Norte de Santander

a department in northeastern Colombia. Area, 20,800 sq km. Population, 627,000 (1971). The capital is Cùcuta.

There is oil drilling and refining in the Catatumbo River basin. Sugarcane and coffee are cultivated in the river valleys and near Cúcuta. Wheat, barley, corn, and potatoes are grown in the spurs of the Cordillera Oriental and are processed locally.