Geography of Colombia (2023)

FAQs

What is the geography of Colombia? ›

Colombia is a land of extremes. Through its center run the towering, snow-covered volcanoes and mountains of the Andes. Tropical beaches line the north and west. And there are deserts in the north and vast grasslands, called Los Llanos, in the east.

Colombia is classified as an upper middle-income economy and is one of Latin America's largest economies, according to the International Monetary Fund. The country's economy is shaped by its land and like many South American nations is based in its rich natural resources.

The area covered by modern day Colombia was originally inhabited by the indigenous tribes Muisca, Quimbaya, and Tairona. In 1499 the Spanish arrived and colonized the area, calling it New Granada. Colombia has a vibrant music scene. Two of the best known Colombian musicians are Shakira and Juanes.

What Is Colombia Known For? Colombia is famous for its aromatic Arabica coffee, superior quality emeralds, and exotic fruits. The Latin American country is also known for having a knack for throwing the best parties and its passionate people.

Climate of Colombia. Because of the country's close proximity to the Equator, its climate is generally tropical and isothermal (without any real change of seasons). Temperatures vary little throughout the year. The only genuinely variable climatic element is the amount of annual precipitation.

Colombia is famous for the mines of Muzo, Chivor, and Coscuez located in the Andes Mountains. This region produces the world's finest Emeralds. In fact, about 70-90% of the Emeralds in the world come from Colombia! These stones are so pure and beautiful that they are amongst the highest priced.

Colombia/Christopher Columbus: Colombia is named after Columbus, but not in the way that you might think. The name Colombia dates back to Francisco de Miranda, a revolutionary who sought to overthrow Spanish colonial rule in late-18th and early 19th century Latin America.

Colombia's contemporary culture reflects a colourful blend of Spanish, African and indigenous influences that have melded together over the centuries since European colonisation .

Despite its name, Colombia was not founded by the explorer Christopher Columbus; he never even set foot in the country throughout the history of Colombia. In fact, in 1499 the territory was discovered by his companion Alonso de Ojeda, who arrived there from nearby Santo Domingo, landing at Cabo de la Vela.

Is Columbia good place to live? ›

Many people have an outdated perception of Colombia. The country has transformed from its dark past of violence and drug cartels and is now a vibrant, thriving, and welcoming place to live. Colombia is the second most biodiverse country in the world.

It is nevetherless estimated that 37% of the Colombian population can be categorized as white, forming the second largest racial group after mestizos (at 49 percent). Other sources estimate that White population in Colombia is around 20%.

Colombia can be described as a third world country by modern definitions. Economically, it is less advanced than the first and second world countries. The country faces high levels of corruption, poverty, crime, and some cities are still unsafe.

In a nutshell, Colombia is famous for its arepas and specialty coffee, as well as the kindness of its people. It's known for its diverse landscapes and culturally rich heritage where art, music, and theater mix. It also has its share of famous people like Shakira and Sofia Vergara.

More than 99.5% of Colombians speak Spanish. English has official status in the San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina Islands. In addition to Spanish, there are several other languages spoken in Colombia.

Colombia is a generally warm country. Almost 80% of its territory lies below 1,000 m above sea level in a wide variety of Colombian regions, with an average temperature of 27°C (80,6 °F). Cartagena de Indias, one of Colombia's crown jewels, is also known as “The Heroic City”.

Due to Colombia's proximity to the Equator, you won't find four clearly defined seasons here like in other parts of the world. Instead, seasons are characterized more by rain fluctuations than by temperature changes. A year has two clearly identifiable times: rainy season and dry season.

Colombia's climate is tropical along the coast and the eastern lowlands, and cooler in the highlands and Andes.

Arepas - Arepas are arguably the most famous part of Colombian cuisine. They're like empanadas in that they're made with either white or yellow corn tortillas, but arepas don't have any fillings. They're also bigger and toasted.

Colombia's major exports are petroleum, coffee, coal, nickel, cut flowers, and bananas. The United States is Colombia's largest trading partner, representing about 41% of Colombia's exports and 27% of its imports. Colombia has considerable mineral and energy resources, especially coal and natural gas reserves.

What is Colombia's biggest export? ›

Exports The top exports of Colombia are Crude Petroleum ($7.46B), Coal Briquettes ($4.13B), Coffee ($2.54B), Gold ($2.34B), and Refined Petroleum ($1.55B), exporting mostly to United States ($9.55B), China ($2.8B), Ecuador ($1.51B), Panama ($1.43B), and Brazil ($1.28B).

The common verbal greeting is “Buenos dias” (Good day), “Buenas tardes” (good afternoon) or “Buenas noches” (good evening/night) depending on the time of day. The formal title to greet people is 'señor' (mister) for men and 'señora' (missus) for women.

Colombia, officially Republic of Colombia, Spanish República de Colombia, country of northwestern South America.

1.139 million km²

Colombia / Area

El Salvador has the singular distinction of being named after Jesus Christ himself, having been officially christened “Provincia De Nuestro Señor Jesus Cristo, El Salvador Del Mundo” – or “Province of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World” – in 1524 by conquistador Pedro de Alvarado.

