inherited from the founding population which indicates their Y-DNA as being predominantly from European male forebears and mtDNA as being predominantly from Amerindian female ancestors. Nevertheless, the average population does still carry a significant amount of Native American ancestry, ranging from 20% to 40%, and from 4% to 10% for African.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gómez-Pérez |first1=Luis |last2=Alfonso-Sánchez |first2=Miguel A. |last3=Pérez-Miranda |first3=Ana M. |last4=García-Obregón |first4=Susana |last5=Builes |first5=Juan J. |last6=Bravo |first6=Maria L. |last7=De Pancorbo |first7=Marian M. |last8=Peña |first8=José A. |title=Genetic admixture estimates by Alu elements in Afro-Colombian and Mestizo populations from Antioquia, Colombia |journal=Annals of Human Biology |date=August 2010 |volume=37 |issue=4 |pages=488–500 |doi=10.3109/03014460903433810 |pmid=20113181 |s2cid=27716846 }}</ref>

The mountains played a large role in isolating the Paisa population until the end of the nineteenth century and the area's industrial revolution.

===Extremadura===
The ancestors of the Paisa are primarily Spanish immigrants from [[Extremadura]], Spain (sixteenth century). The first colonizers were [[Extremadurans|Extremaduran]] like [[Gaspar de Rodas]] of [[Trujillo, Spain|Trujillo]], who was the first colonial governor of the region. Several towns, cities and places in the Paisa Region are also Extremaduran: [[Medellín]] for [[Medellín (Spain)|Medellín of Badajoz]]; [[Cáceres, Antioquia|Cáceres]] for the [[Province of Cáceres]]; [[Valdivia, Antioquia|Valdivia]] for conqueror [[Pedro de Valdivia]].

===Andalusia===
Some conquerors from [[Andalusia]] like Marshall [[Jorge Robledo (conquistador)|Jorge Robledo]] of [[Jaén, Spain|Jaén]], came also with the Extremadurans during the sixteenth century. However, during the seventeenth century, a group of Andalusian migrants is said to have settled the region.

===Basque people===
The presence of Basque ancestry in the Paisa Region is exhibited by the proliferation of Basque surnames.<ref>[http://www.buber.net/Basque/Diaspora/colombia.a.html Basque Families of Antioquia], Buber's Basque, link retrieved on 4 April 2009.</ref> Some scholars point out that this may be one of the regions of [[Hispanic America]] with the greatest concentration of ancestry from the Iberian region.<ref>Etnias de Colombia: "[http://www.etniasdecolombia.org/grupos_mestizos3.asp Los vascos] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328104142/http://www.etniasdecolombia.org/grupos_mestizos3.asp |date=28 March 2009 }}", {{in lang|es}}. Link retrieved on 4 April 2009. Cite: "''la profusión en Antioquia está por encima del promedio estadístico atribuible a la simple distribución casual de apellidos asimilados''" (tr.en. "The profusion in Antioquia is above the media of a simple and casual surname assimilation.")</ref> The Basques arrived in Antioquia during the seventeenth century.<ref>Etnias de Colombia: "[http://www.etniasdecolombia.org/grupos_mestizos3.asp Los vascos] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328104142/http://www.etniasdecolombia.org/grupos_mestizos3.asp |date=28 March 2009 }}", {{in lang|es}}. Link retrieved on 4 April 2009. Cite: "''a partir del siglo XVII aumentó el acceso vascuence a América y a la Nueva Granada.''" (tr.en. "since the seventeenth century grew the migration of Basque people to the Americas and the Nueva Granada.")</ref>

The use of Basque language (Euskera) terminology in the present territory of Colombia goes back to the early exploration which occurred in 1499, during the third voyage of Columbus. It is said that from that time the territory experienced a strong influx of Basques including prominent figures such as the pilot and geographer [[Juan de la Cosa]], nicknamed "El Vizcaíno" (although some reputable sources claim that he was not a native of the Basque Country, but was instead born in [[Santoña]], Cantabria).

Thereafter, the Basques began to come regularly and distributed throughout the country. Due to this presence, the Colombian department of Antioquia has been considered a major point of Basque-Navarre immigration. This occurred mainly during the colonial era, when thousands of Basques migrated to be linked to the Spanish colonization companies.

To people interested in investigating the presence of Euskal Herria in the department of Antioquia, one of the questions that troubles them relates to the use and retention of the Basque language in the department. 

