Colombia

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland 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. The Capital District of Bogotá is also the country's largest city hosting the main financial and cultural hub. Other major urbes include Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Cúcuta, Ibagué, Villavicencio and Bucaramanga. It covers an area of 1,141,748 square kilometers and has a population of around 52 million. Its rich cultural heritage—including language, religion, cuisine, and art—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 Creole, English and 64 other languages are recognized regionally.
colombia

Some of the key events about Colombia

  • 1810
    The Colombian War of Independence began, leading to years of conflict and bloodshed
  • 1819
    Colombia gained independence from Spain
  • 1899
    The National Library of Colombia was founded in Bogotá
  • 1899
    The Thousand Days' War erupted, resulting in an estimated 100,000 deaths
  • 1928
    The Banana Massacre occurred, where striking workers were killed by the Colombian military
  • 1948
    The assassination of a popular political leader sparked a period of civil conflict known as "La Violencia"
  • 1954
    Television broadcasting began in Colombia
  • 1957
    Women gained the right to vote in Colombia
  • 1964
    The Colombian conflict began, involving guerrilla groups, paramilitaries, and government forces
  • 1967
    The Barranquilla Carnival was declared a National Cultural Heritage
  • 1984
    Colombia's Cartagena was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • 1985
    The Palace of Justice siege in Bogotá resulted in the deaths of over 100 people, including 11 Supreme Court justices
  • 1989
    The Avianca Flight 203 bombing killed 107 people in a terrorist attack
  • 1991
    A new constitution was adopted, strengthening democracy and human rights
  • 1999
    A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Colombia's coffee-growing region, killing over 1,000 people
  • 2000
    Plan Colombia was implemented, leading to increased militarization and controversial aerial fumigation of coca crops
  • 2012
    The government and FARC rebels began peace talks to end the long-running conflict
  • 2015
    UNESCO declared Colombian coffee cultural landscape as World Heritage
  • 2016
    A historic peace agreement was signed, ending the 52-year conflict with FARC
  • 2017
    A landslide in Mocoa killed over 300 people and left hundreds more missing

Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.

Colombia Latest news

Netflix brings magical Latin American masterpiece to life in unique Cuban screening

Netflix brings magical Latin American masterpiece to life in unique Cuban screening

A ground-breaking TV adaptation of Garcia Marquezʼs famous novel got special screening in Havana where Netflix is blocked. The 16-part series marks first-ever screen version of the legendary book

Society, Culture • December 7 2024 , 10:52 AM  •  2643 views
Popular Venezuelan band faces backlash over migrant women song

Popular Venezuelan band faces backlash over migrant women song

A hit song about Venezuelan migrant women by band Rawayana got unexpected criticism from president Maduro. The group had to cancel their home-country tour after controversy over word veneca

Politics, Culture • December 5 2024 , 02:43 PM  •  761 views
Colombia hits back at UK with unexpected travel rule change

Colombia hits back at UK with unexpected travel rule change

Colombia takes action against UK by introducing new visa rules for British travelers. President **Gustavo Petro** makes this decision after UK removed Colombia from its visa-free entry list

Society, Politics • November 27 2024 , 12:45 AM  •  2640 views
Trump's next term could reshape Middle East drug-money networks

Trump's next term could reshape Middle East drug-money networks

Iranian-backed groups maintain complex money flows through global drug trade and crypto-schemes despite sanctions. International co-operation needed to stop multi-billion dollar operations across continents

Economics, Politics • November 25 2024 , 08:30 PM  •  2426 views
Standard Chartered backs massive ocean protection deal in Caribbean paradise

Standard Chartered backs massive ocean protection deal in Caribbean paradise

The Bahamas got a smart deal to protect its waters using debt-swap magic. Private companies stepped in with guarantees while Standard Chartered provided a low-cost loan that will save marine life

Business, Economics • November 22 2024 , 11:57 AM  •  1509 views
Uruguay's unique path to fight crime makes other countries think twice

Uruguay's unique path to fight crime makes other countries think twice

While Latin-American nations copy tough-on-crime methods Uruguay shows a different way to handle security issues. Traditional political forces keep control while making smart-but-mild changes to fight crime

Society, Politics • November 18 2024 , 07:10 PM  •  929 views
Latin American leaders split over unexpected US election results

Latin American leaders split over unexpected US election results

Right-wing Latin American politicians show open support for US election outcome‚ while left-wing leaders maintain careful diplomatic stance. Regional responses highlight political divide across Americas

Society, Politics • November 6 2024 , 10:28 PM  •  955 views
Swedish fighter jets might soon fly over Colombian skies

Swedish fighter jets might soon fly over Colombian skies

Colombia plans to acquire Swedish-made Gripen military jets according to media reports. The deal would mark a significant upgrade to Colombian air-force after previous attempts to modernize their fleet fell through

Business, Economics • November 5 2024 , 04:58 PM  •  862 views
From missile tests to lost vampires: This weeks most shocking global events

From missile tests to lost vampires: This weeks most shocking global events

Major political shifts happened in Japan and Botswana while North Korea broke missile records. Meanwhile‚ a forgotten story by Draculas creator emerged from dusty archives

Society, Economics, Politics • November 1 2024 , 07:11 PM  •  457 views
South American nations take unexpected steps in climate and politics this fall

South American nations take unexpected steps in climate and politics this fall

Major environmental summit in Colombia brings new-style funding plans from South American countries. Meanwhile regional politics heat up with surprising moves from Brazil and Venezuela

Politics, Culture • November 1 2024 , 12:17 PM  •  2679 views
South American nations take lead in global green finance despite UN summit setbacks

South American nations take lead in global green finance despite UN summit setbacks

Colombian city Cali hosts major UN nature meeting where new regional alliances form but funding falls short. Meanwhile South American countries push forward with their own green-finance plans

Economics, Politics, Science • November 1 2024 , 12:13 PM  •  2313 views
20 nations join forces in Colombia to save Earth's biodiversity

20 nations join forces in Colombia to save Earth's biodiversity

Colombia forms new eco-alliance with twenty countries to protect nature and change human-environment relations. The group aims to implement global biodiversity framework while facing major funding hurdles

Society, Politics, Science • October 30 2024 , 03:25 AM  •  2790 views