Decentralized subdivisions of the Republic of Colombia
The municipalities of Colombia are decentralized subdivisions of the
Republic of Colombia. Municipalities make up most of the
departments of Colombia with 1,122
municipalities (municipios). Each one of them is led by a mayor (alcalde) elected by popular vote and represents the maximum executive government official at a municipality level under the mandate of the governor of their department which is a representative of all municipalities in the department; municipalities are grouped to form
departments.
The municipalities of Colombia are also grouped in an association called the Federación Colombiana de Municipios (Colombian Federation of Municipalities), which functions as a union under the private law and under the constitutional right to free association to defend their common interests.[1]
Categories
Conforming to the law 1551/12 that modified the sixth article of the law 136/94 [2] the municipalities have the categories listed below:
The Department of Amazonas is formed by 2 municipalities which are Leticia and Puerto Nariño; and by "department corregimientos" which is a special combined functions between a presidential power and a corregimiento. The reason for this classification is that the large territory is mostly inhospitable, inhabited only by indigenous peoples and within the
Amazon rainforest.
1991: Capital District of Bogotá; Industrial and Portuarial District of Barranquilla; Historical, Cultural and Touristic District of Santa Marta; and Cultural and Touristic District of Cartagena
2007: Historical and Cultural District of Tunja; Special Industrial, Portuarial, Biodiverse and Ecotouristic, District of Buenaventura; Special, Ecotouristic, Historical and Universitarian District of Popayán; Special Portuarial District of Turbo; Special Border and Touristic District of Cúcuta; Special Industrial, Portuarial, Biodiverse and Ecotouristic, District of Tumaco