Colombia
Capital: Bogotá · Americas
Colombia is a major nation of northern South America, famed for coffee, biodiversity and rich culture. Home to about 52 million people, it holds the Andes, the Amazon and Caribbean coasts, ranking among the world's most biodiverse countries. Colombian coffee is celebrated worldwide, a key export. After decades of internal conflict and a peace process, Colombia has focused on transition and rebuilding, with tourism gradually recovering. From the urban energy of Bogota to the colonial charm of Cartagena, Colombia shows the passion and resilience of Latin America amid its challenges.
- Capital
- Bogotá
- Population
- 52,321,152
- Area
- 1,141,748 km²
- Currency
- Colombian peso
- Languages
- Spanish
Country profile
Background
Colombia was one of three countries that emerged after the dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1830 -- the others are Ecuador and Venezuela. A decades-long conflict among government forces, paramilitaries, and antigovernment insurgent groups heavily funded by the drug trade -- principally the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) -- escalated during the 1990s. In the wake of the paramilitary demobilization in the 2000s, new criminal groups arose that included some former paramilitaries. After four years of formal peace negotiations, the Colombian Government signed a final accord with the FARC in 2016 that called for its members to demobilize, disarm, and reincorporate into society and…
Location
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama
Climate
tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands
Terrain
flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains (Llanos)
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower
Ethnic groups
Mestizo and White 87.6%, Afro-Colombian (includes Mulatto, Raizal, and Palenquero) 6.8%, Indigenous 4.3%, unspecified 1.4% (2018 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 63.6%, Protestant 17.2% (Evangelical 16.7%, Adventist 0.3%, other Protestant 0.2%), Jehovah's Witness 0.6%, Church of Jesus Christ 0.1%, other 0.3%, believer, 0.2%. agnostic 1%, atheist 1%, none 14.2%,…
Government
presidential republic
Economy
prior to COVID-19, one of the most consistent growth economies; declining poverty; large stimulus package has mitigated economic fallout, but delayed key infrastructure investments; successful inflation management; sound flexible exchange rate regime; domestic economy suffers from lack of trade integration and infrastructure
Colombia · Travel guide
Understand
Colombia is the only country in South America with coastlines on both the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and it has the second-most biodiversity in the world. Lying to the south of Panama, Colombia controls the land access between Central and South America. With Panama to the north, Colombia is surrounded by Venezuela to the east, Brazil to the southeast, and Ecuador and Peru to the south west. The country was named in honor of Christopher Columbus, following the Italian version of his name (Cristoforo Colombo). Although Columbus never set foot on the current Colombian territory, in his fourth voyage he visited Panama, which was part of Colombia until 1903. Traveling in Colombia is definitely worthwhile. From Bogotá, with a temperate climate 2,600 m (8,530 ft) above sea level and at a constant temperature of 19°C, a drive of one or two hours north, south, east or west can take you to landscapes which are as diverse as they are beautiful. To historic city centres and towns, modern and energetic party cities, oriental plains which stretch out far beyond the horizon with little modulation. rugged contours of the higher Andean region, the Guajira peninsula and its desert, idyllic beaches, the tropical jungle of the Amazon and the Choco with abundant flora and fauna, snowy peaks and volcanoes, ancient ruins, the Magdalena River valley and its hot weather, beautiful coral reefs and an abundant underwater marine life together with pleasant relaxed tropical islands, and the ability to rest and relax in a privately rented hacienda that lets you have and enjoy these treasures to yourself. Such a diversity comes with equally diverse traditions and foods. Colombia is one of the equatorial countries of the world, but unique in its extreme topography and abundance of water a
Getting there
Visas
Passport holders of the following countries do not need a visa to enter Colombia when the purpose of the visit is tourism for up to 90 days (unless otherwise noted): Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong (180 days), Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela. Citizens of the following countries can enter with their National ID card: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Colombian authorities will stamp passports from the above countries giving permission to stay for a maximum of 30 to 90 days. Immigration officials at any of the international airports of the country will usually ask you the intended length of your trip, giving you a determinate number of days that will cover it, which you can extend to 90 by going to any immigration services office.
Extending your stay Yo
Getting around
By plane Owing in part to the absence of intercity rail and the high mountains separating many of the major cities, air travel is popular and widespread among those who can afford it and competition is fierce. Bogotá-Medellin was the busiest air route in Latin America in 2024, carrying 3.8 million passengers on a 239-km route. The most important domestic carriers in Colombia are:
Avianca (main Colombian national airline) Clic (formerly Easy Fly) (regional airline around Medellín, Bogotá and Bucaramanga) Jetsmart Colombia LATAM Colombia (formerly LAN Colombia and Aires) Satena (Servicio Aéreo a Territorios Nacionales) operated by the Colombian Air Force to provide transport to remote regions of Los Llanos, Amazona & the Pacific coast from Bogotá. Wingo a 'low fare' subsidiary brand of COPA Colombia operating as a separate brand (formerly AeroRepublica). They all have well-kept fleets and regular service to major towns and cities in Colombia. The online payment process of some domestic airlines is complicated. Payments can be done at the airport or official ticket offices.
By train There are no intercity trains in the country.
By car
Driving is on the right hand side of the road-most cars have standard transmissions. Colombia's fleet is composed mainly of cars with 4-cylinder engines that are of European and Japanese manufacture. Foreign visitors may drive if they show an international driver's license (a multilingual endorsement card issued by automobile and driver's clubs around the world). Insurance is cheap and mandatory. The speed limit in residential areas is
Cities & destinations in Colombia 67
Country fields from Wikidata (CC0); flag via Wikimedia Commons; profile from the CIA World Factbook (public domain); travel guide from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA).