Facts for Kids

Ethnic groups in Colombia make the country a colorful mix of people and cultures. Many Colombians are mestizo (mixed Indigenous and European ancestry), while others are white, Indigenous, Afro-Colombian, or from smaller groups like Raizal and Roma. The country counts dozens of Indigenous peoples, more than 80 cultures, and about 800,000 Indigenous people living on special reserves that cover a big part of the land. Large Afro-Colombian communities live along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. All these groups bring different foods, music, and festivals, so daily life and celebrations are rich and varied.

Climate in Colombia changes a lot because of mountain height, how close places are to the ocean, and wind and rain patterns. Parts by the coast are warm and humid, while the Pacific coast can get very heavy rainfall. Inland areas have different weather depending on height above sea level.

Colombia has about six natural regions with climates from hot rainforests and dry deserts to cool highlands. Mountains make a clear change: below 1,000 meters it is usually warm, 1,001–2,000 meters is milder, and 2,001–3,000 meters is cooler. Above 3,000 meters you find alpine forests, high grasslands called páramos, and even snowy zones on the very highest peaks.

Literature in Colombia begins with stories told by Indigenous peoples and continues through poems, plays, and novels that show different parts of life. During colonial times, many writings were about religion and city life. In the 1800s writers described regions and daily customs. In the 1900s, some authors mixed ordinary events with magical touches in a style called magical realism. One famous writer who used this idea is Gabriel García Márquez, whose books made people around the world curious about Colombia’s stories. Reading different kinds of Colombian books helps you learn about places, people, and imaginative worlds.

Ceramics and shiny gold objects show that people in what is now Colombia have loved art for thousands of years. Long ago, San Agustín artists carved big stone figures of people and animals, and Tumaco craftsmen made detailed gold pieces. When the Spanish arrived, churches became places for painting and sculpture in baroque styles. In the 1900s, Colombian artists mixed old themes with new ideas, leading to colorful modern paintings and bold sculptures. Photography arrived early, and today comics and independent magazines help new artists share their stories and pictures with many people.

Indigenous architecture includes longhouses, terraces for farming, stone pathways, and megaliths that mark special places. When Europeans came, they built cities with plazas, churches, and forts using baroque and colonial styles, often made to fit local weather and materials. In the 1800s and early 1900s, rich houses and parks grew in growing cities. Modern architects later used steel, glass, and new shapes to make buildings that fit both people and nature. Today architects try to protect old buildings while making new ones that welcome light, plants, and city life.

Independence day in Colombia is July 20, 1810. That date marks when people began to say they wanted to rule themselves instead of being run by Spain. Leaders such as Simón Bolívar, Francisco de Paula Santander, and Antonio Nariño played big roles in the long struggle that followed.

After years of battles and new ideas about government, Bolívar led a successful campaign in 1819. For a while the land joined with nearby regions to form Gran Colombia, which included today’s Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Over time Gran Colombia split, and the country went through changes and internal conflicts before becoming the Republic of Colombia.

Colombia is a country mostly in South America with some islands that reach into North America. It touches the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean and shares land borders with Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador. The capital and largest city is Bogotá, an important place for culture, money, and learning.

Colombia is divided into 32 departments, and about 52 million people live there. Spanish is the official language, but people also speak Creole, English, and many regional Indigenous languages. Colombian culture mixes ideas and traditions from Indigenous peoples, Europe, Africa, and immigrant groups, which makes its music, food, and festivals very lively.

Biodiversity means many different kinds of life living in one place, and Colombia is a superstar at this. About one out of every ten species on Earth lives there. You can find more than 1,900 kinds of birds, thousands of plants (including the most kinds of orchids), and the most kinds of butterflies anywhere. Colombia also has many fish in rivers and oceans and about 7,000 kinds of beetles. Much of this life lives in different places like the Amazon, the Andes, the Pacific coast, and high páramo grasslands. Protected parks cover part of the country so plants and animals have safe homes — what animal would you like to see there?

Pre-Columbian means the time before Europeans arrived. People have lived in what is now Colombia for a very long time — at least 12,000 years. Early groups were hunter-gatherers who later learned to farm and make pottery. Archaeologists found very old rock paintings at places like Serranía de la Lindosa, which show how people lived long ago.

Different Indigenous groups built their own towns and systems of rule. For example, the Muisca farmed maize, potatoes, quinoa, and cotton and traded goods like gold, emeralds and salt. The Tairona lived in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Quimbaya lived near the Cauca River. Some groups sometimes fought, but many also traded and worked together.

Biodiversity means the variety of life, and Colombia has one of the richest mixes of animals and plants in the world for its size. You can find rainforests, mountains, grasslands, deserts, mangroves, and coral reefs, each with its own animals and plants. Colombia is especially famous for birds and orchids.

To protect this richness, Colombia has national parks, nature reserves, and areas managed by Indigenous communities. People also plant trees and create protected zones for páramos and rivers. Habitat loss and pollution are problems, so conservation groups work with local people to keep habitats safe. Which Colombian animal would you most like to learn about?