Economic Geography of the Bajo Putumayo Region,Colombia

Abstract

We assessed the economic development of the Bajo Putumayo region, comparing it with that of the Department of Putumayo and Colombia as a whole. The aim was to construct a baseline of indicators as support for policymaking. The approach is multidimensional. We use descriptive statistics and economic geography indicators for different territorial levels from 2000 to 2012. We find that the level of development in the region is related to institutional problems, the persistence of illicit crops and the consequences of guerrilla activity, such as the involuntary displacement of the population. We also find that the economic base is oil extraction, while the agricultural sector lacks dynamism. This reinforces the traditional dependence on natural resources.