Vaupés Department
Encyclopedia
Vaupés is a department
of Colombia
in the jungle covered
Amazonas Region. It is located in the southeast part of the country, bordering Brazil
to the east, the department of Amazonas
to the south, Caquetá and Guaviare
, and Guainía
to the north covering a total area of 54,135 km². Its capital is the town of Mitú
.
and first days of the first republic, the territory of Vaupes was part of the Province of Popayán, during the Greater Colombia. After the independence from Spain between 1821 and 1830 became part of the first version of the Boyacá Department
. Between 1831 and 1857 the territory became part of the National Territory of Caquetá to later be part of the Sovereign State of Cauca. In 1886 became part of the then recently created Cauca Department
.
With the expansion of the rubber industry and the industrial revolution, exploration for rubber reached the area briging colonizers that altered and in some cases extinguished the majority of the indigenous population
.
The territory was first made into a territorial division in 1910 and functioned as Commissaries
(Comisarias) with the town of Calamar
as capital (located in present day Guaviare
) but later moved to the town of Mitú to make an "act of presence" near the border with Brasil. In 1963 Guainía
segregated from the Vaupes and became a commissary. In 1977, Guaviare
followed the same path.
The Department was created after the Colombian Constitution of 1991
which established it as a Department of Colombia on July 4, 1991.
guerrilla members of the Eastern Bloc of the FARC-EP tried to take over by force the capital town Mitú
, against 120 National Police members
and one Colombian National Army Battalion. The Colombian Air Force
and Army Aviation
supported ground forces with air raids. Mitú was left partially destroyed and some 60 policemen and 10 civilians died. In their escape FARC took hostages as human shields including some 40 to 45 members of the Colombian Military.
jungle, it has no roads connecting it with the rest of the country or internally from settlement to settlement, and commerce and contact with the outside world is achieved through travel along the main rivers and by means of air travel. Several of the small settlements have airstrips with service to the department's capital, Mitú
, and from there with the rest of the country.
Departments of Colombia
Colombia is an unitary republic formed by thirty-two departments and a Capital District . Each department has a Governor and a Department Assembly , elected by popular vote for a four-year period. The governor cannot be re-elected in consecutive periods...
of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
in the jungle covered
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
Amazonas Region. It is located in the southeast part of the country, bordering Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
to the east, the department of Amazonas
Amazonas Department
Amazonas is a department of Colombia in the south of the country. Its capital is Leticia. Its name comes from the Amazon River that drains much in the department and the rainforest that covers a large part of the department....
to the south, Caquetá and Guaviare
Guaviare Department
Guaviare is a department of Colombia. It is in the southern central region of the country. Its capital is San José del Guaviare. Guaviare was created on July 4, 1991 by the new Political Constitution of Colombia...
, and Guainía
Guainía Department
Guainía is a department of Colombia. It is in the east of the country, bordering Venezuela and Brazil. Its capital is Inirida. In 1963 Guainía was split off from Vaupés. The northern part and the Inírida River are included in the Orinoco river basin; the rest is part of Amazonia...
to the north covering a total area of 54,135 km². Its capital is the town of Mitú
Mitú
Mitú is the capital city of the department of Vaupés in Colombia. The town of Mitu is the most remote Capital of Department in Colombia.In November, 1998 an estimated 1,900 FARC guerrilla members of the Eastern Bloc of the FARC-EP tried to take over the town by force, against 120 National Police...
.
History
During the colonization by the SpanishSpanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
and first days of the first republic, the territory of Vaupes was part of the Province of Popayán, during the Greater Colombia. After the independence from Spain between 1821 and 1830 became part of the first version of the Boyacá Department
Boyacá Department
Boyacá is one of the 32 Departments of Colombia, and the remnant of one of the original nine states of the "United States of Colombia".Boyacá is centrally located within Colombia, almost entirely within the mountains of the Eastern Cordillera to the border with Venezuela, although the western end...
. Between 1831 and 1857 the territory became part of the National Territory of Caquetá to later be part of the Sovereign State of Cauca. In 1886 became part of the then recently created Cauca Department
Cauca Department
Cauca is a Department of Colombia. Located in the south-western part of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Valle del Cauca Department to the north, Tolima Department to the northeast, Huila Department to the east and the Nariño Department to the south, covering a total area of...