Colombia is the Only South American Country With Coastlines on Both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Colombia has nearly 2,000 miles of combined coastline along the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Both coastlines offer warm, tropical climates, and beautiful beaches.

It's a great family destination

From the gorgeous beaches and lush rainforests of its Caribbean coast to the coffee-rich slopes of the Andes, Colombia offers something for everyone—especially families. In fact, many hotels, ecotourism preserves, and even coffee plantations cater specifically to family travel.

2. It's normal for children to drink coffee. Staying on the coffee theme, it's completely normal for children to drink coffee after meals. Coffee con leche (coffee with milk) is an after dinner treat for little ones, whilst strong black coffee is the norm for adults.

What do Colombian people wear? ›

Traditionally, women wear colorful, pastel clothing, made with soft fabrics and sewn with flowers, ribbons and other flourishes and designs. Skirts fall to the ankles, and are equally colorful. Men, also, wear loose and colorful clothes, with shoes or sandals made out of natural materials and plant fibers.

Visitors can pick between the colorful Barranquilla Carnival, the , the Vallenato Legend Festival, the Cali Fair, Pasto's Black and White Carnival, Huila's Bambuco Pageant and Folkloric Festival, Cartagena's Hay literary festival and many more.

Most of the population (over 86 percent) is either mestizo (having both Amerindian and white ancestry) or white. People of African (10.4 percent) and indigenous or Amerindian (over 3.4 percent) origin make up the rest of the Colombian population.

Originally, Colombia's territory was inhabited entirely by Amerindian groups. Colombia's indigenous cultures evolved from three main groups—the Quimbayas, who inhabited the western slopes of the Cordillera Central; the Chibchas; and the Kalina (Caribs).

The decline of the indigenous languages

Indigenous people have also been displaced over the years and others simply moved into Colombia's biggest cities in search of jobs. They began to learn and speak Spanish, some because it was necessary and others because they saw it as the best way to advance.

Much like its neighbours, Colombia boasts a rich ancient history and suffered through a tumultuous colonial era, before declaring independence and striving to carve out its own, new, identity.

Colombia's climate is tropical along the coast and the eastern lowlands, and cooler in the highlands and Andes.

Colombia can be divided into five traditional geographic regions: the Atlantic lowlands, the Pacific coastal region, the Andean region, the Llanos, and the Amazonian rainforest.

Geography. The top 3+ major land forms of Columbia are the Pacific Ocean, Andes Mountains and the Cordillera Oriental.

Is college free in Colombia? ›

The tuition fees you will pay depend on whether you study in a public or private institution. At public universities in Colombia, fees usually amount to around 2,000,000 pesos (~US$970) per semester. Private universities typically charge between 2,000,000 and 11,000,000 pesos (~US$ 970-5,330) per semester.

The reason Colombia is so affordable can largely be traced to the exchange rate. One Colombian Peso is equivalent to about . 00027 American dollars. This exchange rate means that those traveling from other countries can easily exchange their local currencies and gain access to plenty of funds to enjoy themselves.

Colombia's social classes

Above $970 (COP3,000,000) is considered upper class.

Colombia is a generally warm country. Almost 80% of its territory lies below 1,000 m above sea level in a wide variety of Colombian regions, with an average temperature of 27°C (80,6 °F). Cartagena de Indias, one of Colombia's crown jewels, is also known as “The Heroic City”.

Due to Colombia's proximity to the Equator, you won't find four clearly defined seasons here like in other parts of the world. Instead, seasons are characterized more by rain fluctuations than by temperature changes. A year has two clearly identifiable times: rainy season and dry season.

Sometimes the weather of Colombia is altered by the seasons in the northern hemisphere, for example, from March to June, the weather is mild Spring, from June to August the weather is hot Summer, from September to December the weather is cool Autumn, and from December to March the weather is cold Winter.

Colombia's contemporary culture reflects a colourful blend of Spanish, African and indigenous influences that have melded together over the centuries since European colonisation .

Colombia/Christopher Columbus: Colombia is named after Columbus, but not in the way that you might think. The name Colombia dates back to Francisco de Miranda, a revolutionary who sought to overthrow Spanish colonial rule in late-18th and early 19th century Latin America.

Resources. Colombia has an abundance of nonrenewable resources, including reserves of gold, coal, and petroleum; its renewable resources include rich agricultural lands and its rivers, which have been harnessed increasingly for hydroelectric power.

How many mountains are in Colombia? ›

Famous for its fantastic cuisine, rich cultural heritage, and diversity of landscapes, Colombia is an exciting and stunning country located in the northwestern part of South America. Columbia is home to 7,641 named mountains, the highest and most prominent of which is Pico Cristóbal Colón (5,689m/18,655ft).

It has about 500 tributary rivers and more than 5,000 streams drain into it. THE CAUCA RIVER starts in the Colombian Massif near Laguna del Buey, flowing northwards between the Western and Central cordilleras to its mouth at the Magdalena River in Bolívar department.