It is estimated that for Antioquia, a region where tens of thousands of Spaniards arrived, of which a good portion were Basque, limited aspects of the Basque language were brought over. It has been difficult to track the use of Euskera in Antioquia and Colombia because the Basque language was always an outcast, which apparently left no written evidence in Antioquia.{{Citation needed|date=October 2016}}

This is likely because the Spanish crown, to maintain the monopoly of its overseas companies and to restrict those people not belonging to Spanish rule, did not allow languages other than Castilian to be spoken. This meant that those invited to participate in the colonization of Indian companies, and foreigners in general, had to learn the official language, i.e., Castilian, hence the prevalence of Castilian-Basque-speaking bilinguals.{{Citation needed|date=October 2016}}

Despite these restrictions, it is still possible to trace the history of Colombia's ties to the ancient language of the Basques. A reference that has use of Euskera in Colombian territory occurred in relation to Lope de Aguirre, a native of Gipuzkoa nicknamed "The Madman". Aguirre's rebellion defied the Spanish empire, carrying out acts against the subjects of the Spanish crown. Pedro de Ursúa, a Navarrese faithful to the Spanish king, who was also the founder of [[Pamplona, Norte de Santander|Pamplona]] in eastern Colombia, said that he could persuade the soldiers to be part of Aguirre's revolt, if they spoke in Euskera.

During the seventeenth and eighteenth century, [[Basque people|Basque]] families from Northern Spain settled in the [[Aburrá Valley]] where [[Medellín]] and [[Envigado]] are located, as well as small towns in eastern Antioquia, such as [[Marinilla]], [[El Retiro, Antioquia|El Retiro]] and [[El Santuario]]. This part of Antioquia reminded these families of northern Spain.

=== Sephardi Jews ===
There is debate about [[Jewish]] ancestry in the Paisa people.<ref>Azriel Bibliowicz, «[http://www.etniasdecolombia.org/actualidadetnica/detalle.asp?cid=6946 Intermitencia, ambivalencia y discrepancia: historia de la presencia judía en Colombia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924002708/http://www.etniasdecolombia.org/actualidadetnica/detalle.asp?cid=6946 |date=24 September 2015 }}», Amérique Latine Histoire et Mémoire, Numéro 3-2001 - Migrations en Colombie (original in French, this link in Spanish.) Link retrieved on 6 April 2009. Note: "''Este autor también analiza la hipótesis del origen judío de los antioqueños, sosteniendo que hay un fundamento para dicha aseveración.''" (tr.en. "This author also analyzes the hypothesis of the Jewish origin of the antioqueans, holding that there is a foundation for such statement")</ref><ref>Horacio Calles: "[http://www.saudades.org/Jewishbackground.htm How I discover my Jews background] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090402143222/http://www.saudades.org/Jewishbackground.htm |date=2 April 2009 }}", Saudades. Link retrieved on 4 April 2009.</ref>

It was known that some Spanish and Portuguese [[New Christians]] of [[Sephardic Jewish]] ancestry (some of whom continued to [[Crypto-Judaism|practice Judaism secretly]], and were also known as [[marranos]], Spanish for swine) fled the [[Cartagena de Indias]] [[Inquisition]] and took refuge in the Antioquian mountains during the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Some Colombian authors like [[Jorge Isaacs]] and [[Porfirio Barba-Jacob|Miguel Ángel Osorio]] have claimed that it is indisputable that Paisas have Jewish ancestry. Several Paisa surnames are known to have been prevalent among [[New Christian]] [[converso]]s of Sephardic Jewish origin, for example [[Espinosa (surname)|Espinosa]], [[Pérez]], Mejía, and many others.{{Citation needed|date=October 2016}}

Some scholars state that the presence of Sephardic Jews among the ancestors of Paisas is a fact, but it does not mean that all Paisas descend from them, nor that it is the only or predominant element among those that do, as is proven by the Paisas' descent from other groups like Basques, Extremadurans, and Andalusians.<ref>Jorge Guillermo Angel R.: "Los sefardíes, pequeña historia de una minoría" {{in lang|es}}. Conference for the Antioquean Academy of History, on "HaBait". http://www.habait.co.il/document/80,65,11.aspx Link retrieved on 6 April 2009. Cite: "'' Claro está que el hecho de que muchos sefardíes hayan venido a Antioquia no quiere decir que de ellos desciendan todos los antioqueños, como a veces se exagera. Es indiscutible que aquí llegaron castellanos con raíces vascas, andaluces y extremeñas, así como también alemanes e ingleses, franceses y portugueses, rusos (son rusos el apellido Sanín y el nombre Adelaida), turcos y griegos, de quienes desciende una buena cantidad de personas y de formas culturales que prevalecen en lo cotidiano.''" (tr.en. "It is obvious that the fact that several Sephardic persons have come to Antioquia, does not mean that all the Antioqueans descend from them, as people often exaggerate it. It is indisputable that others who arrived here were Castillians with Basque roots, Andalusian people and Extremadurans, as well as Germans and Britons, Frenchmen and Portuguese, Russians (the surname Sanín is Russian and the first name Adelaida,), Turks and Greeks, from which there are large numbers of descendants and their cultural backgrounds prevail in our daily lives")</ref>

