History and the walled city of Cartagena
Many Indigenous peoples lived in the land now called Colombia long before Europeans arrived, and many Indigenous communities still live there today. In the 1500s Spain made the region part of its American empire.
Cartagena, on the Caribbean coast, became one of the most important Spanish ports. Spain began building its fortifications in 1586 and expanded them in the 1700s.[2] UNESCO says Cartagena has the most extensive system of military fortifications in South America.[2] Together with Havana and San Juan, Puerto Rico, it was a key link on the sea routes of the West Indies.[2]
The historic center has three neighborhoods, San Pedro, San Diego and Getsemaní, full of colorful colonial houses with balconies.[2] The port, fortresses and monuments of Cartagena are a UNESCO World Heritage site.[2] In the 1800s Colombia became independent from Spain, and today it is a republic with Bogotá as its capital.
Coffee country
Colombia is known around the world for its coffee. The Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, in the foothills of the western and central ranges of the Andes, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.[3] It is part of the region called the Eje Cafetero, or coffee-growing axis.[3]
Coffee has been grown there for about a hundred years.[3] Most farms are small and run by families, who pass down their land and farming methods from one generation to the next.[3] The coffee grows on very steep slopes, so much of the work is done by hand.[3]
The region has 18 towns, usually on flat hilltops above the fields.[3] Many houses are built with bahareque, a traditional technique of wood or cane frames filled with earth.[3] UNESCO calls coffee a strong symbol of Colombian identity, along with traditions such as the sombrero aguadeño, a traditional hat worn by coffee growers.[3]
Nature, the Andes and the Amazon
Colombia is one of the most varied countries in the world for nature. It has snowy mountains in the Andes, Caribbean beaches, Pacific rainforests, grassy plains and part of the Amazon.
Chiribiquete National Park, in the Colombian Amazon, is the country’s largest national park, covering more than 2.7 million hectares.[4] It sits where four natural regions meet: the Amazon, the Andes, the Orinoco plains and the Guiana Shield.[4] Its flat-topped mountains, called tepuis, rise out of the forest.[4]
At the foot of the tepuis, more than 75,000 ancient rock paintings cover the walls of 60 rock shelters.[4] They show hunting, battles, dances and ceremonies, including images linked to the jaguar.[4] Researchers have recorded almost 3,000 species in the park.[4] Chiribiquete is a UNESCO World Heritage site for both its nature and its culture.[4]
Music and the Carnival of Barranquilla
Music is everywhere in Colombia. The Carnival of Barranquilla, on the Caribbean coast, takes place every year during the four days before Lent.[5] Its main music is cumbia, with related rhythms such as puya and porro.[5] Dancers perform traditional dances such as the congo and the paloteo.[5]
UNESCO explains that Barranquilla’s location and history of trade made it a meeting point of European, African and Indigenous peoples and cultures, and the carnival mixes all of them.[5] It joined UNESCO’s intangible heritage list in 2008.[5]
On the Pacific coast, Afro-Colombian communities play marimba music, with a xylophone made of palm wood and bamboo tubes, accompanied by drums and maracas.[6] This tradition, shared with Ecuador, is part of family and community life.[6]
People and languages
About 53 million people live in Colombia.[1] Spanish is the main language, and many Indigenous languages are also spoken. Colombian culture mixes Indigenous, African and European roots, which you can hear in its music and taste in its food.[5][6]
Colombian food changes from region to region. Arepas, round corn cakes, are eaten across the country. Students who learn Spanish can practice with Colombian songs, books and friends, since Colombia is one of the largest Spanish-speaking countries.
Colombia has many UNESCO World Heritage sites, from colonial towns to national parks.[7] Many Colombian families also live in the United States. Students can compare Colombia with its neighbors on our South America page.
Free printable: map of South America (PDF)
Questions people ask
What is Colombia famous for?
Colombia is famous for its coffee, the walled city of Cartagena, cumbia music, the Carnival of Barranquilla and its rich nature.[2][3][4][5]
What language do they speak in Colombia?
Most people in Colombia speak Spanish. Many Indigenous languages are spoken too.
Why is Colombian coffee famous?
Families have grown coffee for about a century on steep Andean slopes, and UNESCO calls coffee a strong symbol of Colombian identity.[3]
When is the Carnival of Barranquilla?
It takes place every year during the four days before Lent.[5]
What is Chiribiquete?
It is Colombia’s largest national park, in the Amazon, with tepuis and more than 75,000 ancient rock paintings.[4]
Sources
- World Bank Open Data: Colombia · data.worldbank.org/country/colombia (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Port, Fortresses and Group of Monuments, Cartagena · whc.unesco.org/en/list/285 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia · whc.unesco.org/en/list/1121 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Chiribiquete National Park, The Maloca of the Jaguar · whc.unesco.org/en/list/1174 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Carnival of Barranquilla · ich.unesco.org/en/RL/carnival-of-barranquilla-00051 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Marimba music, traditional chants and dances from the Colombia South Pacific region and Esmeraldas Province of Ecuador · ich.unesco.org/en/RL/marimba-music-traditional-chants-and-dances-from-the-colombia-south-pacific-region-and-esmeraldas-province-of-ecuador-01099 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Colombia (State Party page) · whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/co (accessed 2026-10-30)
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