Demographics of Colombia
Encyclopedia
This article is about the demographic
features of the population of Colombia
, including population density
, ethnicity
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
The Demography
of Colombia
is characterized for being the third-most populous country in Latin America, after Mexico
. Colombia experienced rapid population growth like most countries, but four decades of civil war and urban violence combined with mass poverty rates pushed millions of Colombians out of the country. However, a rebound economy in the 2000s in urban centres (perhaps the most urbanized Latin American nation) improved the situation of living standards for Colombians in a traditional class stratified economy.
Many of the indigenous peoples were absorbed into the mestizo
population, but the remaining 700,000 currently represent over 85 distinct cultures. Today, less than 1% of the population can be identified as fully indigenous on the basis of language and customs. Most of the indigenous population live in the country's flatlands in the south and east.
The European immigrants were Spanish colonists, but many other Europeans (i.e. the Italians, Germans, the French, the Swiss, Poles and Russians). In smaller numbers, Belgian, Lithuanian, Dutch, British, Portuguese and Croatian communities. Most of the Europeans immigrated during the Second World War (1939–1945) and the Cold War (1945–1990) as well fleeing the Spanish Civil War
of the 1930s.
Other immigrant populations include Asians and Middle Easterners, particularly Arabs (esp. Lebanese and Syrians), Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Southeast Asians (esp. Vietnam after the end of the Vietnam War
), Armenians arrived in large numbers after World War I, and East Indians or Pakistanis settled in Colombia. The Venezuelan population is increasing in Bogotá, Bucaramanga
, Cali
, Cúcuta
, Medellín
, Santa Marta
and Cartagena de Indias.
In the 1990s and 2000s, about half a million immigrants from Europe and North America (mainly the United States) usually are retired came to settle in urban areas and coasts of Colombia. It is not a new phenomenon, when about 5,000 Americans settled the Caribbean region in the late 19th century.
The Africans were brought as slaves, mostly to the coastal lowlands, beginning early in the sixteenth century, and continuing into the nineteenth century. After abolition, a national ideology of mestizaje encouraged the mixing of the indigenous
and white people into a single mestizo ethnic identity http://isla.igc.org/SpecialRpts/SR2murillo.html|.
Colombian culture, cuisine, music and social life are from the polyglot
ethnic and racial balance. One famous Colombian emigrant, pop music singer Shakira
of Barranquilla
is herself of Italian, French and Lebanese ancestry.
In recent years, the main destination for those Colombians that have left their nation for economic reasons and the effects of the internal conflict has been neighboring Venezuela
and other Latin American countries, including Argentina
, Brazil
, Chile
, Costa Rica
, Ecuador
, Mexico
, Panama
and Peru
. (see Colombian diaspora
).
Historically, a sizable percentage of Colombian emigration has also been motivated by the need to escape from political persecution and bipartisan violence during the periods of "La Violencia" (1948–1958), and later due to the effects of the nation's current conflict (since 1964). This has resulted in numerous applications for political asylum abroad.
Colombians have emigrated in comparably high rates to the United States (esp. to Miami, Florida
, the largest Colombian American
community). Colombian enclaves appeared in New Jersey
, New York City, Chicago
, Washington, D.C.
and California
being L.A. and San Francisco. Other Colombians migrated to Canada and Europe (most to Spain, but also to France and Italy, and the United Kingdom, which has a sizable Colombian community in London). Tens of thousands went to Japan and even a few thousand to Australia, among other locations.
17.76 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
5.24 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
-0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
Under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
male: 70.98 years
female: 77.84 years (2010 est.)
by the DANE the population of Colombia was composed of these ethnic groups:
Other ethnic groups include Arabs counted with the Whites (Lebanese
, Palestinians and Syrians), Chinese
, Roma or Gypsies from Eastern Europe
, and South Asians (East Indians).
and one in San Andrés
. There are 79,000 speakers of Romani in Colombia.http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=CO
total population: 90.4%
male: 90.1%
female: 90.7% (2005 census)
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
features of the population 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...
