Colombia
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Bogotá
- Population
- 49,842,298 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 1,138,910 sq km
- Government
- presidential republic
- 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%, unspecified 1.8% (2023 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Mestizo and White 87.6%, Afro-Colombian (includes Mulatto, Raizal, and Palenquero) 6.8%, Indigenous 4.3%, unspecified 1.4% (2018 est.)
- Currency
- Colombian pesos (COP)
- Life Expectancy
- 74.9 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .co
- 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
- Major Exports
- crude petroleum, coal, gold, coffee, refined petroleum (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
Colombia was one of three countries that emerged after the dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1830 -- the others are Ecuador and Venezuela.