The jungle zone and the valleys of the department served as the settlement of several indigenous groups, among them the Barí and Chitatero people.

During colonial times, the city of Ocaña, founded in 1570, was used as a connection point between the Colombian Caribbean area and the capital of the province of Pamplona.

In Cucutá, it was the place where the Admirable Campaign began, it was also the first city where Simón Bolívar defeated the royalist troops.

In 1863 it was decided in the National Convention of Rio Negro, to change the name of the country to the United States of Colombia.

The area was still known as Santander and was part of the provinces of Cúcuta, Ocaña, Pamplona, Charalá, García Rovira, Guanentá, Soto, Socorro and Vélez.

In 1905, the department was divided into two and for a time, Santander had Cúcuta, Ocaña, River of Gold, Pamplona, García Rovira, Santos and Fortúl provinces.

Norte de Santander has a varied geography and is composed by mountainous areas, deserts, plateaus, plains and hills.

As a border department, part of Norte de Santander's economy depends on the service sector, including finance and commerce.

[13] Other tourist sites located in the western part of the department include Los Estoraques Unique Natural Area near La Playa de Belén.

[14] In the southwestern part of the department is the Casa de la Cultura Manuel Briceño Jáuregui in Chinácota, which has photographs about the gastronomy and traditional medicine used in the municipality.

[16] In the southwestern part of Norte de Santander is the city of Pamplona, which has the Museo Casa Colonial, one of the oldest museums in the department.

[17] In the 1870s, the Cucutá Railroad was built, which helped connect the area where coffee was grown in the department with the Zulía River.

[18] The Colombian Congress issued law 69 of 1923, which requested the construction of an aerial lift that would connect the Magdalena River with the city of Cucutá, the reason was that several road and rail transportation projects had failed, but for political and economic reasons, only the aerial lift between Ocaña and Gamarra could be completed.

[22] Typical dishes offered in the department include Mute, Hayacas, of extended and rectangular form, the Cabrito, that is consumed roasted or cooked, soy (chick-pea) pies, empanadas and maize.

Amazonas Antioquia Arauca Atlántico Bolívar Boyacá Caldas Caquetá Casanare Cauca Cesar Chocó Córdoba Cundinamarca Guainía Guaviare Huila La Guajira Magdalena Meta Nariño N. Santander Putumayo Quindío Risaralda San Andrés Santander Sucre Tolima Valle del Cauca Vaupés Vichada