Commanders in Chief
Geography
Colombia's Wild Kingdom
The Spanish Conquest
100

 After Simón Bolívar resigned in 1830, this man was elected by Congress as the second president of Gran Colombia, though his term lasted only four months before a military coup. 

Who was

Joaquín de Mosquera

100

Clue: Although it is the smallest by land mass at only 52 square kilometers, this archipelago is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.


What is 

San Andrés

Providencia

 and 

Santa Catalina

100

Clue

: This aquatic mammal, famously found in the Amazon and Orinoco basins, is known for its distinctive pink hue and the ability to turn its neck 90 degrees due to its unfused cervical vertebrae. 

  • Answer: What is the 

    Amazon Pink River Dolphin

     (also known as the Boto or Omacha)?
100

Clue: Although Christopher Columbus gave his name to the country, he famously never set foot on its soil; instead, this explorer led the first expedition to land on the La Guajira peninsula in 1499.

  • Answer: Who was Alonso de Ojeda?
200

Clue: This powerful leader is the only person to serve as president four different times (between 1845 and 1867), during which he famously began the construction of the Capitolio Nacional in Bogotá.

Who was 

Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera?

200

Clue: This southern department, named after a famous river, is the largest by land mass, covering approximately 109,665 square kilometers of mostly tropical rainforest.


  • Answer: What is 

    Amazonas

    ?
200

Clue

: Featured on Colombia’s coat of arms, this massive scavenger has a wingspan of over 3 meters and is considered a sacred messenger in Andean indigenous mythology. 

Andean Condor

200

Clue: Founded in 1525 by Rodrigo de Bastidas, this coastal settlement is recognized as the oldest remaining city in Colombia and served as the primary gateway for Spanish expeditions into the interior.

  • Answer: What is 

    Santa Marta

    ?
300
  1. Clue: Known as "The Man of the Laws," this general served as Vice President under Bolívar for years before being elected as the first president of the Republic of New Granada in 1832.

Answer: Who was

Francisco de Paula Santander

300

Clue: With an estimated population density of over 800 people per square kilometer, this Caribbean department is the densest in the country (excluding the capital district).

  • Answer: What is 

    Atlántico

    ?
300

Clue

: Despite measuring only about 5 centimeters, this endemic amphibian from the Pacific coast is considered the most poisonous animal on Earth, carrying enough toxin to kill 10 adult humans. 

  • Answer: What is the 

    Golden Poison Frog

     (Phyllobates terribilis)?
300

Clue: This lawyer-turned-conquistador led a brutal 1536 expedition up the Magdalena River, where only 173 of his 800 men survived to eventually reach and conquer the Muisca highlands.

  • Answer: Who was 

    Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada

    ?
400

Clue: Due to a gunshot wound to the jaw suffered in 1824, 

Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera

 required a metal prosthesis that caused him to make whistling sounds, leading critics to give him this rude nickname meaning "Gaga-chew." 

  • Answer: What was 

    Mascachochas

    ?
400

Clue: Located deep in the Amazon basin, this department is often ranked as the least densely populated, with fewer than one person per square kilometer.

  • Answer: What is 

    Vaupés

    ?
400

Clue

: This is the only species of bear native to South America; it is easily identified by the unique white or ginger markings around its eyes that resemble a certain type of eyewear. 

  • Answer: What is the 

    Spectacled Bear

     (also called the 

    Andean Bear

    )?
400

Clue: Before the Spanish arrival, the central highlands were governed by this complex political union of independent chiefs, such as the Zipa and the Zaque, who were famous for their advanced farming and salt mining.

  • Answer: What was the Muisca Confederation?
500

Clue: In 1863, during his third presidency, 

Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera

 personally led Colombian troops to victory at the Battle of Cuaspud, the only international conflict between Colombia and this southern neighbor. 

Answer: What is Ecuador?

500

Clue: This department is unique for being the only one with coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, giving it the longest combined coastline in the country.

  • Answer: What is 

    Chocó

    ?
500

Clue

: This elusive feline, the largest in the Americas, was a symbol of power in many pre-Columbian cultures like the San Agustín, and is known for having the strongest bite force relative to its size among all big cats. 

  • Answer: What is the 

    Jaguar

    ?
500

Clue: Established in 1549 to govern the region, this administrative body and its surrounding territory were known as the 

New Kingdom of Granada

, which later grew to include parts of modern-day Panama, Ecuador, and Venezuela.



    • Answer: What was the Royal Audience of Santafé (or the Real Audiencia)?