Colombia has 14 Departments: four bordering on the Caribbean, Magdalena, Atlántico, Bolívar, Antioquia; three on the Pacific, El Valle, Cauca, Nariño; seven in the interior, Huila, Tolima, Cundinamarca, Boyacá, Santander, Santander del Norte, Caldas; Intendencias: Meta at the east; Chocó bordering on the Caribbean and the Pacific; the Islands, San Andrés and Providencia; six Comisarías: La Goajira, Arauca, Vichada, Vaupés, Caquetá, Putumayo.
The names of the Departments, their area, population, capitals and population follow:
| Departments | Area, in square miles | Population | Capitals | Population | Altitude, in feet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magdalena | 17,022 | 204,000 | Santa Marta | 18,000 | [2] |
| Atlántico | 1,200 | 135,000 | Barranquilla | 64,000 | [2] |
| Bolívar | 25,800 | 457,000 | Cartagena | 51,000 | [2] |
| Antioquia | 27,777 | 823,000 | Medellín | 80,000 | 4,860 |
| El Valle | 10,802 | 272,000 | Cali | 45,000 | 3,400 |
| Cauca | 9,625 | 240,000 | Popayán | 20,200 | 5,740 |
| Nariño | 11,574 | 340,000 | Pasto | 29,000 | 8,660 |
| Huila | 8,873 | 182,000 | Neiva | 25,000 | 1,515 |
| Tolima | 9,182 | 329,000 | Ibagué | 30,000 | 4,280 |
| Cundinamarca | 8,622 | 809,000 | Bogotá | 144,000 | 8,680 |
| Boyacá | 3,330 | 659,000 | Tunja | 10,000 | 9,200 |
| Santander | 11,819 | 439,000 | Bucaramanga | 25,000 | 3,150 |
| Santander del Norte | 7,716 | 239,000 | Cúcuta | 30,000 | 1,050 |
| Caldas | 3,300 | 428,000 | Manizales | 43,000 | 7,000 |
| Territories: | |||||
| Meta | 85,000 | 34,000 | Villavicencio | 4,700 | 1,500 |
| Chocó | 15,000 | 91,000 | Quibdó | 25,000 | 138 |
| San Andrés y Providencia | 6,000 | San Andrés | 3,000 | [2] | |
| La Goajira | 5,000 | 22,600 | San Antonio | 2,100 | [2] |
| Arauca | 5,000 | 7,500 | Arauca | 3,900 | 640 |
| Vichada | [1] | 5,540 | Vichada | 540 | [1] |
| Vaupés | [1] | 6,350 | Calamar | 750 | [1] |
| Caquetá | 187,000 | 74,000 | Florencia | 3,200 | [1] |
| Putumayo | [1] | 40,000 | Mocoa | 1,200 | 2,100 |
[1] No figures available.
[2] At or near sea level.
Note.—The figures for Meta doubtless include the area of the new Comisaría, Vichada, and those for Caquetá the areas of Vaupés and Putumayo.
COLOMBIA
Population
Colombia, ranking third of the South American Republics in population, has about 6,000,000 inhabitants, very unevenly distributed, as is obvious from the figures of the Departments, already given. The average is 12 to a square mile, but in the Departments 26 to a square mile. The smallest Department, Atlántico, is the most densely populated, 114 to the square mile. The largest Department, Antioquia, more than three times the size of Massachusetts, has also the largest population, which is reputed to be the most enterprising.