During the 1980s, the department was dissolved and substituted by the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) and South Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS), autonomous regions with a certain degree of self-government.
Under 1980-talet ersattes departementet av RAAN (Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte) och RAAS (Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur), två autonoma regioner med viss självbestämmanderätt.