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The Republic of Colombia is a nation whose mainland is in South America but that also has islands that are part of North America, which is kind of fun. Let’s learn more about this country that has borders on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

Colombia Facts

• Colombia is bordered by Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Panama. It was named for Christopher Columbus, though it was a different sailor who first landed in the area.
• Bogotá is the largest city and also the capital. 
• The country is 440,831 square miles, or more than 1.1 million square kilometers, and is home to about 52 million people.
• Indigenous populations have lived in the area since at least 12,000 BCE, and the first Europeans landed there in 1499. The land that is now Colombia was mostly colonized by the Spanish, and it became fully independent in 1819, though it did not become a centralized republic until 1866.
• While Spanish is the official language and it is home to the world’s second largest population of Spanish speakers, Creole, English and 64 other languages are recognized regionally.
• The country is considered megadiverse in terms of animals and plants, with the highest biodiversity per square mile in the world. Colombia includes rainforest, highlands, grasslands and deserts, and is the only country in South America with coastline and islands in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
• Colombia is a presidential republic and has a legislature with two houses.
• Colombia is the main producer and exporter of roses around the world, and it is said to have the highest quality emeralds in the world.

Colombia National Symbols

The flag of Columbia features horizontal stripes in yellow, blue and red, with the yellow stripe taking the whole top half of the flag and the blue and red being a quarter each. Like Ecuador and Venezuela, the Colombia flag was derived from the colors of the flag of Gran Colombia, a union of territories in South America that existed in the early 1800s. It was adopted in 1861.

The national anthem was written in 1850 as a poem by future president Rafael Núñez, and the music was composed by an Italian-born opera musician. It was first performed in 1887 and officially became the national anthem in 1920.

The wax palm tree is the national tree of Colombia, and the orchid Cattleya trianae is the national flower. It was named for Colombian naturalist José Jerónimo Triana. 

The Andean condor is that national bird, and Paso Fino is the national horse breed.

Colombia Activities for Kids

Watch a video about a wax palm tree nursery in Colombia, or learn about condors with this video from the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. There are so many different animals, plants and ecological regions in the country you could spend a lot of time learning about different creatures and plants that live there. How about the golden poison frog, considered the most poisonous animal on the planet?

You’ll also want to check out Caño Cristales, also known as the river of five colors, which looks like a liquid rainbow thanks to plants that grow in the river. Here’s a fun video, too.

Older kids can learn about the author Gabriel Garcia Márquez, a winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. 

123 Homeschool 4 Me has a free Colombia lesson plan with printable worksheets for kids, and you’ll find more printable worksheets at Kids Activities Blog.

Find more lesson plan ideas and study projects at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Read the charming picture book Biblioburro by Jeanette Winter, all about a traveling library in Colombia that moved around on donkeys (based on a true story). 

The tiple is a stringed instrument similar to a guitar that is widely used in Colombia and is considered a national instrument. Listen to one being played here.

Learn about the sombrero vueltiao, a hat made of dried leaves that are woven and braided together that’s known as a symbol of the country.

The country doesn’t have an official national dish, but lawmakers have pushed for bandeja paisa, a heavy plate of sausage, pork rind, beef, rice, beans, corn patties known as arepas, plantain, fried egg and hogao, which is a sauce made with onions and tomatoes. If all that sounds like too much for you, try making your own arepas with this cheese-stuffed version from Serious Eats.