# Vichada Department
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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Vichada_Department.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vichada_Department
> Source revision: 1341383122
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{{Short description|Department of Colombia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Vichada Department
| native_name = Departamento del Vichada
| native_name_lang = es
| type = [Department](/source/Departments_of_Colombia)
| image_skyline = Playas del rio Orinoco - panoramio.jpg
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Beach on the [Orinoco River](/source/Orinoco_River)
| image_map1 = Vichada Topographic 2.png
| map_caption1 = Topography of the department
| image_flag = Flag of Vichada.svg
| flag_alt =
| image_shield = Escudo del Vichada.svg
| shield_alt =
| nickname =
| motto = {{force singular}} ''Tierra de hombres para hombres sin tierra''
Land of men for men without land[{{Cite web|language=es|publisher=condesan.org|title=Conservación en Situ|format=doc|url=http://www.condesan.org/e-foros/insitu97/nieto.doc|access-date=2011-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425092258/http://www.condesan.org/e-foros/insitu97/nieto.doc|archive-date=2012-04-25|url-status=dead}}]
| anthem =
| image_map = Vichada in Colombia (mainland).svg
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Vichada shown in red
| coordinates = {{coord|6|11|N|67|28|W|region:CO_type:adm2nd|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint =
| coordinates_footnotes =
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|Colombia}}
| subdivision_type1 = [Region](/source/Regions_of_Colombia)
| subdivision_name1 = [Orinoquía Region](/source/Orinoqu%C3%ADa_Region)
| parts_type = Largest city
| parts_style = para
| p1 =
| established_title = [Established](/source/Republic_of_Colombia)
| established_date = 5 July 1913
| blank_name_sec1 = [Provinces](/source/Provinces_of_Colombia)
| blank_info_sec1 =
| blank1_name_sec1 = [Municipalities](/source/Municipalities_of_Colombia)
| blank1_info_sec1 = 4
| founder =
| named_for =
| seat_type = [Capital](/source/Capital_(political))
| seat = [Puerto Carreño](/source/Puerto_Carre%C3%B1o)
| government_footnotes =
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Governor
| leader_name = Luis Carlos Alvarez Morales (2016-2019)
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes = [{{Cite web|title=Geografía e Historia: Ubicación, Extencion y Límites|publisher=Gobernación del Vichada|url=http://www.vichada.gov.co/index.php/tramites-y-servicion-en-linea/portal-del-documentacion/geografia-e-historia}}][{{Cite book|author=Kline, Harvey F.|year=2012|chapter=Vichada, Department of|title=Historical Dictionary of Colombia|location=Lanham, Maryland|publisher=Scarecrow Press|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=BJbjM7yYKmkC&pg=PA493 493]|isbn=978-0-8108-7813-6}}]
| area_total_km2 = 100242
| area_rank = [2nd](/source/List_of_Colombian_Departments_by_area)
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m =
| population_footnotes = [{{cite web|title=DANE|url=http://www.dane.gov.co/daneweb_V09/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=75&Itemid=72|access-date=13 February 2013|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=13 November 2009|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}]
| population_total = 107,808
| population_as_of = 2018
| population_rank = [31st](/source/List_of_Colombian_Departments_by_population)
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_note =
| demographics_type1 = GDP
| demographics1_footnotes = [{{citation|title=Producto Interno Bruto por departamento |url=https://www.dane.gov.co/files/operaciones/PIB/departamental/anex-PIBDep-TotalDepartamento-2022pr.xlsx|website=www.dane.gov.co}}]
| demographics1_title1 = Total
| demographics1_info1 = [COP](/source/Colombian_peso) 957 billion
([US$](/source/US%24) 0.2 billion)
| timezone1 = [UTC-05](/source/UTC-05)
| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type =
| area_code =
| iso_code = [CO-VID](/source/ISO_3166-2%3ACO)
| blank_name_sec2 = [HDI](/source/Human_Development_Index)
| blank_info_sec2 = 0.775[{{Cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=2018-09-13}}]
{{color|#0c0|high}} · [15th of 33](/source/List_of_Colombian_departments_by_Human_Development_Index)
| website = [http://www.gobvichada.gov.co/ www.gobvichada.gov.co]
| footnotes =
}}
'''Vichada Department''' ({{langx|es|Departamento del Vichada|link=no}}, {{IPA|es|biˈtʃaða}}) is a [department](/source/departments_of_Colombia) of the [Republic of Colombia](/source/Republic_of_Colombia) in South America. Vichada is located in the eastern plains of Colombia, in the [Orinoquía Region](/source/Orinoqu%C3%ADa_Region%2C_Colombia) within the [Orinoco river basin](/source/Orinoco_River) bordering the [Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela](/source/Bolivarian_Republic_of_Venezuela) to the north and east. To the north the department also borders with [Arauca Department](/source/Arauca_Department), to the northwest with [Casanare Department](/source/Casanare_Department), to the west with [Meta Department](/source/Meta_Department), to the southwest narrowly bordering with [Guaviare Department](/source/Guaviare_Department) and to the south with [Guainía Department](/source/Guain%C3%ADa_Department). The department is the second largest in Colombia and scarcely populated in comparison to other departments.
