Political

Geography of
Colombia
COLEGIO JOS ALLAMANO
 Political Geography
of Colombia
According to the 1991 Constitution,
Colombia is divided into 32 departments
and a single capital district (Bogot).
Currently, there are approximately 1,123
municipalities, including the Capital District,
and the districts of Barranquilla, Cartagena,
Santa Marta and Buenaventura (in 2009, by
decision of the Constitutional Court, the
legislative act passed in 2007 that the cities
Tunja, Ccuta, Popayn, Turbo and Tumaco
was largely declared unfeasible, giving this
distinction only to Buenaventura
 # Departamento Capital
# Departamento Capital 18 La Guajira Riohacha
1 Amazonas Leticia 19 Magdalena Santa Marta
2 Antioquia Medelln 20 Meta Villavicencio
3 Arauca Arauca 21 Nario Pasto
4 Atlntico Barranquilla 22 Norte de Santander Ccuta
5 Bolvar Cartagena 23 Putumayo Mocoa
6 Boyac Tunja 24 Quindo Armenia
7 Caldas Manizales 25 Risaralda Pereira
8 Caquet Florencia 26 San Andrs y Providencia San Andrs
9 Casanare Yopal 27 Santander Bucaramanga
10 Cauca Popayn 28 Sucre Sincelejo
11 Cesar Valledupar 29 Tolima Ibagu
12 Choc Quibd 30 Valle del Cauca Cali
13 Crdoba Montera 31 Vaups Mit
14 Cundinamarca Bogot 32 VichadaPuerto Carreo
15 Guaina Puerto Inrida Distrito
16 Guaviare San Jos del Guaviare Bogot, Distrito Capital
17 Huila Neiva
 Provinces of Colombia
Within this territorial
organization, there is another
type of territorial division
intermediate between
department and municipality
and that receives the name of
provinces (or also subregions,
according to the entity to
which they belong); this type of
territorial division is found in the
majority of the departments of
the country, mainly the
Andean ones and excepting
the Amazonian ones and of
the Eastern Plains. The
provinces have been a primary
base in the stages of territorial
and environmental planning,
and in the development of
public policies in Colombia
The municipalities of Colombia
The municipalities of Colombia
correspond to the second level of
administrative division in Colombia,
which, through grouping, make up the
departments. Colombia has 1,122
municipalities registered in the DANE, 2
count that includes the 5 special
districts that are also counted as
municipalities. In Colombia resources
go from the nation to the department
and from this to the municipality; As a
capital district, Bogot is the only
municipality that receives directly from
the nation. According to Article 311 of
the Constitution of 1991 and Law 136 of
June 2, 1994, it is the fundamental
territorial entity of the political-
administrative division of the State, with
political, fiscal and administrative
autonomy within the limits that
Constitution and the laws of the
Republic
 Districts of Colombia
The term district is used in Colombia to define siguiente denominacin:
second-level territorial entities (municipalities)
equipped with an independent legal, political,
fiscal and administrative regime, with special Mompox, Distrito Especial Turstico, Cultural e
characteristics that make them stand out from Histrico.
the others in terms of their economy, their
resources, culture or administrative and Tumaco, Distrito Especial, Industrial, Portuario,
geographical role. Biodiverso y Ecoturstico.
Los distritos declarados inexequibles en 2007
tenan la siguiente denominacin:
Bogot, Distrito Capital.
Barranquilla, Distrito Especial, Industrial y
Portuario. Ccuta, Distrito Especial Turstico y Fronterizo.
Buenaventura, Distrito Especial, Industrial, Popayn, Distrito Especial Ecoturstico, Histrico y
Portuario, Biodiverso y Eco-turstico. Universitario.
Cartagena de Indias, Distrito Turstico y Cultural. Tunja, Distrito Histrico y Cultural.
Santa Marta, Distrito Turstico, Cultural e Histrico. Turbo, Distrito Especial Portuario.
Riohacha, Distrito Especial, Turstico y Cultural.
En proceso de convertirse en Distritos con la
 Corregimiento departamental -
Departmental subdivision
Departmental subdivision is a
term used in Colombia to
define a type of subdivision
of the different departments
of the country, which
corresponds to a nucleus of
population and its
surroundings but without
reaching the category of
municipality and without
belonging to any of the
existing ones 2274 of October
4, 1991), contrary to the
ordinary corregimientos
whose territorial jurisdiction is
subordinate to a
municipality.
 The
indigenous
territories
The indigenous territories are in
Colombia, areas of special
regime created by common
agreement between the
government and indigenous
communities. In cases where
the indigenous territories cover
more than one department or
municipality, local governments
jointly administer the said
territories with the indigenous
councils, as established in
articles 329 and 330 of the
Colombian Constitution.
Likewise, indigenous territories
may become territorial entities
when they meet the
requirements of the law.
Economic
Geography of
Colombia
 Economic Geography of Colombia
Colombia has one of the largest economies in Latin America, with the
fifth largest GDP (Gross Domestic Product); the country has been
characterized by being agriculture, landowner and with little industrial
development, which turns Colombia into an exporter of raw materials.
Primary Sector: Includes agricultural, livestock and
fishing activities
Agriculture: It is the most important activity of the country, the coffee
banana, the sugar cane and the coconut as main crops and other
crops of import like the soybean, the cotton, the rice and the frijo.
Livestock: It is concentrated in the eastern plains, the Atlantic region.
Colombia has more than 30 million heads of cattle and over 17 million
head of sheep, pigs, goats and horses.
Fishing: Colombia is not a large fish producer, because of the lack of
communication channels, which facilitate export. There are three
types of fishing: Maritime, Continental and Psychology
Economic Geography of Colombia
Secondary Sector: It is denominated thus the products created or manipulated by
the man.
In Colombia the industrial development is little (few factories and little modern),
although in spite of this it is divided in four sectors:
Construction industry: It is in charge of the buildings of the country.
Consumer industry: They are the articles that are produced for supermarkets,
shopping centers, etc.
The intermediate industry: It consists of the production of raw materials, processed
for use in other sectors.
The capital industry: Produces goods to sell to other companies, most of this sector is
located in Bogota, Medelln, Cali, Barranquilla, Pereira and Bucaramanga,
Colombia is the largest producer of emeralds in the world.
 Tertiary Sector: refers to the economic activities that serve the
publication, these are divided into 4 types of service.

