Colombia

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
- Rivers and soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
- Settlement patterns
People
- Language
- Ethnicity
- Religion
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Resources
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
- Industry
  - Mining and quarrying
  - Manufacturing
- Finance and trade
- Transportation
Government and social conditions
- Government
- Education
- Welfare and health
Cultural life
- Cultural origins
- The arts
- Cultural institutions
- Daily life and social structure
- Sports and recreation
- Press and broadcasting
History
- Preconquest
- Conquest
- Colonial period
  - The audiencia
  - Viceroyalty of New Granada
- Revolution and independence
- The republic to 1930
  - Conservative-Liberal struggle, 1840–80
  - The return of the Conservatives, 1880–1930
- Colombia, 1930–2000
  - The era of the Liberals, 1930–46
  - La Violencia, dictatorship, and democratic restoration
  - The growth of drug trafficking and guerrilla warfare
- Colombia in the 21st century

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Map highlighting Colombia in northern South America, shaded in tan, with its capital Bogota marked. Neighboring countries-Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador-are labeled, as well as nearby Central American and Caribbean nations and bodies of water.

Bogotá, Colombia

Cocora Valley, Colombia

Political map of Colombia showing national and departmental boundaries, major cities, and neighboring countries, including Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Panama. The map also highlights Colombia's Caribbean islands, San Andres and Providencia, and includes a small locator map marking Colombia's position in South America.

Physical map of Colombia showing major mountain ranges, rivers, and elevation points, with neighboring countries and bodies of water labeled. Key features include the Andes mountains, major peaks such as Mount Cristobal Colon and Mount Huila, and rivers like the Magdalena and Cauca. An inset locator map highlights Colombia's position in northern South America.

The Cauca River flows through lush green hills with the Andes Mountains rising in the background near Santa Fe de Antioquia, Colombia.

Wide view of the Magdalena River winding through green vegetation and sandy banks, with rocky hills and distant blue mountains in Colombia.

View of green hills densely planted with rows of coffee plants near Manizales, Colombia, with scattered trees among the crops.

At a Glance

default image

Colombia summary

Colombia: Media

country, South America

Videos

Exploring the biodiversity of Malpelo Island

Exploring the biodiversity of Malpelo Island

Overview of Malpelo Island, Colombia. The isolated island, which is known for its...

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz

Images

Colombia

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map highlighting Colombia in northern South America, shaded in tan, with its capital Bogota marked. Neighboring countries-Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador-are labeled, as well as nearby Central American and Caribbean nations and bodies of water.

Colombia

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Bogotá, Colombia

Bogotá, Colombia

© andresr—E+/Getty Images

Cocora Valley, Colombia

Cocora Valley, Colombia

The lush highlands of the Cocora Valley, near Salento, Colombia. The valley is known...

© Patrick Poendl/stock.adobe.com

Political map of Colombia showing national and departmental boundaries, major cities, and neighboring countries, including Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Panama. The map also highlights Colombia's Caribbean islands, San Andres and Providencia, and includes a small locator map marking Colombia's position in South America.

Colombia

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Physical map of Colombia showing major mountain ranges, rivers, and elevation points, with neighboring countries and bodies of water labeled. Key features include the Andes mountains, major peaks such as Mount Cristobal Colon and Mount Huila, and rivers like the Magdalena and Cauca. An inset locator map highlights Colombia's position in northern South America.

Physical features of Colombia

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

The Cauca River flows through lush green hills with the Andes Mountains rising in the background near Santa Fe de Antioquia, Colombia.

Cauca River, Colombia

The Cauca River in the Andes, Colombia.

© Jhampier Giron M/Shutterstock.com

Wide view of the Magdalena River winding through green vegetation and sandy banks, with rocky hills and distant blue mountains in Colombia.

Magdalena River, Colombia

Magdalena River, Colombia.

© Ilyshev Dmitry/Shutterstock.com

View of green hills densely planted with rows of coffee plants near Manizales, Colombia, with scattered trees among the crops.

Coffee plantation near Manizales, Colombia

© Jesse Kraft/Dreamstime.com

A spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) with distinctive pale markings on its face sits on large tree branches.

spectacled bear

The spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) of South America's Andes Mountains...

© Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH/Shutterstock.com

Catedral de San Pedro, a large white neoclassical church with a central dome and arched windows, stands on La Plaza de Caicedo in Cali, Colombia, with people and taxis in front.

Catedral de San Pedro in Cali, Colombia

© alarico/Shutterstock.com

Colombia: sugarcane harvesting

Colombia: sugarcane harvesting

Harvesting sugarcane, Valle del Cauca department, Colombia.

Carl Frank/Photo Researchers

stock raising on the Llanos in Colombia

stock raising on the Llanos in Colombia

Horses being watered on the Llanos in eastern Colombia.

© Victor Englebert

Colombia: oil refinery

Colombia: oil refinery

Oil refinery at Barrancabermeja on the Magdalena River, Colombia.

© Loren McIntyre

lime container

lime container

Lime container (poporo), gold, Quimbaya culture, Colombia, 1st–7th century;...

Photograph by Katie Chao. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, Jan Mitchell and Sons Collection, gift of Jan Mitchell, 1991 (1991.419.22)

Women in colorful traditional dresses perform a dance in Plaza de Bolivar, Bogota, Colombia, as a crowd with umbrellas watches in the background.

Colombia: street theatre

Street theatre performance in the Plaza de Bolívar, Bogotá, Colombia.

© Filipe Frazao/Shutterstock.com

The stone facade of the Church of San Pedro Claver in Cartagena, Colombia, with twin bell towers and a large arched entrance, faces a sunny plaza with people and pigeons.

Cartagena, Colombia

Church of San Pedro Claver, built in 1603, Cartagena, Colombia.

© Dvrcan/Dreamstime.com

Bronze sculpture by Fernando Botero depicting a large, stylized Roman gladiator holding a shield and sword, displayed outdoors in Yerevan, Armenia.

Botero, Fernando: Roman Soldier

Roman Soldier, sculpture by Fernando Botero, 1985; on display in Yerevan,...

© Ivan Varyukhin/Dreamstime.com

Gabriel García Márquez

Gabriel García Márquez

Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez, 1982.

© Lutfi Ozkok

Shakira

Shakira

Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, one of Colombia's most internationally successful...

© Mike Coppola—MG25/Getty Images

Historical map showing the division of Gran Colombia in 1830, with the territory divided into three color-coded departments: Cundinamarca in yellow, Quito in pink, and Venezuela in green. Dashed lines indicate disputed areas, and major cities such as Bogota, Quito, and Caracas are labeled. The map covers the region of northern South America, including present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and parts of Peru.

The division of Gran Colombia (1830)

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Pablo Escobar and his wife Maria Victoria stand together in an outdoor setting in Colombia, 1983. Escobar wears a light jacket and open-collared shirt; Maria Victoria wears a patterned dress and pearls.

Pablo Escobar, leader of the Medellín cartel

Colombian drug trafficker Pablo Escobar with his wife, María Victoria Henao, in Colombia...

© Eric VANDEVILLE—Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

Colombia

Colombia

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Smoke over South America on March 27, 1998.In South America fires burned out of control in the state of Roraima, Brazil, as well as in Colombia and Venezuela.

Smoke over South America on March 27, 1998.In...

Goddard Space Flight Center/NASA

Physical map of the northern Andes and the Orinoco River basin, covering parts of Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and northern Brazil. The map uses color shading to indicate elevation, highlights major mountain ranges, rivers, and drainage networks, and marks international and political boundaries as well as key cities. An inset locator map shows the region's position in northern South America.

Northern Andes and the Orinoco River basin

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Audio

National anthem of Colombia

The instrumental version of the national anthem of Colombia.

Interactives

Colombia: Urban-rural

Colombia: Urban-rural

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Colombia: Ethnic composition

Colombia: Ethnic composition

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Colombia: Religious affiliation

Colombia: Religious affiliation

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Colombia: Age breakdown

Colombia: Age breakdown

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Colombia: Major import sources

Colombia: Major import sources

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Colombia: Major export destinations

Colombia: Major export destinations

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

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