Colombia in other languages: Bogotá, 32 departments, national anthem

Colombia is called Colombia in Spanish, officially República de Colombia, and ISO 3166-1 codes it CO, COL and 170. The name is given here in 172 languages and varieties, Bogotá in 73, followed by the 32 departments and the Capital District with their capitals and the Spanish text of the national anthem.

Official languagesSpanish (español)

Checked

ISO 3166-1alpha-2 · alpha-3 · numeric
Flag of Colombia
ratio 2:3
alpha-2
CO
alpha-3
COL
numeric
170
Colombia Spanish · Latin

República de Colombia

English
ColombiaRepublic of Colombia
Capital
BogotáBogotá

ISO 3166-1, checked 28 October 2026. Flag after the Wikimedia Commons drawing.

Colombia in other languages: list of exonyms

Colombia in 172 languages and varieties, grouped where the spelling is shared, with ISO 639 codes and romanisation
LanguagesISO 639NameRomanised
English, Afrikaans, Aragonese, Asturian, Danish, Galician, Italian, Limburgish, Ladin, Dutch, Norwegian, Romansh, Sicilian, Spanish, Swedisheng / afr / arg / ast / dan / glg / ita / lim / lld / nld / nor / roh / scn / spa / sweColombiasame as written
Breton, Faroese, West Frisian, Indonesian, Javanese, Novial, Papiamento, Northern Sami, Saterland Frisian, Swahili, Tok Pisin, Yucatec Mayabre / fao / fry / ind / jav / nov / pap / sme / stq / swa / tpi / yuaKolombiasame as written
Estonian, Finnish, Kven, Hungarian, Polish, Slovak, Albanian, Võroest / fin / fkv / hun / pol / slk / sqi / vorKolumbiasame as written
Corsican, Welsh, Latin, Romanian, Aromaniancos / cym / lat / ron / rupColumbiasame as written
Cornish, Kinyarwanda, Lingala, Rundicor / kin / lin / runKolombisame as written
French, Franco-Provençal, Friulian, Jersey Norman Frenchfra / frp / fur / jnfColombiesame as written
Croatian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovenianhrv / lav / lit / slvKolumbijasame as written
German, Luxembourgish, Low Germandeu / ltz / ndsKolumbiensame as written
Catalan, Sardiniancat / srdColòmbiasame as written
Lower Sorbian, Upper Sorbiandsb / hsbKolumbiskasame as written
Gagauz, Karakalpakgag / kaaKolumbiya / КолумбияKolumbiya
Guarani, Tetumgrn / tetKolómbiasame as written
Turkish, Zazakitur / zzaKolombiyasame as written
AymaraaymKuluwyasame as written
AzerbaijaniazeKolumbiya / КолумбијаKolumbiya
BambarabamKɔlɔmbisame as written
BosnianbosKolumbija / Колумбија / قۉلۆمبٖىياKolumbija
CzechcesKolumbiesame as written
Crimean TatarcrhKolombiya / КоломбияKolombiya
EsperantoepoKolombiosame as written
BasqueeusKolonbiasame as written
Scottish GaelicglaColoimbiasame as written
IrishgleAn Cholóim / An Ċolóim, An Cholóimbe / An Ċolóimbesame as written
ManxglvYn Cholombeysame as written
Haitian CreolehatKolonbisame as written
HausahauColombiyasame as written
IgboiboKọlọmbiasame as written
InterlinguainaColombia, Columbiasame as written
IcelandicislKólumbíasame as written
Kurmanji KurdishkurKolombiyasame as written
MalagasymlgKôlômbiasame as written
