Chocó Department

The Chocó Department is the only department in Colombia that borders Panama. Its capital is Quibdó and it is located in the western part of the country, in the Colombian Pacific.

It borders the north with Panama and the Atlantic Ocean, the east with Antioquia and Risaralda, the south with the Cauca Valley and the west with the Pacific Ocean.

Its astronomical position is between 4°41′ and 8°41′ of north latitude and 76°00′ and 77°54′ of western longitude.

Although the Chocó Department is extensive, it has a low population density.

There are important natural reserves such as the Darién jungles and the basins of the Atrato and San Juan rivers.

Chocó is the only department in Colombia with coastlines on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

A unique characteristic is that it probably has the area with the highest rainfall (most rain) on the entire planet.

IMPORTANT DATA

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CAPITAL

QUIBDÓ

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POPULATION

515,166

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GENTILICIO

CHOCOANO

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SURFACE AREA

46,530 km²

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GOVERNOR

Nubia Carolina Córdoba Curí

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OFFICIAL WEBSITE

www.choco.gov.co

Map of the Chocó Department

Below are the municipalities of Chocó located on the map:

Map by: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA

SUBREGIONS OF THE CHOCÓ DEPARTMENT

The Chocó Department is divided into 5 subregions, which are:

• Atrato
• Darién
• Pacific North
• Pacific South
• San Juan

MUNICIPALITIES OF THE CHOCÓ DEPARTMENT

The Chocó Department has 30 municipalities listed below in their respective subregion:

Atrato

• El Atrato
• Bagadó
• Bojacá
• El Carmen de Atrato
• Quibdó
• Río Quito
• Lloró
• Medio Atrato

Darién

• Acandí
• Belén de Bajirá
• El Carmen del Darién
• Riosucio
• Unguía

Pacific North

• Bahía Solano
• Juradó
• Nuquí

Pacific South

• Alto Baudó
• Bajo Baudó
• El Litoral de San Juan
• Medio Baudó

San Juan

• Cantón de San Pablo
• Cértegui
• Condoto
• Istmina
• Medio San Juan
• Nóvita
• Río Iró
• San José del Palmar
• Sipí
• Tadó
• Unión Panamericana

HISTORY

During the pre-Hispanic period, it was inhabited by indigenous Cunas, Chocoes or Citaraes, Noamamanes or Cholos, and Emberá. The first expeditionary was the conquistador Rodrigo de Bastidas, who arrived in the area in 1501; by 1510, Vasco Núñez de Balboa arrived, who founded Santa María la Antigua del Darién and in 1513 discovered the South Sea.

It is a department that was created by Law 13 of November 3, 1947.

RELIEVE

This region of the country presents a geography framed by the Pacific Ocean and the Western Cordillera, covered in tropical humid forest where the following orographic and lithographic accidents are important: The Darién Dam, Baudó Serranías, of the Umbrellas, of the Darién, Horqueta Hills, Cuchillo, Coqui, La Cuchilla, Citará Farallones, Buey and Anchaudo Highs; in relation to things, it is worth highlighting Corrientes, Marzo, Tiburón, Pinololo, Cupica, Solano, Tribugá and Urabá Bays, San Nicolas, Caleta, Tolo and La Bobita Cove.

HIDROGRAFÍA

It is a department privileged in what refers to water sources, since it is bathed by the Atrato, San Juan, Truandó, Baudó, Domingodó rivers; it has marshes such as Limón, La Honda, Quito and Perancho; in addition, it is the only department in Colombia that has coastlines on the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

CLIMA

The climate of the department is that of the tropical rainy forest, since it rains throughout the year, its temperature does not vary, remaining between 28°C and 30°C, it also presents a climate of altitude in the zone of the cordillera.

ECONOMÍA

In the department, agricultural production is represented by the production of banana, yuca, bean, corn, sugarcane, coconut, cacao and coffee. However, in the department’s economy, the activities that have contributed the most are mining and fishing, highlighting the exploitation of alluvial gold, silver and platinum.

Fishing is favored by the presence of both oceans and countless rivers; another important economic activity is cattle ranching in Urabá Chocoano.

Another important economic sector of the department is the timber exploitation given its conditions of presence of forests.

RESERVAS NATURALES

In the Chocó department, there are three natural reserves:

• The Katíos National Natural Park
• The Tatamá National Park
• The Ensenada de Utría National Natural Park

HIMNO

Lyrics:

Miguel Vicente Garrido

Music: Miguel Vicente Garrido

CHORUS

Chocoan land that at the cry
of ¡Viva la Libertad¡,
for history has written
an immortal page.

I

Carrasquilla and Mallarino,
Holguín, Conto and Jorge Isaacs,
are your most glorious children,
intellectuals without equal.
And in the libertarian feat
Buch, Montalvo and many more,
eternalized their names
that history already welcomes

II

Your three ancient rivers:
Atrato, San Juan, Baudó,
your two seas, your canals,
by Napipí and Truandó,
open routes of progress,
of hope and promise,
and you are the richest land,
of our rich nation

III

You have gold and platinum,
Fertile and good lands,
virgin forests that offer,
flowers, fruits and woods.
And a youth eager and clear
of early and clear light
that in its hands brandishes
the shovel, the book and the cross