15 Cool Facts about Colombia

Orthographic map of Colombia. Photo by Addicted04. Wikimedia Commons

15 Cool Facts about Colombia

Officially known as the Republic of Colombia, Colombia is a South American nation with an island chain in North America.

The Caribbean Sea, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, the Pacific Ocean, and Panama form its northern, eastern, southern, and western borders, respectively.

Colombia is made up of 32 departments and Bogotá’s Capital District, which is the largest city in the nation.

With a population of 50 million, it has a land area of 1,141,748 square kilometers.

Colombia’s cultural heritage reflects influences from diverse Amerindian civilizations, European settlement, enslaved Africans, and European and Middle Eastern immigration.

Over 70 other languages are spoken in addition to Spanish, which is the country’s official language.

The 15 cool facts about Colombia include the following.

1. The Second-most Biodiverse Nation in The World is Colombia

Colombia is one of just 17 “megadiverse” countries and the second-most biodiverse nation in the world, only after Brazil, which is ten times larger.

It possesses more species per unit of land area than any other place in the globe, including more bird species than all of Europe and North America put together.

Imagine that Colombia is the home to 10% of all species on Earth. This includes 14% of all amphibians, 10% of all mammals, and a staggering 18% of all birds.

2. Colombia is The World’s Third Largest Producer of Coffee

Coffee Farmer Colombia. Photo by Maria del Pilar Ruiz. Wikimedia Commons

After Brazil and Vietnam, Colombia is the third-largest coffee exporter in the world.

It is also the top exporter of arabica beans. Colombia’s “Coffee Cultural Landscape” was designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2011.

Colombia’s topography and climate are practically ideal for growing coffee, which is one of the reasons the nation produces such good coffee.

Since Colombian coffee is exclusively arabica, it is sweeter and lighter than robusta.

3. Christopher Columbus Inspired the Name Colombia!

Christopher Columbus. Photo by Sebastiano del Piombo. Wikimedia Commons

Christopher Columbus inspired the naming of Colombia.

Italian adventurer Christopher Columbus was encouraged to journey to the West by Catholic kings Ferdinand II of Spain and Queen Isabella I of Spain.

In order to benefit from the spice trade, the major goal of the journey was to look for a western route to the East Indies.

Of course, he instead ran into the Americas, especially a Bahamas island, and the conquest and colonization of the Americas that followed altered the course of history.

Contrary to popular belief, the Norse Vikings had been in the Americas hundreds of years before Columbus, and, of course, many indigenous peoples had also been residing there even earlier.

4. The Best Dancers in South America Are Colombians!

Shakira. Photo by Marcello Casal Jr/Agência Brasil. Wikimedia Commons

Everything Colombians do revolves on music and dance, and they are extremely talented in both of these areas.

Even some of the most well-known Latino musicians in the world, including J Balvin, Juanes, Shakira, Maluma, and Carlos Vives, are Colombian.

Every Colombian, regardless of gender or age, can dance the cumbia, champeta, and salsa.

Each region of Colombia even has its own dance specialty, generally celebrated with a sizable festival, because dancing is so deeply rooted in the culture of the nation.

The salsa festivities in Cali, which begin on Christmas day, are the most well-known and well-discussed.

The large carnival in Barranquilla in February or March and the Flower Festival in Medellin in August are two further well-known music and dance festivals that take place in Colombia. 

5. The Most Well-known Colombian Artist is Botero

Sculptor by Botero. Photo by JoachimKohlerBremen. Wikimedia Commons

Fernando Botero is a world-renowned Colombian artist known for his odd depictions of flamboyant people!

To get an idea, go to Plaza Botero in downtown Medellin to visit the wackiest outdoor museum, which features exaggerated bronze statues of Botero’s bizarre works of art.

Imagine a big Muscle Mary-like Roman soldier with a little one-eyed monster or a large overweight woman munching grapes while sitting atop a tiny donkey attempting to sustain her weight.

More of Botero’s odd artwork, like a plump Mona Lisa with a pretty enlarged head, can be found in the capital, Bogota, at the Botero Museum.

Along with other other odd works by Botero, the museum also houses works by Picasso and Monet that he contributed.

6. Emeralds Exports from Colombia Are The Highest in The World

Colombian Emeralds. Photo by Mauro Cateb. Wikimedia Commons

Around 70–90% of the world’s emeralds are produced in Colombia, and those from that nation are regarded as being more exquisite than those from the majority of other nations.

Emeralds were the most valuable and sought-after mineral for thousands of years.

Even today, the most pure and vibrantly green emeralds can sell for more than diamonds.

Colombia has also given the world some of the most well-known emeralds. 

These emeralds include the Tena Emerald, the most priceless emerald in the world, and the Duke of Devonshire Emerald, which is on exhibit at the Natural History Museum in London.

The majority of Colombia’s emerald mines are situated close to Boyacá and Cundinamarca, in the eastern Andes.

7. The Tallest Palm Trees are Found in Colombia

Palm Trees Colombia. Photo by Diegotorquemada. Wikimedia Commons

The tallest palm trees in the world can be found in the Colombian Andes at the Los Nevados National Natural Park and inside the Valle de Cocora valley.

