Meta Department

{{Short description|Department of Colombia}} {{for|similarly named areas|Meta (disambiguation)#Places{{!}}Meta (disambiguation) § Places}} {{Expand Spanish|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Department of Meta | native_name = {{lang|es|Departamento del Meta}} | native_name_lang = es | type = Department | image_skyline = CAÑO_CRISTALES_RÍO_EN_LA_MACARENA_META.jpg | image_alt = | image_caption = View of the Caño Cristales | image_map1 = Meta Topographic 2.png | map_caption1 = Topography of the department | image_flag = Flag of Meta.svg | flag_alt = | image_shield = Escudo del Meta.svg | shield_alt = | nickname = | motto = Llano Grande de Colombia y Meta | anthem = "Ay Mi Llanura" | image_map = Meta in Colombia (mainland).svg | map_alt = | map_caption = Meta shown in red | coordinates = {{coord|4|9|N|73|38|W|region:CO_type:adm2nd|display=inline,title}} | coor_pinpoint = | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flag|Colombia}} | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_name1 = Orinoquía Region | parts_type = Largest city | parts_style = para | p1 = | established_title = Established | established_date = July 1, 1960 | blank_name_sec1 = Provinces | blank_info_sec1 = 4 | blank1_name_sec1 = Municipalities | blank1_info_sec1 = 29 | founder = | named_for = | seat_type = Capital | seat = Villavicencio | government_footnotes = | leader_party = | leader_title = Governor | leader_name = Marcela Amaya (2016-2019) | unit_pref = Metric | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 85635 | area_rank = 4th | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_water_percent = | area_note = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = | population_footnotes = <ref name=Pop2018/> | population_total = 1,039,722 | population_as_of = 2018 | population_rank = 19th | population_density_km2 = auto | population_note = | demographics_type1 = GDP | demographics1_footnotes = <ref name=GDP/> | demographics1_title1 = Total | demographics1_info1 = COP 58,440 billion<br />(US$ 13.7 billion) | blank_name_sec2 = HDI | blank_info_sec2 = 0.798<ref name=HDI/><br/>{{color|#0c0|high}} · 7th of 33 | timezone1 = UTC-05 | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code_type = | area_code = | iso_code = CO-MET | website = {{URL|http://www.meta.gov.co/}} | footnotes = }}

'''Meta''' '''Department''' ({{IPA|es|ˈmeta}}) is one of the 32 departments that compose the Republic of Colombia. Largely located within the country's Orinoquía natural region and covered by the Llanos, it is close to the geographic center of the country, east of the Andes mountains. Its capital is the city of Villavicencio.

==History== Meta was established as a department on 1 July 1960.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meta: Departamento del Meta Colombia |url=https://www.todacolombia.com/departamentos-de-colombia/meta/index.html |access-date=2025-07-26 |website=todacolombia.com |language=es}}</ref>

Meta was a department particularly effected by the violence of the Colombian conflict,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-05-05 |title=In Colombia's central Meta region, Security Council witnesses first-hand progress on peace deal {{!}} UN News |url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2017/05/556752 |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=news.un.org |language=en}}</ref> with large areas being under the control of the FARC before the 2016 peace deal.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Villarraga |first=Herbert |date=2022-07-14 |title=Colombia's Meta province bets on tourism instead of oil |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/colombias-meta-province-bets-tourism-instead-oil-2022-07-13/ |access-date=2025-07-27 |work=Reuters |language=en}}</ref>

In May 2021, flooding affected over 5,400 people and 1,100 homes in the department when the Meta River rose to {{Convert|8.73|m}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Colombia – Thousands Affected by Floods and Landslides |url=https://floodlist.com/america/colombia-floods-landslides-may-2021 |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=FloodList}}</ref>

==Geography== Meta Department is close to the geographic center of Colombia, largely located within the country's Orinoquía natural region.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fortalecimiento institucional y de política para incrementar la conservación de la biodiversidad en predios privados (PP) en Colombia |url=http://www.pnud.org.co/img_upload/36353463616361636163616361636163/PRODOC_COL76894_TNC_1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511010019/http://www.pnud.org.co/img_upload/36353463616361636163616361636163/PRODOC_COL76894_TNC_1.pdf |archive-date=2015-05-11 |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=United Nations Development Program}}</ref> It is east of the Andes mountains. A significant portion of the department is a part of the Llanos, a grassland plain. The homonymous Meta River forms the northeastern border.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hidrografía del Meta: Hidrografía Departamento del Meta Colombiaa |url=https://www.todacolombia.com/departamentos-de-colombia/meta/hidrografia.html |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=todacolombia.com |language=es}}</ref> It is bordered by Cundinamarca, Casanare, Vichada, Caquetá, Guaviare, and Huila Departments.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Meta: Departamento del Meta Colombia |url=https://www.todacolombia.com/departamentos-de-colombia/meta/index.html |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=todacolombia.com |language=es}}</ref>

Parts of Chiribiquete Park, Tinigua National Natural Park, La Macarena National Natural Park,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Giatsidakis |first=A. |date=2023-12-05 |title=Colombia Declares the Serrania of Manacacias a National Park |url=https://colombiaone.com/2023/12/05/colombia-serrania-manacacias-national-park/ |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=Colombia One: News from Colombia and the World |language=en-US}}</ref> and Caño Cristales are located in the department.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dahl |first=Mie Hoejris |date=2025-07-25 |title=Illegal roads expand in Colombia’s deforestation hotspots |url=https://news.mongabay.com/2025/07/illegal-roads-expand-in-colombias-deforestation-hotspots/ |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=Mongabay Environmental News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

