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 * 1) In prehistoric times**

During the pre-Colombian period, the area now known as [|Colombia] was inhabited by many different [|indigenous peoples] with various kinds of organizations and levels  of civilization. These include primitive hunters or nomadic farmers but also, for example, the Sinú, who lived in the northern hot and humid lowlands and had developed a very efficient system for enhancing the fertility of their soils. Other pre-Colombian populations include Nariño, Tierradientro, San Augustín, and Quimbaya. The [|Chibchas] lived in the [|Bogotá] region, but there was nothing like a dominating people among them.


 * 2) During colonization.**

The [|Spanish] sailed along  the north coast of today's Colombia as early as [|1500], but their first permanent settlement, at Santa Marta, was not made until [|1525]. In [|1549], the establishment of the Audiencia in Santa Fe de [|Bogotá] , turned that city into  the capital of the [|New Granada] , which included the provinces which approximately make up the territory of today's Colombia. In [|1717] the [|Viceroyalty of New Granada] was created, with Bogotá as capital. This Viceroyalty included some other provinces of northwestern  South America which had been so far under jurisdiction of the [|Viceroyalties of New Spain] or [|Peru] Created in 1542, the Viceroyalty of Peru (in Spanish, Virreinato del Per contained most of Spanish-ruled South America until the creation of the separate viceroyalties of New Granada (now Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela, the last-named previously and correspond mainly to today's [|Venezuela], [|Ecuador] The Republic of Ecuador is a country of South America. Republica del Ecuador ( In Detail) National motto: Libertad y Orden ( Spanish; "The peace and wellbeing, the glory and triumph" Official language Spanish Capital Quito Largest City Guayaquil President and [|Panama] Panama ( Spanish: Panam is the southernmost country of Central America. It constitutes the last part of a natural land bridge between the North American and South American continents. History Main article: History of Panama Panama was part of Spain's colo. So, [|Bogotá] became one of the principal administrative centers of the Spanish possessions in the New World, along with [|Lima] Lima is the capital and the largest city in Peru. It is situated in a valley fed by the Rimac river, in the desert coast of the country near its Pacific port of Callao. Total population (1995 estimate): 6,117,489, approximately one-third of which lives in and [|Mexico City].


 * 3) After independence.**

Since declaring its independence from Spain in 1810, Colombia has had ten constitutions, the last of which--adopted in 1886-- established the present-day unitary republic. These constitutions addressed three important issues: the division of powers, the strength of the chief executive, and the role of the Roman Catholic Church. The issue of a strong central government versus a decentralized federal system was especially important in the nation's constitutional development. The unitary constitutions of 1821 and 1830--inspired by President Simón Bolívar Palacio--gave considerable power to the central government at the expense of the departmental governments (see [|Gran Colombia] . Between these Bolivarian constitutions and the 1886 version, however, three additional federal constitutions granted significant powers to administrative subdivisions known as departments (//departamentos//) and provided for the election of departmental assemblies (see [|Consolidation of Political Divisions] .Before a new constitution could be written by the [|Congress of Cúcuta], the [|Congress of Angostura] appointed Bolívar and Santander president and vice-president, respectively. Under the [|Constitution of 1821] the country was divided into twelve [|departments] governed by an [|intendant]. Departments were further divided into thirty-six provinces headed by a [|governor], who had overlapping powers with the intendants. Military affairs at the department level were overseen by a [|commandant general], who could also be the intendant. All three offices were appointed by the central government. The central government, which temporarily was to reside in [|Bogotá], consisted of a presidency, a [|bicameral] congress and a [|high court] (the //Alta Corte//). The president was the head of the executive branch of both the central and local governments. The president could be granted extraordinary powers in [|military fronts], such as the area that became Ecuador. A vice-president assumed the presidency in case of the absence, death, demotion, or illness of the president. Since President Bolívar was absent from Gran Colombia for the early years of its existence, executive power was wielded by the vice-president, Santander. The [|vote] was given to persons who owned 100 [|pesos] in landed property or had an equivalent income from a profession. Elections were [|indirect].


 * 4) Today**.

The government of Colombia consists of the these entities: Executive Branch, [|Legislative Branch], Judicial Branch, Control Institutions, and Electoral Institutions. Colombia is divided into thirty-two departments with one capital district which is Bogota. The districts are divided into municipalities, where there are one-thousand one hundred and nineteen total. Executive Branch is in charge of administering the structure of Colombia's governrment. In the past, the President was elected together with the Vice-President for a single four-year term. Meaning, once your term was over, you couldn't run for President again for the next consecutive term. But that part has been amended to allow for incumbent Presidents to serve up to two consecutive four-year terms. All other positions are elected for single three-year terms and cannot be re-elected for the next term. They would have to wait for the next term to be over. The President functions as the head of the government and the head of state.