Municipalities of Colombia facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The municipalities of Colombia are like local towns and cities that make up most of Colombia. Think of them as the building blocks of Colombia's larger areas called departments. Colombia has 1,122 municipalities in total!

Each municipality has its own leader called a mayor (or alcalde in Spanish). People vote for their mayor, who is the top boss for that municipality. The mayor works under the governor of their department. All the municipalities in a region come together to form a department.

There's also a special group called the Federación Colombiana de Municipios (Colombian Federation of Municipalities). It's like a club where all the municipalities join together to help each other and protect their shared interests.

How are Municipalities Grouped?

Municipalities in Colombia are put into different groups or "categories" based on their size and how much money they make. This helps the government understand their needs better. Here's how they are categorized:

Category	Population (more than)	Revenues (in monthly minimum wages)
Special category:	500,001 inhabitants	400,000 and over
First category:	100,001 - 500,000	100,000 - 400,000
Second category:	50,001 - 100,000	50,000 - 100,000
Third category:	30,001 - 50,000	30,000 - 50,000
Fourth category:	20,001 - 30,000	25,000 - 30,000
Fifth category:	10,001 - 20,000	15,000 - 25,000
Sixth category:	0 - 10,000	15,000

Departments and Their Municipalities

Colombia has 32 departments, and each one is made up of different municipalities. Some departments have just a few, while others have many.

Amazonas Department

Municipalities of Amazonas and its department corregimientos.

The Amazonas Department is unique. It has two main municipalities:

Leticia
Puerto Nariño

It also has special areas called "department corregimientos." These are like small towns or districts that have combined functions because the area is very wild. It's mostly covered by the Amazon rainforest and home to many indigenous peoples.

Special Corregimientos:*
El Encanto
La Chorrera
La Pedrera
La Victoria
Mirití-Paraná
Puerto Alegría
Puerto Arica
Puerto Santander
Tarapacá

Antioquia Department

Municipalities of Antioquia.

Antioquia Department is one of Colombia's largest departments. It has many municipalities, with its capital city being Medellín.

Arauca Department

Municipalities of Arauca

The Arauca Department is located in eastern Colombia. Its capital and largest municipality is Arauca.

Atlántico Department

Municipalities of Atlántico. The district and urban area of Barranquilla is highlighted

The Atlántico Department is on the Caribbean coast. Its main city and capital is Barranquilla, which is also a very important port city.

Bogotá, Capital District

Bogotá Capital District with its 20 localities

Bogotá is the capital city of Colombia. It's not part of a department in the usual way; it's a special "Capital District." Bogotá is divided into smaller areas called localities (localidades). There are 20 localities in Bogotá.

Bolívar Department

Municipalities of Bolívar.

The Bolívar Department is another coastal department. Its capital is Cartagena, a historic and beautiful city.

Boyacá Department

Municipalities of Boyacá. The district and urban area of Tunja high lightened

The Boyacá Department is known for its history and beautiful landscapes. Its capital city is Tunja.

Caldas Department

Municipalities of Caldas.

The Caldas Department is part of Colombia's coffee region. Its capital is Manizales.

Caquetá Department

Municipalities of Caquetá.

The Caquetá Department is located in the Amazon region. Its capital city is Florencia.

Casanare Department

Municipalities of Casanare.

The Casanare Department is in the eastern plains of Colombia. Its capital is Yopal.

Cauca Department

Municipalities of Cauca.

The Cauca Department is in southwestern Colombia. Its capital city is Popayán, known for its white colonial architecture.

Cesar Department

Municipalities of Cesar.

The Cesar Department is in northern Colombia. Its capital is Valledupar, famous for Vallenato music.

Chocó Department

Municipalities of Chocó.

The Chocó Department is on Colombia's Pacific coast. Its capital city is Quibdó.

Córdoba Department

Municipalities in the Córdoba Department.

The Córdoba Department is in northern Colombia. Its capital is Montería.

Cundinamarca Department

Municipalities of Cundinamarca and the Capital District.

The Cundinamarca Department surrounds Bogotá. It has many municipalities, and its capital is not Bogotá, but rather it works closely with the Capital District.

La Guajira Department

Municipalities of Guajira.

The La Guajira Department is at the northern tip of Colombia. Its capital is Riohacha.

Guainía Department

Municipalities of Guainía.

The Guainía Department is in eastern Colombia, bordering Venezuela and Brazil. Its capital is Inirida.

Barranco Minas
Cacahual
Inirida
La Guadalupe
Morichal Nuevo
Pana Pana
Puerto Colombia
San Felipe

Guaviare Department

Municipalities of Guaviare.

The Guaviare Department is in the central-eastern part of Colombia. Its capital is San José del Guaviare.

Huila Department

Municipalities of Huila.

The Huila Department is in southwestern Colombia, known for its archaeological sites. Its capital is Neiva.

Magdalena Department

Municipalities of Magdalena.

The Magdalena Department is on the Caribbean coast. Its capital is Santa Marta, one of the oldest cities in Colombia.

Meta Department

Municipalities of Meta.

The Meta Department is in the central plains of Colombia. Its capital is Villavicencio.

Nariño Department

Municipalities of Nariño.

The Nariño Department is in southwestern Colombia, bordering Ecuador. Its capital is Pasto.

Norte de Santander Department

Municipalities of Norte de Santander.

The Norte de Santander Department is in northeastern Colombia, bordering Venezuela. Its capital is Cúcuta.

Putumayo Department

Municipalities of Putumayo.

The Putumayo Department is in southern Colombia, part of the Amazon basin. Its capital is Mocoa.

Quindío Department

Municipalities of Quindío.

The Quindío Department is a small department in the coffee region. Its capital is Armenia.

Risaralda Department

Municipalities of Risaralda.

The Risaralda Department is another part of the coffee region. Its capital is Pereira.

San Andrés and Providencia Department

Municipalities of San Andres and Providencia

The San Andrés and Providencia Department is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Its capital is San Andrés.

Santander Department

Municipalities of Santander.

The Santander Department is in north-central Colombia. Its capital is Bucaramanga.

Sucre Department

Municipalities of Sucre.

The Sucre Department is on the Caribbean coast. Its capital is Sincelejo.

Tolima Department

Municipalities of Tolima.

The Tolima Department is in the central region of Colombia. Its capital is Ibagué.

Valle del Cauca Department

Municipalities of Valle del Cauca.

The Valle del Cauca Department is in southwestern Colombia. Its capital is Cali.

Vaupés Department

Municipalities of Vaupés.

The Vaupés Department is in southeastern Colombia, part of the Amazon rainforest. Its capital is Mitú.

Municipalities
Caruru
Mitú
Taraira

Department Corregimientos
Pacoa
Papunahua
Yavarate

Municipal Corregimientos
Acaricuara
Villa Fátima

Vichada Department

Municipalities of Vichada.

The Vichada Department is in eastern Colombia, known for its vast plains. Its capital is Puerto Carreño.

Cumaribo (including the former department corregimientos of San José de Ocune and Santa Rita)
La Primavera
Puerto Carreño
Santa Rosalía

Special Districts

Besides regular municipalities, Colombia also has "Districts." These are special cities that have more power and responsibilities because they are very important. They might be capital cities, major ports, or have special historical or cultural value.

In 1954, Bogotá became a Special District.
In 1991, other cities like Barranquilla, Santa Marta, and Cartagena also became special districts.
Later, more cities like Tunja, Buenaventura, Popayán, Turbo, Cúcuta, and Tumaco were given special district status for various reasons, such as being important for industry, tourism, or history.

Images for kids

Map showing the municipalities of Colombia.