, including population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
, ethnicity
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Demography
Demography is the statistical study of human population. It can be a very general science that can be applied to any kind of dynamic human population, that is, one that changes over time or space...
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...
is characterized for being the third-most populous country in Latin America, after Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Colombia experienced rapid population growth like most countries, but four decades of civil war and urban violence combined with mass poverty rates pushed millions of Colombians out of the country. However, a rebound economy in the 2000s in urban centres (perhaps the most urbanized Latin American nation) improved the situation of living standards for Colombians in a traditional class stratified economy.
Urbanization
Movement from rural to urban areas was very heavy in the middle of the twentieth century, but has since tapered off. The urban population increased from 31% of the total population in 1938, to 57% in 1951 and about 70% by 1990. Currently the figure is about 77%. Thirty cities have a population of 100,000 or more. The nine eastern lowlands departments, constituting about 54% of Colombia's area, have less than 3% of the population and a density of less than one person per square kilometer (two people per sq. mi.).Ethnic diversity
The country has a diverse population that reflects its colourful history and the peoples that have populated here from ancient times to the present. The historic amalgam of three main groups are the basics of Colombia's current demographics: indigenous Amerindians, European immigrants, and African slaves, have intermingled without limitation in its history.Many of the indigenous peoples were absorbed into the mestizo
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
population, but the remaining 700,000 currently represent over 85 distinct cultures. Today, less than 1% of the population can be identified as fully indigenous on the basis of language and customs. Most of the indigenous population live in the country's flatlands in the south and east.
The European immigrants were Spanish colonists, but many other Europeans (i.e. the Italians, Germans, the French, the Swiss, Poles and Russians). In smaller numbers, Belgian, Lithuanian, Dutch, British, Portuguese and Croatian communities. Most of the Europeans immigrated during the Second World War (1939–1945) and the Cold War (1945–1990) as well fleeing the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
of the 1930s.
Other immigrant populations include Asians and Middle Easterners, particularly Arabs (esp. Lebanese and Syrians), Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Southeast Asians (esp. Vietnam after the end of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
), Armenians arrived in large numbers after World War I, and East Indians or Pakistanis settled in Colombia. The Venezuelan population is increasing in Bogotá, Bucaramanga
Bucaramanga
Bucaramanga is a Colombian city, and capital city of the department of Santander, Colombia. Bucaramanga has the fifth largest city economy and sixth largest population in Colombia, with 1,212,656 people in its metropolitan area...
, Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
, Cúcuta
Cúcuta
Cúcuta is a Colombian city, capital of Norte de Santander, in the northeast of the country. Due to its proximity to the Colombian-Venezuelan border, Cúcuta is an important commercial center. The city has the constitutional category of Special District. It is located at the most active...
, Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
, Santa Marta
Santa Marta
Santa Marta is the capital city of the Colombian department of Magdalena in the Caribbean Region. It was founded in July 29, 1525 by the Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, which makes it the oldest remaining city in Colombia...
and Cartagena de Indias.
In the 1990s and 2000s, about half a million immigrants from Europe and North America (mainly the United States) usually are retired came to settle in urban areas and coasts of Colombia. It is not a new phenomenon, when about 5,000 Americans settled the Caribbean region in the late 19th century.
Indigenous peoples in Colombia
The indigenous peoples in Colombia comprise a large number of distinct ethnic groups who inhabited the country's present territory prior to its discovery by Europeans around 1500.-Origins:...
and white people into a single mestizo ethnic identity http://isla.igc.org/SpecialRpts/SR2murillo.html|.
Colombian culture, cuisine, music and social life are from the polyglot
Multilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
ethnic and racial balance. One famous Colombian emigrant, pop music singer Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
of Barranquilla
Barranquilla
Barranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's...
is herself of Italian, French and Lebanese ancestry.
