View source for Departments of Colombia

{{Short description|National subdivisions in Colombia}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=March 2009}}

{{Infobox subdivision type
| name               = Capital district and Colombian regions<br />Distrito Capital y los Departamentos de Colombia ([[Spanish language|Spanish]])
| alt_name           =
| map                = {{Colombia map clickable}}
| category           = [[Unitary state]]
| territory          = [[Colombia|Republic of Colombia]]
| start_date         =
| current_number     = 32 [[#Current departments|Departments]]<br />1 [[Bogotá|Capital District]]
| number_date        =
| population_range   = 48,932 ([[Vaupés department|Vaupés]]) – 8,906,342  ([[Bogotá|Capital District]])
| area_range         = {{Convert|19.3|sqmi|km2|abbr=on|order=flip}} ([[Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina|San Andrés]]) – {{Convert|42341.89|sqmi|km2|abbr=on|order=flip}} ([[Amazonas (Colombian department)|Amazonas]])
| government         = Department government, [[politics of Colombia|national government]]
| subdivision        = [[Provinces of Colombia|Province]], [[municipalities of Colombia|municipality]]
}}

[[Colombia]] is a [[unitary state|unitary republic]] made up of thirty-two [[administrative division]]s referred to as '''departments''' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]: ''departamentos'', sing. {{Lang|es|[[departamento]]}}) and one Capital District (''[[Capital districts and territories|Distrito Capital]]'').<ref name="Portal-Co">{{cite web |title=Division Política de Colombia |url=http://www.colombiaya.com/seccion-colombia/division-politica.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310072713/http://www.colombiaya.com/seccion-colombia/division-politica.html |archive-date=10 March 2009 |publisher=Portal ColombiaYA.com |language=es}}</ref> Departments are [[administrative division|country subdivisions]] and are granted a certain degree of autonomy. 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 formed by a grouping of [[municipalities of Colombia|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.

== Internal subdivisions within departments ==
The current borders and number of the departments of [[Colombia]] was finally set after the [[1991 Colombian Constitution]] came into effect. Before that, the number of departments went from the original nine federal states of the [[United States of Colombia]] who ratified the [[Constitution of Colombia|Constitution of 1863]] ([[Antioquia State|Antioquia]], [[Bolívar State, Colombia|Bolívar]], [[Boyacá State|Boyacá]], [[Cauca State|Cauca]], [[Cundinamarca State|Cundinamarca]], [[Magdalena State|Magdalena]], [[Panama State|Panamá]], [[Santander State|Santander]] and [[Tolima State|Tolima]]) to the current 32 departments that exist in the present-day [[Republic of Colombia]].

All departments of Colombia are further subdivided into various [[Municipality|municipalities]], which represent smaller areas of the department and are often, but not always, coterminous with the urban and rural limits of a given city or town. Some municipalities might also include smaller [[Town|towns]] or [[Hamlet (place)|hamlets]] (known as corregimientos in Spanish), within the borders of the wider municipality. The rural subdivisions of municipalities are known in Spanish as ''veredas''.