===Canarians===

There are records also of presence of some Canarians and Canarian families, at least some of them known to be from [[Lanzarote]], who settled in [[Cáceres, Antioquia]], in the second half of the 16th century.<ref name="DelgadoArmas2010">{{cite web|author1=Francisco Hernández Delgado|author2=María Dolores Rodríguez Armas|title=La emigración de Lanzarote y sus causas|url=http://www.archivoteguise.es/publicacion/2/la-emigracion-de-lanzarote-y-sus-causas|website=Archivo Histórico Municipal de Teguise (www.archivoteguise.es)|publisher=Departamento de Cultura y Patrimonio, Ayuntamiento de Teguise|access-date=27 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160727180641/http://www.archivoteguise.es/publicacion/2/la-emigracion-de-lanzarote-y-sus-causas|archive-date=27 July 2016|location=Teguise, Lanzarote, Canary Islands|language=es|date=2010}}</ref> Others emigrated in 1678 by the terms of the ''Tributo de Sangre'' to Santa Marta.<ref>Morales Padrón, Francisco. Canarias - América. Colección "Guagua", 1982. p. 49.</ref> In 1536, [[Pedro Fernández de Lugo]] led an expedition of 1,500 people, 400 of whom were Canarians from all the different islands that make up the archipelago<ref name="laprocolomcanaconq">[http://www.laprovincia.es/sociedad/2012/10/17/colombia-conquisto-gracias-pequeno-contingente-400-canarios/490852.html ''Colombia se conquistó gracias a un pequeño contingente de 400 canarios''] (in Spanish) "Colombia is Conquered by a Small Contingent of 400 Canary Islanders").</ref>), for the conquest of the area around what became [[Santa Marta, Colombia|Santa Marta]].<ref name="DelgadoArmas2010"/> This contingent pacified the warring tribes on the coast and penetrated into the interior (including Paisa region). On the way, they founded several cities, two which, Las Palmas and Tenerife, still exist.<ref name="laprocolomcanaconq"/> In addition, [[Pedro de Heredia]] led 100 men from the Canary Islands to [[Cartagena de Indias]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Manuel Hernández González|title=La Emigración Canaria a América|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IM8SAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Tributo%20de%20Sangre%22|date=1 January 2005|publisher=Centro de la Cultura Popular Canaria|isbn=978-84-7926-488-8|page=24}}</ref>

== Etymology ==

Although the expression "Paisa" is of popular use as [[apocope]] of "Paisano" (person from one's own country; fellow countryman), the origin of the expression goes back to a separatist movement that brewed through the region in the mid nineteenth Century. Those politicians that secretly supported secession would refer to the new country as "País A", short for País Antioquia. The moniker eventually was fused to create the word "paisa".<sup>{{verify source|date=August 2011}}</sup> Consequently, "''Paisa Region''" is the region where the Paisa people live. A more ancient expression is ''Antioqueño'' (Antioquean; one from [[Antioquia Department|Antioquia]]). This one is more official, especially during the Colony (16th – 18th centuries) and the nineteenth century after the Independence of Colombia. All the region made a single body as "Province of Antioquia" first and "State of Antioquia" after. In 1905, the [[Caldas Department]] was created from the southern part of Antioquia, rendering the word "''Antioqueño''" remain only applicable to those of Antioquia, while "Paisa" became a more cultural one for both the new Antioquia and the former Antioquia and the rest of the [[Eje cafetero]].

== History ==

Although some sources argue that the [[Indigenous people of the Americas|American Indians]] that populated most of the Paisa Region were extinguished through European diseases and fights against the Spaniard conquerors, this has not been fully demonstrated.

[[Francisco César]] made an expedition in 1537 from [[Urabá Antioquia|Urabá]] to the [[Cauca River]] to the lands of [[Dabeiba]], but his troops were rejected by the [[Nutibara]]s. In 1540 Marshall [[Jorge Robledo (conquistador)|Jorge Robledo]] founded [[Cartago, Valle del Cauca|Cartago]]. In 1541 he founded Arma in what is today the south of Antioquia, near today [[Aguadas, Caldas|Aguadas]] and [[Santa Fe de Antioquia]], at the banks of the Cauca River. This last town would become the provincial capital in 1813.