There are quindo wax palms there, which can grow up to 60 meters (196 ft) tall.

Seven of the approximately 14 species of wax palm trees that exist worldwide are found in Colombia.

In actuality, Colombia’s national tree is the wax palm! Since the Quindo palm is so tall and straight with tiny puffs of leaves on top, it resembles the Truffula trees from Dr. Seuss’s novel The Lorax.

8. Colombia’s National Flower is The Orchid

Orchid. Photo by Luis Pérez from Medellin, Colombia. Wikimedia Commons

On the subject of flowers, the orchid Cattleya trianae, also known as the Orqudia Tricolor by Colombians, is the country’s national flower.

It is a Colombian native species that was chosen as the country’s national flower in November 1936 because the lower part of its flower can appear yellow, blue, or red, which are the colors of the Colombian flag.

Another interesting orchid fact is that its scientific name, “Cattleya trianae,” is named in part after Jose Jeronimo Triana, a 19th-century Colombian botanist and physician.

The Medellin Botanical Garden is one of the best places to see one of the most impressive orchid collections ever seen, housed in an architectural space known as the “Orchideorama.”

9. There is An Odd Tradition in Colombia Involving Donkeys

Barranquilla Caraqueña, Photo by Jdvillalobos. Wikimedia Commons

Around Barranquilla and Cartagena, young men and boys engage in donkey sex in little coastal towns and villages.

In these little towns, young boys are taught that until they get married, women are exceedingly precious and should not be touched.

With a donkey, though, no courting is necessary because they don’t respond, and it’s also said that it will enlarge the penis.

In certain small towns, having sex with a donkey is even regarded as a rite of passage and a crucial custom that helps young lads prepare for adulthood.

10. Colombia Has a Coastline That is Both Pacific and Atlantic

The Caribbean Sea is a component of the Atlantic Ocean, despite the fact that it technically borders Colombia on the north.

Colombia’s Pacific Coast region has some of the highest rainfall rates in the world and is quite humid.

Although the Caribbean coast of Colombia is likewise humid, it is also significantly more populated with locals and tourists who come to enjoy the magnificent yet tranquil coastline.

Imagine white sand beaches, blue waters, and palm trees without any other people to bother you.

That’s what the Caribbean coast of Colombia offers as a perfect starting point for visiting adjacent islands.

11. In Colombia, People Point With Their Lips

Colombians typically point with their lips rather than a finger when indicating where something is.

Colombians, in general, use a lot of gestures to express themselves even while they are silent.

12. The National Drink of Colombia is Aguardiente

Aguardiente. Photo by matias jaramillo from Bogota, Colombia. Wikimedia Commons

In Colombia, you may expect to see bottles of aguardiente wherever you go.

If one learns Spanish, aguardiente is precisely what it sounds like: flaming water. In English, it essentially means fire-water.

Another name for Colombian aguardiente is guaro, which is derived from the Quechua word for sugar water, warapu.

After “discovering” the Americas, Christopher Columbus brought some things back with him.

It is undoubtedly the most well-known beverage in Colombia and is served in large quantities at every celebration, regardless of the preferred brand in each location.

Aguardiente has a basis of tropical fruit and is primarily manufactured from sugar with aniseed flavoring. Rum-like in flavor, but not nearly as sweet.

13. Colombia’s National Sport is Tejo

Although soccer is the most popular sport in Colombia, Tejo has become recognized as the national sport.

A little puck called a Tejo is thrown at a target that is roughly 18.5 meters (60 ft) away in the team sport of Tejo.

The target is positioned in the center of a clay-covered, one-meter by one-meter board that is tilted 45 degrees.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Tejo is that the target is frequently surrounded by little objects filled with explosives that, when they collide with the target, explode loudly.

Although there are many ideas, no one is certain of Tejo’s true origins. Its origin is generally acknowledged.

14. Colombia Does Not Have Seasons

Colombia’s southernmost region is directly on top of the equator, which means the country does not experience seasons in the same way that regions further from the equator do.

While Colombia has different regions, with tropical rainforest, savanna, steppe, desert, and mountain climates, the overall temperatures in each region do not vary much throughout the year.

In fact, the only significant change caused by weather in Colombia is the amount of rain.

Technically, Colombia has two seasons: dry and cloudy, but even in that case, there may not be much variation.

Of course, as you travel around Colombia, you will notice temperature differences based on elevation.

The higher you climb, the colder it becomes! But, in general, Colombia is a lovely warm destination with no miserable winters or scorching summers.

15. There is A Rainbow River in Colombia

Cano Cristales. Photo by Reza Ahmeds. Wikimedia Commons

The Cano Cristales, also known as the “River of Five Colors” or the “Liquid Rainbow,” is a river in Colombia that changes color between yellow, green, blue, black, and especially red.

That happens starting around the end of July and continuing through November.

The coloring is caused by the river’s crystal-clear water, and when conditions are just right, an aquatic plant called Macarenia clavigera that grows in the riverbed blooms.

The transitional period between the wet and dry seasons only lasts a few weeks.