MarÃÂa La Baja is a town and municipality located in the BolÃÂvar Department, northern Colombia.
MarÃÂa La Baja was founded by Alonso de Heredia (brother of Pedro de Heredia) on December 8, 1535.
The municipality of MarÃÂa La Baja has a total area of 547 kmò, bordering to the north with the municipality of Arjona, to the east with the municipalities of Mahates and San Juan Nepomuceno, south with the municipalities of El Carmen de BolÃÂvar and San Jacinto and to the west with the municipality of San Onofre, Sucre. The town of MarÃÂa La Baja has an area of approximately 150 kmò. It is some 72 km away from the Department's capital Cartagena.
A warm climate prevails throughout the year at an average temperature of 28 ðC.
MarÃÂa La Baja has grown substantially in recent years as some 7,000 people have moved into the town from the surrounding countryside since 2000, when the FARC guerrilla group arrived in the hills nearby. According to reports the FARC militants stole cattle. The situation deteriorated further when AUC paramilitaries began to battle FARC, catching civilians in the crossfire. However the security situation has improved with the AUC bloc Heroes de los Montes de MarÃÂa giving up their weapons on July 14, 2005, under a national demobilization plan speared by the government of ÃÂlvaro Uribe. Marines have set up a base on the edge of the town.