Map of Meta
Meta is a first-level division of Colombia. Its largest mapped city is Villavicencio, with about 374,763 people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Meta, and the tables list its 4 mapped cities.
- Cities Mapped
- 4
- Largest City
- Villavicencio
- Country
- Colombia
Interactive Map of Meta
About Meta
Meta Department (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmeta]) 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.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Meta Department (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Meta in Depth
History
Meta was a department particularly effected by the violence of the Colombian conflict, with large areas being under the control of the FARC before the 2016 peace deal.
In May 2021, flooding affected over 5,400 people and 1,100 homes in the department when the Meta River rose to 8.73 metres (28.6 ft).
Geography
Meta Department is close to the geographic center of Colombia, largely located within the country's Orinoquía natural region. 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. It is bordered by Cundinamarca, Casanare, Vichada, Caquetá, Guaviare, and Huila Departments.
Parts of Chiribiquete Park, Tinigua National Natural Park, La Macarena National Natural Park, and Caño Cristales are located in the department.
It has an area of 85,635 square kilometres (33,064 sq mi), 7.49% of the country.
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.
In 2022, Meta Department had a GDP of 58,439.5 billion Colombian pesos.
Demographics
As of the 2018 Colombian census, Meta Department had a total population of 1,039,722 people. In 2022, it had a Human Development Index of 0.769.
The indigenous Sikuani, Jiw, Guayupe peoples are among those who inhabit the department.Achagua, which is similar to Piapoco, is an Indigenous language spoken by a minority in the department.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Meta Department (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Meta: Key Facts
| Population | 1,062,454 (2020) |
|---|---|
| Area | 85,635 km² |
| Capital | Villavicencio |
| Highest point | Páramo El Nevado |
| Established | 1 July 1960 |
Facts from Wikidata Q238629 (CC0).
History of Meta: Empires and States
The atlas records 5 polities whose mapped territory included part of Meta, from The Spanish Empire in 1752 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| The Spanish Empire | 1752–1814 CE |
| New Granada | 1815–1821 CE |
| Gran Colombia | 1822–1833 CE |
| Republic of New Granada | 1834–1858 CE |
| Republic of Colombia | 1866–2024 CE |
Historical Maps of Meta
Meta on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Largest Cities in Meta
4 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Villavicencio | 374,763 | Meta | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | San José del Guaviare | 22,136 | Meta | Admin-1 capital |
| 3 | Puerto López | 16,678 | Meta | Populated place |
| 4 | San Martín | 16,273 | Meta | Populated place |
Meta: Quick Answers
- Where is Meta?
- Meta is a first-level division of Colombia, in South America. Its mapped cities centre on 3.6259° N, 73.2313° W.
- What is the largest city in Meta?
- Villavicencio is the largest city mapped in Meta, with a metropolitan population of about 374,763.
- How many cities are in Meta?
- YearMaps maps 4 cities and towns in Meta, with a combined metropolitan population of about 429,850. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.