Presidents
This president, in office from 1998 to 2002, faced economic crisis and initiated early peace talks with FARC, though they failed.
Who is Andrés Pastrana?
This Colombian city, the second largest, is nestled in the Aburrá Valley and known for its “Eternal Spring” climate.
What is Medellín?
This 1886 constitution, enacted under Rafael Núñez, centralized power and strengthened the Catholic Church’s role in Colombia.
What is the Constitution of 1886?
This 1980s-1990s conflict escalation saw the rise of drug cartels like this one, led by Pablo Escobar, clashing with the government.
What is the Medellín Cartel?
This Colombian painter and sculptor, known for his exaggeratedly proportioned figures, created works like Monument to the Race.
Who is Fernando Botero?
This president, serving from 1953 to 1957, established a military dictatorship after a coup, later ousted by a bipartisan junta.
Who is Gustavo Rojas Pinilla?
This desert peninsula, shared with Venezuela, is home to the Wayuu people and Colombia’s northernmost point.
What is La Guajira?
This 1849-1854 reform under President José Hilario López abolished slavery in Colombia, a major liberal victory.
What is the Abolition of Slavery?
This 1960s Marxist guerrilla group, founded by Manuel Marulanda, became a major player in Colombia’s armed conflict.
What is FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia)?
This traditional Colombian music genre, originating in the Andean region, features instruments like the tiple and bandola.
What is Bambuco?
This president, elected in 1974, focused on reducing inequality through the “Plan to Close the Gap” but faced economic challenges.
Who is Alfonso López Michelsen?
This national park, spanning the Andes and Amazon, is Colombia’s largest protected area, covering over 4 million hectares.
What is Chiribiquete National Park?
This 1858-1861 conflict, known as the Granadine Confederation Civil War, saw Liberals triumph over Conservative centralists.
What is the Colombian Civil War of 1860-1862?
This 1985 event, where M-19 guerrillas seized the Palace of Justice, led to a bloody military response and over 100 deaths.
What is the Palace of Justice Siege?
This Colombian festival, held in Manizales, celebrates coffee culture with bullfights, parades, and a beauty pageant.
What is the Manizales Fair?
This president, in office from 1904 to 1909, stabilized Colombia’s economy post-Thousand Days’ War but faced criticism for authoritarianism.
Who is Rafael Reyes?
This river, a major tributary of the Orinoco, forms part of Colombia’s border with Venezuela and is vital for the Llanos region.
What is the Meta River?
This 1910 event saw the creation of Colombia’s modern army under President Carlos Eugenio Restrepo to professionalize the military.
What is the Military Reform of 1910?
This 1876-1877 civil war, sparked by Conservative resistance to liberal education reforms, ended in a Liberal victory.
What is the Civil War of 1876-1877?
This pre-Columbian archaeological site near San Agustín features over 500 monolithic statues and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What is the San Agustín Archaeological Park?
This president, serving from 1934 to 1938, advanced labor rights and education but faced backlash for his liberal reforms and ties to Freemasonry.
Who is Alfonso López Pumarejo?
This high-altitude páramo ecosystem, located in the Andes near Bogotá, is a critical water source for the capital and a biodiversity hotspot.
What is the Sumapaz Páramo?
This 1821 congress, held in Cúcuta, established Gran Colombia’s constitution but sowed seeds for its eventual dissolution.
What is the Congress of Cúcuta?
This 1839-1842 conflict, known as the War of the Supremes, saw regional leaders rebel against the central government’s closure of monasteries.
What is the War of the Supremes?
This traditional Colombian hat, made from the cane-like leaves of the “caña flecha,” is a symbol of the Caribbean region.
What is the Sombrero Vueltiao?