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Colombia - Departments - Overview and Index

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image by Antonio Broto, 12 July 2001



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Departamentos - Overview

According to the 1991 Political Constitution of Colombia, the current tittle for the formerly Intendencias and Comisareas is Departamentos. this is only a type of territorial entities now.
Mario de la Calle Lombana, 26 September 1999

The Departaments and Capitals are:

Andes Region (Región Andina) - Major City in this Region: Santafé de Bogota
- Nariño/Pasto (San Juan de Pasto)
- Cauca/Popayan
- Valle del Cauca
- Huila/Neiva
- Tolima/Ibagué
- Quindio/Armenia
- Risaralda/Pereira
- Caldas/Manizales
- Cundinamarca/Bogotá (Santafé de Bogotá D.C.)
- Boyacá/Tunja
- Santander/Bucaramanga
- Norte de Santander/Cucutá (San José de Cucutá)
- Antioquia/Medellín

Caribbean Región (Región Caribe) - Major City in this Region: Barranquilla
- Córdoba/Montería
- Sucre/Sincelejo
- Cesar/Valledupar
- Bolívar/Cartagena (Cartagena de Indias)
- Atlántico/Barranquilla
- Magdalena/Santa Marta
- La Guajira/Riohacha

The Pacific Región (Región Pacifica):
The Western Part of Western Mountains of Departamen of Valle del Cauca, Nariño and Cauca are Part of Pacific Región. Mjor City in this Region: Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca
-Chocó/Quibdó (Quibdo)

Orinoquia Region (Región Orinoquía) a.k.a "Llanos Orientales" ( Eastern Plains) - Major City in this Region: Villavicencio:
- Meta/Villavicencio
- Casanare/Yopal
- Vichada/Puerto Carreño
- Arauca/Arauca

Amazon Region (Región Amazonia) - Major City in this Region: Florencia, Caqueta:
- Amazonas/Leticia
- Putumayo/Mocoa
- Caquetá/Florencia
- Guaviare/San José del Guaviare
- Vaupés/Mitú (Mitu)
- Guainía/Puerto Inirida (ex-Puerto Obando)

Insular Region (Región Insular)
-
San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina
- Minor outlying islands

The Constitution of 1991 had created Metropolitan Areas:
- Metropolitan Area of Aburra Valley "Medellin" (Medellín - Barbosa - Bello - Caldas - Copacabana - Envigado - Girardota - Itagui - La Estrella-Sabaneta) was created ny Decree 038 of 13 January of 1991
- Metropolitan Area of Bucaramanga (Bucaramanga - Floridablanca - Piedecuesta - Giron)
- Metropolitan Area of Cucuta (Cucuta - Villa del Rosario - El Zulia - San Cayetano - Los Patios)
- Metropolitan Area of Barranquilla (Barranquilla - Soledad - Malambo - Puerto Colombia)
- Metropolitan Area of Pereira (Pereira - Dosquebradas - La Virginia)

There are also 4 Districts:
- District Capital ( Santafe de Bogota)
- Port and Industrial District of Barranquilla
- Tourism and Cultural District of Cartagena ( Cartagena de Indias )
- Tourism, Cultural and Histrorial District of Santa Marta (In Santa Marta Simon Bolivar Died).
Felipe Carrillo, 23 July 2002

Colombia create 6 New Districts:
Buenaventura, Tumaco, Turbo, Cucutá, Popayán and Tunja
Felipe Carrillo, 12 January 2008

Currently, according to the 1991 Political Constitution of Colombia, the country has 32 Departments. The number of Regions the country officially has is six, according to the IGAC (Instituto Geografico Agustin Codazzi, Agustin Codazzi Geographical Institute), the official government entity in charge of issuing the Official Map of Colombia and its Basic Cartography, as well as other important tasks.
The Regiones Naturales (Natural Regions), in the order reported by the IGAC: - Región Andina (Andean Region), named after the Andes Mountain Range - Región Caribe (Caribbean Region), named after the Carribbean Sea - Región Pacifica (Pacific Region), named after the Pacific Ocean - Región Orinoquía (Orinoquia Region), named after the Orinoco River - Región Amazonia (Amazonia Region), named after the Amazon River - Región Insular (Insular Region), name based on the minor outlying islands.
Source: IGAC's official web site.
E.R., 3 August 2008

Click here for a set of Colombian departments small flags by Blas Delgado, 6 October 2001


List of the "Departamentos"

Distrito Capital


Other Territories

Quita Sueno Bank, Roncador Cay and Serrana Bank

On September 8, 1972, the US and Columbia signed a treaty in Bogota recognizing Columbia's sovereignty over Quita Sueno Bank, Roncador Cay and Serrana Bank. The treaty was effective September 17, 1981.
Phil Nelson , 27 April 2000

Serranilla Bank

Claimed by both the United States and Columbia. This is a series of small cays located approximately 210 miles NNE of Nicaragua. These islands were originally claimed by the US under the Guano Act. Columbia considers this part of the Province Archipelago (San Andrés y Providencia ). Additionally, Honduras appears to have claimed this area as well.
Phil Nelson , 27 April 2000