Colombia
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Colombia is a country in South America. It was a former colony of Spain. Colombia's population in 2025 is estimated to be around 53.4 to 53.7 million, with figures like 53.4 million (UNFPA, Worldometer, World Population Review) and slightly higher projections, making it the second-most populous country in South America. Key demographics show about 70 % in the working age (15-64) and a slight female majority.
History
Colombia officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country located in the northwestern region of South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the North by the Atlantic Ocean, through the Caribbean Sea; to the north-west by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. Besides the countries in South America, the Republic of Colombia is recognized to share maritime borders with the Caribbean countries of Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Central American countries of Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
With an area more than twice that of France, Colombia is generally considered the 26th largest country in the world by total area, with about 1.14 million square kilometers (440,831 sq mi), making it the fourth largest in South America after Brazil, Argentina, and Peru, though some sources might place it as 25th or 27th depending on the exact figures and inclusion of territories.
The territory of what is now Colombia was inhabited by native tribes which migrated from North and Central America; the Calima, Muisca, Nariño, Quimbaya, San Agustín, Sinú, Tayrona and Tierradentro civilizations and the Tolirna and Tumaco people which neighbored to the south with the Incas. The Spanish arrived in the year 1499, and initiated a conquest period against the indigenous peoples rushing for gold and other resources and subsequently began a colonization period founding towns and established direct economic trade with the Spanish Empire.
Colombia was then known as Department of Cundinamarca, emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (with Panama, Ecuador and Venezuela) with the name of "New Granada", which it kept until 1856 when it became the "Grenadine Confederation". Differences between conservatives and liberal factions arose leading to a two year civil war in 1863, the "United States of Colombia" was created, lasting until 1886, when the country finally became known as the Republic of Colombia. Liberals and Conservatives engaged in a thousand days civil war once again that led to the separation of Panama. The political tensions continued and violence broke out once again in 1948 leading to a period called La Violencia.
Since the 1960s, conflict between government forces and anti-government insurgent groups and illegal paramilitary groups – both heavily funded by the cocaine trade – escalated during the 1990s. The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government, and violence has been decreasing since about 2002, but insurgents continue attacks against civilians and large swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence. More than 32,000 former paramilitaries had demobilized by the end of 2006 and the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) as a formal organization had ceased to function. Still, some renegades continued to engage in criminal activities. The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its municipalities.
Colombia is a standing middle power with the second largest Spanish speaking population of the world after Mexico. It is largely recognized for its culture and is also one of the largest manufacturers in South America. Colombia is also one of the most ethnically diverse nations in South America, the result of large-scale migrations during the 20th century which has caused a dramatic population growth since then. Colombia is considered to be among 17 of the most megadiverse countries in the world.
SCADTA
SCADTA (Sociedad Colombo Alemana de Transportes Aéreos) was the original German-Colombian airline, founded in 1919 and considered the forerunner of today's Avianca, while COSADA was a subsidiary of SCADTA, founded in 1923 for a new regional airline in Colombia and financed by SCADTA and local investors.
