Colombia is a country located in the northwest of South America, bordered to the north by the Caribbean Sea, to the east by Venezuela, to the south by Ecuador and Peru, to the southwest by Chile, and the northwest by Panama. With an area of 1,138,910 square kilometers, Colombia is the fourth-largest country in South America after Brazil, Argentina, and Peru. It has a population of over 50 million people, making it the third-most populous country in South America after Brazil and Argentina. The capital and largest city is Bogotรก.
Colombia is a middle-income country with a GDP per capita of US$4,346 in 2019. It is classified as a developing country by the World Bank and as an upper-middle-income country by the United Nations. Colombia is a member of the UN, the OECD, and the World Trade Organization.
The territory of present-day Colombia was first inhabited by Indigenous peoples, mainly of the Chibcha, Muisca, and Tairona families. The Spanish arrived in 1499 and initiated a period of colonization and conquest that lasted for more than 300 years. In 1819, the Republic of Gran Colombia was established as a sovereign state that encompassed much of the territory of the former Spanish Viceroyalty of New Granada. Simon Bolivar, the military and political leader who played the leading role in the independence struggle of the Spanish American colonies, helped bring about the independence of Colombia in 1821.
Since independence, Colombia has experienced periods of political violence and internal conflict, as well as periods of economic prosperity. The country is blessed with a rich diversity of natural environments and is one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world. Colombia is a founding member of the Organization of the American States and the Union of South American Nations.