Colombian Australians are citizens of Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 who trace their nationality or heritage from the South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

n nation of Colombia

Colombia

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

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Causes of migration

Economic problems and violence have led to an emigration of Colombians to Australia in the 1980s. Colombians are among one of the largest South American migrant groups to Australia. Like other South American immigrants and unlike Central American and Caribbean Latino immigrants, Colombians tend to come from urban areas.

Ethnic composition of Colombians in Australia

Ethnically, Colombians are a diverse population including Colombians of Indigenous

Indigenous peoples of the Americas

The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...

 descent, Afro-Colombians, Colombians of European descent (mainly Spanish ancestry). However, most Colombians are mix of the three ethnicities. In addition, a significant percentage of Colombians of Middle Eastern descent, notably Syrian and Lebanese, also compose Colombian society.

Cultural traditions

The main musical interests are vallenato

Vallenato

Vallenato, along with cumbia, is currently a popular folk music of Colombia. It primarily comes from the Colombia's Caribbean region. Vallenato literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing this name is located between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serranía de Perijá in...

, salsa

Salsa music

Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...

 and cumbia

Cumbia

Cumbia is a music genre popular across Latin America. The cumbia originated in the Caribbean coast of Colombia, where it is associated with an eponymous dance and has since spread as far as Mexico and Argentina...

. The vast majority of Colombians are Roman Catholic; younger Colombians are significantly more secular than the older generation.
Colombian food is highly varied. Popular dishes are bandeja paisa

Bandeja paisa

Bandeja paisa, also known as bandeja de arriero, bandeja montañera, or bandeja antioqueña, is a typical fusion cuisine Colombian dish...

, sancocho

Sancocho

Sancocho is a traditional soup in several Spanish and Latin American cuisines. Variations represent popular national dishes in the Canary Islands of Spain, Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Peru, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela...

(stew), empanada

Empanada

An empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry baked or fried in many countries in Latin America, Southern Europe and parts of Southeast Asia. The name comes from the verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread. Empanada is made by folding a dough or bread patty around the stuffing...

s (meat-filled turnovers), pandebono

Pandebono

Pandebono is a type of bread made of corn flour, cassava starch, cheese and eggs. It is consumed with hot chocolate a few minutes after baking when is still warm...

(a type of cheese-bread), and arepa

Arepa

An arepa is a dish made of ground corn dough or cooked flour, popular in Colombia, Venezuela and other Spanish-speaking countries. It is similar in shape to the Salvadoran pupusa...

(corncake). The main pastime of Colombians in Australia is soccer, Colombian Australians raised in Australia will continue to follow soccer. Like most immigrants raised in Australia some children will seek Australian sports. Another popular pastime, especially among the older generation, is parqués

Parques

Parqués is the Colombian version of a board game in the cross and circle family . The game is described as a "random thinking" game: the moves depend on the roll of the dice but players must consider possible strategies before executing their move...

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