Colombia is a country in South America, with about 53.4 million people (2025) and an area of 1,140,619 square kilometres. Its capital is Bogota, and it shares land borders with 5 countries.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of ColombiaColombia in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Colombia's 17, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 17
Heat and humidity as a home advantage
Basing the national team in Barranquilla rather than the capital was a calculated use of geography. At sea level on the Caribbean coast, kickoff is often staged when heat and humidity are most oppressive, conditions that drain visitors from cooler climates. Colombia's players, many raised on the coast or acclimatized to it, hold an edge in the final twenty minutes. The strategy mirrors how the continent weaponizes environment, from the thin air of Quito to the extreme altitude of La Paz.
More on Estadio Metropolitano
The Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Melendez in Barranquilla is Colombia's adopted home for World Cup qualifying. Its coastal location guarantees heat and humidity that unsettle opponents, especially those used to altitude or temperate climates. The choice of a sea-level fortress, rather than high-altitude Bogota, reflects a specific tactical philosophy and has made the city synonymous with the national team's qualifying campaigns since the 1990s.
16 more lenses on Colombia in the app
PLACE Colombia is the only South American country with coasts on both the Caribbean and Pacific
STORY Colombia is broader than its old stereotypes
NOW Colombia tried negotiating with every armed group at once
THREAD Colombia became a migration corridor for the hemisphere
STORY Colombia is the most biodiverse country per square kilometer
PLACE Three Andean ranges and a Caribbean coast
STORY The golden generation and a murder
NOW A revival that ended on penalties in Vancouver
THREAD A continental club and a shared border
STORY The game played against a violent backdrop
NOW A unifying side for a healing nation
THREAD Andean neighbors and the talent road
PLACE The river that carried a country upstream
NOW The grid that runs on Andean rain
THREAD The department that became a canal state
PLACE Ten meters of rain each year
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
Compare Colombia with another country
Opens the country comparison tool with population, area, income and more side by side, every figure dated.
Common questions
What is the capital of Colombia?
The capital of Colombia is Bogota. Bogota lies at about 4.6 degrees north and 74.1 degrees west. Colombia is in South America. It is home to about 53.4 million people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Colombia?
About 53.4 million people live in Colombia, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 28th most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 1,140,619 square kilometres, that is about 47 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Colombia?
Colombia shares land borders with 5 countries: Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. The map on this page outlines each of them around Colombia. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake. Borders here follow Natural Earth at the 1:50 million scale, with Crimea shown as part of Ukraine and Western Sahara as a separate territory.
How big is Colombia?
Colombia covers 1,140,619 square kilometres, or about 440,395 square miles. That makes it the 25th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 53.4 million gives a density of 47 people per square kilometre.
Colombia is a country in South America, with about 53.4 million people (2025) and an area of 1,140,619 square kilometres. Its capital is Bogota, and it shares land borders with 5 countries.
Capital
Bogota
Continent
South America
Population
53,425,635 2025, World Bank. 28th of 195.
Area
1,140,619 km² (440,395 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 25th largest of 195.
Population density
47 people per km²
Land neighbours
5: Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Venezuela
Official name
Republic of Colombia
UN status
Member state
PLACE · from the Geography app
Heat and humidity as a home advantage
Basing the national team in Barranquilla rather than the capital was a calculated use of geography. At sea level on the Caribbean coast, kickoff is often staged when heat and humidity are most oppressive, conditions that drain visitors from cooler climates. Colombia's players, many raised on the coast or acclimatized to it, hold an edge in the final twenty minutes. The strategy mirrors how the continent weaponizes environment, from the thin air of Quito to the extreme altitude of La Paz.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/colombia/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Colombia
NameDate
Draw the flag
Colour Colombia on the map, then fill in what you find.
Capital
Continent
Population
Area
Languages
Currency
Neighbours
Landmarks
Rivers or mountains
Three things I learned
1
2
3
One question I still have
?
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/colombia/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