MaltesemltKolombjasame as written
MoldovanmolColumbia / КолумбияColumbia
MalaymsaColombia / كولومبياColombia
NahuatlnahColontlānsame as written
Norman FrenchnrmColoumbiesame as written
OccitanociColómbiasame as written
PortugueseporColômbiasame as written
QuechuaqueKulumbyasame as written
Kalderash RomanirmyKolumbiya / कोलुम्बियाKolumbiya
SloviosloKolombia / КоломбиаKolombia
SamogitiansmgKolumbėjėsame as written
SamoansmoKolomepiasame as written
SilesianszlKolůmbjasame as written
TagalogtglKolombya, Kolombiyasame as written
TongantonKolomupiasame as written
TurkmentukKolumbiýa / КолумбияKolumbiýa
UzbekuzbKolumbiya / Колумбия / كالۇمبىيەKolumbiya
VietnamesevieCô-lôm-bi-asame as written
VolapükvolKolumbänsame as written
WalloonwlnColombeyesame as written
WolofwolKoloombisame as written
Abaza, Altai, Avar, Bulgarian, Khakas, Komi, Karachay-Balkar, Kumyk, Lezgi, Russian, Yakut, Tuvan, Udmurt, Kalmykabq / alt / ava / bul / kjh / kom / krc / kum / lez / rus / sah / tyv / udm / xalКолумбияKolumbija
Chuvash, Ossetianchv / ossКолумбиKolumbi
Rusyn, Ukrainianrue / ukrКолумбіяKolumbija
AbkhazabkКолумбиаKolumbia
BashkirbakКолумбия / KolumbiyaKolumbiya
BelarusianbelКалумбія / Kałumbija, Калюмбія / KalumbijaKałumbija, Kalumbija
ChechencheКолумби / KolumbiKolumbi
KazakhkazКолумбия / كولۋمبيا / KolwmbïyaKolwmbïya
KabardiankbdКолумбиэKolumbiă
KyrgyzkirКолумбия / كولۇمبىيا / KolumbiyaKolumbiya
Kurdish (Caucasus, Cyrillic)kmrКолумби / Kolûmbî, Коломби / KolombîKolûmbî, Kolombî
Meadow MarimhrКолумбийKolumbij
MacedonianmkdКолумбијаKolumbija
MongolianmonКолумбKolumb
SerbiansrpКолумбија / KolumbijaKolumbija
TatartatКолумбия / Kolumbiä / كولۇمبىيەKolumbiä
TajiktgkКолумбия / کالومبیه / KolumbijaKolumbija
ArabicaraكولومبياKūlūmbiyā
South Azerbaijaniazbکولومبییا / KolumbiyaKolumbiya
Sorani Kurdishckbکۆڵۆمبیا / KoḻombiyaKoḻombiya
Persianfasکلمبیا / کولومبیا / KolombiyâKolombiyâ
Western PunjabipnbکولمبیاKōlambiyā
DariprsکولمبیاKōlambiyā
PashtopusکولمبياKōlambiyā
Uyghuruigكولۇمبىيە / Kolumbiye / КолумбияKolumbiye
UrduurdکولمبیاKōlambiyā
DhivehidivކޮލަންބިއާKolanbiā
HebrewhebקולומביהQōlōmbyah
Ladinoladקולומביה / KolombiaKolombia
YiddishyidקאָלאָמביעKolombye
AmharicamhኮሎምብያKolombya
GreekellΚολομβίαKolomvía
ArmenianhyeԿոլումբիաKoloumbia
Georgian, Mingreliankat / xmfკოლუმბიაKolumbia
Lazlzzკოლომბია / K’olombiaK’olombia
Hindihinकोलंबिया, कोलोम्बियाKolaṃbiyā, Kolombiyā
Bengalibenকলম্বিয়া, কলোম্বিয়া, কোলোম্বিয়াKôlômbiyā, Kôlombiyā, Kolombiyā
Gujaratigujકોલમ્બિયાKolambiyā
Oriyaoriକୋଲମ୍ବିଆKolômbiā
PunjabipanਕੋਲੰਬੀਆKolãbīā
Sinhalasinකොලොම්‍බියාවKolombiyāva
KannadakanಕೊಲಂಬಿಯKolaṃbiya
MalayalammalകൊളംബിയKoḷaṃbiya
Tamiltamகொலம்பியா, கொலொம்பியாKolampiyā, Kolompiyā
TelugutelకొలంబియాKolaṃbiyā
Chinesezho哥倫比亞/哥伦比亚Gēlúnbǐyà
JapanesejpnコロンビアKoronbia
Koreankor콜롬비아Kollombia
Tibetanbodཁོ་ལོམ་བི་ཡ།Kʰo.lom.bi.ya
BurmesemyaကိုလံဘီယာKolãbʰiya
ThaithaโคลอมเบียKʰōlɔ̄mbiya
LaolaoໂກລົມບີKōlômbī
Khmerkhmកូឡុំប៊ីKūḷuṃbī

Irish and Manx add the article: An Cholóim, Yn Cholombey.

