Colombia

Colombia's geography is defined by the Andes Mountains, which divide the country into three distinct ranges running north to south. Between and beyond the Andes lie the Caribbean coastal lowlands to the north, the Pacific coast to the west, the Amazon basin to the south, and the Llanos — vast eastern plains — stretching toward Venezuela. This topographic variety makes Colombia one of the world's most biodiverse countries, home to the most bird species of any nation on Earth.

Bogotá, the capital, sits at 2,600 meters above sea level on the Andean plateau known as the Sabana. With a metropolitan population approaching 11 million, it is one of Latin America's major cities and the financial and political center of the country. Medellín, once notorious as one of the world's most dangerous cities during the height of the drug wars, has undergone a remarkable urban transformation and is now celebrated internationally for its innovation and urban mobility.

Colombia's economy is the fourth largest in Latin America. Oil is the leading export commodity, followed by coal, coffee, cut flowers, and bananas. The country is the world's third-largest producer of coffee and the largest supplier of cut flowers to the United States. Tourism has grown significantly in recent years as security conditions improved.

The 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrilla organization ended more than half a century of internal armed conflict, though implementation has been uneven and other armed groups remain active. The country continues to grapple with the legacy of the cocaine trade and the political and social wounds left by decades of violence.