Colombia

This nation stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea, containing Andean mountain ranges, Amazonian rainforests, and extended Caribbean and Pacific coastlines with ecosystems ranging from tropical beaches to snow-capped peaks exceeding 18,700 feet (5,700 meters) in elevation.

Spanish colonizers founded their first permanent settlement at Santa Marta in 1525, followed by Cartagena in 1533, before advancing inland to establish Bogotá in 1538 as administrative center of the New Kingdom of Granada, which later gained independence under Simón Bolívar in 1819.

Colombian music ranges from coastal cumbia to vallenato accordion traditions, while writers like Gabriel García Márquez developed magical realism and created works that gained worldwide recognition, defining the nation's literary heritage and influencing generations of authors.

The national currency is the Colombian peso, with major banks and ATMs available in urban centers, while credit cards are accepted at most commercial establishments and international airports operate in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, and Cartagena providing connections.

This nation produces 95 percent of the world's emeralds and ranks as the second-largest coffee exporter, cultivating beans on Andean slopes, while also hosting over 1,900 bird species, more than any other nation on the planet.

Inception: 1810

Capital city: Bogotá

Elevation above the sea: 223 m

Part of: Latin America, South America, Ibero-America

Shares border with: Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, Nicaragua

Address: Colombia

Website: https://gov.co

GPS coordinates: 4.09992,-72.90881

Latest update: November 30, 2025 15:53