Most departments also group various municipalities into regions which are larger than a municipality and are usually known as either [[Provinces of Colombia|provinces or subregions]]. These subdivisions work as an intermediate level subnational regions between a department and a municipality. However, this provinces or subregions do not feature in the [[1991 Colombian Constitution]] and are thus defined instead by the departmental governments and assemblies.
== List of current departments ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Departments of Colombia
|-
! ID
! Map
! Region
! [[Capital city|Capital]]
! Area (km<sup>2</sup>)
! Population (December 2022)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dane.gov.co/daneweb_V09/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=307&Itemid=124 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110517163649/http://www.dane.gov.co/daneweb_V09/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=307&Itemid=124|title=Censo General 2005|archivedate=2011-05-17}}</ref>
! Density per<br />km<sup>2</sup>
! Established as a department
! Flag
![[ISO 3166-2:CO|Code]]
! Governor (2024–2027)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Elecciones Territoriales 2023 - Resultados Electorales |url=https://www.larepublica.co/elecciones-territoriales-2023 |access-date=2024-01-15 |website=La República |language=es}}</ref>
! Party or Coalition<ref name=":0" />
|-
|  00 || [[File:Capital District in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Bogotá|Capital District]] ||  [[Bogotá]]
|   {{commas|1587}} ||  {{commas|8906342}} ||4670.80|| 1861  ||  [[File:Flag of Bogotá.svg|border|50px]] ||DC|| align="left" | [[Carlos Fernando Galán]]|| [[New Liberalism (Colombia)|New Liberalism]]
|-
|  01 || [[File:Amazonas in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Amazonas (Colombian department)|Amazonas]] || [[Leticia, Amazonas|Leticia]]
| {{commas|109665}} ||   {{commas|82068}} ||0.7|| 1991  ||  [[File:Flag of Amazonas (Colombia).svg|border|50px]] ||AM|| align="left" | Óscar Enrique Sánchez Guerrero || [[Historic Pact for Colombia]]
|-
|  02 || [[File:Antioquia in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Antioquia Department|Antioquia]] ||  [[Medellín]]
|  {{commas|63612}} || {{commas|6887306}} ||100.72|| 1886  ||  [[File:Flag of Antioquia Department.svg|border|50px]] ||AN|| align="left" | Andrés Julián Rendón Cardona || Por Antioquia Firme 
|-
|  03 || [[File:Arauca in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Arauca Department|Arauca]]       ||  [[Arauca, Arauca|Arauca]]
|  {{commas|23818}} ||  {{commas|304978}} ||11.01|| 1991  ||  [[File:Flag of Arauca.svg|border|50px]] ||AR|| align="left" | Manuel Alexander Pérez Rueda || [[Democratic Center (Colombia)|Democratic Center]]
|-
|  04 || [[File:Atlantico in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Atlántico Department|Atlántico]] ||  [[Barranquilla]]
|   {{commas|3388}} || {{commas|2804025}} ||748.38|| 1910  ||  [[File:Flag of Atlántico.svg|border|50px]] ||AT|| align="left" | [[Eduardo Verano de la Rosa]]|| [[Colombian Liberal Party]]
|-
|  05 || [[File:Bolivar in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Bolívar Department|Bolívar]]     ||  [[Cartagena, Colombia|Cartagena]]
|  {{commas|25978}} || {{commas|2236603}} ||79.69|| 1886  ||  [[File:Flag of Bolívar (Colombia).svg|border|50px]] ||BL|| align="left" | Yamil Hernando Arana Padaui || Bolivar Mejor 
|-
|  06 || [[File:Boyaca in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Boyacá Department|Boyacá]]       ||  [[Tunja]]
|  {{commas|23189}} || {{commas|1259601}} ||52.50|| 1824  ||  [[File:Flag of Boyacá Department.svg|border|50px]] ||BY|| align="left" | [[Carlos Amaya]] || Boyacá Grande 
|-
|  07 || [[File:Caldas in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Caldas Department|Caldas]]       ||  [[Manizales]]
|   {{commas|7888}} || {{commas|1036455}} ||126.55|| 1905  ||  [[File:Flag of Caldas.svg|border|50px]] ||CL|| align="left" | Henry Gutiérrez Angel || Por El Caldas Que Quiere La Gente 
|-