02 · NamesU+00D1 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER N WITH TILDE

Named after Columbus: Colombia, Kolumbia, Columbia

Colombia takes its name from the Italian navigator Christopher Columbus. The word was first coined as a poetic name for the whole of the New World and was taken up in 1819 by the republic formed from the Viceroyalty of New Granada, the state now called Gran Colombia, which also covered present-day Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama. After that union broke apart, the remaining core called itself the Republic of New Granada, then the Granadine Confederation in 1858 and the United States of Colombia in 1863. The present name, República de Colombia, dates from the constitution of 1886.

Because the root is a personal name, most languages adapt it to their own spelling of Columbus. Polish, Hungarian and Finnish write Kolumbia, Croatian, Latvian and Lithuanian Kolumbija, German Kolumbien. Latin, Welsh and Romanian keep the u of Columbus and write Columbia, a spelling English never uses for the country. Russian Колумбия, Hindi कोलंबिया and Chinese 哥伦比亚 (Gēlúnbǐyà) all render the same five consonants.

Bogotá keeps the name of the Muisca settlement Bacatá. The Spanish crown called the city Santafé in 1540; Simón Bolívar gave it back the Muisca name, and the constitution of 1991 still refers to it in places as Santa Fe de Bogotá.

Bogotá in other languages

Bogotá in 73 languages and varieties, grouped where the spelling is shared, with ISO 639 codes and romanisation
LanguagesISO 639NameRomanised
English, French, Kurmanji Kurdish, Latin, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Slovak, Turkisheng / fra / kur / lat / lav / lit / pol / slk / turBogotasame as written
Aragonese, Asturian, Czech, Hungarian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedisharg / ast / ces / hun / por / spa / sweBogotásame as written
German, Luxembourgish, Low Germandeu / ltz / ndsBogotasame as written
Catalan, Siciliancat / scnBogotàsame as written
Moldovan, Turkmenmol / tukBogota / БоготаBogota
AymaraaymWukutasame as written
AzerbaijaniazeBoqota / БоготаBoqota
BosnianbosBogota / Богота / بۉغۉتاBogota
EsperantoepoBogotosame as written
IrishgleBogotásame as written
IcelandicislBógótasame as written
MalaymsaBogota / بوݢوتاBogota
SamogitiansmgBoguotasame as written
UzbekuzbBogota / Богота / باگاتەBogota
Bulgarian, Mongolian, Russianbul / mon / rusБоготаBogota
Bashkir, Serbianbak / srpБогота / BogotaBogota
BelarusianbelБагота / Bahota, Багата / BahataBahota, Bahata
ChuvashchvБоготӑ, БоготаBogotă, Bogota
KazakhkazБогота / بوگوتا / BogotaBogota
KabardiankbdБоготэ, БоготаBogotă, Bogota
KyrgyzkirБогота / بوگوتا / BogotaBogota
OssetianossБоготӕ, БоготаBogotä, Bogota
TatartatБогота / Bogota / بوگوتاBogota
TajiktgkБогота / باگاته / BogotaBogota
UkrainianukrБоґотаBogota
Arabicaraبوغوتا, بوجوتاBūġūtā, Būgūtā
South Azerbaijaniazbبوقوتا / BoqotaBoqota
Persianfasبوگوتا / BogotâBogotâ
Western PunjabipnbبگوٹاBagōṫā
PashtopusبوګوتاBōgōtā
Uyghuruigبوگوتا / Bogota / БоготаBogota
Urduurdبگوٹا, بوگوٹاBagōṫā, Bōgōṫā
HebrewhebבוגוטהBōgōṭah
YiddishyidבאָגאָטאַBogota
AmharicamhቦጎታBogota
GreekellΜπογκοτά, ΒογοτάMpogkotá, Vogotá
ArmenianhyeԲոգոտաBogota
GeorgiankatბოგოტაBogota
HindihinबोगोटाBogoṭā
Bengalibenবোগোতা, বোগোটাBogotā, Bogoṭā
GujaratigujબૉગૉટાBŏgŏṭā
PunjabipanਬੋਗੋਟਾBogoṭā
Kannadakanಬಗೋಟಾ, ಬಗೊಟಾBagōṭā, Bagoṭā
Malayalammalബൊഗോട്ടBogōṭṭa
TamiltamபோகோடாPōkōṭā
TelugutelబొగొటాBogoṭā
Chinesezho波哥大Bōgēdà
JapanesejpnボゴタBogota
Koreankor보고타Bogota
Tibetanbodཔོ་གོ་ཏ།Po.go.ta
ThaithaโบโกตาBōkōtā
Khmerkhmប៊ូហ្គូតា, បូកូតាBūhkūtā, Būkūtā

German, Luxembourgish and Low German share the spelling Bogota with English but are listed apart, as in the source. Aymara writes Wukuta.