The department was previously a commissary established in 1913.
The largest town and capital of the department is [Puerto Carreño](/source/Puerto_Carre%C3%B1o) located in extreme northeastern part of the department and bordering Venezuela. the department is subdivided into four [municipalities](/source/municipalities_of_Colombia); Puerto Carreño, [La Primavera](/source/La_Primavera%2C_Vichada), [Santa Rosalía](/source/Santa_Rosal%C3%ADa%2C_Vichada) and [Cumaribo](/source/Cumaribo). It also contains 46 indigenous reserves and 6 communities.
==Geography==
{{Historical populations
|type =
|footnote = Source:[{{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-date=16 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116020433/http://www.dane.gov.co/reloj/|url-status=dead}}]
|1973 | 12215
|1985 | 18702
|1993 | 62073
|2005 | 55872
|2018 | 107808
}}
The department is located on the eastern plains of Colombia known as the [Llanos](/source/Llanos). The department limits to the north with the [Arauca Department](/source/Arauca_Department) and the [Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela](/source/Bolivarian_Republic_of_Venezuela); to the east with Venezuela; to the south with the [Guainía Department](/source/Guain%C3%ADa_Department) and [Guaviare Department](/source/Guaviare_Department); and to the west with [Meta Department](/source/Meta_Department) and [Casanare Department](/source/Casanare_Department).
The department is located to the left margin of the [Orinoco](/source/Orinoco) river and the right margin of the [Meta River](/source/Meta_River) within the plains of los Llanos. Part of the department lies on the [Guiana Shield](/source/Guiana_Shield). Soil lacks sediments due to the lack of alluvions from rivers coming from the [Andes](/source/Andes) mountains.
Climate in the department is predominantly hot and humid with an average temperature of {{convert|28|C|F}} throughout the year.
The department also contains a major [impact crater](/source/impact_crater), the [Vichada Structure](/source/Vichada_Structure).
{{Clear|left}}
==History==
In 1913 the government of Colombia created the commissary of Vichada and the capital was established in a locality known as ''El Picacho'' between the [Meta](/source/Meta_River) and [Orinoco](/source/Orinoco) rivers. The town was named [Puerto Carreño](/source/Puerto_Carre%C3%B1o) in honor of [Pedro María Carreño](/source/Pedro_Mar%C3%ADa_Carre%C3%B1o), then acting Minister of Government.[{{Cite web |url=http://www.alcaldiapuertocarreno.gov.co/ptc_historia.html |title=Alcaldia de Puerto Carreño: Historia |access-date=23 March 2008 |language=es |archive-date=28 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928091622/http://www.alcaldiapuertocarreno.gov.co/ptc_historia.html |url-status=dead }}]
In August 1974, Puerto Carreño was elevated to the category of [municipality](/source/municipalities_of_Colombia) by decree 1594 of that same year.