Originally, the southwestern area of the department belonged to the
Cofán Indians, the northwestern to the
Kamentxá Indians, the central and southern areas to tribes that spoke
Tukano languages (such as the
Siona), and the eastern to tribes that spoke
Witoto languages. Part of the Kamentxá territory was conquered by the Inca
Huayna Cápac in 1492, who, after crossing the Cofán territory, established a
Quechua population on the valley of
Sibundoy, known today as Ingas. After the
Inca defeat in 1533, the region was invaded by the Spanish in 1542, and from 1547 was administered by Catholic missions. The current territory of Putumayo was linked to Popayan during the
Spanish Colonial Period and in the first
Republican decades belonged to the "
Azuay Department", which included territories in Ecuador and Perú. Later a long process of territorial redistributions began: • 1831:
Popayán Province. • 1857:
Estado Federal del Cauca. • 1886:
Cauca Department. • 1905: . • 1909: . • 1912: Comisaría Especial del Putumayo. • 1953:
Department of Nariño. • 1957: Comisaría Especial del Putumayo. • 1968: Intendencia Especial del Putumayo. • 1991:
Putumayo Department. ==Municipalities==