San Andres and Providencia is the department. The capital of the department is San Andres.
San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina Department, Government Website: http://www.sanandres.gov.co/
Providence and Santa Catalina Municipal Website: http://providencia-sanandres.gov.co/index.shtml
Chamber of Commerce: http://camarasai.org/web/
The consolidation of the Archipelago (San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina) as Colombian territory dates from the 23 of June, 1822. During many years, the administration of the resources of the archipelago fell into the hands of the governor that, at the time, governed the Caribbean Department of Bolivar.
But entering the XX Century, many circumstances confabulated so that the islands could obtain their own administrative and political autonomy. The horrible precedent of the loss of Panama being lost at the dawn of the XX Century added to the general discontent of the islanders about the onerous charges on coconut exports, the State abandonment of the island, the many acts of corruption and the ineffectiveness before the violation of the sovereignty of the waters and keys of the islands – all of this generated a heated atmosphere where speculations about separatists were not just gossip, as the islands would probably become Panamanian or Nicaraguan territory.
In light of this, the Government decided to give the islands autonomy, blanketing them with the figure of the National Administration under the Law 52 of October 26, 1912. This measure is considered a huge political and administrative achievement, thanks to Frances A. Newball, the great promoter of the National Administration during his first governance on the island.
It would be, with the Colombian Constitution in 1991, that this island game would take a leap and become a Department. It’s important to add that San Andres is the only island department in Colombia’s territory.
In the government of San Andres and Providencia, the island of San Andres, with more economic activities was named the capital of the department. The branch of the San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina government is located in the North End of San Andres. On their behalf, Providencia and Santa Catalina have become the only insular municipality in the country of the 32 Colombian territories that have these particular characteristics..
The Department elects officials by popular vote (universal suffrage) in San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina, the most prominent positions being governor and mayor.