Today, Colombia is organised territorially by departments, municipalities and districts, mainly. Other special divisions are the provinces, the indigenous territorial entities and collective territories.
A municipality is a territorial entity organized administrative and legally. It is directed by the figure of a mayor, who governs along with a municipal; both figures are elected by popular vote. Colombia has 1123 municipalities.
Located between the nation and the municipality, the departments are headed by a Governor responsible for the autonomous administration of the resources granted by the State. They have autonomy in the handling of matters related to their jurisdiction and operate as entities between the nation and the municipalities. They are administered by a governor and an Assembly of deputies elected in popular elections. In Colombia there are 32 departmental units.
The districts are territorial entities with a special administration. Because of its national importance, in Colombia, the cities of Bogotá, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Santa Marta and Buenaventura carry this badge.
The provinces are intermediate territorial divisions between departments and municipalities. In Colombia, this administrative figure is not very common.
The indigenous territorial entities are indigenous local governments that occupy some departmental or municipal portion. For their part, the collective territories have been awarded to the Afro-Colombian population that predominates in the Pacific zone, allowing it to organize itself in community and business associative ways.
Find more information on the Organization of the State and find out why the answer is Colombia.
