The Republic of Colombia is a country in South America with a total area of 1,138,910 km2. The country was originally inhabited by the Chibcha people, and was discovered by Alonso de Ojeda in 1499 ; it was visited by Columbus on his fourth voyage, in 1502. The first Spanish settlement was made in 1510 at Santa Maria in the Gulf of Darien, and the whole country was formed into a province under a captain-general in 1547.
New Granada declared its independence of Spain in 1811, and after eleven years of warfare succeeded with the help of Venezuela in effecting its liberation. Both states then united with Ecuador, also freed from the Spanish domination, to form the first republic of Colombia; but internal dissensions arising, the three states again separated in 1831, forming three independent republics, which have had a very troubled existence. In 1861 the states forming New Granada by agreement adopted a new constitution, the republic henceforth to be called the United States of Colombia. This title was retained until, by the new constitution adopted in 1886, the state ceased to be a federal republic and became a unitary republic, with the name of Republic of Colombia.
The secession of Panama in 1903 was partly brought about by the dilatoriness of the central government in concluding a satisfactory arrangement with the United States in regard to the construction of an interoceanic canal.
The country may be divided into the elevated region of the Cordilleras in the west, and that of the low-lying lands in the east. The former occupies the greater portion of the country, and presents a richly-diversified surface, being formed chiefly of three mountain chains which stretch north and south in a nearly parallel direction, inclosing between them the valleys of the rivers Cauca and Magdalena. These, the two great navigable rivers of the country, flow northwards, joining their waters about 120 miles from their embouchure in the Caribbean Sea. In the central ridge is the culminating point of Colombia, the volcano of Tolima, 18,315 feet high. The low lands of the east form a transitionary region between the plains of North Brazil and the llanos of the Orinoco region, the drainage being carried to the Amazon and Orinoco.
The chief coast indentation is the Gulf of Darien, which receives the navigable Rio Atrato. The climate is naturally as varied as the surface of the country, but over a great part of the republic is very hot. At Cartagena, on the Caribbean Sea, and on the Pacific coast, yellow fever is endemic at some places; while in the elevated country, as the plain of Bogota, 8000 feet above the sea, the climate is perfectly salubrious, and the temperature seems that of eternal spring.The climate is tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands.
Natural resources are crude oil, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper and emeralds. The religion is 95% Roman Catholic and the language is Spanish with numerous Indian dialects also spoken. Research Colombia
Abbreviations
Gazetteer
Research Colombia