|  08 || [[File:Caqueta in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Caquetá Department|Caquetá]]     ||  [[Florencia, Caquetá|Florencia]]
|  {{commas|88965}} ||  {{commas|419275}} ||4.52|| 1981  ||  [[File:Flag of Caquetá.svg|border|50px]] ||CQ|| align="left" | Luis Francisco Ruiz Aguilar || Coalición Revive Caqueta 
|-
|  09 || [[File:Casanare in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Casanare Department|Casanare]]   ||  [[Yopal]]
|  {{commas|44640}} ||  {{commas|442068}} ||9.42|| 1991  ||  [[File:Flag of Casanare Department.svg|border|50px]] ||CS|| align="left" | César Augusto Ortiz Zorro || Coalición Por Casanare 
|-
| 10 || [[File:Cauca in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Cauca Department|Cauca]]         ||  [[Popayán]]
|  {{commas|29308}} || {{commas|1516018}} ||49.97|| 1824  ||  [[File:Flag of Cauca Department.svg|border|50px]] ||CA|| align="left" | Jorge Octavio  Guzmán Gutiérrez || La Fuerza Del Pueblo 
|-
| 11 || [[File:Cesar in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Cesar Department|Cesar]]         ||  [[Valledupar]]
|  {{commas|22905}} || {{commas|1341697}} ||52.42|| 1967  ||  [[File:Flag of Cesar.svg|border|50px]] ||CE|| align="left" | Elvia Milena Sanjuán Dávila || El Cesar En Marcha  
|-
| 12 || [[File:Choco in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Chocó Department|Chocó]]         ||  [[Quibdó]]
|  {{commas|46530}} ||  {{commas|553519}} ||11.49|| 1947  ||  [[File:Flag of Chocó.svg|border|50px]] ||CH|| align="left" | Nubia Carolina Córdoba Curi || [[Colombian Liberal Party]]
|-
| 13 || [[File:Cordoba in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Córdoba Department|Córdoba]]     ||  [[Montería]]
|  {{commas|25020}} || {{commas|1856496}} ||71.33|| 1951  ||  [[File:Flag of Córdoba Department.svg|border|50px]] ||CO|| align="left" | Erasmo Elías Zuleta Bechara || Cordoba Pr1mero 
|-
| 14 || [[File:Cundinamarca in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Cundinamarca Department|Cundinamarca]] ||  [[Bogotá]]
|  {{commas|24210}} || <big></big>{{commas|2473634}} ||120.57|| 1819  ||  [[File:Flag of Cundinamarca.svg|border|50px]] ||CU|| align="left" | Jorge Emilio Rey Ángel || Caminando, Escuchando, Gobernando  
|-
| 15 || [[File:Guainia in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Guainía Department|Guainía]]     ||  [[Inírida, Guainía|Inirida]]
|  {{commas|72238}} ||   {{commas|52061}} ||0.67|| 1991  ||  [[File:Flag of Guainía.svg|border|50px]] ||GN|| align="left" |Arnulfo Rivera Naranjo
| Coalición Trabajemos Guainía 
|-
| 16 || [[File:Guaviare in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Guaviare Department|Guaviare]]   ||  [[San José del Guaviare]]{{spaces|2}}
|  {{commas|53460}} ||   {{commas|90357}} ||1.55|| 1991  ||  [[File:Flag of Guaviare.svg|border|50px]] ||GV|| align="left" | Yeison Ferney Rojas Martínez || Guaviare Seguimos Avanzando 
|-
| 17 || [[File:Huila in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Huila Department|Huila]]         ||  [[Neiva, Huila|Neiva]]
|  {{commas|19890}} ||   {{commas|1140932}} ||55.32|| 1910  ||  [[File:Flag of Huila.svg|border|50px]] ||HU|| align="left" | Rodrigo Villaba Mosquera ||Por Un Huila Grande 
|-
| 18 || [[File:La Guajira in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[La Guajira Department|La Guajira]] ||  [[Riohacha]]
|  {{commas|20848}} ||   {{commas|1002394}} ||42.24|| 1965  ||  [[File:Flag of La Guajira.svg|border|50px]] ||LG|| align="left" | Jairo Alfonso Aguilar Deluque  || [[Union Party for the People]], [[Radical Change]], [[Independent Social Alliance]], La Fuerza de la Paz and Partido Demócrata 
|-
| 19 || [[File:Magdalena in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Magdalena Department|Magdalena]] ||  [[Santa Marta]]
|  {{commas|23188}} ||  {{commas|1463427}} ||57.86|| 1824  ||  [[File:Flag of Magdalena.svg|border|50px]] ||MA|| align="left" | Rafael Alejandro Martínez || Fuerza Ciudadana 
|-
| 20 || [[File:Meta in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Meta Department|Meta]]           ||  [[Villavicencio]]
|  {{commas|82805}} ||   {{commas|1080706}} ||12.14|| 1959  ||  [[File:Flag of Meta.svg|border|50px]] ||ME|| align="left" | Rafaela Cortés Zambrano || Coalición Fe y Firmeza 
