Filed under the Americas and more precisely South America, Colombia is a sovereign state. Treaties and official documents call it Republic of Colombia. Its seat of government is Bogotá.
The land area is 1,141,748 km², which ranks it 27th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind South Africa and just ahead of Ethiopia. For scale, it is a little larger than Ethiopia.
It is home to roughly 52.9 million people, placing it 28th of 250 by population — between Myanmar above it and South Korea below. Within South America alone it is the 4th largest of 14 and the 2nd most populous.
The lie of the land
The coordinates the dataset gives are 4.0° N, 72.0° W, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 445 km from the equator, in what geographers would call the equatorial belt.
It is one of the countries that the equator crosses. Cameroon, Malaysia and Equatorial Guinea sit at almost exactly the same latitude on other parts of the globe.
Its land neighbours number 5: Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. The largest of them by area is Brazil, which is also the most populous. Together those neighbours hold about 297.3 million people.
It has both a coastline and land borders, which is the most common arrangement of all.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
The people of Colombia
Density comes out at around 46 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. For comparison, the median entry on this list sits near 90 per square kilometre.
The demonym is Colombian, so residents are Colombians.
Spanish is the only official language. Another 23 entries list Spanish too — among them Argentina, Belize, Bolivia and Chile.
Against the Americas as a whole it is the 4th most populous of 56 entries, and it accounts for 12% of everyone living in South America.
The practical details for Colombia
The currency is the Colombian peso ($, COP). No other entry in this dataset uses it, so the currency is specific to Colombia.
Bogotá is the city to remember for this country.
Its internet country code is .co. Calls from overseas start with +57. In ISO terms it is co in two letters and COL in three.
As a sovereign state it is among the 193 UN members listed here. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Colombia shares borders with 5 countries:
Fun facts about Colombia
- People from Colombia are known as Colombians.
- In land area it is a little larger than Ethiopia.
- It lies about 445 km from the equator, in equatorial latitudes.
- Spanish is official here and in 23 other entries worldwide.
- Population density works out at roughly 46 people per square kilometre.
- Its capital city is Bogotá.
- Cameroon and Malaysia sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
- The equator runs across or very near it.
Colombia — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Colombia?
- The capital of Colombia is Bogotá.
- How big is Colombia?
- Colombia covers 1,141,748 km², ranking 27th of 250 by land area. That makes it a little larger than Ethiopia.
- What language is spoken in Colombia?
- The official language of Colombia is Spanish. It is also official in 23 other entries on this list.
- What currency does Colombia use?
- Colombia uses the Colombian peso, written $ (currency code COP). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
- What is the population of Colombia?
- Colombia has a population of about 52.9 million, which makes it the 28th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Myanmar sits just above it and South Korea just below.
- Is Colombia a country?
- Yes. Colombia is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- Which countries border Colombia?
- Colombia borders 5 countries: Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. Brazil is the largest of them by area.
- Where is Colombia located?
- Colombia is in South America, part of the Americas. Its reference coordinates are 4.0° north and 72.0° west, roughly 445 km from the equator in equatorial latitudes.
