Colombia is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the Western Hemisphere. Its population is the result of indigenous racial mixture, African and European. The indigenous ethnic groups and Afro-Colombians inhabit 24% of the country.
Genetic studies estimate that admixture of Colombians varies between 62.5% European, 27.4% Amerindian, 9.2% African and 0.9% East Asian ancestry in 2015; and 73% European, 20.4% Amerindian, and 6.6% African ancestry in 2018.
Public Library of Science (PLOS) genetic research determined that the average Colombian (of all races) has a mixture of European 62.5%, native Amerindian 27.4% , African 9.2% and East Asian 0.9%.
2019, 16). In contrast, the DANE's 2018 survey on quality of life reports that there were around 4.7 million individuals who identified themselves as Black, Afro-Colombian, Raizal and Palenquera, accounting for approximately 9.34 percent of the Colombian population (Colombia 6 Nov. 2019, 29).
Colombia's Indigenous culture evolved from three main groups—the Quimbaya, who inhabited the western slopes of the Cordillera Central; the Chibchas; and the Kalina (Caribs).
Colombia strongly reflects its history as a colony of Spain. It is often referred to as the most Roman Catholic of the South American countries, and most of its people are proud of the relative purity of their Spanish language.
Spanish annexation
Europeans first visited the territory that became Colombia in 1499 when the first expedition of Alonso de Ojeda arrived at the Cabo de la Vela.
Today, mestizos are scattered across Colombia and are the most predominant ethnic group in the country. Approximately 1/4 of them live in the urban areas on the central plateaus. Their main language is Spanish and the majority are Roman Catholics. Mestizo cultural traditions are largely drawn from Spanish traditions.
Mestizo and White 87.6%, Afro-Colombian (includes Mulatto, Raizal, and Palenquero) 6.8%, Amerindian 4.3%, unspecified 1.4% (2018 est.)
The Chibchas are the first population that inhabited what we know today as Colombia in the fifth century BC. The pre-Columbian era began in the fifth century BC through the Isthmus of Panama, when the first settlers reached the Colombian territory: the Chibcha family.
Enslaved Africans first arrived in Colombia in the sixteenth century and were put to work in industries including gold, sugar, emeralds, cattle, tobacco, cotton and textiles. Many fought for their freedom and created free towns called palenques.
More than 99.5% of Colombians speak Spanish. English has official status in the San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina Islands. In addition to Spanish, there are several other languages spoken in Colombia. Sixty-five of these languages are Amerindian in nature.
The latest Census in 2016 recorded 18,997 Colombia-born people in Australia, an increase of 67.9 per cent from the 2011 Census. The first indication of Colombia-born presence in Australia was documented in the 1911 Census when four Colombians were counted.
Genetics. An autosomal study from 2014 found the genetic ancestry in Cuba to be 72% European, 20% African and 8% Amerindian.
Colombians refer to themselves as “paisas” much as Costa Ricans refer to themselves as “ticos.” Pais is Spanish for country, and this term is adapted to mean being one of their country. For example: Este es el bar favorito de los paisas! — This is the locals' favorite bar!
Since the vast majority of Colombians are of at least partial Spanish descent and their culture is predominantly derived from Spain, it is a rarely used term and Spanish-Colombians identify as such.
I've seen plenty of blonde Colombians. Of course blonde children are more common than blonde adults, as people's hair tends to turn darker with age. It's worth noting though that the standards for who is blonde differs from country to country.
We focused on the three largest ethnic groups in Colombia: Mestizo, Afro-Colombian, and Indigenous.
The Colombian population falls into two major religious groups: the Catholic Church (80-90 percent) and non-Catholic Christians of various denominations. This second group is not homogeneous, but includes very different religious communities (differing in such factors as number of members, doctrine, and structure).
From 1830 to 1856, the country was known as New Granada, and from 1856 to 1863, it was known as the Grenadine Confederation. The country became the United States of Colombia in 1863, and it changed its name to the Republic of Colombia in 1886.
For starters, Colombia and Venezuela are considered part of Caribbean South America due to geography. Colombia shares a coastline with the Caribbean Sea.
It was not until 1525, however, that the Spanish began a process of colonization of Colombia, leading to it becoming an integrated colony of the Spanish empire.