Colombia

American  

[kuh-luhm-bee-uh, kaw-lawm-byah] / kəˈlʌm bi ə, kɔˈlɔm bjɑ /

noun

1. a republic in northwestern South America. 439,828 sq. mi. (1,139,155 sq. km). Bogotá.

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Colombia British  

/ kəˈlɒmbɪə /

noun

1. a republic in NW South America: inhabited by Chibchas and other Indians before Spanish colonization in the 16th century; independence won by Bolívar in 1819; became the Republic of Colombia in 1886; violence and unrest have been endemic since the 1970s. It consists chiefly of a hot swampy coastal plain, separated by ranges of the Andes from the pampas and the equatorial forests of the Amazon basin in the east. Language: Spanish. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: peso. Capital: Bogotá. Pop: 45 745 783 (2013 est). Area: 1 138 908 sq km (439 735 sq miles)

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Colombia Cultural  

1. Republic in northwestern South America, bordered by Panama to the northwest, Venezuela to the northeast, Ecuador and Peru to the south, and Brazil to the southeast. Its capital and largest city is Bogotá.

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Discover More

Trafficking of marijuana and cocaine remains a problem in Colombia. With support from the United States, the Colombian government has attacked drug traffickers, but the country continues to be torn by civil war between left-wing and right-wing factions.

Its major legal crop is coffee.

Other Word Forms

• Colombian
  adjective

Example Sentences

Switzerland, also unbeaten, eliminated Colombia on penalties to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 1954.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026

In Facundo Tello's other two appointments, the fourth official and reserve were first from Saudi Arabia, and then Colombia.

From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026

Colombia earned its passage into the round of 16 with a 1-0 win over stubborn Ghana.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2026

They were getting ready for the England-Panama match, followed that same evening with Colombia playing Portugal.

From BBC • Jul. 5, 2026

“The OAS has imposed sanctions! Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela,” Elsa counted them off with her fingers, “even the gringos. They’ve all broken relations!”

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez