Discovering Colombia

Overview of Colombia: Geography, History, and Culture

• Colombia is a country located mostly in South America, with insular regions in North America.

• It is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuela to the east and northeast, Brazil to the southeast, Ecuador and Peru to the south and southwest, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and Panama to the northwest.

• Colombia is divided into 32 departments and has a population of around 52 million, making it the largest Spanish-speaking country in South America.

• Its cultural heritage reflects its history as a colony, fusing cultural elements brought by immigration from Europe and the Middle East, with those brought by the African diaspora, as well as with those of the various Indigenous civilizations that predate colonization.

• Spanish is the official language, although English and 64 other languages are recognized regionally.

• Colombia has been home to many indigenous peoples and cultures since at least 12,000 BCE.

• The Spanish first landed in La Guajira in 1499, and by the mid-16th century they had colonized much of present-day Colombia, and established the New Kingdom of Granada, with Santa Fé de Bogotá as its capital.

• Independence from the Spanish Empire was achieved in 1819, with what is now Colombia emerging as the United Provinces of New Granada.

• Colombia is recognized for its health system, being the best healthcare in the Americas according to The World Health Organization and 22nd on the planet.

• It is one of the world's seventeen megadiverse countries, with the second-highest level of biodiversity in the world.

• Colombia is a key member of major global and regional organizations including the UN, the WTO, the OECD, the OAS, the Pacific Alliance, and the Andean Community; it is also a NATO Global Partner.

• Its diversified economy is the third-largest in South America, with macroeconomic stability and favorable long-term growth prospects.A Comprehensive Overview of Colombia: History, Geography, Climate, Biodiversity, and Conservation

• Colombia gained independence from Spain in 1819 led by Simón Bolívar, becoming the first constitutional government in South America.

• The country suffered from internal political and territorial divisions, leading to the dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1830 and the creation of the United States of Colombia in 1863.

• Colombia has suffered from an asymmetric low-intensity armed conflict between government forces, leftist guerrilla groups, and right-wing paramilitaries since the 1960s.

• Colombia is one of the megadiverse countries in biodiversity, ranking first in bird species and second in total biodiversity after Brazil.

• The country has a diverse range of climate zones, including tropical rainforests, savannas, deserts, and mountain climates, with the Andes being the prevailing geographical feature.

• Colombia has the highest rate of species by area and the largest number of endemisms of any country, with about 10% of the world's species living in Colombia, including over 1,900 species of bird.

• Colombia has 32 terrestrial biomes and 314 types of ecosystems, with protected areas and the "National Park System" covering 12.77% of the Colombian territory.

• Colombia's relations with Venezuela have fluctuated due to ideological differences between the two governments, with Colombia offering humanitarian support to mitigate the crisis in Venezuela.

• The country has a single-term limit for the presidency, preventing President Iván Duque from seeking re-election, and former guerrilla Gustavo Petro won the June 2022 presidential election run-off vote.

• Colombia is bordered by Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru, sharing its maritime limits with Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.

• Colombia has four main drainage systems: the Pacific drain, the Caribbean drain, the Orinoco Basin, and the Amazon Basin, with the Orinoco and Amazon rivers marking limits with Colombia to Venezuela and Peru, respectively.

• Colombia is the sixth country in the world by magnitude of total renewable freshwater supply, with rates of deforestation still relatively low compared to neighboring countries.Overview of Colombia: Government, Economy, and Science & Technology

• Colombia is a presidential participatory democratic republic with separation of powers and three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial.

• The president serves as both head of state and head of government and is elected by popular vote to a single four-year term.

• The legislative branch is represented by the bicameral Congress, consisting of the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate, both elected by popular vote for four-year terms.

• The judicial branch includes four high courts responsible for penal and civil matters, administrative law, constitutional integrity, and auditing the judicial branch.

• Colombia's economy has shifted from agrarian to service-based, with strong domestic demand and consumption expenditure as the largest component of GDP.

• Colombia's market economy grew steadily in the late 20th century, suffered a recession in 1999, but has since recovered with impressive growth rates.

• Colombia is rich in natural resources, heavily dependent on energy and mining exports, and among the world's largest producers of coffee, palm oil, beef, chicken meat, emerald, and gold.

• Colombia has free-trade zones and a growing financial sector, with the Colombian Stock Exchange offering a regional market to trade equities.

• Colombia is a member of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Organization of American States, the Organization of Ibero-American States, and the Andean Community of Nations.

• Colombia's armed forces are the largest in Latin America, with 455,461 active military personnel and a system of three branches: the National Army, the Colombian Air Force, and the Colombian Navy.

• Colombia is committed to renewable energy, with 69.93% of its electricity production obtained from hydroelectric generation and ranking among the top 10 nations in the world in terms of greening efficiency sectors.

• Colombia has more than 3,950 research groups in science and technology, with government bodies like iNNpulsa promoting entrepreneurship and innovation, and organizations like the International Center for Tropical Agriculture investigating global warming and food security.Overview of Colombia: Demographics, Innovations, Ethnic Groups, Religion, Health, Education, and Culture

• Colombia is the third-most populous country in Latin America with an estimated 50 million people in 2020.

• Colombia has experienced steady declines in fertility, mortality, and population growth rates since the early 1970s with a population growth rate of 0.9% in 2016.

• The population is concentrated in the Andean highlands and along the Caribbean coast, with the urban population at 76%.

• Colombia is ethnically diverse with people descending from Amerindian, Spanish, African, European, and Middle Eastern origins.

• The 2018 census reported that the "non-ethnic population" constituted 87.6% of the national population, while Indigenous Amerindians constitute 4.3% of the population.

• More than 99.2% of Colombians speak Spanish, and English has official status in the archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina.

• About 90% of the population adheres to Christianity, with the majority being Roman Catholic, while a significant minority adheres to Protestantism.

• The overall life expectancy in Colombia at birth is 79.3 years, and healthcare reforms have led to massive improvements in the healthcare system of the country since the 1980s.

• Basic education is compulsory by law in Colombia, and higher education includes undergraduate professional studies, technical, technological and intermediate professional education, and post-graduate studies.

• The primary and secondary gross enrolment ratios in Colombia stood at 113.56% and 98.09% respectively, and public spending on education as a proportion of gross domestic product in 2015 was 4.49%.

• Colombia lies at the crossroads of Latin America and the broader American continent, and as such has been hit by a wide range of cultural influences.

• Colombian literature dates back to pre-Columbian era, and notable writers include Juan de Castellanos, Hernando Domínguez Camargo, Jorge Isaacs, and Rafael Pombo.