Capital district and Colombian regions
Distrito Capital y los Departamentos de Colombia (Spanish)
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).[1] 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 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.[2]

ID Region Governor Party or Coalition Capital Area (km²) Population (December 2022)[3] Density per
km2		 Established as a department Flag Code
00Capital DistrictCarlos Fernando GalánNew LiberalismBogotá 1,5878,906,3424670.801861DC
01AmazonasÓscar Enrique Sánchez GuerreroHistoric Pact for ColombiaLeticia 109,66582,0680.71991AM
02AntioquiaAndrés Julián Rendón CardonaPor Antioquia FirmeMedellín 63,6126,887,306100.721886AN
03AraucaManuel Alexander Pérez RuedaDemocratic CenterArauca 23,818304,97811.011991AR
04AtlánticoEduardo Verano de la RosaColombian Liberal PartyBarranquilla 3,3882,804,025748.381910AT
05BolívarYamil Hernando Arana PadauiBolivar MejorCartagena 25,9782,236,60379.691886BL
06BoyacáCarlos Andrés Amaya RodriguezBoyacá GrandeTunja 23,1891,259,60152.501824BY
07CaldasHenry Gutiérrez AngelPor El Caldas Que Quiere La GenteManizales 7,8881,036,455126.551905CL
08CaquetáLuis Francisco Ruiz AguilarCoalición Revive CaquetaFlorencia 88,965419,2754.521981CQ
09CasanareCésar Augusto Ortiz ZorroCoalición Por CasanareYopal 44,640442,0689.421991CS
10CaucaJorge Octavio Guzmán GutiérrezLa Fuerza Del PuebloPopayán 29,3081,516,01849.971824CA
11CesarElvia Milena Sanjuán DávilaEl Cesar En MarchaValledupar 22,9051,341,69752.421967CE
12ChocóNubia Carolina Córdoba CuriColombian Liberal PartyQuibdó 46,530553,51911.491947CH
13CórdobaErasmo Elías Zuleta BecharaCordoba Pr1meroMontería 25,0201,856,49671.331951CO
14CundinamarcaJorge Emilio Rey ÁngelCaminando, Escuchando, GobernandoBogotá 24,2102,473,634120.571824CU
15GuainíaArnulfo Rivera Naranjo Coalición Trabajemos GuainíaInirida 72,23852,0610.671991GN
16GuaviareYeison Ferney Rojas MartínezGuaviare Seguimos AvanzandoSan José del Guaviare   53,46090,3571.551991GV
17HuilaRodrigo Villaba MosqueraPor Un Huila GrandeNeiva 19,8901,140,93255.321910HU
18La GuajiraJairo Alfonso Aguilar DeluqueUnion Party for the People, Radical Change, Independent Social Alliance, La Fuerza de la Paz and Partido DemócrataRiohacha 20,8481,002,39442.241965LG
19MagdalenaRafael Alejandro MartínezFuerza CiudadanaSanta Marta 23,1881,463,42757.861824MA
20MetaRafaela Cortés ZambranoCoalición Fe y FirmezaVillavicencio 85,6351,080,70612.141959ME
21NariñoLuis Alfonso Escobar JaramilloHistoric Pact for ColombiaPasto 33,2681,629,18149.011910NA
22Norte de SantanderWilliam Villamizar LaguadoCoalición Por Amor A Nuestra Gente Del NorteCúcuta 21,6581,651,27868.871910NS
23PutumayoCarlos Andrés Marroquín LunaCoalición Somos La Fuerza De La GenteMocoa 24,885369,06413.991991PU
24QuindíoJuan Miguel Galvis BedoyaCreemos ColombiaArmenia 1,845569,569292.631966QD
25RisaraldaJuan Diego Patiño OchoaColombian Liberal PartyPereira 4,140977,829227.871966RI
26San Andrés y Providencia  Nicolas Iván Gallardo VásquezCoalición Avanzar es PosibleSan Andrés 5265,2281178.461991SA
27SantanderJuvenal Díaz MateusCoalición Es Tiempo Juvenal GobernadorBucaramanga 30,5372,324,09071.551886ST
28SucreLucy Inés García MontesCoalición Mujer de ResultadosSincelejo 10,917972,35082.891966SU
29TolimaAdriana Magali Matiz VargasCoalición Con Seguridad en el TerritorioIbagué 23,5621,346,93556.451886TO
30Valle del CaucaDilian Francisca Toro TorresCoalición Unidos por el ValleCali 22,1404,589,278202.161910VC
31VaupésLuis Alfredo Gutiérrez GarcíaGente en MovimientoMitú 54,13548,9320.751991VP
32VichadaHecson Alexys Benito CastroUnion Party for the PeoplePuerto Carreño 100,242115,7781.081991VD

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.[4]

Indigenous territories in Colombia are mostly in the departments of Amazonas, Cauca, La Guajira, Guaviare, and Vaupés.[1]

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).[5] 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.[6]

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.[6][7]

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.[7] 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.[8]

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:

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Division Política de Colombia" (in Spanish). Portal ColombiaYA.com. Archived from the original on 10 March 2009.
  2. ↑ "Elecciones Territoriales 2023 - Resultados Electorales". La República (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  3. ↑ http://www.dane.gov.co/daneweb_V09/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=307&Itemid=124 |archive= https://web.archive.org/web/20110517163649/http://www.dane.gov.co/daneweb_V09/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=307&Itemid=124
  4. ↑ Decree 2164 of 1995 provides "Reserva Indígena. Es un globo de terreno baldío ocupado por una o varias comunidades indígenas que fué delimitado y legalmente asignado por el INCORA a aquellas para que ejerzan en él los derechos de uso y usufructo con exclusión de terceros. Las reservas indígenas constituyen tierras comunales de grupos étnicos, para los fines previstos en el artículo 63 de la Constitución Política y la ley 21 de 1991. […] Territorios Indígenas. Son las áreas poseidas en forma regular y permanente por una comunidad, parcialidad o grupo indígena y aquellas que, aunque no se encuentren poseidas en esa forma, constituyen el ámbito tradicional de sus actividades sociales, económicas y culturales. " Art. 21: "Los resguardos son una institución legal y sociopolítica de carácter especial, conformada por una o más comunidades indígenas, que con un título de propiedad colectiva que goza de las garantías de la propiedad privada, poseen su territorio y se rigen para el manejo de éste y su vida interna por una organización autónoma amparada por el fuero indígena y su sistema normativo propio."
  5. ↑ Guhl Nannetti, Ernesto (1991). "Capítulo XII: División Política de la Gran Colombia". Las fronteras políticas y los límites naturales: escritos geograficos [Political Boundaries and Their Natural Limits: Geographic writings] (in Spanish). Bogotá: Fondo FEN. ISBN 978-958-9129-22-7.
  6. 1 2 Aguilera Peña, Mario (January 2002). "División política administrativa de Colombia". Credential Historia (in Spanish). Bogotá: Banco de la República. Archived from the original on 16 February 2011.
  7. 1 2 Oficina Nacional de Estadística (Office of National Statistics) (1876). "Estadística de Colombia" [Colombian Statistics] (PDF) (in Spanish). Bogotá: Oficina Nacional de Estadística. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  8. ↑ Domínguez, Camilo; Chaparro, Jeffer; Gómez, Carla (2006). "Construcción y deconstrucción territorial del Caribe Colombiano durante el siglo XIX". Scripta Nova (Revista Electrónica de Geografía y Ciencias Sociales). 10 (218 (75)).
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