Departments of Colombia

Capital district and Colombian regions
Distrito Capital y los Departamentos de Colombia (Spanish)
La Guajira DepartmentMagdalena DepartmentAtlántico DepartmentCesar DepartmentBolívar DepartmentNorte de Santander DepartmentSucre DepartmentCórdoba DepartmentSantander DepartmentAntioquia DepartmentBoyacá DepartmentArauca DepartmentChocó DepartmentCaldas DepartmentCundinamarca DepartmentCasanare DepartmentVichada DepartmentValle del Cauca DepartmentTolima DepartmentMeta DepartmentHuila DepartmentGuainía DepartmentGuaviare DepartmentCauca DepartmentVaupés DepartmentNariño DepartmentCaquetá DepartmentPutumayo DepartmentAmazonas DepartmentRisaralda DepartmentRisaralda DepartmentQuindío DepartmentQuindío DepartmentBogotáBogotáArchipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina
CategoryUnitary state
LocationRepublic of Colombia
Number32 Departments
1 Capital District
Populations48,932 (Vaupés) – 8,906,342 (Capital District)
Areas50 km2 (19.3 sq mi) (San Andrés) – 109,665.0 km2 (42,341.89 sq mi) (Amazonas)
Government
Subdivisions

Colombia is a unitary republic made up of thirty-two departments (Spanish: departamentos, sing. departamento) and a Capital District (Distrito Capital). Each department has a governor (gobernador) and an Assembly (Asamblea Departamental), elected by popular vote for a four-year period. The governor cannot be re-elected in consecutive periods. Departments are country subdivisions and are granted a certain degree of autonomy.

Departments are formed by a grouping of municipalities (municipios, sing. municipio). Municipal government is headed by mayor (alcalde) and administered by a municipal council (concejo municipal), both of which are elected by popular vote for four-year periods.

Some departments have subdivisions above the level of municipalities, commonly known as provinces.

Chart of departments

Each one of the departments of Colombia in the map below links to a corresponding article. Current governors serving four-year terms from 2024 to 2027 are also shown, along with their respective political party or coalition.

ID Region Governor Party or Coalition Capital Area (km²) Population (December 2022) Density per
km2
Established as a department Flag Code
00 Capital District Carlos Fernando Galán New Liberalism Bogotá 1,587 8,906,342 4670.80 1861 DC
01 Amazonas Óscar Enrique Sánchez Guerrero Historic Pact for Colombia Leticia 109,665 82,068 0.7 1991 AM
02 Antioquia Andrés Julián Rendón Cardona Por Antioquia Firme Medellín 63,612 6,887,306 100.72 1886 AN
03 Arauca Manuel Alexander Pérez Rueda Democratic Center Arauca 23,818 304,978 11.01 1991 AR
04 Atlántico Eduardo Verano de la Rosa Colombian Liberal Party Barranquilla 3,388 2,804,025 748.38 1910 AT
05 Bolívar Yamil Hernando Arana Padaui Bolivar Mejor Cartagena 25,978 2,236,603 79.69 1886 BL
