140 Amazing Facts About Colombia

Colombia, a country located in South America, is a land of breathtaking natural beauty, diverse culture, and rich history. From its pristine beaches and lush rainforests to its bustling cities and vibrant festivals, Colombia has something to offer for everyone. With over 140 interesting facts about Colombia, there's no doubt that this country is worth exploring!

140 Facts About Colombia: Explore the Rich Culture and History of this Vibrant Nation

Building relationships is very important in Columbia.
Upon meeting and departing it is considered to be courteous to shake both hands. A man should also wait for a woman to extend her hand.
Arranged marriages are no longer common in Colombia but residents are encouraged to marry within their class. Men and women are free to date whomever they wish but they need to have a chaperone (a person who accompanies and looks after another person or group of people.)
Most couples date for at least a year before getting married. Most couples are married in the Catholic Church.
Most domestic units consist of a mother, a father, and their children. Upper-class families tend to have many children.
The music is also thumping and pumping in Colombia. World-famous pop singer Shakira hails from good old Colombia. At the age of 4, she had her first poem which later became a song. She danced her way into the world of fame and has won many awards and is recognized globally as a successful artist.
Colombia is named after the legendary Italian explorer, navigator, and colonizer – Christopher Columbus.
Colombia shares land borders with five countries: Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Venezuela.
Starbucks opened its 1000th store in Latin America, and the first in the city of Medellín, Colombia. However, the company’s first store was inaugurated in Colombia in the capital city of Bogotá in 2014.
The most popular choice for breakfast in Colombia is Changhua. It’s simply a milk soup with an undercooked egg (Yes, it’s milk soup; you read it right.)
Drinking coffee in Colombia is a cheesy affair. Here, for an unknown, weird reason, people put blocks of salty cheese into their coffee when they are finished drinking it, and eat the mushy blobs of coffee-soaked cheese.
Coffee is gulped down like water. While Colombian kids are given a nice coffee milkshake, they grow up to go pure black.
The social security system was developed in 1843 and only applied to military personnel.
Colombia practices a free-market economy that has greatly benefited the country due to foreign investment and foreign trade.
The official language of Colombia is Spanish. All Colombians speak Spanish except for certain populations that live in the Amazonian basin. That’s a higher percentage than Spain itself.
The red and yellow colors of the Colombian flag were adapted from the Spanish flag and the stripe of blue symbolizes the ocean that separates the country of Colombia from Spain. The condor signifies liberty as well as sovereignty, the yellow symbolizes the natural riches of the country while the red symbolizes the bloodshed in the war for independence.
Colombia is comprised of many regional cultures. Many of the indigenous groups of Colombia have embraced the Spanish cultural influences.
The government of Colombia found a $2 billion Spanish shipwreck under the sea near its coast. Spain, which looted them in the first place, has demanded the money back in an international dispute. Good logic: once you do steal it, it is yours.
Initially, people who went to find the treasures of El Dorado never returned. Maybe they were all broke. Moral of the story: Always book your return flight…eh..ship.
But then luck struck Spain, and Spain struck a mountain. Spain discovered a mountain, Cerro Rico, filled with silver….precious silver. Using free local labor plus hardworking llamas, they mined down the mountain, rock by rock.
In fact, Colombia is so passionate about its sugar that it went to war with Peru over it. The eight-month war, known as the Leticia War, started due to a dispute in the sugar trade.
Colombia is even home to many pre-Columbian archaeological sites dating back to before there were European settlements.
When the Spanish came to conquer South America, their foreign European diseases killed most native people, even before any war.
The economy of Colombia is mainly dependent on manufacturing and agricultural exports such as bananas, cut flowers, sugar, and coffee. Manufacturing exports include textiles, chemicals, garments, and metal products.
Colombia has been a contributor to very important advances in medicine, biology, geology, physics, mathematics, anthropology, and psychology.
Colombia is home to the Cano Cristales – the “River of Five Colors” or the “Liquid Rainbow.” Located in the Serrania de la Macarena province of Meta, the river’s bed changes color between yellow, green, blue, black, and especially red, beginning the end of July and through November.
Age is valued in Colombia. The older a person is, the more powerful their voice becomes. Elders are deeply respected throughout the country.
Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, at 13,000m, is the world’s highest coastal mountain range. It is also has moved more than a thousand miles in the last 170 million years.
Colombia is the world’s leading source of emeralds. It is also the third largest exporter of coffee in the world after Brazil and Vietnam.
The name "Colombia" is derived from the last name of the explorer Christopher Columbus.