The first colonial governor was Don [[Gaspar de Rodas]] (1518–1607).<ref>Doña Soledad Acosta de Samper: [http://www.lablaa.org/blaavirtual/historia/ilustre/ilus0.htm Biografía de hombres ilustres], [http://www.lablaa.org/blaavirtual/historia/ilustre/ilus22.htm Don Gaspar de Rodas] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411151054/http://www.lablaa.org/blaavirtual/historia/ilustre/ilus22.htm |date=11 April 2009 }} {{in lang|es}}, Imprenta de la Luz, Bogotá, 1883. In Luis Ángel Arango Online Library of Colombia. Link retrieved on 7 April 2009.</ref> The mountains of Antioquia attracted the Spaniards for its gold and lands for cattle, and the first towns were located near gold mines and rivers. Despite that, the region did not attract a population interested in creating important centers for the Spanish civilization like [[Cartagena de Indias]], [[Popayán]] or [[Bogotá]] and it remained almost entirely isolated from the rest of the colony. This is the main reason for the cultural identity of the Paisas within the Colombian national context.

Since the seventeenth century and until the end of the nineteenth centuries, Paisa families moved to the southern regions of Antioquia, in what is today the [[Colombian Coffee-Growers Axis]] or the "''Viejo Caldas''" ([[Caldas Department|Old Caldas]]), though now most Colombian nationals refer to this region as the [[Eje cafetero]]. This constant internal migration is known in history as the "''Colonización Antioqueña''" (Antioquean Colonization). Most of the cities and towns founded in the Old Caldas (Caldas, [[Risaralda, Caldas|Risaralda]], [[Quindío]] and some towns of the north of [[Valle del Cauca]] and the west of [[Tolima Department|Tolima]]) are from that time.

During the wars for the independence of Colombia, the most important Paisa figure was General [[José María Córdova]]. He was from [[Rionegro, Antioquia|Rionegro]] and fought important battles to free the region from the Spanish regime under the orders of [[Simón Bolívar]], who never went to the region. During [[Bolívar's campaign to liberate New Granada]], Córdoba participated in the [[Battle of Boyacá]] and was entitled "[[Lieutenant Colonel]]" by the Libertador, despite his young age (he was only 20). Then he was charged by Bolívar to defend the Province of Antioquia and in fact he defeated the Spaniards during the Campaign of [[Nechí]] between the end of 1819 and the beginning of 1820.<ref>Constancio Franco V: "[http://www.lablaa.org/blaavirtual/historia/rasgos/rasgos7.htm Rasgos biográficos de los próceres i mártires de la Independencia: José María Córdoba]", {{in lang|es}}, Bogotá, 1880. In Luis Ángel Arango Online Library of Colombia. Link retrieved on 7 April 2009. Note: "''Pacificado el territorio de Cundinamarca, el |libertador, conociendo las aptitudes del jóven guerrero, le confió la mision de libertar la provincia de Antioquia, para lo cual le dió un cuadro de oficiales i cien hombres de tropa.''" (tr.en. "When the territory of Cundinamarca was pacified, the Libertador, knowing the aptitudes of the young warrior, trusted to him the mission to free the Province of Antioquia, and then he gave him a patrol of hundred men")</ref>

In 1826 [[Medellín]] was declared the capital of the Province of Antioquia. In 1856 a Federalist Political Constitution created the State of Antioquia and it faced some civil wars among Liberals and Conservatives. In 1877 the president of the federal state was [[Pedro Justo Berrío]], who was one of the most prominent political leaders of the region at the end of the century and developed an active politic in education, transportation (including connecting the region with the rest of the country by train in 1874) and economic development.

In 1886, with a centralized Political Constitution, the "Department of Antioquia" was created. Although the region was not affected directly by the [[Thousand Days War]] (1899–1902), one of the main characters of the fighting, General [[Rafael Uribe Uribe]] at the side of the [[Colombian Liberal Party|Liberal Party rebels]], came from the area.

The progressive government of General [[Rafael Reyes]] (1904–1909) was of benefit in the development for the region. One of his projects was the creation of new departments, including the [[Caldas Department]] to be taken from the southern part of [[Antioquia Department|Antioquia]] in 1905. During the twentieth century both Paisa departments (Antioquia and Caldas), would continue their development in industry, mining and agriculture. In 1966 the Caldas Department was divided in three parts: Caldas itself, [[Quindío]] and [[Risaralda Department|Risaralda]].

At the end of the century the region faced the crisis of growing drug traffic mafias, paramilitary groups and guerrillas, especially in Antioquia with the [[Medellín Cartel]] and the north of [[Valle del Cauca]]. However, development has proved to be a Colombian model in regions like the [[Metropolitan Area of Medellín]] according to the [[Inter-American Development Bank]].<ref>Business News America: [http://www.bnamericas.com/interviews/infrastructure/Alonso_Salazar_,Medellin, Medellín: Flying high], 6 February 2009. Link retrieved on 15 April 2009.</ref><ref>Colombia Law and Business Post: [http://colombialawbiz.com/2009/03/29/inter-american-development-bank-meets-in-medellin/ Inter-American Development Bank Meets in Medellín], 29 March 2009. Link retrieved on 15 April 2009.</ref>

