Departments of Colombia

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 located in the departments of Amazonas, Cauca, La Guajira, Guaviare, and Vaupés.^[1]

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, Isthmus Department, consisting of two provinces, later became the sovereign country of 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:

• Antioquia Department
• Bolívar Department
• Boyacá Department
• Cauca Department
• Cundinamarca Department
• Magdalena Department
• Panamá Department
• Santander Department
• Tolima Department

Historical predecessors of current departments

More information Current name and flag, Established as a department ...

Current name and flag	Established as a department	Name at time of establishment	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	1905	Department of Caldas	1905	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	Province of 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

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