06 Boyacá Carlos Andrés Amaya Rodriguez Boyacá Grande Tunja 23,189 1,259,601 52.50 1824 BY
07 Caldas Henry Gutiérrez Angel Por El Caldas Que Quiere La Gente Manizales 7,888 1,036,455 126.55 1905 CL
08 Caquetá Luis Francisco Ruiz Aguilar Coalición Revive Caqueta Florencia 88,965 419,275 4.52 1981 CQ
09 Casanare César Augusto Ortiz Zorro Coalición Por Casanare Yopal 44,640 442,068 9.42 1991 CS
10 Cauca Jorge Octavio Guzmán Gutiérrez La Fuerza Del Pueblo Popayán 29,308 1,516,018 49.97 1824 CA
11 Cesar Elvia Milena Sanjuán Dávila El Cesar En Marcha Valledupar 22,905 1,341,697 52.42 1967 CE
12 Chocó Nubia Carolina Córdoba Curi Colombian Liberal Party Quibdó 46,530 553,519 11.49 1947 CH
13 Córdoba Erasmo Elías Zuleta Bechara Cordoba Pr1mero Montería 25,020 1,856,496 71.33 1951 CO
14 Cundinamarca Jorge Emilio Rey Ángel Caminando, Escuchando, Gobernando Bogotá 24,210 2,473,634 120.57 1824 CU
15 Guainía Arnulfo Rivera Naranjo Coalición Trabajemos Guainía Inirida 72,238 52,061 0.67 1991 GN
16 Guaviare Yeison Ferney Rojas Martínez Guaviare Seguimos Avanzando San José del Guaviare   53,460 90,357 1.55 1991 GV
17 Huila Rodrigo Villaba Mosquera Por Un Huila Grande Neiva 19,890 1,140,932 55.32 1910 HU
18 La Guajira Jairo Alfonso Aguilar Deluque Union Party for the People, Radical Change, Independent Social Alliance, La Fuerza de la Paz and Partido Demócrata Riohacha 20,848 1,002,394 42.24 1965 LG
19 Magdalena Rafael Alejandro Martínez Fuerza Ciudadana Santa Marta 23,188 1,463,427 57.86 1824 MA
20 Meta Rafaela Cortés Zambrano Coalición Fe y Firmeza Villavicencio 85,635 1,080,706 12.14 1959 ME
21 Nariño Luis Alfonso Escobar Jaramillo Historic Pact for Colombia Pasto 33,268 1,629,181 49.01 1910 NA
22 Norte de Santander William Villamizar Laguado Coalición Por Amor A Nuestra Gente Del Norte Cúcuta 21,658 1,651,278 68.87 1910 NS
23 Putumayo Carlos Andrés Marroquín Luna Coalición Somos La Fuerza De La Gente Mocoa 24,885 369,064 13.99 1991 PU
24 Quindío Juan Miguel Galvis Bedoya Creemos Colombia Armenia 1,845 569,569 292.63 1966 QD
25 Risaralda Juan Diego Patiño Ochoa Colombian Liberal Party Pereira 4,140 977,829 227.87 1966 RI
26 San Andrés y Providencia   Nicolas Iván Gallardo Vásquez Coalición Avanzar es Posible San Andrés 52 65,228 1178.46 1991 SA
27 Santander Juvenal Díaz Mateus Coalición Es Tiempo Juvenal Gobernador Bucaramanga 30,537 2,324,090 71.55 1886 ST
28 Sucre Lucy Inés García Montes Coalición Mujer de Resultados Sincelejo 10,917 972,350 82.89 1966 SU
29 Tolima Adriana Magali Matiz Vargas Coalición Con Seguridad en el Territorio Ibagué 23,562 1,346,935 56.45 1886 TO
30 Valle del Cauca Dilian Francisca Toro Torres Coalición Unidos por el Valle Cali 22,140 4,589,278 202.16 1910 VC
31 Vaupés Luis Alfredo Gutiérrez García Gente en Movimiento Mitú 54,135 48,932 0.75 1991 VP
32 Vichada Hecson Alexys Benito Castro Union Party for the People Puerto Carreño 100,242 115,778 1.08 1991 VD

