Nariño Department


Nariño is a department of Colombia named after independence leader Antonio Nariño. Its capital is Pasto. It is in the west of the country, bordering Ecuador and the Pacific Ocean.
Nariño has a diverse geography and varied climate according to altitude: hot in the plains of the Pacific and cold in the mountains, where most of the population resides, a situation that is repeated in a north-south direction. Other important cities include Tumaco and Ipiales.

History

The territory was occupied during the Pre-Columbian era by numerous Indian tribes, including Quillacingas, Awá, Pasto, and Tumas. The first European conquistador who entered the territory was Andagoya Pascual in 1522, who traveled from the Colombian Pacific coast and then used information obtained by Francisco Pizarro to organize the expedition that culminated in the conquest of Peru.
Juan de Ampudia and Pedro de Añazco first explored the mountainous part of the department, commissioned by Sebastián de Belalcázar in 1535, who then toured the territory in 1536 and reached Popayán and remained for some time before leaving for Spain.

Municipalities

  1. Albán
  2. Aldana
  3. Ancuya
  4. Arboleda
  5. Barbacoas
  6. Belén
  7. Buesaco
  8. Chachagüí
  9. Colón
  10. Consaca
  11. Contadero
  12. Córdoba
  13. Cuaspud
  14. Cumbal
  15. Cumbitara
  16. El Charco
  17. El Peñol
  18. El Rosario
  19. El Tablón
  20. El Tambo
  21. Francisco Pizarro
  22. Funes
  23. Guachucal
  24. Guaitarilla
  25. Gualmatán
  26. Iles
  27. Imues
  28. Ipiales
  29. La Cruz
  30. La Florida
  31. La Llanada
  32. La Tola
  33. La Unión
  34. Leiva
  35. Linares
  36. Los Andes
  37. Magüí Payán
  38. Mallama
  39. Mosquera
  40. Nariño
  41. Olaya Herrera
  42. Ospina
  43. Pasto
  44. Policarpa
  45. Potosí
  46. Providencia
  47. Puerres
  48. Pupiales
  49. Ricaurte
  50. Roberto Payán
  51. Samaniego
  52. San Bernardo
  53. Sandona
  54. San Lorenzo
  55. San Pablo
  56. San Pedro de Cartago
  57. Santa Barbara
  58. Santacruz
  59. Sapuyes
  60. Taminango
  61. Tangua
  62. Tumaco
  63. Tuquerres
  64. Yacuanquer