.
With the expansion of the rubber industry and the industrial revolution, exploration for rubber reached the area briging colonizers that altered and in some cases extinguished the majority of the indigenous population
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
.
The territory was first made into a territorial division in 1910 and functioned as Commissaries
Commissary
A commissary is someone delegated by a superior to execute a duty or an office; in a formal, legal context, one who has received power from a legitimate superior authority to pass judgment in a certain cause or to take information concerning it.-Word history:...
(Comisarias) with the town of Calamar
Calamar, Guaviare
Calamar is a town and municipality in the Guaviare Department, Colombia....
as capital (located in present day Guaviare
Guaviare Department
Guaviare is a department of Colombia. It is in the southern central region of the country. Its capital is San José del Guaviare. Guaviare was created on July 4, 1991 by the new Political Constitution of Colombia...
) but later moved to the town of Mitú to make an "act of presence" near the border with Brasil. In 1963 Guainía
Guainía Department
Guainía is a department of Colombia. It is in the east of the country, bordering Venezuela and Brazil. Its capital is Inirida. In 1963 Guainía was split off from Vaupés. The northern part and the Inírida River are included in the Orinoco river basin; the rest is part of Amazonia...
segregated from the Vaupes and became a commissary. In 1977, Guaviare
Guaviare Department
Guaviare is a department of Colombia. It is in the southern central region of the country. Its capital is San José del Guaviare. Guaviare was created on July 4, 1991 by the new Political Constitution of Colombia...
followed the same path.
The Department was created after the Colombian Constitution of 1991
Colombian Constitution of 1991
The Political Constitution of Colombia, better known as the Constitution of 1991, is the current governing document of the Republic of Colombia. Promulgated on July 4 of 1991 , it replaced the Constitution of 1886...
which established it as a Department of Colombia on July 4, 1991.
Armed Conflict
In November 1998 an estimate of a 1,000 FARCRevolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army is a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary guerrilla organization based in Colombia which is involved in the ongoing Colombian armed conflict, currently involved in drug dealing and crimes against the civilians..FARC-EP is a peasant army which...
guerrilla members of the Eastern Bloc of the FARC-EP tried to take over by force the capital town Mitú
Mitú
Mitú is the capital city of the department of Vaupés in Colombia. The town of Mitu is the most remote Capital of Department in Colombia.In November, 1998 an estimated 1,900 FARC guerrilla members of the Eastern Bloc of the FARC-EP tried to take over the town by force, against 120 National Police...
, against 120 National Police members
Colombian National Police
The National Police of Colombia is the national police force of Colombia. Although the National Police is not part of the Military of Colombia , it constitutes along with them the "Public Force" and is also controlled by the Ministry of Defense. They are the largest police force in Colombia...
and one Colombian National Army Battalion. The Colombian Air Force
Colombian Air Force
The Colombian Air Force or FAC is the Air Force of the Republic of Colombia.The Colombian Air Force is one of the three institutions of the Armed Forces of Colombia, charge according to the 1991 Constitution of the work to exercise and maintain control of Colombia's airspace to defend the...
and Army Aviation
Colombian National Army Aviation
The Colombian National Army Aviation is an aviation combat arms unit in the Colombian National Army. Its history dates back to December 31, 1919, but was not fully developed until August 25, 1995 when this unit is officially activated under the name "Aviación Ejército" The Army Aviation was...
supported ground forces with air raids. Mitú was left partially destroyed and some 60 policemen and 10 civilians died. In their escape FARC took hostages as human shields including some 40 to 45 members of the Colombian Military.
Economy
The department's main economic activities feature logging and fishing, with much exportation to neighboring Brazil.Transportation
Because of its location in the AmazonAmazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
jungle, it has no roads connecting it with the rest of the country or internally from settlement to settlement, and commerce and contact with the outside world is achieved through travel along the main rivers and by means of air travel. Several of the small settlements have airstrips with service to the department's capital, Mitú
Mitú
Mitú is the capital city of the department of Vaupés in Colombia. The town of Mitu is the most remote Capital of Department in Colombia.In November, 1998 an estimated 1,900 FARC guerrilla members of the Eastern Bloc of the FARC-EP tried to take over the town by force, against 120 National Police...
, and from there with the rest of the country.