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We have very little informatin on Colombia. It is one of the largest countries in South America. It is a very diverse country with a Cariibean and Pacific coasts, Andean Highland and Amazonian basin interior. We do have a page on Colombian history and economic development. Ethnically the country is a moxture of the Natoive American people and Spanh setters. There are also people of African ancestry, mostly along the tropical coasts. There were more than 80 Native American groups in the early 21st century.
Rodrigo de Bastidas was the first European to sail along the coast of Colombia (1500-01). He sailed along the Caribbean coast from the Cape of La Vela to Point Manzanilla in what is now Panama. The Spanish were at first drawn to Peru and the wealth of the Aztec Empire. Francisco Pizarro ventured south along the Pacific coast (1525). Bastidas founded Santa Marta along the on the northern (Caribbean) coast (1525), the first step in the actual conquest of Colombia itself. Pedro de Heredia founded Cartagena (1533). It became one of the most important naval bases in the Spanish Empire. Cartagena was the first of the fortified ports built along the Spanish Main. The Spanish Main developed as a string of trading ports running north from Caetagena through Central America to the Caribbean. These ports were designed to safely transporting the riches of Spain's new South American colonies back to Spain. Soon Colombian emeralds, Peruvian gold, and Bolivian silver would flow through Cartagena and the other ports of the Spanish Main. Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada moved into Colombia's Andean interior and founded Bogotá (1538) followed by several other interior cities as well as strong points secureing routes to the coast. The Spanish completed the conquest (mid-16th century).
We have some infomation on economic development.
Ethnically the country is a moxture of the Natoive American people and Spanh setters. There are also people of African ancestry, mostly along the tropical coasts. There were more than 80 Native American groups in the early 21st century. One study listedv indigenous people. The Molitones Bari [singular Molitón Bari] live in the region of Catatumbo (Northern department of Santander.
Catatumbo is a strategic region. It is near of the boundary with Venezuela. In the region there is also a lot of oil and coal. Through the time the exploitation of oil and coal caused land expropriations. Today the Molitones Bari's culture could disappear. This is the reason of the protest marches with exhibition of pride about their culture.
Colombia like the rest of Latin America is a predominantly Datholic country. Thanks to the Inquisition, Catholocism until independence in the early 19th century was the only religion permitted. In the 20th century, especially after world War II, therehas been some crowth of Protestantism, but the country is still strongly Catholic. We do not yet have much information on religion in Colombia. We do have a page on Colomian weddings.
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