Norte de Santander (Spanish for Northern Santander) (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈnoɾte ðe santanˈdeɾ]) is a department of northeastern Colombia. It is in the north of the country, bordering Venezuela. Its capital is Cúcuta, one of the country's major cities.

Norte de Santander is bordered by Venezuela to the east and north, by Santander Department and Boyacá Department to the south, and by Santander Department and Cesar Department to the west.

The official department name is "Departamento de Norte de Santander" (Norte de Santander Department) in honor of Colombian military and political leader Francisco de Paula Santander, who was born and raised near Cúcuta. Norte de Santander Department is located in the northwestern zone of the Colombian Andean Region.

The area of present-day Norte de Santander played an important role in the history of Colombia, during the War of Independence from Spain when Congress gave origin to the Greater Colombia in Villa del Rosario.

The jungle zone and the valleys of the department served as the settlement of several indigenous groups, among them the Barí and Chitatero people. These indigenous groups inhabited the region between the Sardinata, Tarra and Zulia rivers. The U'wa people also inhabited part of the department, the political organization of this indigenous group was through clans.

The first European to set foot on the land where the department is located was the German Ambrosio Alfinger in 1530. Although the colonization process began with the Spaniard Pedro de Ursúa in 1549. The discovered gold mines attracted a series of conquerors as well as adventurers. Founded in 1549 as a captaincy, the city of Pamplona served as a strategic expeditionary center where the founding of cities in Colombia and Venezuela was declared, in this city was established the first Catholic archdiocese of Northeastern Colombia. 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.

Pamplona was the site of several independence movements, which is why one of the names the city has been given is "Ciudad Patriota" (Patriot City). Ocaña served as a strategic point for the liberating troops. 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 Villa del Rosario, the Congress of 1821 was established where the creation of the Republic of Colombia was established.