|-
| 21 || [[File:Narino in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Nariño Department|Nariño]]       ||  [[Pasto (Colombia)|Pasto]]
|  {{commas|33268}} ||  {{commas|1629181}} ||49.01|| 1910  ||  [[File:Flag of Nariño.svg|border|50px]] ||NA|| align="left" | Luis Alfonso Escobar Jaramillo || [[Historic Pact for Colombia]]
|-
| 22 || [[File:Norte de Santander in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Norte de Santander Department|Norte de Santander]] ||  [[Cúcuta]]
|  {{commas|21658}} ||  {{commas|1651278}} ||68.87|| 1910  ||  [[File:Flag of Norte de Santander.svg|border|50px]] ||NS|| align="left" | William Villamizar Laguado || Coalición Por Amor A Nuestra Gente Del Norte 
|-
| 23 || [[File:Putumayo in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Putumayo Department|Putumayo]]   ||  [[Mocoa]]
|  {{commas|24885}} ||   {{commas|369064}} ||13.99|| 1991  ||  [[File:Flag of Putumayo.svg|border|50px]] ||PU|| align="left" | Carlos Andrés Marroquín Luna || Coalición Somos La Fuerza De La Gente  
|-
| 24 || [[File:Quindio in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Quindío Department|Quindío]]     ||  [[Armenia, Colombia|Armenia]]
|   {{commas|1845}} ||   {{commas|569569}} ||292.63|| 1966  ||  [[File:Flag of Quindío Department.svg|border|50px]] ||QD|| align="left" | Juan Miguel Galvis Bedoya || Creemos Colombia 
|-
| 25 || [[File:Risaralda in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Risaralda Department|Risaralda]] ||  [[Pereira, Colombia|Pereira]]
|   {{commas|4140}} ||  {{commas|977829}} ||227.87|| 1966  ||  [[File:Flag of Risaralda.svg|border|50px]] ||RI|| align="left" | Juan Diego Patiño Ochoa || [[Colombian Liberal Party]]
|-
| 26 || [[File:San Andres and Providencia in Colombia.svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina|San Andrés y Providencia]]{{spaces|2}} ||  [[San Andrés, San Andrés y Providencia|San Andrés]]
|     {{commas|52}} ||    {{commas|65228}} ||1178.46|| 1991  ||  [[File:Flag of San Andrés y Providencia.svg|border|50px]] ||SA|| align="left" | Nicolas Iván Gallardo Vásquez || Coalición Avanzar es Posible 
|-
| 27 || [[File:Santander in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Santander Department|Santander]] ||  [[Bucaramanga]]
|  {{commas|30537}} ||  {{commas|2324090}} ||71.55|| 1886  ||  [[File:Flag of Santander Department.svg|border|50px]] ||ST|| align="left" | Juvenal Díaz Mateus || Coalición Es Tiempo Juvenal Gobernador  
|-
| 28 || [[File:Sucre in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Sucre Department|Sucre]]         ||  [[Sincelejo]]
|  {{commas|10917}} ||   {{commas|972350}} ||82.89|| 1966  ||  [[File:Flag of Sucre (Colombia).svg|border|50px]] ||SU|| align="left" | Lucy Inés García Montes || Coalición Mujer de Resultados 
|-
| 29 || [[File:Tolima in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Tolima Department|Tolima]]       ||  [[Ibagué]]
|  {{commas|23562}} ||  {{commas|1346935}} ||56.45|| 1886  ||  [[File:Flag of Tolima Department.svg|border|50px]] ||TO|| align="left" | Adriana Magali Matiz Vargas || Coalición Con Seguridad en el Territorio 
|-
| 30 || [[File:Valle del Cauca in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Valle del Cauca Department|Valle del Cauca]] ||  [[Cali]]
|  {{commas|22140}} ||  {{commas|4589278}} ||202.16|| 1910  ||  [[File:Flag of Valle del Cauca.svg|border|50px]] ||VC|| align="left" | Dilian Francisca Toro Torres || Coalición Unidos por el Valle  
|-
| 31 || [[File:Vaupes in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Vaupés Department|Vaupés]]       ||  [[Mitú]]
|  {{commas|54135}} ||    {{commas|48932}} ||0.75|| 1991  ||  [[File:Flag of Vaupés.svg|border|50px]] ||VA|| align="left" | Luis Alfredo Gutiérrez García || Gente en Movimiento 
|-
| 32 || [[File:Vichada in Colombia (mainland).svg|250px|thumb|left]] ||align="left"| [[Vichada Department|Vichada]]     ||  [[Puerto Carreño]]
| {{commas|100242}} ||    {{commas|115778}} ||1.08|| 1991  ||  [[File:Flag of Vichada Department.svg|border|50px]] ||VD|| align="left" | Hecson Alexys Benito Castro || [[Union Party for the People]]
|}

