Colombia Facts

Interesting Facts for Kids

What you will find on our Colombia Facts for Kids page:

Facts Snapshot
Basics for Kids
Where is Colombia?
Colombia Geography
Geo Superlatives
Attractions
Economy

People & Culture
Famous Colombians
Food
Animals
FAQs
Resources

Now let's find out more about the northernmost country of the South American continent. Well, let's note too, that some of the Colombian islands are actually located on the North American continent. So here our fast facts at a glance:

Colombia Facts - Snapshot

Name: Republic of Colombia
Location: Northernmost country in South America
Border countries: Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Panama
Area: 1,141,748 km²/ 440,831 sq mi
Population: 53 million
Capital city: Bogota
Official language: Spanish
National colours: Yellow, blue, red

Economy: oil, gas, coal, gold, nickel, emeralds, coffee, cut flowers
Currency: Colombian peso
Highest peak: Pico Cristóbal Colón
Longest river: Magdalena River
Coastline: Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean
Time zone: Colombian Time (UTC-5)
Calling code: +57
Internet code: .co

Forth largest country in South America and similar in size to Ethiopia or about twice the size as Texas/ USA.
Cultural Traditions: street art, coffee, emeralds, tejo, Baranquillo Carnival, flower parades

Last updated: 13.03.2026. Sources: ProColombia, DANE (Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística)

Here are some interesting Colombia facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.

Colombia for Kids
Basic Facts

Continent: South America
Population: About 53 million people live in Colombia (2026)
Capital: Bogotá with 8 million inhabitants is the country's largest city
Name: República de Colombia or Republic of Colombia.
Government: Presidential Republic
Language: Spanish
Literacy: More than 94% of the people can read and write.
Religion: mainly Christians (Roman Catholics about 75%, Protestants about 15%)

Anthem

Currency: 1 peso = 100 centavos
National Symbols: orchid (national flower), Andean condor (national bird and national animal) wax palm tree (national tree)
Motto: "Libertad y Orden" which means "Freedom and Order"
National Day: 20 July (Independence Day)

Coat of Arms

History: The country was inhabited by many tribes some of them were semi-nomadic tribes before the arrival of the Spanish colonialists. Colombia is named after explorer Christopher Columbus. However, the land was also referred to as New Grenada. Colombia gained independence from Spain on 20 July 1810. Slavery was abolished in Colombia in 1851. Finally in 1886 the Republic of Colombia received its new constitution.
President: Gustavo Petro (since 2022)

Colombia Facts: Geography
Where is Colombia?

Colombia is a country in South America. The South American country shares borders with five countries: Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Panama.

Colombia's capital city is Bogotá and this city is situated on a high plateau in the Andes.

Map of Colombia

Colombia also has about 20 major islands of which the Caribbean islands San Andrés and Providencia are the largest islands.

Below see a physical map of Colombia which shows the layout of the land with mountains and main cities.

The longest of the Colombian borders is shared with Venezuela and is 2,219 km/ 1,378 miles long.

A flight from London/ UK to Bogotá takes roughly 11 hours and from New York/ USA, a flight takes 6 hours.

Colombia Facts
Geography

Colombia is a large country and roughly the size of Norway, Sweden and Finland combined, or similar in size to Ethiopia or about twice the size of Texas/ USA.

Here is a short introduction video by Colombia Travel highlighting the natural beauty of this South American country (Video is in Spanish)

More than 60% of the country are covered by low-lying grassland, savanna, wetlands and rainforest and sparsely populated. Much of Colombia consists of lowland regions, including the Amazon Basin and the Llanos plains while the Andes Mountains dominate the centre.

Colombia has five main regions:

the Andes Mountains
the Caribbean coast
the Pacific coast
the Amazon rainforest
the eastern plains called Llanos in Spanish.

Colombia is located on the boundary of the Nazca, South American and Caribbean tectonic plates and thus is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

Colombia has a diverse climate from tropical steppe and rainforest to the glacial climate in the Andean mountain regions.

Colombia Facts
Colombia Geo Superlatives

Colombia is the fourth largest country in South America and the second most populous country in South America after Brazil.
Colombia is the only country of the South American continent that has coastlines on two oceans: the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea which is part of the Atlantic Ocean.
Colombia is one of 17 megadiverse countries and as such the second most biodiverse country in the world after Brazil. More bird species live in Colombia than in Europe and in North America combined!
Colombia houses one of the world's largest protected tropical rainforest areas, the Serrania del Chiribiquete.
The Magdalena River is Colombia's longest river that is flowing entirely in Colombia. It has a length of 1,528 km/ 950 miles. In Colombia, you will also find the world's second longest river, the Amazon. However, the Amazon only flows through Colombia for a short section and mostly flows through Brazil and Peru. There are several other big rivers in Colombia, such as the Orinoco River or the Rio Negro.
The highest waterfalls of the country are the La Chorrera Falls with 590 m/ 1,936 ft in height.
Colombia's highest mountain is the 'Pico Cristóbal Colón' which is 5,775 m/ 18,947 ft high.
There are more than 30 volcanoes in Colombia, with Galeras (4,276 m/ 14,029 ft) as the most active volcano. Nevada del Ruiz is one of the highest active volcanos of the Andes mountain range.

