Departments of Colombia
| Capital district and Colombian regions Distrito Capital y los Departamentos de Colombia (Spanish) | |
|---|---|
| Category | Unitary state |
| Location | Republic of Colombia |
| Number | 32 Departments 1 Capital District |
| Populations | 48,932 (Vaupés) – 8,906,342 (Capital District) |
| Areas | 50 km2 (19.3 sq mi) (San Andrés) – 109,665.0 km2 (42,341.89 sq mi) (Amazonas) |
| Government |
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| Subdivisions | |
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). Departments are 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 (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.