Indigenous territories

The indigenous territories are at the third level of administrative division in Colombia, as are the municipalities. Indigenous territories are created by agreement between the government and indigenous communities. In cases where indigenous territories cover more than one department or municipality, local governments jointly administer them with the indigenous councils, as set out in Articles 329 and 330 of the Colombian Constitution of 1991. Also indigenous territories may achieve local autonomy if they meet the requirements of the law.

Article 329 of the 1991 constitution recognizes the collective indigenous ownership of indigenous territories and repeats that are inalienable. Law 160 of 1994 created the National System of Agrarian Reform and Rural Development Campesino, and replaced Law 135 of 1961 on Agrarian Social Reform; it establishes and sets out the functions of INCORA, one of the most important being to declare which territories will acquire the status of indigenous protection and what extension of existing ones will be allowed. Decree 2164 of 1995 interprets Law 160 of 1994, providing, among other things, a legal definition of indigenous territories.

Indigenous territories in Colombia are mostly in the departments of Amazonas, Cauca, La Guajira, Guaviare, and Vaupés.

History

Historical predecessors of current departments

Evolution of Colombian Departments
1824
1886
1905
1908
1912
1916
1928
1942
1958
1966
1990
Actual
Current name and flag Established as a department First established under the following name Establishment of earliest territorial predecessor Sovereign State that established the earliest territorial predecessor
 Amazonas 1991 Intendancy of Amazonas 1931  Republic of Colombia
 Antioquia 1886 Province of Antioquia 1576  Crown of Castile
 Arauca 1991 Commissary of Arauca 1911  Republic of Colombia
 Atlántico 1910 Province of Sabanilla 1852  Republic of New Granada
 Bogotá 1861 Federal District of Bogotá 1861  Granadine Confederation
 Bolívar 1886 Province of Cartagena 1533  Crown of Castile
 Boyacá 1824 Province of Tunja 1539  Crown of Castile
 Caldas 1908 Department of Caldas 1908  Republic of Colombia
 Caquetá 1981 Intendancy of Caquetá 1905  Republic of Colombia
 Casanare 1991 Province of Casanare 1660  Crown of Castile
 Cauca 1824 Province of Popayán 1537  Crown of Castile
 Cesar 1967 Department of Cesar 1967  Republic of Colombia
 Chocó 1947 Province of Chocó 1726  Kingdom of Spain
 Córdoba 1951 Department of Córdoba 1951  Republic of Colombia
 Cundinamarca 1824 Province of Santafé de Bogotá 1550  Crown of Castile
 Guainía 1991 Commissary of Guainía 1963  Republic of Colombia
 Guaviare 1991 Commissary of Guaviare 1977  Republic of Colombia
 Huila 1910 Province of Neiva 1610  Crown of Castile
 La Guajira 1965 Provincia de Riohacha 1789  Kingdom of Spain
 Magdalena 1824 Province of Santa Marta 1533  Crown of Castile
 Meta 1959 Intendancy of Meta 1905  Republic of Colombia
 Nariño 1910 Province of Pasto 1823  Republic of Colombia
 Norte de Santander 1910 Province of Pamplona 1555  Crown of Castile
 Putumayo 1991 Commissary of Putumayo 1912  Republic of Colombia
 Quindío 1966 Department of Quindío 1966  Republic of Colombia
 Risaralda 1966 Department of Risaralda 1966  Republic of Colombia
 San Andrés y Providencia 1991 Providence Island Colony 1630  Kingdom of England
 Santander 1886 Province of Socorro 1795  Kingdom of Spain
 Sucre 1966 Department of Sucre 1966  Republic of Colombia
 Tolima 1886 Province of Mariquita 1550  Crown of Castile
 Valle del Cauca 1910 Province of Cauca 1835  Republic of New Granada
 Vaupés 1991 Commissary of Vaupés 1910  Republic of Colombia
 Vichada 1991 Commissary of Vichada 1913  Republic of Colombia

Former departments of Colombia

Name Capital Established as a department on Ceased to exist in Today part of
Gran Colombia Venezuela Caracas 1820 1830  Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Gran Colombia Ecuador Quito 1820 1830  Republic of Ecuador
Gran Colombia Spanish Haiti Santo Domingo 1821 1822  Dominican Republic
Gran Colombia Florida Fernandina 1817 1817  United States of America
Gran Colombia Orinoco Cumaná 1824 1830  Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Gran Colombia Zulia Maracaibo 1824 1830  Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Gran Colombia Apure Barinas 1824 1830  Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Gran Colombia Azuay Cuenca 1824 1830  Republic of Ecuador
Gran Colombia Guayaquil Guayaquil 1824 1830  Republic of Ecuador
Gran Colombia Isthmus Panamá 1824 1830  Republic of Panama
Colombia Panamá Panamá 1886 1903  Republic of Panama
Colombia Galán San Gil 1905 1908  Santander
Colombia Quesada Zipaquirá 1905 1908  Cundinamarca

The Republic of Gran Colombia

When it was first established in 1819, The Republic of Gran Colombia had three departments. Venezuela, Cundinamarca (now Colombia) and Quito (now Ecuador). In 1824, the Distrito del Centro (which became Colombia) was divided into five departments and further divided into seventeen provinces. One department, Istmo Department, consisting of two provinces, later became Panama.

Republic of New Granada

With the dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1826 by the Revolution of the Morrocoyes (La Cosiata), New Granada kept its 17 provinces. In 1832 the provinces of Vélez and Barbacoas were created, and in 1835 those of Buenaventura and Pasto were added. In 1843 those of Cauca, Mompós and Túquerres were created. At this time the cantons (cantones) and parish districts were created, which provided the basis for the present-day municipalities.

By 1853 the number of provinces had increased to thirty-six, namely:Antioquia, Azuero, Barbacoas, Bogotá, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Casanare, Cauca, Chiriquí, Chocó, Córdova, Cundinamarca, García Rovira, Mariquita, Medellín, Mompós, Neiva, Ocaña, Pamplona, Panamá, Pasto, Popayán, Riohacha, Sabanilla, Santa Marta, Santander, Socorro, Soto, Tequendama, Tunja, Tundama, Túquerres, Valle de Upar, Veraguas, Vélez and Zipaquirá. However, the new constitution of 1853 introduced federalism, which lead to the consolidation of provinces into states. By 1858 this process was complete, with a resulting eight federal states: Panamá was formed in 1855, Antioquia in 1856, Santander in May 1857, and Bolívar, Boyacá, Cauca, Cundinamarca and Magdalena were formed in June 1858. 1861 saw the creation of the final federal state of Tolima.

Republic of Colombia

The Colombian Constitution of 1886 converted the states of Colombia into departments, with the state presidents renamed as governors. The states formed the following original departments:

Maps gallery

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-02-28 10:08 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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