Did you know?

Although Bogotá is one of the world’s highest capital cities, most of Colombia’s land area is not as high as the Andes Mountains might suggest.

About 80% of the country lies below 1,000 m/ 3,280 ft above sea level.

Colombia Facts
Attractions

Bogotá: the country's capital city has a beautiful old centre called La Candelaria with 300 year old Spanish colonial buildings. There are also graffiti and street art to be admired throughout the city. Some of the graffiti artists were actually supported by the city government!

Bogota

In Cartagena on the northern coast of Colombia, you will find colonial buildings and an old town with cobbled streets. Today this city is a major port city.

La Candelaria quarter in Bogota

Medellin: During the violent times of the drug cartels that were linked to Pablo Escobar during the 1980s and 1990s, this city often was referred to as the 'murder capital of the world'. Today, Medellin has cleaned up crime and is now known for its arts and culture scene. Here you will find sculptures of Colombian artist Fernando Botero in many places. These sculptures are known for displaying oversized people and objects.

Sculpture by Botero in Medellin - image by Alejo Miranda

Cartagena is an important port city known that is known for its colourful colonial old town and the massive historic fortress walls.

Cartagena

Parque Nacional Natural El Cocuy: Here are some of the largest glaciers on the South American continent.

El Cocuy National Park

Caño cristales: The crystal river is also called "River of Five Colours" or the "Rainbow River" because of its changing colour during the year. At certain times of the year, special plants in the water turn the river red, yellow, green, blue and purple.

Caño cristales

San Andrés Island, also called Saint Andrew island is the largest island of Colombia in the Caribbean sea. The island is known for its beautiful coral reefs and picturesque white sandy beaches.

Beach on San Andres island

Colombia Facts
Colombia Economy

Colombia is rich in natural resources such as oil, natural gas, coal, gold, nickel and copper. The country's biggest trading partner is the USA.

Coffee is also a main export product and Colombia is the world's third biggest exporter.

The country is also famous for its magnificent emeralds, which are bright green gemstones. Colombia and Zambia take the top spots as the world's top producers of emeralds.

Emerald

Colombia is also the world’s biggest exporter of cut flowers - after the Netherlands.

Colombia Facts
Colombia People

Colombia is the second most populous country in South America. Colombia is a Spanish speaking country, but various Amerindian, Creole and Romani languages are spoken as well. About 70 indigenous languages are used in Colombia.

Colombian Palenquera selling fruits - image by Jobsstock/shutterstock.com

Palenquera selling fruits at the market

Most Colombians live in the northern and western regions of the country, in the Andean highlands near the capital city Bogotá or near the Caribbean coast. The southern and eastern parts of the country are the least populated areas in Colombia.

More than 81% of the population of Colombia live in cities or major towns. The five biggest cities in the country are:

Bogotá: about 11.5 million inhabitants live in the metropolitan area of the city
Medellín: 4.1 million inhabitants
Cali: 2.8 million inhabitants
Barranquilla: 2.3 million inhabitants
Cartagena: 1 million inhabitants

Did you know?

The Barranquilla Carnival is one of the biggest and most famous carnivals in South America
The carnival is listed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
This is also one of the oldest carnivals in South America and has been celebrated for over 100 years.

Family is very important to Colombians.

Among sports, soccer is the most popular sport played in Colombia. A traditional Colombian sport is called Tejo and very unusual. Players throw a metal disc at a clay board with small packets of gunpowder that are called mechas. If the metal disc hits one of them — BANG! — the disk explodes with a loud pop! This is one of the oldest sports in Colombia.

Famous Colombians

Among outstanding Colombian people are singer and songwriter Shakira or the painter and sculptor Fernando Botero you can see below with one of his artworks.

Painter Fernando Botero

Famous is also Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. Márquez is well known for the Spanish book "Love in the Time of Cholera" which is one of the most read Spanish novels of all times.

Sadly, one of the most well known Colombians is the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar. He was the founder and head of a drug cartel that supplied cocaine and other drugs to the USA and thus was also referred to by many as the 'King of Cocaine'. Colombia still produces most of the world’s coca leaf which is used for producing cocaine. Escobar was the world's wealthiest criminal (while also being a Colombian politician) until he died in a shooting in 1993.

Colombia Facts | Nobel Peace Prize

Colombia has been shaken over many decades by civil wars and clashes between government forces and paramilitary groups. These rebels were largely funded by drug trade in the 1990s. Over 220,000 people were killed and over 8-9 million people were displaced in the civil war.