<gallery>
File:Gaspar de Rodas-Busto-Medellin.JPG|[[Gaspar de Rodas|Don Gaspar de Rodas]], the first colonial governor of the Province of Antioquia that compressed what is today the Paisa Region.
File:José María Córdova.jpg|General [[José María Córdova]], the "Bolívar" of the Paisa Region.
File:Pedro Justo Berrio-busto-Medellin(A).JPG|[[Pedro Justo Berrío]], the president of the State of Antioquia that began the [[Industrial Revolution]] of the Paisas.
File:Rafael Uribe Uribe by Francisco Cano.png|General [[Rafael Uribe Uribe]], one of the leaders of the Rebel Liberals during the [[Thousand Days War]].
File:Rafael Reyes Prieto (cropped).jpg|President [[Rafael Reyes]]. His policies made a great benefit for the development of the Paisa Region. He proposed the creation of the [[Caldas Department]].
</gallery>

== Geography ==

Although what is known as "Paisa Region" is a cultural entity and it is not defined by administrative divisions, it is possible to locate some areas as the natural space of the Paisa people.

[[File:Paisaregion.JPG|right|thumb|upright=0.9|Location of the Paisa Region in [[Colombia]]: In yellow the Antioquean Urabá, belonging to the cultural context of the Colombian Caribbean Region; in green the Paisa departments and in blue some Paisa areas of Tolima and Valle del Cauca.]]

* '''[[Antioquia Department]]''': The biggest department (63,612&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) with a population of 6,299,886.<ref>DANE: [http://www.dane.gov.co/files/censo2005/regiones/antioquia/antioquia.pdf Antioquia statistics 2005]. Link retrieved on 7 April 2009.</ref> However, some areas of the [[Departments of Colombia|department]] are not considered culturally Paisa like the Antioquean [[Urabá Antioquia|Urabá]] and the north of Antioquia, more integrated to the [[Caribbean Region of Colombia]]. The Paisas are located especially in the mountainous part of the province, at the center and south, in what is called the "Montaña Antioqueña" (Antioquean Mountain). The capital is [[Medellín]], the second urban and industrial center of Colombia. Other big cities are located in the [[Metropolitan Area of Medellín]], [[Rionegro, Antioquia|Rionegro]], [[La Ceja (Colombia)|La Ceja]], [[Santa Fe de Antioquia]], [[Puerto Berrío]], [[Yarumal]] and others. The southwest of the Department (''[[Southwestern Antioquia|Suroeste Antioqueño]]'') is a part of the [[Colombian Coffee-Growers Axis]].
* '''[[Caldas Department]]''': It was established in 1905 and has an area of 7,888&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> with a population of 908,841.<ref name="Coffee Axes statistics 2005">DANE: [http://www.dane.gov.co/files/censo2005/regiones/risaralda/risaralda.pdf Coffee Axes statistics 2005], link retrieved on 7 April 2009.</ref> The capital is [[Manizales]], founded by Antioquean colonizers in 1849.
* '''[[Risaralda Department]]''': It was established in 1966 from the territory of Caldas. It has an area of 4,140&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> and a population of 863,663.<ref name="Coffee Axes statistics 2005"/> The capital is [[Pereira, Colombia|Pereira]] (founded in 1863).
* '''[[Quindío Department]]''': It was established in 1966 also from Caldas with [[Armenia, Colombia|Armenia]] as capital. It is one of the smallest departments of Colombia (1,845&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) with a population of 518,691 persons.<ref name="Coffee Axes statistics 2005"/>
* '''[[Tolima Department]]''': Some towns of the west of Tolima are of Paisa origin: [[Roncesvalles, Tolima|Roncesvalles]] (founded by Antioqueans in 1905); [[Herveo, Tolima|Herveo]] (f. 1860); [[Líbano, Tolima|Líbano]] (f. 1849); [[Casabianca, Tolima|Casabianca]] (f. 1886); [[Murillo, Tolima|Murillo]] (f. 1871); [[Anzoategui, Tolima|Anzoategui]] (f. 1895); [[Villahermosa, Tolima|Villahermosa]] (f. 1887).
* '''[[Valle del Cauca Department]]''': The towns and cities of the north of the Valle del Cauca Department are also of Paisa origin: [[Sevilla, Valle del Cauca|Sevilla]] (founded by Antioqueans in 1903); [[Alcalá, Valle del Cauca|Alcalá]] (f. 1819); [[Argelia, Valle del Cauca|Argelia]] (f. 1904, known also as "''Medellincito'', Little Medellín); [[Bolívar, Valle del Cauca|Bolívar]] (f. 1884); [[Caicedonia]] (f. 1910) [[Cartago, Valle del Cauca|Cartago]] (f. 1540), [[El Aguila, Valle del Cauca|El Aguila]] (f. 1905); [[La Unión, Valle del Cauca|La Unión]] (f. 1890); [[Versalles]] (f. 1894), Trujillo (f.1922).