=== Indigenous territories ===
{{main article|Indigenous territory (Colombia)}}
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#Politics|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.<ref>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."</ref>

Indigenous territories in Colombia are mostly located in the departments of Amazonas, Cauca, La Guajira, Guaviare, and Vaupés.<ref name="Portal-Co" />

== History ==
{|
| colspan=6 align="center" | '''Territorial evolution of Colombian departments'''
|-
| [[file:Colombia in 1824.svg|none|100px]]1824
| [[file:Colombia in 1886.svg|none|100px]]1886
| [[file:Colombia in 1905.svg|none|100px]]1905
| [[file:Colombia in 1908.svg|none|100px]]1908
| [[file:Colombia in 1912.svg|none|100px]]1912
| [[file:Colombia in 1916.svg|none|100px]]1916
|-
| [[file:Colombia in 1928.svg|none|100px]]1928
| [[file:Colombia in 1942.svg|none|100px]]1942
| [[file:Colombia in 1958.svg|none|100px]]1958
| [[file:Colombia in 1966.svg|none|100px]]1966
| [[file:Colombia in 1990.svg|none|100px]]1990
| [[file:Colombia in 2000.svg|none|100px]]Present day
|}

=== Gran Colombia ===
{{main article|Subdivisions of Gran Colombia}}

When it was first established in 1819, The Republic of [[Gran Colombia]] had three departments. [[Venezuela Department (1820)|Venezuela]], [[Cundinamarca Department (1820)|Cundinamarca]] (now Colombia) and [[Quito Department|Quito]] (now Ecuador).<ref name="Guhl">{{Cite book |last=Guhl Nannetti |first=Ernesto |title=Las fronteras políticas y los límites naturales: escritos geograficos |publisher=Fondo FEN |year=1991 |isbn=978-958-9129-22-7 |location=Bogotá |language=es |trans-title=Political Boundaries and Their Natural Limits: Geographic writings |chapter=Capítulo XII: División Política de la Gran Colombia}}</ref> 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]].<ref name="Aguilera-Pena">{{Cite web |last=Aguilera Peña |first=Mario |date=January 2002 |title=División política administrativa de Colombia |url=http://www.banrepcultural.org/blaavirtual/revistas/credencial/enero2002/division.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110216082657/http://www.banrepcultural.org/blaavirtual/revistas/credencial/enero2002/division.htm |archive-date=16 February 2011 |work=Credential Historia |publisher=Banco de la República |language=es |issue=145 |location=Bogotá}}</ref>

