Barrancabermeja, city, Santander departamento, north-central Colombia, on the Magdalena River. In 1536 a Spanish conquistador, Gonzalo Jiménez de Quezada, discovered the wooden-stockaded Indian settlement of La Tora. The Spaniards eventually renamed it Barrancas-Bermejas (Reddish Cliffs) after the nearby river bluffs. Barrancabermeja became a ranching town and a marketing centre for beef. The Mares Oil Concession (1921) and the development of the petroleum industry gave impetus to its growth. Networks of highways, railroads (including the Atlantic Railway linking Santa Marta and Bogotá), and oil pipelines were built in the locality, and a large oil refinery and an international airport were constructed in the city. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a notable landmark. Pop. (2003 est.) 187,142.