It has an area of {{Convert|85,635|km2}}, 7.49% of the country.<ref name=":1" />

==Municipalities== Meta Department is composed of 29 municipalities across 4 subregions. Its capital city is Villavicencio.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Municipios del Meta: División Política Departamento del Meta Colombia |url=https://www.todacolombia.com/departamentos-de-colombia/meta/municipios-division-politica.html |access-date=2025-07-26 |website=todacolombia.com |language=es}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- ! width="17%" | Ariari ! width="17%" | Villavicencio ! width="17%" | Piedemonte ! width="17%" | Meta River |- |none|154px |none|154px |none|154px |none|154px |- style="text-align:center;" |El Castillo{{•}}El Dorado{{•}}Fuente de Oro{{•}}Granada{{•}}La Uribe{{•}}Lejanías{{•}}Mapiripán{{•}}Mesetas{{•}}Puerto Concordia{{•}}Puerto Lleras{{•}}Puerto Rico{{•}}San Juan de Arama{{•}}Vista Hermosa |'''Villavicencio''' |Acacías{{•}}Barranca de Upía{{•}}Castilla la Nueva{{•}}Cubarral{{•}}Cumaral{{•}}El Calvario{{•}}Guamal{{•}}Restrepo{{•}}San Carlos de Guaroa{{•}}San Juanito{{•}}San Martín |Cabuyaro{{•}}La Macarena{{•}}Puerto Gaitán{{•}}Puerto López |}

== Demographics == As of the 2018 Colombian census, Meta Department had a total population of 1,039,722 people.<ref name="Pop2018">{{cite web |title=DANE |url=http://www.dane.gov.co/daneweb_V09/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=75&Itemid=72 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091113143414/http://www.dane.gov.co/daneweb_V09/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=75&Itemid=72 |archive-date=November 13, 2009 |access-date=February 13, 2013}}</ref> In 2022, it had a Human Development Index of 0.769.<ref name="HDI">{{Cite web |title=Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab |url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/ |access-date=2018-09-13 |website=hdi.globaldatalab.org |language=en}}</ref>

The indigenous Sikuani,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Freixes |first=Josep |date=2024-09-02 |title=Mennonite and Indigenous Communities Clash Over Land Rights in Colombia |url=https://colombiaone.com/2024/09/02/colombia-mennonite-indigenous-conflict/ |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=Colombia One: News from Colombia and the World |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Extermination and systematic violation of the human rights of the Sikuani Indigenous People (Barrulia Community) in the municipality of Puerto Gaitán, Meta, Colombia |url=https://www.forestpeoples.org/publications-resources/press-releases/article/extermination-and-systematic-violation-of-the-human-rights-of-the-sikuani-indigenous-people-barrulia-community-in-the-municipality-of-puerto-gaitan-meta-colombia/ |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=Forest Peoples Programme |language=en}}</ref> Jiw,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Khaikin |first=Lital |title=Guardians of Guaviare: Southern Colombia’s land fight |url=https://www.fairplanet.org/story/guardians-of-guaviare-southern-colombias-land-fight/ |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=FairPlanet |language=en}}</ref> Guayupe peoples are among those who inhabit the department.{{Historical populations |type = |footnote = Source:<ref>{{cite web|title=Reloj de Población|url=http://www.dane.gov.co/reloj/|website=DANE|publisher=Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadísitica|access-date=6 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161028083854/http://www.dane.gov.co/reloj/|archive-date=28 October 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> |1973 | 242664 |1985 | 474046 |1993 | 618427 |2005 | 783168 |2018 | 1039722 }}Achagua, which is similar to Piapoco, is an Indigenous language spoken by a minority in the department.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Achagua Language (ACA) – L1 & L2 Speakers, Status, Map, Endangered Level & Official Use {{!}} Ethnologue Free |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/aca/ |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=Ethnologue (Free All) |language=en}}</ref>

== Government == Like all departments in Colombia, Meta has a Governor and a Departmental Assembly.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Information about departments of Colombia |url=https://www.colombiainfo.org/Colombia/Departments/tabid/89/Article/158/language/en-US/Information-about-departments-of-Colombia.aspx |access-date=2025-07-15 |website=ColombiaInfo.org - The Colombia Information Site! |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Economy == Historically, the department's economy has been dependent on oil and gas. In the early 2020s, the national and departmental government began an effort to focus on and invest in tourism centered around its natural attractions.<ref name=":0" />

In 2022, Meta Department had a GDP of 58,439.5 billion Colombian pesos.<ref name="GDP">{{citation |title=Producto Interno Bruto por departamento |website=www.dane.gov.co |url=https://www.dane.gov.co/files/operaciones/PIB/departamental/anex-PIBDep-TotalDepartamento-2022pr.xlsx}}</ref>

== Symbols == The flag of Meta has 17 horizontal stripes (nine green, eight white), representing Meta's place as the seventeenth department created in Colombia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bandera del Meta: Bandera Departamento del Meta Colombia |url=https://www.todacolombia.com/departamentos-de-colombia/meta/bandera.html |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=todacolombia.com |language=es}}</ref>

The department has a monument marking the exact geographic center of Colombia, in a place known as Alto de Menegua, a few kilometers from Puerto López.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2019-05-15 |title=Avanza proyecto que declara al Alto de Menegua como Patrimonio Cultural de la Nación |url=https://www.viveelmeta.com/proyecto-para-declarar-al-alto-de-menegua-patrimonio-cultural-2072/ |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=Viveel Meta |language=es}}</ref>

== See also == * San Martín Territory

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.meta.gov.co/ Government website]

Category:Meta Department Category:States and territories established in 1960 Category:Departments of Colombia Category:Green and white flags