1. Social Studies project Colegio Bilengüe Richmond To: Diego villamizar By: Andres F. Villamil L.

2. Since declaring its independence from Spain in 1810, Colombia has had ten constitutions, the last of which--adopted in 1886-- established the present-day unitary republic. These constitutions addressed three important issues: the division of powers, the strength of the chief executive, and the role of the Roman Catholic Church. The issue of a strong central government versus a decentralized federal system was especially important in the nation's constitutional development. The unitary constitutions of 1821 and 1830--inspired by President Simon Bolívar Palacio--gave considerable power to the central government at the expense of the departmental governments (see Gran Colombia , ch. 1). Between these Bolivarian constitutions and the 1886 version, however, three additional federal constitutions granted significant powers to administrative subdivisions known as departments ( departamentos ) and provided for the election of departmental assemblies (see Consolidation of Political Divisions , ch. 1).