Ibagué is the capital of Tolima, one of the 32 departments that make up the Republic of Colombia. The city is located in the center of the country, on the central mountain range of the Colombian Andes, near Nevado del Tolima. It is one of the most populous cities in the country, with about 498,401 (according to the 2005 census) inhabitants, making it the seventh (7th) most populous in Colombia. It was founded on October 14, 1550 by the Spanish captain Andrés López de Galarza. The city of Ibagué is divided into 13 communes and the rural area has over 17 corregimientos. As the capital of the department of Tolima, the city hosts the Government of Tolima, the Departmental Assembly, the Attorney General's Office, and is the main epicenter of political, economic, administrative, business, art, culture, and tourism activities.