Officially known as the Republic of Colombia, this country is located in the northern area of South America.
Colombia is surrounded by five countries. On the north of it, the Caribbean Sea is found; Panama is on the northwest, Venezuela is on the east, Ecuador and Peru are on the south, the Pacific Ocean is on the west, and Brazil is on the southeast.
The capital city is Bogotá and it also has thirty-two different departments in all of its territory.
Continue reading and discover all these amazing facts about Colombia
Colombia Facts
1. Colombia’s history dates back to hundreds of years
Different studies and research have found out that humans settled in modern Colombia more than 20,000 years ago, a fun fact about Colombia.
Archeologists believe that the area where Colombia is now, was really important back then as well, mainly because of all the biodiversity that the country has.
In addition, many indigenous people and communities have lived in Colombia since at least 12,000 BCE. Some of the inhabitants have been the Muisca, the Quimbayas and the Taironas.
Nowadays the Taironas can still be seen in the areas near Santa Marta, and they tend to visit the National Park, called Tayrona, during high season.
However, the Spaniards arrived in this country in 1499, and a lot of things started to change immediately. For example, many indigenous people suddenly died after getting in touch with the European settlers.
The reason behind this was because Spaniards were bringing different diseases that the indigenous weren’t used to, so, their bodies didn’t have an immune response to the new viruses.
Also, when the Spaniards went to Colombia they decided to form a new territory called Nueva Granada.
2. Colombia is a very diverse country
Colombia forms part of the megadiverse countries’ list. This is because Colombia is not only rich in its culture, but it is also rich in its ethnicity, flora, fauna, and territory.
From Amerindian civilizations to European settlers, to African labor to Asian and Middle Eastern immigration, Colombian people are a mixture of all of these cultures.
What’s more, Colombia is the second most biodiverse country in the world, and its territory goes from the Amazon rainforest, to severe highlands, to the Caribbean, to the Pacific Ocean, to some spectacular deserts, and to some volcanos.
But Colombia also likes to break records, so, they have the most endemic species of birds, of orchids, of amphibian species, and butterflies, in the world, a fun fact about Colombia.
This means that no other country – apart from Brazil – in the world can compare its biological diversity to Colombia.
3. It was also part of a bigger nation called La Gran Colombia
The Big Colombia was made up of other smaller countries such as Ecuador, Panama, some parts of Central America, the northwestern part of Brazil, parts of Peru, and Venezuela.
This is one of the reasons why the flags of these three countries – Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela- are similar to one another.
La Gran Colombia was created in 1819 and it existed until 1831. It was often considered as one of the biggest and most important countries in the world.
It was led by Simón Bolívar, who later became the President.
4. But Colombia has had a lot of problems ever since
This country has gone through a lot, especially in the last couple of decades, where paramilitaries and the government forces have been in conflict non-stop.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as FARC, have ruled many areas of the country. However, these problems have rapidly escalated, especially in the late 90s, when people were forced to leave their hometowns in order to survive.
There have been peace negotiations but it seems to be that both the FARC and the Government go back to its usual business and conflict every couple of years.
Many people have died, been hurt, and or had to move to a different city or even country because Colombia was a truly dangerous place to be in.
5. The country is known for its food and drinks
Colombia is known for its exotic fruits! An interesting fact about Colombia is that, fruit stands can be found throughout the whole country, especially in the area of the Caribbean.
Another thing that stands out is the Colombian coffee. Everybody is allowed to drink it, and it doesn’t matter how old you are.
Also, Colombian is the third biggest export erof coffee, right behind Brazil and Vietnam.
In addition, Colombians are fans of drinking something called Agua Panela, which is water with sugarcane. It’s served warm and people who cannot drink coffee love to drink this.
You can expect to drink soup every day if you visit Colombia, as they place it as a starter meal.
6. Colombia’s name can be confusing
Colombia is named after Christopher Columbus as a way of recognizing and remembering him.
Therefore, the country’s name is pronounced and spelled Colombia, not Columbia.
Many tourists make this common mistake, as they tend to get confused about which letter to use.
7. Ages are important in Colombia
It seems to be that Colombians love to celebrate everything they can. So, it is a very special moment when a girl turns 15 years old.
They are usually called Quinceañeras – which means a fifteen-year-old girl, and sometimes their families decide to have a big party that is called Fiesta de Quince or Fifteen Party, a fun fact about Colombia.
On the other hand, age is truly respected in the country, and the elderly are seen as individuals who have a lot of valuable information.
Conclusion
Colombia is a very interesting place, not only because of its richness in terms of nature, but also because they are very rich in culture, history and ancient knowledge as well.
People from Colombia tend to be very laid-back, and other individuals usually love them wherever they go, because they have something special about them.
And this can be attributed to the fact that they come from one of the biggest and most biodiverse countries in the world, something that has definitely shaped the Colombian’s individual and collective personalities.
I hope that this article on Colombia facts was helpful. If you are interested, visit the Country Facts Page!
