Colombia

Colombia is a state in South America. It is washed by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuela to the east, Brazil to the southeast, Ecuador and Peru to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and Panama to the northwest. Colombia is made up of 32 departments and the metropolitan area of ​​Bogotá, the country's largest city. It covers an area of ​​1,141,748 square kilometers (440,831 sq mi) with 50 million. Colombia's rich cultural heritage reflects the influence of various Native American civilizations, European settlements, African slaves and immigration from Europe and the Middle East. Spanish is the country's official language and more than 70 languages ​​are spoken here.

Colombia has been inhabited by various indigenous peoples since at least 12000 BC, including the Muisca, Quimbaya, and Tairon. The Spaniards first landed in La Guajira in 1499. By the mid-16th century colonized part of the region, establishing the New Kingdom of Granada with the capital Santafe de Bogotá. Independence from the Spanish Empire was achieved in 1819 when what is now Colombia became the United Provinces of New Granada. The new nation experimented with federalism as the Granada Confederation (1858). Then the United States of Colombia (1863) before the Republic of Colombia was finally proclaimed in 1886. Panama seceded in 1903, leading to the current borders of Colombia. Since the 1960s, the country has suffered from low-intensity asymmetric armed conflict and political violence that escalated in the 1990s. Since 2005, there have been significant improvements in security, stability, the rule of law, and unprecedented economic growth and development.

Colombia is one of seventeen countries with the highest species diversity in the world. It has the second highest level of biodiversity in the world. Its territory includes the Amazon rainforest, highlands, grasslands, and deserts. It is the only country in South America with a coastline and islands along the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Colombia is a member of major global and regional organizations including the United Nations, WTO, OECD, OAS, Pacific Alliance, Andean Community and NATO's international partner. Its diversified economy is the third largest in South America with macroeconomic stability and favorable long-term growth prospects.