Juan Manuel Santos

In 2016, the historic peace deal was signed between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). For this peace deal, the former Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016.

The current president is Gustavo Petro (since August 2022).

Colombia Facts
Typical Colombian Food

The Colombian cuisine is mainly influenced by indigenous food as well as Spanish and African cooking styles. The typical Colombian dishes vary depending on the regional climate and the fruit and vegetables available in season.

Many traditional dishes contain maize, rice, potatoes or cassava as well as meats and seafood. Tropical fruits such as mango, papaya, passionfruit, guava, dragon fruit or lulo (a fruit with a citrus flavour) are available throughout the country.

Lulo fruits

Typical Colombian food and drinks include:

Tamales: South American corn or rice cakes that are filled with chicken, vegetables or even sweet fruits
Bandeja paisa is often considered the national dish that consists of beans, rice, fried pork belly, minced meats, fried egg, chorizo sausages, plantains and avocado
Ajiaco: thick soup made with three types of potatoes and chicken, often served with rice and avocado
Arepa: maize flatbread, a common snack usually baked or grilled and often eaten with avocados or meats, sometimes split open and stuffed with a variety of fillings

Arepa

Arequipe: caramel sauce similar to dulce de leche and made with sweet milk and sugar
Changua: milk soup with eggs which is traditionally eaten for breakfast
Lechona: roasted pig or pork meat with onions and yellow rice and various spices, usually made in outdoor ovens
Chocolate con Queso: hot chocolate drink made with real cacao and cheese that gets dipped into the hot drink

Colombia Facts
Animals in Colombia

Colombia is one of the 17 megadiverse countries on our planet. In fact, Colombia is the second most biodiverse country in the world. It has one of the highest numbers of endemic species, that means many animals only exist in this country.

Manatees and brown woolly monkeys are among the vulnerable species. Endangered animals include the pink Amazon river dolphins.

pink river dolphin - an endangered species

Pink dolphins are endangered animals

The Andean condor is Colombia’s national animal and bird.

Colombia has more bird species than any other country. Over 1,900 different bird species live in Colombia. Some famous Colombian birds include the Andean condor, one of the largest flying birds in the world, many different hummingbirds and colourful toucans such as this chocó toucan.

Chocó toucan

Did you know?

Colombia's national tree is the wax palm, the tallest palm tree in the world.
Some wax palms can grow up to 60 m/ almost 200 ft tall! This is about the hight of a 20-storey building.
Wax palms grow in the Cocora Valley in the Andes mountains and can live for more than 200 years!

Find out more about megadiverse countries here.

Colombia Facts
10 FAQs

Where is Colombia?

Colombia is a country in South America. It lies in the northwest of the continent and has coastlines on the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

What is the capital of Colombia?

The capital city of Colombia is Bogotá. This is the largest city in the country and lies high in the Andes Mountains. Bogotá is one of the highest capital cities in the world at about 2,640 m/ 8,660 ft above sea level.

How many people live in Colombia?

About 53 million people live in Colombia, making it one of the most populous countries in South America.

What language do people speak in Colombia?

The official language is Spanish. There are also many Indigenous languages, and some people speak Creole languages.

What is Colombia famous for?

Colombia is famous for coffee, emeralds, tropical rainforests, colourful festivals such as the Barranquilla Carnival and beautiful landscapes.

Why is Colombia called Colombia?

Colombia is named after the explorer Christopher Columbus, even though he never actually visited the country!

Which countries border Colombia?

Colombia shares borders with Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Panama.

Does the Amazon River flow through Colombia?

Yes, the Amazon River forms part of Colombia’s southern border, although most of the river flows through Brazil and Peru.

Which natural resources does Colombia have?

Colombia has large reserves of oil, coal and natural gas. The country also is one of the world’s largest producers of emeralds and is the third-largest coffee exporter in the world.

Why is Colombia important for biodiversity?

Colombia has rainforests, mountains, rivers, wetlands and coastlines, which support thousands of plant and animal species. Colombia is one of the most megadiverse countries in the world.

Popular Pages

South America Facts for Kids by Kids World Travel Guide

South America Quiz for Kids by Kids World Travel Guide

Brazil

Chile

Useful Resources for Colombia Facts

ProColombia Official Tourism Guide. "The Country of Beauty." Colombia.Travel. Last accessed 13 March 2026
Amber Pariona. "The World's 17 Megadiverse Countries." WorldAtlas. Last edited 5 February 2021. Last accessed 13 March 2026
Beyond Colombia. "Experience Colombia in a Different Way." Beyond Colombia Information on Bogota and Cartagena - Free Walking Tours. Last accessed 13 March 2026
Erica Dinho. "Top 12 Colombian foods and dishes you must try." My Colombian Recipes. Last updated 19 July 2021. Last accessed 13 March 2026

Images on Colombia facts page: shutterstock.com and own images

Return from Colombia Facts to Kids World Travel Guide Homepage

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