== Economy ==

The Paisa Region coincided with the important economic centers of Colombia like the [[Metropolitan Area of Medellín]] ([[textile]], industries like appliances, automobiles and chemicals, services like health care and fashion); the [[Colombian Coffee-Growers Axis]] in agriculture and other economic activities like flower growing, cattle, gold and coal mines, tourism and others.

== Culture ==

=== Language ===
{{See also|Colombian Spanish}}
The way Paisas speak Spanish, also known as ''[[:es:Español antioqueño|Antioquean Spanish]]'', is distinctive within Colombia. Paisas are said to speak Spanish fast and soft. They have many local and regional expressions that are opaque even for other Colombians. From the rural Paisa dialect, a popular urban version called [[:es:Parlache|''Parlache'']] developed.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Castañeda Naranjo |first1=Luz Stella |last2=Henao Salazar |first2=José Ignacio |title=El parlache |date=2001 |location=Medellín |publisher=Universidad de Antioquia |isbn=978-958-655-162-5 |oclc=836299682 |language=es }}{{page needed|date=February 2022}}</ref>

* '''[[Voseo]]''' (using ''vos'' instead of ''tú''): In colloquial speech, Paisas use ''[[wikt:vos#Spanish|vos]]'' as the second person singular informal pronoun (instead of ''[[wikt:tú#Spanish|tú]]'') and ''[[wikt:usted#Spanish|usted]]'' for formal address, although it is common to use ''usted'' even with relatives and friends. However, ''vos'' is restricted to colloquial use and, unlike exclusively ''voseo'' regions that use it for official purposes like the press and government, ''vos'' in the Paisa Region is rarely used in official documents. Several Paisa writers (such as [[Tomás Carrasquilla]], [[Fernando González (writer)|Fernando González Ochoa]], [[Manuel Mejía Vallejo]], [[Fernando Vallejo]], and [[Gonzalo Arango]]) use ''vos'' in their works as a distinct marker of the Paisa identity. However, the use of ''tú'' is well known due to the immigration of Colombian groups like the ''[[Caribbean Region, Colombia|Costeños]]''.
* '''[[Seseo]]''' (lack of distinction between {{IPAslink|θ}} and {{IPAslink|s}}):  As with most [[Spanish language in the Americas|American dialects of Spanish]], Paisas do not distinguish ‹s› from ‹z› or [[Hard and soft C|soft ‹c›]]. While ''seseo'' is dominant, the Paisa /s/ is articulated as an apicoalveolar {{IPAblink|s̺}}, a sound transitional between {{IPAblink|s}} and {{IPAblink|ʃ}}, as in central and northern Spain and southern Central America. The apicoalveolar 's' was influenced by Basques, Catalans, and Extremadurans, and ''seseo'' was influenced by Andalusians and Canarians.
* '''[[Yeísmo]]''' (merger of {{IPAslink|ʎ}} into {{IPAslink|ʝ˕|ʝ}}): Paisas pronounce ‹ll› as ‹y›, so that there is no distinction between ''cayó'' (it fell) and ''calló'' (became silent).
*The [[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]] consonants {{IPA|/b/}}, {{IPA|/d/}}, and {{IPA|/ɡ/}} are pronounced as [[plosive]]s after and sometimes before any consonant, like other Colombian dialects (rather than the [[Fricative consonant|fricative]] or [[Approximant consonant|approximant]] that is characteristic of most other dialects). Thus ''pardo'' {{IPA|[ˈpaɾdo]}}, ''barba'' {{IPA|[ˈbaɾba]}}, ''algo'' {{IPA|[ˈalɡo]}}, ''peligro'' {{IPA|[peˈliɡɾo]}}, ''desde'' {{IPA|[ˈdezde]}} (dialectally {{IPA|[ˈdehde]}} or {{IPA|[ˈdedːe])}}—rather than the {{IPA|[ˈpaɾðo]}}, {{IPA|[ˈbaɾβa]}}, {{IPA|[ˈalɣo]}}, {{IPA|[peˈliɣɾo]}}, {{IPA|[ˈdezðe]}} (dial. {{IPA|[ˈdehðe]}} etc.) of Spain and the rest of Spanish America. A notable exception is the region of [[Nariño]]<ref name="auto">{{Harvcoltxt|Canfield|1981|p=36}}</ref> and most ''Costeño'' speech (Atlantic coastal dialects) which feature the soft, fricative realizations common to all other Hispanic American and European dialects.
*The phoneme {{IPA|/x/}} is realized as a glottal {{IPAblink|h}} like in all other regions of Colombia,<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Canfield|1981|p=34}}</ref> except [[Nariño Department]], where the phoneme is realized as velar {{IPAblink|x}}. This phoneme is also heard in southern Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, the Caribbean coast of Venezuela, Ecuadorian coast, the Spanish-speaking islands of the Caribbean, the Canary Islands, and southern Spain—as well as occasionally in Chile, Peru, and Northwest Argentina.