===Republic of New Granada===
{{main article|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.<ref name="Aguilera-Pena" /><ref name="Estadística">{{Cite FTP|title=Estadística de Colombia|trans-title=Colombian Statistics|author=Oficina Nacional de Estadística (Office of National Statistics)|language=es|location=Bogotá|year=1876|url=ftp://ftp.colombiestad.gov.co/books/LD_70104_1876.PDF|server=Oficina Nacional de Estadística|url-status=dead|access-date=23 November 2016}}</ref>

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.<ref name="Estadística" /> 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.<ref name="Domínguez">{{Cite journal |author1=Domínguez, Camilo |author2=Chaparro, Jeffer |author3=Gómez, Carla |year=2006 |title=Construcción y deconstrucción territorial del Caribe Colombiano durante el siglo XIX |url=http://www.ub.edu/geocrit/sn/sn-218-75.htm |journal=Scripta Nova (Revista Electrónica de Geografía y Ciencias Sociales) |volume=10 |issue=218 (75)}}</ref>

===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]]
* [[Panama Department (1886)|Panamá Department]]
* [[Santander Department]]
* [[Tolima Department]]

=== Historical predecessors of current departments ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!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
|-
|{{Flag|Amazonas Department|name=Amazonas}}
|1991
|Intendancy of Amazonas
|1931
|{{Flag|Colombia|name=Republic of Colombia}}
|-
|{{Flag|Antioquia}}
|1886
|Province of Antioquia
|1576
|{{Flag|Crown of Castile}}
|-
|{{Flag|Arauca}}
|1991
|Commissary of Arauca
|1911
|{{Flag|Colombia|name=Republic of Colombia}}
|-
|{{Flag|Atlántico}}
|1910
|Province of Sabanilla
|1852
|{{Flag|Republic of New Granada}}
|-
|{{Flag|Bogotá}}
|1861
|Federal District of Bogotá
|1861
|{{Flag|Granadine Confederation}}
|-
|{{Flag|Bolívar, Colombia|name=Bolívar}}
|1886
|Province of Cartagena
|1533
|{{Flag|Crown of Castile}}
|-
|{{Flag|Boyacá}}
|1824
|Province of Tunja
|1539
|{{Flag|Crown of Castile}}
|-
|{{Flag|Caldas}}
|1905
|Department of Caldas
|1905
|{{Flag|Colombia|name=Republic of Colombia}}
|-
|{{Flag|Caquetá}}
|1981
|Intendancy of Caquetá
|1905
|{{Flag|Colombia|name=Republic of Colombia}}
|-
|{{Flag|Casanare}}
|1991
|Province of Casanare
|1660
|{{Flag|Crown of Castile}}
|-
|{{Flag|Cauca}}
|1824
|Province of Popayán
|1537
|{{Flag|Crown of Castile}}
|-
|{{Flag|Cesar}}
|1967
|Department of Cesar
|1967
|{{Flag|Colombia|name=Republic of Colombia}}
|-
|{{Flag|Chocó}}
|1947
|Province of Chocó
|1726
|{{Flag|Spain|1701|name=Kingdom of Spain}}
|-
|{{Flag|Córdoba, Colombia|name=Córdoba}}
|1951
|Department of Córdoba
|1951
|{{Flag|Colombia|name=Republic of Colombia}}
|-
|{{Flag|Cundinamarca}}
|1824
|Province of Santafé de Bogotá
|1550
|{{Flag|Crown of Castile}}
|-
|{{Flag|Guainía}}
|1991
|Commissary of Guainía
|1963
|{{Flag|Colombia|name=Republic of Colombia}}
|-
|{{Flag|Guaviare}}
|1991
|Commissary of Guaviare
|1977
