Here are some interesting Colombia Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.
Colombia lies in South America. The Latin American country shares borders with five countries: Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Equador and Panama. Colombia's capital city is called Bogotá.
Below see another Spanish map of Colombia with the neighbouring countries as well as the major waterways and roads. The Caribbean islands San Andrés and Providencia are the largest islands belonging to Colombia.
The longest of the borders is shared with Venezuela and is 2,219 km/ 1,378 miles long.
Colombia is roughly the size of Norway, Sweden and Finland combined, or similar in size to Ethiopia or about twice the size of Texas/USA. A flight from London/UK to Bogotá takes roughly 11.5 hours and from New York/USA a flight takes 5.5 hours.
Colombia has a diverse climate from tropical steppe, rainforest as well as glacial climate in the Andean mountain regions. More than 60% of the country are low-lying grassland and sparsely populated. Colombia sits on the Ring of Fire and is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
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Did you know, that 80% of the country lies below 1000 m/ 3280 ft. (above sea level)? |
Colombia is rich of natural resources such as petroleum, natural gas, coal, gold 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 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. In fact more than 75 indigenous languages are used in Colombia.
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. (2021) The five biggest cities in the country are:
Among famous Colombian people are singer and songwriter Shakira or the painter and sculptor Fernando Botero you can see below with one of his artworks.
Famous is also Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Marquez 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.
One of the most well known Colombians was terrorist and drug lord Pablo Escobar. He was the founder and head of the notorious Medellín drug cartel that supplied cocaine and other drugs to the USA and thus was also referred to by many as the 'King of Cocaine'. He was the world's wealthiest criminal (while also being a Colombian politician) until he died in a shooting in 1993.
Family is very important to Colombians. Among sports, soccer is the most popular sport played in Colombia. Tejo is considered a national sport.
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Did you know, that Barranquilla Carnival is one of the biggest carnivals in South America? Read more here. |
Colombia has been shaken over decades by civil wars and clashes between government forces and paramilitary groups. These rebels were largely funded by drug trade in the 1990s. Over 200,000 people were killed and over 8 million people were displaced in the civil war.
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 Award in 2016. The current president is Iván Duque Márquez (2021).
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 (fruit with a citrus flavour) are available throughout the country.
Typical Colombian food and drinks include:
Colombia is the second most biodiverse country in the world. It has the largest amount of endemic species, that means animals that exist only in this country.
Manatees and brown woolly monkeys are among the vulnerable species. Endangered animals include the pink Amazon river dolphins.
Colombia is also the country with the world's largest number of bird species.
Images on Colombia facts page: shutterstock.com and own images
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