Where is Colombia, what is the population, what language do they speak and what does their flag look like?
COLOMBIA is set to take on England at the World Cup – 20 years since the two sides last met.
The nation, while filled to the brim with national resources and vibrant cultures, has been ravaged by violence for decades. Here’s more about the fourth largest country in South America.
Where is Colombia?
Colombia is located in South America, and is the 26th largest nation in the world with a total area of 439,736 square miles.
It is the fourth largest country in South America and one of the continent’s most populous nations.
The country has a population of more than 49 million people, with the capital Bogota home to more than 7.6 million.
The country became an independent state in 1819, after gaining its sovereignty from Spain.
Colombia is situated in the north western part of South America, and shares its land borders with five countries: Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Brazil.
The Colombian territory encompasses Amazon rainforest, tropical grassland and both Caribbean and Pacific coastlines.
What language do they speak in Colombia?
More than 99 per cent of Colombians speak Spanish, but there are also 65 Amerindian or indigenous languages, two Creole languages and the Romani language spoken in the country.
English has official status in the San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina Islands.
Colombia also has its own sign language, which has influences of both Spanish and American Sign Language.
What is Colombia famous for?
Colombia has substantial oil reserves and is a major producer of gold, silver, emeralds, platinum and coal.
Colombia is also extremely famous for its coffee, with the nation the fourth-largest producer in the world.
Other primary agricultural products from Colombia include cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables, fique, panela, forest products and shrimp.
However, the country is also rife with violent crime, and has been ravaged by conflict involving outlawed armed groups, drug cartels and gross violations of human rights.
FROM RUSSIA WITH LIVE All the latest action, news, goals and gossip from the World Cup
What does the Colombian flag look like?
The national flag of Colombia was adopted on November 26, 1861.
It is a horizontal tricolour of yellow, blue and red, with the yellow stripe taking up the top half of the flag.
The blue and red take up a quarter of the space each.
The colours of the flag are commonly interpreted in two ways.
One version indicates that the yellow symbolizes sovereignty and justice, blue as loyalty and vigilance, and red represents the valour shown and the victory achieved during the battles for independence from Spain.
However, a very popular children's song claims that the yellow represents the gold Colombia once owned until the arrival of the Spanish, blue indicates the country's contact with two oceans and red represents the blood that Colombians spent in their struggle for independence from Spain.
Have they ever won the World Cup?
No Colombia has never won the World Cup.
They have only appeared in the World Cup finals on six occasion.
They took part in 1962, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2014 and 2018.
Their best performance was in 2014 when they reached the quarter-finals.
They lost to hosts Brazil 2-1.
Colombia face England on July 3, 2018, in the last 16 for a place in the quarter-finals in 2018.
WORLD CUP 2018 NEWS
Who runs the country?
Ivan Duque was elected as President in June 2018 after campaigning on a ticket to rewrite the peace deal signed with the former rebel group FARC.
A lawyer with a degree in economics, Duque represents many Colombian voters who were outraged by concessions given to the former rebels, including reduced sentences for those who confessed to their crimes.
He will succeed Juan Manuel Santos on August 7, a few days after his 42nd birthday, and his term will run for four years.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.