|{{Flag|Colombia|name=Republic of Colombia}}
|-
|{{Flag|Huila}}
|1910
|Province of Neiva
|1610
|{{Flag|Crown of Castile}}
|-
|{{Flag|La Guajira}}
|1965
|Province of Riohacha
|1789
|{{Flag|Spain|1785|name=Kingdom of Spain}}
|-
|{{Flag|Magdalena}}
|1824
|Province of Santa Marta
|1533
|{{Flag|Crown of Castile}}
|-
|{{Flag|Meta}}
|1959
|Intendancy of Meta
|1905
|{{Flag|Colombia|name=Republic of Colombia}}
|-
|{{Flag|Nariño}}
|1910
|Province of Pasto
|1823
|{{Flag|Gran Colombia|name=Republic of Colombia}}
|-
|{{Flag|Norte de Santander}}
|1910
|Province of Pamplona
|1555
|{{Flag|Crown of Castile}}
|-
|{{Flag|Putumayo}}
|1991
|Commissary of Putumayo
|1912
|{{Flag|Colombia|name=Republic of Colombia}}
|-
|{{Flag|Quindío}}
|1966
|Department of Quindío
|1966
|{{Flag|Colombia|name=Republic of Colombia}}
|-
|{{Flag|Risaralda}}
|1966
|Department of Risaralda
|1966
|{{Flag|Colombia|name=Republic of Colombia}}
|-
|{{Flag|San Andrés y Providencia}}
|1991
|Providence Island Colony
|1630
|{{Flag|Kingdom of England}}
|-
|{{Flag|Santander Department|name=Santander}}
|1886
|Province of Socorro
|1795
|{{Flag|Spain|1785|name=Kingdom of Spain}}
|-
|{{Flag|Sucre, Colombia|name=Sucre}}
|1966
|Department of Sucre
|1966
|{{Flag|Colombia|name=Republic of Colombia}}
|-
|{{Flag|Tolima}}
|1886
|Province of Mariquita
|1550
|{{Flag|Crown of Castile}}
|-
|{{Flag|Valle del Cauca}}
|1910
|Province of Cauca
|1835
|{{Flag|Republic of New Granada}}
|-
|{{Flag|Vaupés}}
|1991
|Commissary of Vaupés
|1910
|{{Flag|Colombia|name=Republic of Colombia}}
|-
|{{Flag|Vichada}}
|1991
|Commissary of Vichada
|1913
|{{Flag|Colombia|name=Republic of Colombia}}
|}

== Map gallery ==
<gallery mode=packed heights=230px>
File:Departamentos colombia.svg|Departments of Colombia with [[Municipalities of Colombia|municipalities]]
File:Colombia-departamentos.svg|Map with numbered departments
File:Colombia, administrative divisions - es - colored (+box).svg|Departments of Colombia with names
File:Colombia, administrative divisions - es - colored.svg|Political map of Colombia
File:Colombia relief location map.jpg|Topography of Colombia, highly variable per department
</gallery>
{{clear}}

==See also==
{{portal|Colombia}}
* [[ISO 3166-2:CO]]
* [[List of Colombian flags]]
* [[Lists of political and geographic subdivisions by total area]]
* [[States of Colombia]]
* [[List of Colombian departments by Human Development Index]]

== References ==
<references />

==External links==
* {{statoids|id=uco|title=Departments of Colombia}}

{{Departments of Colombia}}
{{Colombia topics}}
{{Articles on first-level administrative divisions of South American countries}}

[[Category:Departments of Colombia| ]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of Colombia]]
[[Category:Lists of administrative divisions|Colombia, Departments]]
[[Category:First-level administrative divisions by country|Departments, Colombia]]
[[Category:Colombia geography-related lists]]