=== Land and inheritance ===

Paisas are very attached to their families and land. As their natural cultural space is on the mountains, it is also a symbol of their land. They give a great importance to surnames and ancestors. They even associate surnames to towns ("''los Pérez son de San Pedro de los Milagros''", the Pérez [family] are from San Pedro de los Milagros). Though the [[patrilinear]] character is very important for families, Paisas keep a strong [[matriarchal]] culture.

Paisas are well known in Colombia for their kindness and welcoming attitude to people from other regions and visitors. They are known to joke and exaggerate creating enjoyable conversations, though this can confuse those who are not used to their way of speaking. They speak proudly of their land, towns, cities, history, traditions and abilities in commerce. It is common that Paisas do not use their local [[demonym]] (for example, "''medellinenses'', ''manizalitas'', etc), but they refer to themselves as "Paisas".

=== Cuisine ===

The Paisa cuisine is very influenced by their traditional rural background of the mountains. It belongs to the Colombian Andes cuisine with abundance of [[bean]]s, [[rice]], [[maize]], [[pork]] and [[cattle]] [[meat]], tropical fruits, [[potato]] and several types of vegetables.<ref>LoPaisa.com: "[http://www.lopaisa.com/recetas.html Las recetas de la abuela]" {{in lang|es}}. Link retrieved on 8 April 2009.</ref>

* '''[[Bandeja paisa]]''': This is a more traditional dish and is generally composed by ''carne asada'' (grilled steak) or ''carne molida'' (finely ground grilled steak), ''chicharrón'' (fried pork rind), rice, red beans, a slice of avocado, sweet fried [[Plantain (cooking)|plantains]], a fried egg, a small white corn ''[[arepa]]'', and sometimes ''[[chorizo]]'' (sausage). Bandeja paisa is also a very popular dish served in Colombian restaurants in Europe and the United States.
* '''[[Sopa de mondongo]]'''.
* '''[[Empanada|Empanada antioqueña]]'''.
* '''[[Beans|Frijoles]]'''.
* '''[[Mazamorra]]'''.
* '''[[Rice]] with [[Chicken]]'''.
* '''[[Arepa#Colombia|Arepa antioqueña]]'''.

=== Music ===
[[File:Tiple.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.9|The [[Tiple]], traditional instrument in the Paisa folklore in genres like the Paisa Trova and Pasillo.]]

The Paisa Region is center of different genres of music among traditional, modern and adopted. The most important instruments of music by tradition are the [[tiple]] and the [[guitar]].

* '''Traditional''':
** '''[[Pasillo]]''': In the Paisa Region has had a great diffusion as it is proven by the annual National Festival of the Colombian Pasillo in [[Aguadas, Caldas|Aguadas]]. [[Carlos Vieco]] is one of the best known Paisa composers of Pasillo for example with "''Hacia el Calvario''" ("Towards Calvary").
** '''Rail Music''': In Spanish ''[[:es:Música de carrilera|Música de Carrilera]]'' is the Paisa "[[Country music]]". It was originated in Antioquia, especially along the [[Antioquia Railway]]. It is also known as "''Música guasca''".
** '''Songs of Heartbreak''': In Spanish ''[[:es:Música de despecho|Música de despecho]]''. In Colombia this genre became identity of the Paisa region. The composer and musician [[Darío Gómez]] of [[San Jerónimo, Antioquia|San Jerónimo]] has been nominated "The King of the Songs of Heartbreak" (''El Rey del Despecho''). His song "''Nadie es eterno''" ("Nobody is Eternal") became one of the most popular song in Colombia. Other artists of this genre are El Charrito Negro, Luis Alberto Posada, Jhonny Rivera, Lady Yuliana, Pipe Bueno, Giovany Ayala, Grupo Tornado, Fernando Burbano, Bera, El Andariego and many others. The Paisa - American [[Lucía Pulido]] is the main artist of this genre in United States.
** '''Paisa Trova''': In Spanish ''[[:es:Trova paisa|Trova paisa]]''. It shows the creativity, humor, mentality, and identity of the Paisas. The most important is to create new Trovas in every performance. Salvo Ruiz and Ñito Restrepo from [[Concordia, Antioquia|Concordia]] are regarded as the fathers of the Paisa Trova.
* '''Adopted''':
** '''[[Tango music|Tango]]''': This [[Argentina|Argentinian]] and [[Uruguay]]an music became popular in Antioquia during the first part of the twentieth century, maybe due to Argentinian migrations to [[Medellín]]. In 1935 the King of Tango, [[Carlos Gardel]], died in a plane crash in the Paisa capital. The Paisa writer [[Manuel Mejía Vallejo]] wrote "''Aire de Tango''" (''Air of Tango''), a work that shows the big influence of Tango in the modern Paisa folklore. The Tango Festival takes place in Barrio Manrique of Medellín where is the "''Tangovía''" and a monument to Gardel.
** '''[[Vallenato]]''': This music from the Caribbean Region of Colombia ([[Valledupar]]), has found in the Paisa Region its place. It was brought especially by young students from the north of Colombia who came to study in the Andean cities. There are several Paisa music groups of Vallenato.