Migration
By 2006, Colombia has accumulated millions of internally displaced persons. At least 1.5 million of them are registered in the government's databases. NGOs and others estimate that the actual number could be as high 2 to 3 million, which would be the highest number of any country in the western hemisphere, and second worldwide, after Sudan. Most of the displaced do not live in camps, but rather disperse themselves throughout Colombia's own cities, an estimated 40% in the ten largest urban areas. http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/publ/opendoc.htm?tbl=PUBL&id=4444d3ce20.In recent years, the main destination for those Colombians that have left their nation for economic reasons and the effects of the internal conflict has been neighboring Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and other Latin American countries, including Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. (see Colombian diaspora
Colombian diaspora
Colombian diaspora refers to the mass movement of Colombian people who have emigrated from the country in search of safety and/or a better quality of life. Many of those who moved were educated middle and upper middle-class Colombians; because of this, the Colombian diaspora can be referred to as a...
).
Historically, a sizable percentage of Colombian emigration has also been motivated by the need to escape from political persecution and bipartisan violence during the periods of "La Violencia" (1948–1958), and later due to the effects of the nation's current conflict (since 1964). This has resulted in numerous applications for political asylum abroad.
Colombians have emigrated in comparably high rates to the United States (esp. to Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, the largest Colombian American
Colombian American
Colombian Americans are citizens of the United States who trace their nationality or heritage from the South American nation of Colombia. They are the largest South American ethnic group in the United States.-Causes of migration:...
community). Colombian enclaves appeared in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, New York City, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
being L.A. and San Francisco. Other Colombians migrated to Canada and Europe (most to Spain, but also to France and Italy, and the United Kingdom, which has a sizable Colombian community in London). Tens of thousands went to Japan and even a few thousand to Australia, among other locations.
2005 Census
According to the 2005 census, there are 45,421,609 Colombians in the world (42,090,502 living in the national territory and 3,331,107 living abroad).| # | Department | Capital | Area | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazonas | Leticia | 109,665 km² | 56,036 |
| 2 | Antioquia Antioquia Department Antioquia is one of the 32 departments of Colombia, located in the central northwestern part of Colombia with a narrow section that borders the Caribbean Sea. Most of its territory is mountainous with some valleys, much of which is part of the Andes mountain range... |
Medellín Medellín Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million... |
63,612 km² | 5,671,689 |
| 3 | Arauca Arauca Department Arauca is a department of Colombia located in the extreme north of the Orinoco part of Colombia , bordering Venezuela. It is bordered to the south by the Casanare River and the Meta River, which separate it from the departments of Casanare and Vichada. To the west borders with the Boyacá Department... |
Arauca Arauca, Arauca Arauca is a municipality and capital city of the Arauca Department of Colombia. Its full name is Villa de Santa Bárbara de Arauca, it is located at N 07° 05′ 25″ - W 70° 45′ 42″. The Municipality of Arauca has a total population of 82,149 .... |
23,818 km² | 208,605 |
| 4 | Atlántico Atlántico Department Atlántico is a department of Colombia, located in northern Colombia with the Caribbean sea to its north, the Bolívar Department to its south, and the Magdalena Department to its east separated by the Magdalena River... |
Barranquilla Barranquilla Barranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's... |
3,388 km² | 2,112,128 |
| 5 | Bogotá Bogotá Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district... , Distrito Capital |
Bogotá Bogotá Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district... |
1,587 km² | 6,778,691 (not metropolitan) |
| 6 | Bolívar Bolívar Department Bolívar is a department of Colombia. It was named after one of the original nine states of the United States of Colombia. It is located to the north of the country, extending from the coast at Cartagena near the mouth of the Magdalena River, then south along the river to a border with Antioquia.Its... |
