The Republic of Colombia is a country in South America, with Bogota serving as its capital. Settled by the Spanish as "New Granada" after 1499, Colombia declared independence on 20 July 1810 amid the South American Wars of Liberation, and the country was named to honor the Italian-Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus. Colombia's independence from the Spanish Empire was recognized in 1819, and Colombia was part of the United Provinces of New Granada, the Granadine Confederation, and the United States of Colombia before becoming a republic in 1886. Panama seceded in 1903 with the backing of America and France, resulting in Colombia's present borders. Colombia enjoyed decades of stability before La Violencia broke out i the late 1940s and early 1950s, followed by onset of a low-intensity conflict starting in 1964 as communist guerrillas battled the government and right-wing paramilitary groups. The 1970s saw the rise of powerful drug cartels in Colombia, corrupting its politics and contributing to the country's high crime rate. In 2016, the government made peace with the largest rebel group, FARC. Since 2005, Colombia has experienced unprecedented economic growth and development, boasting Latin America's best healthcare system according to the World Health Organization and enjoying macroeconomic stability, favorable long-term growth prospects, and a booming oil industry. By 2023, Colombia had a population of 52,085,170, of whom 87.58% were mestizo or white, 6.84% Black, and 4.31% indigenous.
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