=== Religion ===
Roman Catholicism in Colombia arrived in the region with the Spaniard colonizers at the beginning of the sixteenth century. [[Franciscan]]s settled along with colonizers and built churches and monasteries in the towns founded by the Spaniards. Perhaps Spanish and Portuguese [[marranos]] arrived in the region as well. Roman Catholicism became the predominant religion and Paisas remained devout and churchgoing. The 1991 Colombian Political Constitution that decreed freedom of religion opened the gates to other religious denominations, though Paisas are considered Catholics by culture. The theory of Jewish origins has benefited the Jewish communities in the region as well{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}}. The two first Colombian persons recognized by the Catholic Church as [[Beatification|blessed]] or [[saint]]s are from the Paisa Region: [[Laura Montoya]] (from [[Jericó, Antioquia|Jericó]]) and [[Mariano de Jesús Euse]] (from [[Yarumal]]). A Paisa prelate from [[Tolima Department|Tolima]], Cardinal [[Alfonso López Trujillo]], was close to the Pope [[John Paul II]].

== Notables ==
Several Paisa personalities have been famous in regional, national and international contexts in every field of science, sport, music, technology, economy, politics and even crime. Some of the most notable in an international context:
<!-- please do not extend this list. The names here are only for names at INTERNATIONAL LEVEL. Regional and national names are omitted -->

* '''Artists''': Sculptor [[Rodrigo Arenas|Rodrigo Arenas Betancur]], musicians [[Karol G]], [[Feid]], [[Juanes]], [[Kali Uchis]], [[J Balvin]], [[Maluma (singer)|Maluma]], painter and sculptor [[Fernando Botero]], Prima Ballerina [[Freya Monroy]], painter [[Débora Arango]], philosopher [[Fernando González (writer)|Fernando González]], writers [[Tomás Carrasquilla]], [[Fernando Vallejo]], [[Porfirio Barba-Jacob]], [[Gonzalo Arango]].
* '''Sport''': Football players [[Víctor Aristizábal]], [[René Higuita]], [[Juan Pablo Ángel]], [[Iván Córdoba]], [[Juan Fernando Quintero]], [[David Ospina]] and [[Andrés Escobar]], golfer [[Camilo Villegas]], cyclist [[Mariana Pajón]].
* '''Journalists''': [[Baldomero Sanín Cano]].
* '''Politicians''': [[Belisario Betancur Cuartas]], [[César Gaviria]], [[Sergio Fajardo]], [[Marco Fidel Suárez]], [[Álvaro Uribe]], [[Federico Gutiérrez]], [[Iván Duque]]
* '''Heroes''': General [[José María Córdova]].
* '''Religious''': Cardinal [[Alfonso López Trujillo]], [[Laura Montoya]], [[Mariano de Jesús Euse]].
* '''Infamous''': [[Pablo Escobar]], [[Manuel Marulanda Vélez]], [[Fabio Vásquez Castaño]], [[Luis Alfredo Garavito Cubillos]], [[Carlos Castaño Gil]], [[Vicente Castaño]], [[Fidel Castaño]], [[Jorge Luis Ochoa]], [[Fabio Ochoa Vásquez]], [[Juan David Ochoa]], [[Carlos Lehder]], [[Daniel Rendón Herrera]], [[John Jairo Velásquez]], [[Gustavo Gaviria Rivero]], [[Dandeny Muñoz Mosquera]], [[Miguel Arroyave]], [[Ernesto Báez]], [[Carlos Mario Jiménez]], [[Hernán Giraldo]].

== References ==
=== Notes ===
{{reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
* (1993) "La Colonización Antioqueña" Santa, Eduardo. [Tercer Mundo S.A. Bogotá], {{ISBN|958-601-444-4}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927001926/http://web.foodnetwork.com/food/web/searchResults?searchString=Bandeja+Paisa&site=food&searchType=Recipe&gosearch.x=18&gosearch.y=15%2F Bandeja Paisa Recipe.]
* [http://www.estrellaestereo.com/ Portal de Música tradicional del gusto popular paisa.]
* [http://paisa.fm/ Portal de enlaces paisas.]
*https://bnbcolombia.com/the-top-10-coffee-zone-towns/

[[Category:Culture of Colombia]]