Social services: These are services of education and health, in Colombia

these two services are considered as rights and not as something to be
bought
Distribution services: They are those like airplanes, buses, etc. Colombien
has many shortcomings in this field, but in air transport has been the most
developed.
Business services: such as advertising, business management, etc.
Colombia lacks large research centers, in Colombia advertising copies
European and American styles.
Consumer service: Like tourism. tourism is the poorest consumer service,
with the project "Live Colombia, travel for it", where there is more tourism
is in the beaches or historical places.
Cultural Geography of Colombia
Languages of Colombia

More than 99.2% of Colombians speak the Spanish language; also 65 Amerindian languages, 2 Creole languages
and the romani language are spoken in the country. English has official status in the San Andrs, Providencia and
Santa Catalina Islands.

The overwhelming majority of Colombians speak Spanish (see also Colombian Spanish), but in total 101 languages
are listed for Colombia in the Ethnologue database Best estimates recorded 71 languages that are spoken in-
country todaymost of which belong to the Chibchan, Tucanoan, BoraWitoto, Guajiboan, Arawakan, Cariban,
Barbacoan, and Saliban language families. There are currently about 850,000 speakers of native languages.

Sixty-five indigenous languages that exist today can be regrouped into 12 language families and 10 languages
isolated, not yet classified.

The languages are: the great linguistic family Chibchan, of probable Central American origin; the great South
American families Arawakan, Cariban, Quechuan and Tupian; seven families only present at the regional level
(Choc, Guahibo, Saliba, Macu, Witoto, Bora, Tucano). The ten isolated languages are: Andoque, Awa-cuaiquer,
Cofn, Guambiano, Kaments, Pez, Ticuna, Tinigua, Yagua, Yaruro.
 Amazon Region: Comprises the part South of the eastern
region of Colombia, flat low-lying region. It is the region of
the Amazon jungle of Colombia.
Andean Region: The Colombian part of the Andes,
including inter-Andean valleys them of the rivers Cauca
and Magdalena.
Caribbean Region: The region of the Colombian
Caribbean coastal plains and mountainous groups which
do not belong to the Andes as the Sierra Nevada de
Santa Marta.
Insular Region: comprises the areas outside the
continental territories of Colombia in the Caribbean
region as the islands of San Andrs and Providencia and
the islands of Gorgona and Malpelo in the Pacific Ocean.
Orinoqua Region: North of the eastern region of
Colombia that belongs to the Orinoco River watershed,
flat low-lying region. Also known colloquially as the Eastern
Plains.
Pacific Region: It includes the coastal plains of the pacific
coast and the mountainous groups which do not belong
to the Andes, in particular the Serrana del Baud.