Meta Department
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Meta Department (Template:IPA) is one of the 32 departments that compose the Republic of Colombia. Largely located within the country's Orinoquía natural region and covered by the Llanos, it is close to the geographic center of the country, east of the Andes mountains. Its capital is the city of Villavicencio.
History
Meta was established as a department on 1 July 1960.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Meta was a department particularly effected by the violence of the Colombian conflict,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with large areas being under the control of the FARC before the 2016 peace deal.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>
In May 2021, flooding effected over 5,400 people and 1,100 homes in the department when the Meta River to Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Geography
Meta Department is close to the geographic center of Colombia, largely located within the country's Orinoquía natural region.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is east of the Andes mountains. A significant portion of the department is a part of the Llanos, a grassland plain. The homonymous Meta River forms the northeastern border.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is bordered by Cundinamarca, Casanare, Vichada, Caquetá, Guaviare, and Huila Departments.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>
Parts of Chiribiquete Park, Tinigua National Natural Park, La Macarena National Natural Park,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Caño Cristales are located in the department.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0" />
It has an area of Template:Convert, 7.49% of the country.<ref name=":1" />
Municipalities
Meta Department is composed of 29 municipalities across 4 subregions. Its capital city is Villavicencio.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Demographics
As of the 2018 Colombian census, Meta Department had a total population of 1,039,722 people.<ref name="Pop2018">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2022, it had a Human Development Index of 0.769.<ref name="HDI">Template:Cite web</ref>
The indigenous Sikuani,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Jiw,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Guayupe peoples are among those who inhabit the department.Template:Historical populationsAchagua, which is similar to Piapoco, is an Indigenous language spoken by a minority in the department.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Government
Like all departments in Colombia, Meta has a Governor and a Departmental Assembly.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref>
Economy
Historically, the department's economy has been dependent on oil and gas. In the early 2020s, the national and departmental government began an effort to focus on and invest in tourism centered around its natural attractions.<ref name=":0" />
In 2022, Meta Department had a GDP of 58,439.5 billion Colombian pesos.<ref name="GDP">Template:Citation</ref>
Symbols
The flag of Meta has 17 horizontal stripes (nine green, eight white), representing Meta's place as the seventeenth department created in Colombia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The department has a monument marking the exact geographic center of Colombia, in a place known as Alto de Menegua, a few kilometers from Puerto López.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>