Cartagena | 25,978 km² | 1,860,445 |
| 7 | Boyacá Boyacá Department Boyacá is one of the 32 Departments of Colombia, and the remnant of one of the original nine states of the "United States of Colombia".Boyacá is centrally located within Colombia, almost entirely within the mountains of the Eastern Cordillera to the border with Venezuela, although the western end... |
Tunja Tunja Tunja is a city and municipality located in the central part of Colombia, in the region of "Alto Chicomocha". As of the 2005 Census it had 152,419 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Department of Boyacá and part of the subregion of the Central Boyacá Province. It is approximately 145 km... |
23,189 km² | 1,211,186 |
| 8 | Caldas Caldas Department Caldas is a department of Colombia named after Colombian patriotic figure Francisco José de Caldas. It's part of the Paisa Region and its capital is Manizales. The population of Caldas is 1,030,062, and its area is 7,291 km²... |
Manizales Manizales Manizales is a city and municipality in central Colombia, capital of Department of Caldas and part of the region of Colombian Coffee-Growers Axis, near the Nevado del Ruiz volcano.... |
7,888 km² | 908,841 |
| 9 | Caquetá | Florencia Florencia, Caquetá Florencia is a municipality and capital city of the Department of Caquetá, Colombia. It is the most important city in southeast Colombia because of its population as well as its more than a hundred years of history.... |
88,965 km² | 404,896 |
| 10 | Casanare Casanare Department Casanare is a department of Colombia. It is in the central eastern region of the country. Its capital is Yopal. It contains oil fields and an 800 km pipeline leading to the coastal port of Coveñas owned by BP.-Municipalities:# Aguazul# Chameza... |
Yopal Yopal Yopal is a municipality and capital city of the department of Casanare in Colombia.- Geographic information :*Population: 84 293 inhabitants*Elevation: 350 m*Extensión: 2,771 km²*Distance from Bogotá: 387 km*Median temperature: 26 °C-External links:... |
44,640 km² | 282,452 |
| 11 | Cauca Cauca Department Cauca is a Department of Colombia. Located in the south-western part of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Valle del Cauca Department to the north, Tolima Department to the northeast, Huila Department to the east and the Nariño Department to the south, covering a total area of... |
Popayán Popayán Popayán is the capital of the Colombian department of Cauca. It is located in southwestern Colombia between Colombia's Western Mountain Range and Central Mountain Range... |
29,308 km² | 1,244,886 |
| 12 | Cesar Cesar Department Cesar Department or simply Cesar is a department of Colombia located in the north of the country in the Caribbean region, bordering to the north with the Department of La Guajira, to the west with the Department of Magdalena and Department of Bolivar, to the south with Department of Santander, to... |
Valledupar Valledupar Valledupar is a city and municipality in northeastern Colombia. It is the capital of Cesar Department and was founded in 1550 by the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Santana. Its name, Valle de Upar , was established in honor of the Amerindian cacique who ruled the valley; Cacique Upar... |
22,905 km² | 879,914 |
| 13 | Chocó Chocó Department Chocó is a department of Colombia known for its large Afro-Colombian population. It is in the west of the country, and is the only Colombian department to have coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It also has all of Colombia's border with Panama. Its capital is... |
Quibdó Quibdó Quibdó is the capital city of Chocó Department, in western Colombia. The municipality of Quibdó has an area of 3,337.5 km² and a population of 100,000 mainly consisting of Afro Colombians and Zambo Colombians. Quibdo serves a a receptor for those persons affected by the Colombian armed... |
46,530 km² | 441,395 |
| 14 | Córdoba Córdoba Department Córdoba is a Department of the Republic of Colombia located to the north of this country in the Colombian Caribbean Region. Córdoba faces to the north with the Caribbean sea, to the northeast with the Sucre Department, east with the Bolívar Department and south with the Antioquia Department... |
Montería Montería Montería is a municipality and city located in Northern Colombia and is the capital of the Department of Córdoba. The city is located away from the Caribbean, by the Sinú River. The city and region are famous for their distinct cultural heritages, which include a blend of indigenous Zenú Indians,... |
25,020 km² | 1,472,699 |
