Discover Colombia

Introduction

Colombia is a country of northwestern South America, with insular regions in North America. Its mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuela to the east, Brazil to the south-east, Peru and Ecuador to the south and south-west, the Pacific Ocean to the west and Panama to the north-west — and it has coastlines on both the Caribbean and the Pacific — one of only two South American countries with coastline on both the Atlantic and the Pacific, the other being Chile. The population is around 52.7 million.

The name comes from Christopher Columbus. “Colombia” derives from the surname of the Italian navigator, and was conceived as a reference to all of the New World before being adopted by the Republic of Colombia of 1819.

The country is usually described in five natural regions, and they are genuinely different places: the Andes, the Pacific coast, the Caribbean coast, los llanos, the eastern plains, and the Amazon. Near the Ecuadorian border the Andes split into three parallel cordilleras running north-east almost to the Caribbean, with altitudes over 5,700 metres and permanent snow on the peaks; the elevated basins and plateaus between them have a moderate climate that lets farmers harvest twice a year, which is why most Colombians live in the mountains rather than on the coast. Several snow-clad volcanoes in the Cordillera Central pass 5,180 metres. Separately, in the north, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta stands apart from the Andes altogether, and the Caribbean lowlands west of it are largely swampy — the reed-filled marshes are called ciénagas. The Guajira Peninsula in the north-east is semi-arid.

Colombia has been home to Indigenous peoples and cultures since at least 12,000 BCE. From the first millennium BCE the Muisca, Zenú, Quimbaya and Tairona developed cacicazgos, chiefdoms with a pyramidal structure of power — and it is their goldwork and their sites that fill the museums, not the Inca's. The Spanish landed in La Guajira in 1499 and had colonised much of the country by the mid-sixteenth century as the New Kingdom of Granada. Independence was declared on 20 July 1810, still the national day, and secured in 1819 with the beginning of Gran Colombia.

The twentieth century was hard. La Violencia, ignited by the assassination of the Liberal presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán on 9 April 1948, claimed at least 180,000 lives. An armed conflict between the state, leftist guerrillas and right-wing paramilitaries ran from the 1960s and escalated in the 1990s. In 2016 President Juan Manuel Santos signed a peace agreement with the FARC. That agreement is still in place, but the country remains seriously affected: delays in implementation have brought a resurgence of violence in parts of it, largely armed groups fighting over territory and the cocaine trade. Regional variation is the single most important thing to understand about travelling here — the main circuits are visited by millions without incident, while particular departments carry the strongest advisories in South America.

What the country actually exports is worth knowing, because the coffee overshadows it: in 2020 more than 40 per cent of exports were coal and petroleum, and Colombia was the world's fifth largest coal exporter in 2018 and nineteenth largest oil exporter in 2019. The coffee is real — it is grown on thousands of small farms and the Coffee Region is one of the best things to do here — but it is not what pays the bills.

Bogotá, founded by the Spanish in 1538, is the capital and the financial and industrial centre, and it sits at 2,600 metres: expect to feel it for a day or two. And one rule before you arrive: people pose as police officers to “check” foreigners' documents or currency and rob them — ask to do it at a station or somewhere public.

Verified against Wikipedia, September 2026.

Geography

Colombia is one of only two South American countries with coastline on both the Atlantic and the Pacific — the other is Chile. The Andes split into three separate ranges as they enter from the south, with the major cities sitting in the valleys and on the plateaus between them, and Bogotá at 2,600 metres. East of the mountains lie the grasslands of los llanos and then Amazon rainforest: together those lowlands are over half the country’s territory and hold less than 6 per cent of its people.

Read the full Geography guide →

History

Spanish from the sixteenth century, independent under Bolívar in the 1810s, and then repeatedly torn by internal conflict — the civil war known as La Violencia, and the decades of fighting between the state, guerrilla groups and drug cartels that followed. A peace agreement with the largest guerrilla group was signed in 2016, and the country has changed enormously since.

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Culture

African, Indigenous and Spanish roots in different proportions in each region, and a musical output that travels further than the country’s reputation.

Read the full Culture guide →

Climate Patterns

Altitude, not season, decides the weather. Colombians speak of tierra caliente, templada and fría — hot, temperate and cold land — by elevation. Bogotá is cool year-round, Cartagena is hot and humid, Medellín sits in between and is called the city of eternal spring. There are two drier and two wetter periods rather than four seasons.

Read the full Climate Patterns guide →

What is the emergency number?

123, nationwide, for police, fire and ambulance.

Someone in uniform wants to check my documents — what do I do?

Be careful: people pose as police officers to “verify” documents or foreign currency and then rob you. Do not hand anything over unless you feel threatened, and ask to do it at the nearest police station, your hotel or another public place.

