Cauca Department ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkawka] , Spanish : Departamento del Cauca ) is a department of Southwestern Colombia . Located in the southwestern part of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Valle del Cauca Department to the north, Tolima Department to the northeast, Huila Department to the east, and Nariño Department to the south. Putumayo and Caqueta Departments border the southeast portion of Cauca Department as well. It covers a total area of 29,308 km (11,316 sq mi), the 13th largest in Colombia. Its capital is the city of Popayán . The offshore island of Malpelo belongs to the department. It is located in the southwest of the country, mainly in the Andean and Pacific regions (between 0°58′54″N and 3°19′04″N latitude, 75°47′36″W and 77°57′05″W longitude) plus a tiny part ( Piamonte ) in the Amazonian region . The area makes up 2.56% of the country.
23-704: Vichada Department (Spanish: Departamento del Vichada , Spanish pronunciation: [biˈtʃaða] ) is a department of the Republic of Colombia in South America. Vichada is located in the eastern plains of Colombia, in the Orinoquía Region within the Orinoco river basin bordering the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the north and east. To the north the department also borders with Arauca Department , to
46-614: A municipal council ( concejo municipal ), both of which are elected by popular vote for four-year periods. Some departments have subdivisions above the level of municipalities, commonly known as provinces . 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
69-430: 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
92-452: Is Puerto Carreño located in extreme northeastern part of the department and bordering Venezuela. the department is subdivided into four municipalities ; Puerto Carreño, La Primavera , Santa Rosalía and Cumaribo . It also contains 46 indigenous reserves and 6 communities. The department is located on the eastern plains of Colombia known as the Llanos . The department limits to the north with
115-652: Is divided into 42 municipalities, 99 districts, 474 police posts and numerous villages and populated places. The municipalities are grouped into 27 circles and 29 notaries: a circle-based registration in Popayán and eight sectional offices based in Bolívar , Caloto , Puerto Tejada , Santander de Quilichao , Patia , Guapi and Silvia , makes up the judicial district of Popayán. This district possesses 8 judicial circuit seats in Popayán, Bolívar, Caloto, Guapi, Patia, Puerto Tejada, Santander de Quilichao and Silvia. The department makes up
138-577: The Arauca Department and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ; to the east with Venezuela; to the south with the Guainía Department and Guaviare Department ; and to the west with Meta Department and Casanare Department . The department is located to the left margin of the Orinoco river and the right margin of the Meta River within the plains of los Llanos. Part of the department lies on
161-501: The Guiana Shield . Soil lacks sediments due to the lack of alluvions from rivers coming from the Andes mountains. Climate in the department is predominantly hot and humid with an average temperature of 28 °C (82 °F) throughout the year. In 1913 the government of Colombia created the commissary of Vichada and the capital was established in a locality known as El Picacho between
184-1625: The Meta and Orinoco rivers. The town was named Puerto Carreño in honor of Pedro María Carreño , then acting Minister of Government. In August 1974, Puerto Carreño was elevated to the category of municipality by decree 1594 of that same year. On 5 July 1991 Vichada was elevated to the category of department and Puerto Carreño as its capital. [REDACTED] Amazonas [REDACTED] Antioquia [REDACTED] Arauca [REDACTED] Atlántico [REDACTED] Bolívar [REDACTED] Boyacá [REDACTED] Caldas [REDACTED] Caquetá [REDACTED] Casanare [REDACTED] Cauca [REDACTED] Cesar [REDACTED] Chocó [REDACTED] Córdoba [REDACTED] Cundinamarca [REDACTED] Guainía [REDACTED] Guaviare [REDACTED] Huila [REDACTED] La Guajira [REDACTED] Magdalena [REDACTED] Meta [REDACTED] Nariño [REDACTED] N. Santander [REDACTED] Putumayo [REDACTED] Quindío [REDACTED] Risaralda [REDACTED] San Andrés [REDACTED] Santander [REDACTED] Sucre [REDACTED] Tolima [REDACTED] Valle del Cauca [REDACTED] Vaupés [REDACTED] Vichada Capital district: [REDACTED] Bogotá Departments of Colombia Departments of Colombia refer to
207-577: The Pasto Massif and towards the north it diverges forming the Central and Eastern Andes. The Colombian Massif is a strategic national and international level, given its significance for water production, biodiversity and ecosystems, an area that represents a special conformation of the regions with more potential for development in Colombia. Cauca Department can be divided into the following hydrographic regions: Gorgonilla and Gorgona islands are located in
