Tolima Grande

The Tolima Grande is the unofficial name that refers to the part of the Colombian Andean region located in the upper course of the Magdalena River between the Central and Eastern mountain ranges that includes the territories of the current Colombian departments of Tolima and Huila. Although it began to receive that name in 1886 when Tolima was categorized as a department, the term is also used to refer to the extinct Sovereign State of Tolima.

After the secession of Huila in 1905, Neiva became its departmental capital. Despite the territorial changes, the departmental capital of Tolima continued to be Ibagué.

History

The department of Tolima, formerly the Sovereign State of Tolima, was created after the Colombian Constitution of 1886, which changed Colombia from a federal system to a centralist one, by which sovereign states were replaced by new political-administrative units called departments. "Tolima Grande", the name by which the department of Tolima was popularly known, heir to the same jurisdiction and limits of the Sovereign State, included the provinces of Neiva and Mariquita.

The department of Huila, which corresponds to the southern area of Tolima Grande, dates back to the year 1905 in which initially the Minister of Government, Bonifacio Vélez, proposed on April 25 of that year to the National Constituent and Legislative Assembly the creation of three departments and in one of its articles it provided for the creation of the Department of Neiva, with its capital in the city of the same name, formed by the provinces of Neiva and the South. When the third debate took place on April 27 of that year, Quijano Wallys proposed that it be called Huila instead of Neiva. Huila began administrative life on June 15, 1905 under the direction of its first governor, Rafael Puyo Perdomo.

Geography

This part of the country is located between the Central and Eastern mountain ranges, both separated by the Magdalena River that originates in the department of Huila. In this department you can also find the most varied landscapes such as the Nevado del Huila and the Tatacoa desert.

Culture

Tolima Grande is a region of Colombia comprised of the departments of Tolima and Huila. The department of Caquetá is also part of the region, since the majority of its inhabitants are descendants of Huilenses and Tolimenses due to the colonization that It occurred between the 19th century and XX, and which has been maintained until now. Its main cities are Ibagué, Neiva, Espinal, Pitalito and Florencia. The name of its inhabitants is “opita”.

Musically, bambuco is rooted in this region. The capital of Tolima has been declared the musical city of Colombia, since its conservatory is one of the most important in the country.