Putumayo Department

Department of Putumayo
Departamento del Putumayo
Department

Flag

Putumayo shown in red

Topography of the department
Coordinates: 1°09′N 76°37′W / 1.150°N 76.617°W / 1.150; -76.617Coordinates: 1°09′N 76°37′W / 1.150°N 76.617°W / 1.150; -76.617
Country  Colombia
Region Amazonía Region
Established 1991
(political) Mocoa
Government
 • Governor Sorrel Parisa Aroca Rodriguez(2016-2019)
Area[1][2]
 • Total 24,885 km2 (9,608 sq mi)
Area rank 16th
Population (2013)[3]
 • Total 337,054
 • Rank 26th
 • Density 14/km2 (35/sq mi)
Time zone UTC-05
ISO 3166 code CO-PUT
Municipalities 13
Website www.putumayo.gov.co

Putumayo is a department of Colombia. It is in the south-west of the country, bordering Ecuador and Peru. Its capital is Mocoa.

The word putumayo comes from the Quechua languages. The verb p'utuy means "to spring forth" or "to burst out", and mayu means river. Thus it means "gushing river".

History

Originally, the south west of the department was territory of the Cofán Indians, the north west of the Kamentxá Indians, and the center and south belong to tribes that spoke Tukano languages (such as the Siona), and the east to tribes that spoke Witoto languages. Part of the Kamentxá territory was conquered by the Inca Huayna Cápac in 1492, who after crossing the Cofán territory, established a Quechua population on the valley of Sibundoy, that is known today as Ingas. After the Inca defeat in 1533, the region was invaded by the Spanish in 1542 and since 1547 administered by catholic missions.

The current territory of Putumayo was linked to Popayan during the Spanish Colony and on the firsts Republican decades belonged to the "Azuay Department", that included territories in Ecuador and Perú. Later starts a long process of territorial redistributions:

Municipalities

Municipalities Map
  1. Colón
  2. Mocoa
  3. Orito
  4. Puerto Asís
  5. Puerto Caicedo
  6. Puerto Guzmán
  7. Puerto Leguízamo
  8. San Francisco
  9. San Miguel
  10. Santiago
  11. Sibundoy
  12. Valle del Guamez
  13. Villagarzón

References

  1. ↑ "Nuestro departamento: Información general". Gobernación del Putumayo.
  2. ↑ Kline, Harvey F. (2012). "Putumayo, Department of". Historical Dictionary of Colombia. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 415. ISBN 978-0-8108-7813-6.
  3. ↑ "DANE". Retrieved February 13, 2013.
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