| 15 | Cundinamarca Cundinamarca Department - Origin of the name :The name of Cundinamarca comes from Kundur marqa, an indigenous expression, probably derived from Quechua. Meaning "Condor's Nest", it was used in pre-Columbian times by the natives of the Magdalena Valley to refer to the nearby highlands.... |
Bogotá Bogotá Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district... |
24,210 km² | 2,228,478 (without Bogotá) |
| 16 | Guainía Guainía Department Guainía is a department of Colombia. It is in the east of the country, bordering Venezuela and Brazil. Its capital is Inirida. In 1963 Guainía was split off from Vaupés. The northern part and the Inírida River are included in the Orinoco river basin; the rest is part of Amazonia... |
Inirida | 72,238 km² | 30,232 |
| 17 | Guaviare Guaviare Department Guaviare is a department of Colombia. It is in the southern central region of the country. Its capital is San José del Guaviare. Guaviare was created on July 4, 1991 by the new Political Constitution of Colombia... |
San José del Guaviare San José del Guaviare San José del Guaviare is a town and municipality in Colombia, capital of the department of Guaviare by the Guaviare River.-External links: *... |
53,460 km² | 81,411 |
| 18 | Huila Huila Department Huila is one of the departments of Colombia. It is located in the southwest of the country, and its capital is Neiva.-Geography:The south of the department is located in the Colombian Massif... |
Neiva | 19,890 km² | 1,006,797 |
| 19 | La Guajira | Riohacha Riohacha Riohacha, Rio Hacha or Rio de la Hacha , is a city in the Riohacha Municipality in the northern Caribbean Region of Colombia by the mouth of the Ranchería River and the Caribbean sea, capital city of the La Guajira Department. Founded by conquistador Nikolaus Federmann in 1535, Riohacha was named... |
20,848 km² | 623,250 |
| 20 | Magdalena Magdalena Department Magdalena is a department of Colombia, located to the north of the country by the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Magdalena Department is Santa Marta and was named after the Magdalena River... |
Santa Marta Santa Marta Santa Marta is the capital city of the Colombian department of Magdalena in the Caribbean Region. It was founded in July 29, 1525 by the Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, which makes it the oldest remaining city in Colombia... |
23,188 km² | 1,136,901 |
| 21 | Meta Meta Department Meta is a department of Colombia. It is close to the geographic center of the country, to the east of the Andean mountains. A large portion of the department, which is also crossed by the Meta River, is covered by a grassland plain known as the Llanos. Its capital is Villavicencio... |
Villavicencio Villavicencio Villavicencio is a city and municipality in Colombia, capital of the Department of Meta, with 361,058 inhabitants. The city is located at 4°08S, 73°40W, 75 km southeast of the Colombian capital city of Bogotá by the Guatiquía river... |
85,635 km² | 789,276 |
| 22 | Nariño Nariño Department Nariño is a department of Colombia named after Antonio Nariño. It is in the west of the country, bordering Ecuador and the Pacific Ocean.Its capital is Pasto, other important cities include Tumaco, Ipiales.-Municipalities:# Albán# Aldana# Ancuya... |
Pasto Pasto Pasto, officially San Juan de Pasto, is the capital of the department of Nariño, located in southwest Colombia. The city is located in the "Atriz Valley", on the Andes cordillera, at the foot of the Galeras volcano, at an altitude of 8,290 feet above sea level... |
33,268 km² | 1,531,777 |
| 23 | Norte de Santander | Cúcuta Cúcuta Cúcuta is a Colombian city, capital of Norte de Santander, in the northeast of the country. Due to its proximity to the Colombian-Venezuelan border, Cúcuta is an important commercial center. The city has the constitutional category of Special District. It is located at the most active... |
21,658 km² | 1,228,028 |
| 24 | Putumayo Putumayo Department Putumayo is a department of Colombia. It is in the south-west of the country, bordering Ecuador and Peru. Its capital is Mocoa.The word putumayo comes from the Quechua language. The verb putuy means "to spring forth" or "to burst out", and mayo is a variant of mayu, meaning river... |
Mocoa Mocoa Mocoa is a municipality and capital city of the department of Putumayo in Colombia.The city is located in the northwest of the Putumayo department. The municipality borders the departments of Nariño to the west and Cauca to the north.-External links:... |
24,885 km² | 299,286 |
