Colombia Overview
Colombia Demographics
At the 2005 census, the population of Colombia was determined to be 86% non-ethnic, or whites and mestizos of mixed Amerindian and European ancestry. The population is also 11% Black, 3.4% Amerindian and 0.01% Roma. About 49% of the population is mestizo, while 37% is of European ancestry, mostly from Spain, Italy, France and Germany.
While the indigenous peoples were largely decimated during Spanish rule, reserves were established on 27% of the country’s total land area. There are more than 800,000 indigenous peoples in Colombia, the largest groups of which include the Wayuu, the Paez, the Pastos, the Zenu and the Embera.
68 languages and dialects are spoken in Colombia but the official and most common language is Spanish. More than 99.2% of the people of Colombia speak Spanish.
Colombia Religion, Economy and Politics
Colombia is a fairly religious country with an impressive 70% of the population stating that they are Roman Catholic Catholic. However, only 25% are practicing. The Roman Catholic was directly involved in the government until 1991.
Colombian cuisine varies greatly, being influenced by its diverse flora and fauna and also by its immigrants’ cultural traditions. The Colombian dishes vary from region to region. Some very common ingredients used in Colombian cuisine are rice and maize, potato and cassava, assorted legumes, pork, chicken, beef, goat, fish and seafood. The tropical fruits of Colombia include papaya, mango, banana, pineapple, lulo, guava and passion fruit.
Colombia is currently ranked as the third happiest country in the world on the Happy Planet Index. In addition, The World Happiness Report gives Colombia a ranking of 37 with an overall happiness rating of 6.26 out of 10.
Colombia Population History
Colombia has a consistent record of growth throughout the last century, reaching a peak in the 1960s when the population was growing above an annual rate of 3%. Since then, the rate has gradually slowed to the much slower rate of today.