99% of the population speak Spanish, the official language of Colombia. There are also many indigenous languages spoken throughout the country.
Colombia shares a land border with 5 countries including Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru.
Tejo is the native and national sport of Colombia. Beer is so common in this game, it’s almost a rule. The game consists of trying to throw a metal disk at a sack filled with gunpowder while being dead drunk.
It’s ColOmbia, and not ColUmbia. Mind your pronunciation because Colombians have a very fine ear for details.
Everyone and everything is sweet in Colombia, including its local alcohol, Aguardiente. It is made from sugarcane and is the best drink to enjoy the Colombian sun.
The National Police is a branch of the armed forces and was formed in 1891 in order to enforce the federal laws of Columbia.
There are two major organizations in Colombia these days. They are guerrilla organizations known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia and the Army of National Liberation.
The architecture of the nation reflects Spanish colonial origins from the seventeenth century. There is evidence of Castilian and Moorish architecture in many of the cities in the region.
Colombia is considered to be a hierarchical society and people earn respect due to their position and their age.
Parks are pretty much limited to only the larger towns and cities that were originally founded by the Spanish. Many people gather in these parks to engage in visiting, and other activities and benches are placed close together to encourage socializing.
It is quite common for children to live at home until they are ready to marry. The elders are respected for their life experience and age.
The family is always the very center of the social structure of Colombian culture.
Bandeja Paisa, the de facto national meal of Colombia, is not only a meal but a mini representation of the country itself.
Most of the families considered to be of middle-class eat meals that reflect Spanish and indigenous traditions. A day normally consists of a light breakfast, a bigger midday lunch, and a lighter meal in the early evening.
Dinner for the middle-class normally includes fresh fruit, a main dish with fish or meat with rice or potatoes, and a homemade soup.
Colombia has a population of over 45 million people (45,745,783) as of July 2013.
Colombia is classed as a "megadiverse" country, ranking as the 2nd most biodiverse country in the world. It has the highest amount of species by area in the world, including the most endemic species of butterflies, the most orchid species, the most amphibian species and more species of bird than all of Europe and North America combined.
Colombia is the world's leading source of emeralds and its coffee is world-renown.
Stands selling fruit and juices are found throughout Colombia, especially on the Caribbean coast.
Other popular and successful sports of Colombia include roller-skating, weightlifting, baseball, boxing, motorsport and cycling.
The theme of most children’s games, El Dorado, is actually a mythical city in ancient Colombia. Legend has it that a king used to spray himself with gold powder and then jump off from a golden boat into a lake in order to appease an undersea god.
Almost 60% of the Amazon rainforest lies in Brazil, 13% lies in Peru, and 10% lies in Colombia.
Cano Cristales – the “River of Five Colors” or the “Liquid Rainbow”, is a river in Colombia located in the Serrania de la Macarena province of Meta. This river’s bed changes color between yellow, green, blue, black, and especially red, beginning the end of July and through November.
Coffee is not native to Colombia. Although they shipped 840,000 tonnes of it to other countries in 2015.
With the second-largest Spanish-speaking population, Colombia has also been nicknamed “gateway to South America”.
Archeologists estimate that humans settled in Colombia some 20,000 years ago.
Not lazy, but fun-loving: Colombia, with 18 national holidays, came second in the “countries with the most national holidays” list. In case you are wondering who could top that, it’s India (21).
A Nobel Laureate and a best friend of revolutionist Fidel Castro, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, was from Colombia. He is the author of “Love in the Time of Cholera,” which is the most-sold Spanish novel in history. Seems like Colombia colonized Spain and not the other way around.
Colombia started off as the Viceroyalty of New Granada but soon broke up to become the Republic of Colombia. It still broke down into the Nueva Granada and then into the United States of Colombia. But finally, in 1886, the Republic of Colombia came into being. Too much nationalism for a country its size!
All the hard work did work out, and Spain finally mined out silver, lots and lots of silver. The funny irony is; they dug so much silver that for their generation, silver became worth nothing….literally.
Colombia is drenched in Spanish influence. Though a former colony of Spain, Colombian culture, architecture, food habits, language, and its constitution are all more or less influenced by Spain.
The King of Coke, Pablo Escobar, was born and bred in Colombia. During his heyday, he collected revenue to the tune of $420 million, weekly. That’s more than the monthly salary of all the CEO’s of all the top Fortune 500 companies put together.
Pablo Escobar was so rich he offered $10 billion to waive off Colombia’s National debt. His son Sebastián Marroquín, born Juan Pablo Escobar, 24 February 1977, is a motivational speaker.