Can I hail a taxi?

Better not to. Express kidnappings and assaults often occur in unlicensed taxis. Use a hotel-booked car or a ride-hailing app; El Dorado airport in Bogotá admits only authorised taxis. If you must hail one, avoid cars without plates, never share, and send the plate number to someone.

What is scopolamine?

A drug that temporarily incapacitates victims, leaving them disoriented and unable to make clear decisions for 24 hours or more, after which they are robbed, assaulted or worse. It is put into drinks, food, cigarettes and paper, in nightclubs, bars, restaurants, taxis and on the street, most often in Bogotá, Cartagena and Medellín, and criminals often work in teams.

Is there a road-information line?

Yes — dial 767 from a mobile for the Colombian Highway Police and current road closures (Spanish only).

I have Colombian citizenship as well. Does that matter?

Yes. You may enter on a foreign passport, but it will be stamped to record that you must leave using Colombian documents.

Will I feel the altitude?

Possibly. Bogotá is at 2,600 metres, and altitude sickness is a risk there and in parts of Cundinamarca, Boyacá, Nariño and Antioquia. High-altitude illness can be life-threatening and may need immediate evacuation. Take the first day gently.

What currency, and can I bring cash in?

The Colombian peso. Up to the equivalent of US$10,000 may be brought in without declaring it.

Verified against Global Affairs Canada, September 2026.

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Sources & verification Covers the sourced claims on this page.

Checked against Global Affairs Canada — For emergency assistance in Colombia, dial 123, Individuals posing as police officers approach foreigners to verify documents or foreign currency intending to rob them; do not hand anything over unless you feel threatened and ask to provide them at the nearest police station, your hotel or another public place, Express kidnappings and assaults often occur in unlicensed taxis, taxis should not be hailed on the street, and El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá allows only authorised taxis, Scopolamine temporarily incapacitates victims leaving them disoriented and unable to make clear decisions for 24 hours or more, after which they are vulnerable to crime; it is administered in nightclubs, bars and restaurants, on public transport including taxis and on the street, most frequently in Bogotá, Cartagena and Medellín, with criminals often working in teams, Dialling 767 from a mobile phone reaches the Colombian Highway Police information line for advice on current road closures, Dual citizens may enter Colombia without Colombian documents but their foreign passport will be stamped indicating they must leave using Colombian documents, Bogotá is at 2,600 metres above sea level, altitude sickness is a risk there and in parts of Cundinamarca, Boyacá, Nariño and Antioquia, and high-altitude illness can be life-threatening and may require immediate medical evacuation, The currency in Colombia is the peso (COP) and other currencies can easily be exchanged in currency exchange bureaus, Bogotá is at 2,600 metres above sea level and altitude sickness is a risk there, Individuals posing as police officers approach foreigners to verify documents or foreign currency intending to rob them, and you may ask to do it at the nearest police station, your hotel or another public place (September 2026).
Checked against Wikipedia — Colombia is a country located in South America with insular regions in North America, its mainland bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuela to the east, Brazil to the south-east, Peru and Ecuador to the south and south-west, the Pacific Ocean to the west and Panama to the north-west, The name Colombia derives from the last name of the Italian navigator Christopher Columbus, conceived as a reference to all of the New World and later adopted by the Republic of Colombia of 1819, Colombia usually classifies its geography into five natural regions: the Andes, shared with Ecuador and Venezuela; the Pacific coastal region, shared with Panama and Ecuador; the Caribbean coastal region, shared with Venezuela and Panama; the Llanos or plains, shared with Venezuela; and the Amazon rainforest region, shared with Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador, Near the Ecuadorian frontier the Andes divide into three distinct, roughly parallel cordilleras extending north-eastward almost to the Caribbean Sea, with altitudes reaching more than 5,700 metres and permanently snow-covered peaks, and the elevated basins and plateaus have a moderate climate that in many places enables farmers to harvest twice a year, The Cordillera Occidental is a moderately high range with peaks reaching about 4,670 metres, the Cauca River valley separates it from the massive Cordillera Central, and several snow-clad volcanoes in the Cordillera Central rise above 5,180 metres, The Caribbean coastal lowlands and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta are two northern regions outside the main cross-section; the western lowlands are mostly swampy with reed-filled marshes Colombians call ciénagas, and the Guajira Peninsula is semiarid and occupied primarily by Indigenous peoples, In 2020 more than 40 per cent of Colombia's exports were based on coal and petroleum; in 2018 it was the 5th largest coal exporter in the world and in 2019 the 20th largest petroleum producer, at 791 thousand barrels a day, Colombia's population is about 52.7 million (September 2026).