230-458: The administrative divisions of Colombia . As of 2024 , the unitary republic is made up of thirty-two departments. Each department has a governor and an assembly , elected by popular vote for a four-year period. Colombia is a unitary republic made up of thirty-two administrative divisions referred to as departments ( Spanish : departamentos , sing. departamento ) and one Capital District ( Distrito Capital ). Each department has
253-1337: The states of Colombia into departments, with the state presidents renamed as governors. The states formed the following original departments: [REDACTED] Amazonas [REDACTED] Antioquia [REDACTED] Arauca [REDACTED] Atlántico [REDACTED] Bolívar [REDACTED] Boyacá [REDACTED] Caldas [REDACTED] Caquetá [REDACTED] Casanare [REDACTED] Cauca [REDACTED] Cesar [REDACTED] Chocó [REDACTED] Córdoba [REDACTED] Cundinamarca [REDACTED] Guainía [REDACTED] Guaviare [REDACTED] Huila [REDACTED] La Guajira [REDACTED] Magdalena [REDACTED] Meta [REDACTED] Nariño [REDACTED] N. Santander [REDACTED] Putumayo [REDACTED] Quindío [REDACTED] Risaralda [REDACTED] San Andrés [REDACTED] Santander [REDACTED] Sucre [REDACTED] Tolima [REDACTED] Valle del Cauca [REDACTED] Vaupés [REDACTED] Vichada Capital district: [REDACTED] Bogotá Cauca Department Cauca Department
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#1733104451378276-459: The Pacific Ocean and belong to Cauca Department. The Cauca economy is based primarily on agriculture and livestock production, forestry, fishing and trade. Agriculture has been developed and modernized in the northern department, with the main crops being sugar cane, cane panela, conventional maize, rice, corn tech, banana, agave, yucca, potatoes, coconut, sorghum, cocoa, groundnut, and palm. In
299-775: The Western and Central Cordilleras, is seen as a landmark within the plateau of the hill of La Tetilla. Among the most representative landmarks of the Colombian Massif, shared with the department of Huila , are the Páramo del Buey, the volcanoes of Cutanga and Puracé, the peak of Paletará, and the Sierra Nevada of Coconucos. Patia Valley, where the Patia River runs north–south and framed by the Central and Western mountain ranges, extends into Nariño Department . The Amazonian salient corresponds to
322-468: The constituency of Cauca. The relief of the territory of the department of Cauca belongs to the Andean system at the macro level seven distinguishing morphological units: The Pacific Plate comprises two sectors, firstly the alluvial coastal belt or platform characterized by low, swampy, mangrove forest with many rivers estuaries subject to the ebb and flow of tides, the remainder is a plain or hills comprising
345-509: 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
368-445: 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. Indigenous territories in Colombia are mostly in the departments of Amazonas, Cauca, La Guajira, Guaviare, and Vaupés. When it
391-698: 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
414-536: 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. The Colombian Constitution of 1886 converted
437-407: The northwest with Casanare Department , to the west with Meta Department , to the southwest narrowly bordering with Guaviare Department and to the south with Guainía Department . The department is the second largest in Colombia and scarcely populated in comparison to other departments. The department was previously a commissary established in 1913. The largest town and capital of the department
460-470: The present-day municipalities. 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. However,
483-611: The so-called Bota Caucana, through which flows the Japurá River . The Colombian Massif, also called the Nudo de Almaguer , is a mountainous section of Andean natural region formed by the convergence of two major mountain ranges, the Central and the Eastern cordilleras. The massif extends through the departments of Cauca, Huila , and Nariño . Towards the south, the Colombian Massif is continued by
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#1733104451378506-574: The western slopes of the western cordillera. The western cordillera in Cauca extends from southwest to northeast. Among the most important landmarks are the blade of Napí, the hills of Guaduas, Munchique, and Naya, and the Cauca River Valley. The central mountain range crosses the department from south to north; relevant landmarks include Sotará Colcano, Petacas Nevado del Huila , and the departmental boundary. The highlands of Popayán, sandwiched between
529-467: Was first established in 1819, The Republic of Gran Colombia had three departments. Venezuela , Cundinamarca (now Colombia) and Quito (now Ecuador). 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 . With
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