Huila () is one of the

departments of Colombia Colombia is a unitary state, unitary republic made up of thirty-two administrative divisions referred to as departments (Spanish language, Spanish: ''departamentos'', sing. ) and one Capital District (''Capital districts and territories, Distri ...

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

Demography and Ethnography

Huila department had a population of 1,122,622 inhabitants in 2020, of which 679,667 (60.54%) live in urban areas and 442,955 (39.46%) in the rest of the ''Huilense'' territory. This amounts to 2.5% of the total Colombian population. The majority of it is settled in the Magdalena valley, the main urban centers being Neiva and Garzón, due to the possibilities offered by commercial-type agricultural economy, oil production, access to basic public services and roads connected to the central road axis along the Magdalena. The rest of the population is located on the coffee belt, standing out Pitalito and

La Plata La Plata () is the capital city of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. According to the 2022 Argentina census, census, the La Plata Partido, Partido has a population of 772,618 and its metropolitan area, the Greater La Plata, has 938,287 inhabit ...

; the North Subregion is undergoing a decrease in its rural population, mainly attributable to 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 Neiva (223.72), Pitalito (200.1) and Garzón (162.45), and with the lowest in the municipalities of

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

and Villavieja (7.83 and 10.91 respectively).

Ethnography

According to DANE, the racial composition of Huila is as follows: 98.43% recognize themselves as

Whites White is a racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly European ancestry. It is also a skin color specifier, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, ethnicity and point of view. De ...

and

Mestizo ( , ; fem. , literally 'mixed person') is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in the former Spanish Empire. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturall ...

s, while only 1.57% as an ethnic population (

Amerindians In the Americas, Indigenous peoples comprise the two continents' pre-Columbian inhabitants, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with them in the 15th century, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with the pre-Columbian population of ...

and

Afro The afro is a hair style created by combing out natural growth of afro-textured 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?" '' Ebo ...

Mulatto ( , ) is a Race (human categorization), racial classification that refers to people of mixed Sub-Saharan African, African and Ethnic groups in Europe, European ancestry only. When speaking or writing about a singular woman in English, the ...

s). This makes it one of departments with the highest percentage of non-ethnic affiliated population in the country.

Geography

According to the Agustín Codazzi Geographic Institute (IGAC), Huila's surface area is 19,890 km², which is about 1.74% of the total surface area of Colombia. The south of the department is located in the Colombian Massif. The Cordillera Oriental branches off from the Colombia Massif here. This is caused by the rise of the

Magdalena River The Magdalena River (, ; 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 its lower reaches, ...

(also called Yuma River), Colombia's longest river and its largest basin. The Magdalena River has two large dams: Betania and El Quimbo. Colombia's third highest peak, Nevado del Huila volcano, is also located in this department.

Administrative divisions

Municipalities

* Acevedo * Agrado * Aipe *

Algeciras Algeciras () is a city and a municipalities in Spain, 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 G ...

* Altamira * 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; a bum neither travels nor works. Et ...

* Iquira * Isnos * La Argentina *

* Nátaga * Neiva (capital city) * Oporapa * Paicol *

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

* Palestina * Pital * Pitalito * Rivera * Saladoblanco * San Agustín * Santa María * Suaza * Tarqui * Tello *

Teruel Teruel () is a city in Aragon, located in eastern Spain, and is also the capital of Teruel (province), Teruel Province. It had a population of 35,900 as of 2022, making it the least populated provincial capital in Spain. It is noted for its har ...

* Tesalia * Timaná * Villavieja * Yaguará

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