With so many happy-go-lucky chemicals flowing around, Colombia is reported to be the happiest place on planet earth. Maybe it’s time to revamp the World Drug Policy.
Colombia is the world’s leading producer of Emerald. The finest quality emerald, a green gemstone, is found only in Colombia. The country has more than 150 mines churning out high-quality emeralds.
Art is a very large part of Colombian culture. Many foundations and private individuals are strong supporters of Colombian art.
Colombia began to develop literacy after the Spanish arrived and its literature is still a strong influence.
Natives of the Andes created very detailed and intricate artwork over 2,000 years ago. After becoming colonized, native influences were replaced by European styles.
Colombia has a very diverse music scene. Vallenato is a type of Colombian dance and style of music that originated on the Atlantic coast.
In Colombian households, the father is typically the head of the household and the women raise and educate their children as well as take care of all the homemaking responsibilities.
Lower and middle-class wives normally have to work in the city or in the fields.
Ninety-five percent of the Colombian population are members of the Roman Catholic faith. Over 85 percent of urban Catholics attend mass regularly.
Most Colombians have a maternal and paternal surname and both are typically used. It’s important to refer to people by the correct title and surname so as not to come across as rude.
After friendships become more established greetings become warmer. Women will kiss on the right cheek and men will embrace each other and pat each other on the shoulder to show affection.
Specialty dishes are eaten at holidays and a dish associated with the capital is known as ajiaco which is a special stew.
Lower income families eat more carbohydrates that end in a sweet dessert made from panela which is a type of brown sugar.
Colombia is the only country in South America that has coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
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.
The traditional national sport of Colombia is called Tejo, a team sport that involves launching objects at a target. The most popular sport in Colombia is football (soccer). The Colombian national team won the 2001 Copa América (South American Championship).
It is mandatory for radio and public television in Colombia to play the national anthem every day at 6 am and 6 pm.
Bogotá is the capital of Colombia. It is the second-largest capital city in South America and at 2640 m (8661 ft) it is one of the highest capital cities in the world.
Colombia loves anything and everything that has something to do with Futbol (soccer). Without Futbol, its iconic yellow jerseys, its heartthrob, James Rodriguez, or without its unique goal dance, Colombian people couldn’t get a peaceful night’s sleep.
The caffeine-drenched country loves to dance. The golden rule of Colombia: If you hear music, start moving.
Colombia is one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world namely: Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, United States, and Venezuela.
Bogota, the capital of Colombia, is a mecca for street artists. The government not only tolerates graffiti but also encourages and sponsors street art.
Colombia hosts the world’s largest theater festival, the Iberoamericana.
Colombia is a place of fun, frolic, and festivity. It loves its holidays, organizing salsa parades, flower parades, carnivals, and more.
One out of every five butterfly species is found in Colombia.
Oatmeal is not a breakfast cereal, but a juicing material. Yes, Colombians love to drink down the Avena, which is literally oatmeal juice.
Colombian women are very edgy about their curves.
Here’s something about drugs: 15 tons of raw pure cocaine — that’s how much white powder just one man shipped into the U.S. alone each day, at one point in time.
Colombia is not only baked by the tropical sun from above but also fried from down below. It lies above the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region where volcanoes and earthquakes are as natural as birds and bees. The ring is 40,000km long, and there are more than 450 volcanoes.
The details in the many churches in the country reflect the Medieval and Renaissance eras in Spain.
It’s a big deal when a girl turns 15 in Colombia. But for a boy, it’s a regular birthday. There’s also a name for the special occasion, “La Quinceañera,” and the party that follows is named “Fiesta de Quince.”
Here are some gifting manners in Colombia: For a casual visit, bring a fruit or chocolate. For something elegant, bring imported alcohol. And for a girl’s 15th birthday, only gold.
In Colombian culture, flowers as a gift should only be sent in advance (roses are well liked), while making sure not to include lilies and marigolds, no matter how much of a discount you get. They are only reserved for funerals.
In Colombia, eyes are everything. Real Colombian men look deep into the eyes while shaking hands.

In conclusion, Colombia is a country with a unique blend of natural beauty, culture, and history. Its vibrant cities, stunning beaches, and diverse landscapes make it an ideal destination for travelers seeking adventure and relaxation. With over 140 fascinating facts about Colombia, there's always something new to discover and learn about this beautiful country. Whether you're planning your next vacation or simply want to expand your knowledge, Colombia is a destination you won't want to miss!

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