| 25 | Quindío Quindío Department Quindío is a department of Colombia. It is in the western central region of the country, crossed by the Andes mountains. Its capital is Armenia. It is famous for the quality of the coffee plantations, colorful architecture, benign weather, variety of hotel accommodations and touristic landmarks... |
Armenia Armenia, Colombia Armenia is the capital of Quindío, a department in Colombia. The city is located at coordinates 4.5170° north, 75.6830° west, 290 kilometers west of Bogotá. Armenia is a mid-size city located between Bogotá, Medellín and Cali, the 3 largest Colombian cities. The city's area code for phone calls is... |
1,845 km² | 518,691 |
| 26 | Risaralda Risaralda Department Risaralda is a department of Colombia. It is located in the western central region of the country and part of the Paisa Region. Its capital is Pereira.It was divided from the department of Caldas in 1966... |
Pereira Pereira, Colombia Pereira is the capital city of the Colombian department of Risaralda. It stands in the center of the western region of the country, located in a small valley that descends from a part of the western Andes mountain chain. Its strategic location in the coffee producing area makes the city an urban... |
4,140 km² | 863,663 |
| 27 | San Andrés and Providencia San Andrés and Providencia Department Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina ; or colloquially San Andrés y Providencia is one of the departments of Colombia. It consists of two island groups about northwest of Colombia and from the coast of Nicaragua, and eight outlying banks and reefs... |
San Andrés | 52 km² | 59,573 |
| 28 | Santander Santander Department Santander is a department of Colombia. Santander inherited the name of one of the nine original states of the United States of Colombia. It is located in the central northern part of the country, east of the Magdalena River, bordered to the south and southeast by Boyacá, to the northeast by Norte... |
Bucaramanga Bucaramanga Bucaramanga is a Colombian city, and capital city of the department of Santander, Colombia. Bucaramanga has the fifth largest city economy and sixth largest population in Colombia, with 1,212,656 people in its metropolitan area... |
30,537 km² | 1,916,336 |
| 29 | Sucre Sucre Department Sucre is a department in the Caribbean Region of Colombia. The department ranks 27th by area, and it has a population of 772,010, ranking 20th of all the 32 departments of Colombia... |
Sincelejo Sincelejo Sincelejo is the capital and the largest city in the Colombian department of Sucre. It is also the main city in the denominated Región Sabanas , a subdivision of the Caribbean Region of Colombia, and the 23rd biggest city by population in Colombia... |
10,670 km² | 765,285 |
| 30 | Tolima | Ibagué Ibagué Ibagué is the capital of the department of Tolima in Colombia. It is situated 1,285 m above sea level, on the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Central between the Chipalo and Combeima rivers, tributaries of the Coello River... |
23,562 km² | 1,335,177 |
| 31 | Valle del Cauca | Cali Calì Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:... |
22,140 km² | 4,060,196 |
| 32 | Vaupés Vaupés Department Vaupés is a department of Colombia in the jungle covered Amazonas Region. It is located in the southeast part of the country, bordering Brazil to the east, the department of Amazonas to the south, Caquetá and Guaviare, and Guainía to the north covering a total area of 54,135 km²... |
Mitú Mitú Mitú is the capital city of the department of Vaupés in Colombia. The town of Mitu is the most remote Capital of Department in Colombia.In November, 1998 an estimated 1,900 FARC guerrilla members of the Eastern Bloc of the FARC-EP tried to take over the town by force, against 120 National Police... |
54,135 km² | 27,124 |
| 33 | Vichada Vichada Department Vichada is a department of the Republic of Colombia in South America. Vichada is located in the eastern plains of Colombia, in the Orinoquia region within the Orinoco river basin bordering the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the north and east... |
Puerto Carreño Puerto Carreño Puerto Carreño is the departmental capital, and a municipality, of the department of Vichada in the llanos of Colombia.-History:In 1913 the Colombian government created the province of Vichada and it was decided that its capital should be at the convergence of the Orinoco and Meta rivers where... |
100,242 km² | 55,158 |
| |Total | 1,141,748 km² | 42,090,502 |
CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.Age structure
- 0–14 years: 30.3% (male 6,683,079/female 6,528,563)
- 15–64 years: 64.5% (male 13,689,384/female 14,416,439)
- 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 996,022/female 1,279,548) (2006 est.)
