Colombia
Colombia is the only South American country with coasts on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, and it has more bird species than any other nation on Earth.
- CapitalBogotaAt 2,640 m, one of the highest capitals in the world
- PopulationAbout 52 millionSecond most populous in South America
- Bird speciesOver 1,900More than any other country
- CoastsCaribbean and PacificUnique in South America
The Andes split into three separate ranges as they cross Colombia, with deep valleys between them. Most Colombians live in those valleys and on the plateaus, which is why cities like Bogota and Medellin sit high in the mountains and enjoy spring-like weather all year.
East of the mountains the country flattens out into the Llanos, huge tropical grasslands, and then into Amazon rainforest. Almost nobody lives there, and it takes up nearly half of Colombia's land.
National symbols
- National bird Andean condor
- National flower Cattleya trianae orchid
- National anthem Himno Nacional de la Republica de Colombia
- National day Independence Day, 20 July
Map of Colombia
Geography
Colombia covers 1,141,748 km2 and borders Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Panama, with coastlines on both the Caribbean and the Pacific.
The Andes split into three ranges here. The highest point is Pico Cristobal Colon at 5,700 m in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a separate mountain block that rises from the Caribbean coast to snow in only about 42 km, making it the highest coastal mountain range in the world.
Climate
Colombia sits on the equator, so it has no summer or winter. Instead, temperature depends almost entirely on altitude, and Colombians describe their land in tiers: hot lowlands, temperate middle slopes, cool highlands and freezing paramo above that.
Bogota at 2,640 m stays around 14C all year. The Pacific coast around Choco is one of the wettest places on Earth, with over 10,000 mm of rain a year.
Famous landmarks
There are numerous famous landmarks, monuments and interesting buildings in Colombia including the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira, Gold Museum, National Coffee Park, La Candelaria Church, Capitolio Nacional in Bolivar Square, Maloka Museum, Primatial Cathedral, and the Bridge of Bogota.
Colombia is famous for its fabulous coffee which is home grown and exported to countries across the world! The country is also known for its lush forests, tropical climate, profound history and rich culture, its emeralds and its legendary city of El Dorado (Golden One), the lost city of gold.
Culture
Spanish is the official language, and Colombian Spanish from Bogota is often said to be among the clearest spoken anywhere. Around 65 Indigenous languages survive as well.
Cumbia and vallenato are the great Colombian musical styles, and the writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez won the Nobel Prize for novels rooted in Colombian life. Around 73 per cent of Colombians are Catholic.
Economy
Coffee grown on the steep Andean slopes is Colombia's most famous export, and the coffee-growing region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Oil and coal actually earn more money, and Colombia produces around 70 to 90 per cent of the world's emeralds, the finest of which come from mines near Muzo. Cut flowers are another surprise export: many roses sold abroad on Valentine's Day are Colombian.
The flag
The top half of the flag is yellow, with blue and red bands of equal size filling the bottom half. That unequal split is unusual and makes the flag easy to recognise.
Yellow stands for the gold that first drew Spanish explorers, blue for the two oceans and the rivers, and red for the blood shed winning independence. Ecuador and Venezuela use the same three colours because all three were once part of Gran Colombia.
