Huila () is one of the

departments of Colombia Colombia is a unitary republic made up of thirty-two departments ( Spanish: ''departamentos'', sing. ''departamento'') and a Capital District ('' Distrito Capital''). Each department has a governor (''gobernador'') and an Assembly (''Asamblea ...

. It is located in the southwest of the country, and its capital is

Neiva Neiva () is the capital of the Department of Huila. It is located in the valley of the Magdalena River in south central Colombia with a population of about 357,392 inhabitants. It is one of the most important cities in southern Colombia, mainly ...

Demography and Ethnography

Huila is a department that has a population of 1,122,622 inhabitants, of which 679,667 (60.54%) people live in municipal capitals and 442,955 (39.46%) in the rest of the Huilense territory. This corresponds to 2.5% of the total Colombian population. The majority of the population is settled in the Magdalena valley, with epicenters in

and Garzón due to the possibilities offered by the commercial-type agricultural economy, oil exploitation, the best provision of services and the road axes connected to the central axis that borders the Magdalena. The rest of the populations are located on the coffee belt, standing out

Pitalito Pitalito is a Colombian town and municipality located to the south of the Department of Huila, Colombia over the Valley of the Rio Grande de la Magdalena, 188 km from Huila's capital, Neiva. It is referred to as "''The Valley of Laboyos''" ...

and

La Plata La Plata () is the capital city of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. According to the , it has a population of 654,324 and its metropolitan area, the Greater La Plata, has 787,294 inhabitants. It is located 9 kilometers (6 miles) inland from th ...

, the North Subregion presents a decrease in its rural population, mainly attributable to the alterations of agricultural and oil activities on the landscape. The average population density in the department is 59.88 inhabitants / km², with the highest densities in

(223.72),

(200.1) and Garzón (162.45), and with the lowest in the municipalities of

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...

and Villavieja (7.83 and 10.91 respectively).

Ethnography

According to DANE, the racial composition of Huila corresponds to: 98.43% is recognized as

Whites White is a racialized classification of people and a skin color specifier, generally used for people of European origin, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, and point of view. Description of populations as ...

and

Mestizo (; ; fem. ) is a term used for racial classification to refer to a person of mixed European and Indigenous American ancestry. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturally European even though thei ...

s while only 1.57% as an ethnic population (

Amerindians The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the Am ...

and

Afro The afro is a hair type created by natural growth of kinky hair, or specifically styled with chemical curling products by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair.Garland, Phyl"Is The Afro On Its Way Out?" ''Ebony'', February 1973. ...

Mulatto (, ) is a racial classification to refer to people of mixed African and European ancestry. Its use is considered outdated and offensive in several languages, including English and Dutch, whereas in languages such as Spanish and Portuguese ...

s) makes it one of the most Eurocentric and less diverse departments in terms of race or ethnicity in the country.

Geography

The south of the department is located in the

Colombian Massif The Colombian Massif (from the Spanish Macizo Colombiano), also known colloquially as ''Nudo de Almaguer'', refers to a group of mountains within the Andes of south central Colombia. The massif is mainly within the area of the Cauca, Huila, and ...

. The Cordillera Oriental is born in this place. Colombia's third highest peak, the

Nevado del Huila Nevado del Huila (, ) at , is the highest volcano in Colombia, located at the tripoint of the departments of Huila, Tolima and Cauca. It is visible from the city of Cali. The andesitic volcano is located on top of the Ibagué Batholith.Planch ...

volcano, is located in the department of Huila. The

Magdalena River The Magdalena River ( es, Río Magdalena, ; less commonly ) is the main river of Colombia, flowing northward about through the western half of the country. It takes its name from the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. It is navigable through much of ...

(also called Yuma River) is Colombia's largest river, begins in the department of Huila. Some of Huila's most important towns are located in the Magdalena River Valley. Betania is a dam located on the Magdalena river. A larger dam, El Quimbo, is planned for the same river. Landscape near Gigante, Colombia 01

Administrative divisions

Municipalities

* Acevedo * Agrado *

Aipe Aipe is a town and municipality in the Huila Department, Colombia. It is located on the west bank of the Magdalena River in the Central Ranges of the Colombian Andes at altitudes between . Aipe borders Natagaima, Ataco and Planadas of the depart ...

Algeciras Algeciras ( , ) is a municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Located in the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, near the Strait of Gibraltar, it is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar ( es, Bahía de Algeci ...

Altamira Altamira may refer to: People *Altamira (surname) Places * Cave of Altamira, a cave in Cantabria, Spain famous for its paintings and carving *Altamira, Pará, a city in the Brazilian state of Pará * Altamira, Huila, a town and municipality in ...

* Baraya * Campoalegre *

* Elías * Garzón * Gigante * Guadalupe *

Hobo A hobo is a migrant worker in the United States. Hoboes, tramps and bums are generally regarded as related, but distinct: a hobo travels and is willing to work; a tramp travels, but avoids work if possible; and a bum neither travels nor works. ...

* Iquira *

Isnos Isnos is a town and municipality in the Huila Department Huila () is one of the departments of Colombia. It is located in the southwest of the country, and its capital is Neiva. Demography and Ethnography Huila is a department that has a p ...

* La Argentina *

* Nátaga *

(capital city) * Oporapa *

Paicol Paicol is a town and municipality in the Huila Department Huila () is one of the departments of Colombia. It is located in the southwest of the country, and its capital is Neiva. Demography and Ethnography Huila is a department that has a p ...

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The city is noted for its ...

* Palestina * Pital *

Rivera Rivera () is the capital of Rivera Department of Uruguay. The border with Brazil joins it with the Brazilian city of Santana do Livramento, which is only a street away from it, at the north end of Route 5. Together, they form an urban area of aro ...

Saladoblanco Saladoblanco () is a town and municipality in the Huila Department Huila () is one of the departments of Colombia. It is located in the southwest of the country, and its capital is Neiva. Demography and Ethnography Huila is a department tha ...

* San Agustín * Santa María * Suaza *

Tarqui Tarqui may refer to: * Tarqui, Huila, Colombia * Tarqui, Cuenca Canton, Ecuador * Tarqui, Guayaquil Canton Tarqui is an urban parish in Guayaquil Canton, Guayas, Ecuador, named after the Battle of Tarqui. Tarqui is the largest and most populous ...

* Tello *

Teruel Teruel () is a city in Aragon, located in eastern Spain, and is also the capital of Teruel Province. It has a population of 35,675 in 2014 making it the least populated provincial capital in the country. It is noted for its harsh climate, with ...

Tesalia Tesalia () is a town and municipality in the Huila Department, Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as ...

Timaná Timaná is a town and municipality in the Huila Department, Colombia. The municipality is located in the south of Huila at an altitude of and southwest of the capital Neiva. History The region of Timaná before the conquest in Colombia was in ...

* Villavieja *

Yaguará Yaguará () is a town and municipality in the Huila Department, Colombia. The urban centre is located at an elevation of in the Magdalena River Valley and the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The municipality borders Teruel and Palermo in ...

References

External links

Government of Huila official website
{{Authority control Huila Department Departments of Colombia States and territories established in 1905 1905 establishments in Colombia