- 0–14 years: 27.2% (male 6,150,834/female 5,876,697)
- 15–64 years: 66.8% (male 14,562,536/female 14,967,492)
- 65 years and over: 6% (male 1,125,184/female 1,522,550) (2010 est.)
Birth rate
20.16 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)17.76 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
Death rate
5.54 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)5.24 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Net migration rate
-0.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)-0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/femaleUnder 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 74.31 yearsmale: 70.98 years
female: 77.84 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate
- 2.54 children born/woman (2006 est.)
- 2.18 children born/woman (2010 est.)
- 2.15 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Ethnic groups
According to the 2005 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
by the DANE the population of Colombia was composed of these ethnic groups:
- 58% MestizoMestizoMestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
(European and Amerindian). - 20% WhiteWhite Latin AmericanWhite Latin Americans are the people of Latin America who are white in the racial classification systems used in individual Latin American countries. Persons who are classified as White in one Latin American country may be classified differently in another country...
(European). - 14% MulattoMulattoMulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or more broadly, a person of mixed black and white ancestry. Contemporary usage of the term varies greatly, and the broader sense of the term makes its application rather subjective, as not all people of mixed white and black...
(European and Black/African). - 4% Afro-ColombianAfro-ColombianAfro Colombians refers to Colombians of African ancestry, and the great impact they have had on Colombian culture. Notable Afro-Colombians include Colombian scientists like Raul Cuero, writers like Manuel Zapata Olivella and politicians:...
. - 3% ZamboZamboZambo or Cafuzo are racial terms used in the Spanish and Portuguese Empires and occasionally today to identify individuals in the Americas who are of mixed African and Amerindian ancestry...
(African and Amerindian). - 1% AmerindianIndigenous peoples in ColombiaThe indigenous peoples in Colombia comprise a large number of distinct ethnic groups who inhabited the country's present territory prior to its discovery by Europeans around 1500.-Origins:...
.
Other ethnic groups include Arabs counted with the Whites (Lebanese
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
, Palestinians and Syrians), Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
, Roma or Gypsies from Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
, and South Asians (East Indians).
Religions
Roman Catholic 90%, Other 10% (Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, Mormon, Jewish and Muslim).Languages
Spanish (3rd largest population of Spanish speakers after Mexico and Spain), the official language, small communities of European languages, such as German, French, English, Italian and Portuguese in urban areas. There are 65 indigenous languages and two Creole languages: one in San Basilio de PalenqueSan Basilio de Palenque
San Basilio de Palenque or Palenque de San Basilio is a Palenque village and corregimiento in the Municipality of Mahates, Bolivar in northern Colombia. In 2005 the village was declared Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO...
and one in San Andrés
San Andrés
San Andrés is the Spanish name of Saint Andrew. San Andrés may refer to:*Argentina**San Andrés, city located in General San Martín Partido, northern zone of Greater Buenos Aires.**San Andrés de Giles, Buenos Aires Province*Bolivia...
. There are 79,000 speakers of Romani in Colombia.http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=CO
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 90.4%
male: 90.1%
female: 90.7% (2005 census)