Santiago de Cali (Spanish pronunciation: [sanˈtjaɣo ðe ˈkali]), usually known by its short name "Cali", is the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, and the most populous city in Southwestern Colombia, with an estimated 2,319,655 residents according to 2005-2020/DANE population projections. The city spans 560.3 km2 (216.3 sq mi) with 120.9 km2 (46.7 sq mi) of urban area, making Cali the third largest city proper and metropolitan area in population and the second largest city by area in the country. As the only major Colombian city with access to the Pacific coast, Cali is the main urban and economic centre in Southwestern Colombia, and is one of the fastest growing economies in the country. Cali is also known as the capital of Salsa music. The city was founded on 25 July 1536 by the Spanish conquistador Sebastián de Belalcázar.
Cali is also a center for sports in Colombia, as the only Colombian city to have hosted the Pan American Games (in 1971). Cali hosted the 1992 World Wrestling Championships, the ninth edition of the World Games in 2013, the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in 2014, and the World Youth Championships in Athletics in 2015.