Colombia
Updated: Oct 2, 2022
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Country Name
Colombia, or officially the Republic of Colombia.
Location
Colombia is a large country located in the north of South America, with territories in North America.
Colombia is bordered on the north by the Caribbean Sea, the northwest
by Panama, the south by Ecuador and Peru, the east by Venezuela, the southeast by Brazil, and the west by the Pacific Ocean.
Colombia is the fourth-largest country in South America, after Brazil,
Argentina, and Peru. It is also the 25th-largest country in the world.
Capital
Bogotá.
Reason for Naming the country
The name "Colombia" is derived from the last name of "Christopher Columbus" the Italian explorer who began the European colonization of the Americas, even though he never set foot on Colombian land.
It was Alonso de Ojeda, one of Columbus' companions on his second voyage, who was the first European to set foot on the land in 1499.
- *In 1819, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama declared independence from Spain, and formed a country called "Gran Colombia". Venezuela and Ecuador separated in 1830. Panama continued to be part of Colombia until 1903, at which point it proclaimed independence
Flag
The first use of the Colombian flag design was in 1810. Colombia adopted its flag on November 26, 1861.
The flag consists of 3 horizontal tricolors yellow (double-width), blue and
red. There are several different definitions of the Colombian flag color.
Yellow represents the soil, gold, and riches of the country, as well as
the sun, harmony, agriculture, and justice, Blue represents the seas, rivers, and sky.
Red represents the blood shed by those who fought for the nation’s
independence, as well as for the people’s determination and perseverance.
Another interpretation is that blue stands for loyalty and vigilance,
red represents the victories achieved in battles, and yellow is symbolic
of justice and sovereignty.
*Flag Facts:
- The flag of Colombia is similar to the flag of Ecuador the two flags adopted a flag of unequal yellow, blue, and red stripes that are horizontal. But the Ecuador flag has the country's coat of arms at the center whereas the Columbian flag has none - The flag of Venezuela has the same color as the Colombian & Ecuadorian Flags.
Language
Spanish is the most popular language spoken in Colombia, however, it is known as Colombian Spanish which varies from the traditional Spanish spoken in Spain. There are regional Spanish dialects spoken in different regions of the country. A total of 101 languages are listed in Colombia, there are also 65 Amerindian languages, and two Creole languages, the Romani language, and Colombian Sign Language are also used in the country. The English language is spoken in some cities in Colombia. Best estimates recorded 71 languages that are spoken in-country today – most of which belong to the Chibchan, Tucanoan, Bora– Witoto, Guajiboan, Arawakan, Cariban, Barbacoa, and Saliban language families. There are currently about 850,000 speakers of native languages.
Religion
Most Colombians believe in Christianity, the majority of which are Roman Catholic, while the minority adhere to Protestantism (primarily Evangelicalism). There are some of the population is atheist, while the minority claim to believe in God but do not follow a specific religion. Also, there are Colombians who adhere to Jehovah's Witnesses, Adventism, and other religions, such as the Bahá’í Faith, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Mormonism, Hinduism, Indigenous religions, Hare Krishna movement, Rastafari movement, Orthodox Catholic Church, and spiritual studies.
Currency
Colombian peso (COP).
Time Zone
-05:00 GMT.
Government Regime
A unitary presidential constitutional republic.