The 32 departments of Colombia and the Capital District

Each department is listed under its full Spanish name, with its capital and the ISO 3166-2 code. Bogotá, capital of the country and of the department of Cundinamarca, forms a district of its own outside any department.

Colombia, ISO 3166-2:CO: 32 departments and 1 capital district
ISO 3166-2SpanishEnglishAdministrative centreChange
Departments departamentos32
CO-AMA Departamento del Amazonas Amazonas LeticiaLeticia
CO-ANT Departamento de Antioquia Antioquia MedellínMedellín
CO-ARA Departamento de Arauca Arauca AraucaArauca
CO-SAP Departamento Archipiélago de San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina San AndrésSan Andrés
CO-ATL Departamento de Atlántico Atlántico BarranquillaBarranquilla
CO-BOL Departamento de Bolívar Bolívar CartagenaCartagena
CO-BOY Departamento de Boyacá Boyacá TunjaTunja
CO-CAL Departamento de Caldas Caldas ManizalesManizales
CO-CAQ Departamento del Caquetá Caquetá FlorenciaFlorencia
CO-CAS Departamento de Casanare Casanare YopalYopal
CO-CAU Departamento del Cauca Cauca PopayánPopayán
CO-CES Departamento de Cesar Cesar ValleduparValledupar
CO-CHO Departamento del Chocó Chocó QuibdóQuibdó
CO-COR Departamento de Córdoba Córdoba MonteríaMontería
CO-CUN Departamento de Cundinamarca Cundinamarca BogotáBogotá
CO-GUA Departamento del Guainía Guainía Puerto IníridaPuerto Inírida
CO-GUV Departamento del Guaviare Guaviare San José del GuaviareSan José del Guaviare
CO-HUI Departamento del Huila Huila NeivaNeiva
CO-LAG Departamento de La Guajira La Guajira RiohachaRiohacha
CO-MAG Departamento del Magdalena Magdalena Santa MartaSanta Marta
CO-MET Departamento del Meta Meta VillavicencioVillavicencio
CO-NAR Departamento de Nariño Nariño PastoPasto
CO-NSA Departamento de Norte de Santander Norte de Santander CúcutaCúcuta
CO-PUT Departamento del Putumayo Putumayo MocoaMocoa
CO-QUI Departamento del Quindío Quindío ArmeniaArmenia
CO-RIS Departamento de Risaralda Risaralda PereiraPereira
CO-SAN Departamento de Santander Santander BucaramangaBucaramanga
CO-SUC Departamento de Sucre Sucre SincelejoSincelejo
CO-TOL Departamento del Tolima Tolima IbaguéIbagué
CO-VAC Departamento del Valle del Cauca Valle del Cauca CaliCali
CO-VAU Departamento del Vaupés Vaupés MitúMitú
CO-VID Departamento del Vichada Vichada Puerto CarreñoPuerto Carreño
Capital district distrito capital1
CO-DC Distrito Capital Capital District of Bogotá BogotáBogotá 2004 ISO changed the name of the entry; local short form Distrito Capital

Codes and names: ISO 3166-2:CO on the ISO Online Browsing Platform, as tabulated in Wikipedia's ISO 3166-2:CO, checked 28 October 2026. ISO has listed the same 33 units through every recorded change.

Municipalities of every department

05 · Anthem

Himno Nacional de la República de Colombia

The anthem began as a poem by Rafael Núñez, written in 1850 for the anniversary of Cartagena's independence and later revised by Núñez himself. The Italian-born composer Oreste Síndici set it to music, and it was first performed in Bogotá on 11 November 1887. Law 33 of 18 October 1920 made it the official national anthem.

The text has a chorus and eleven stanzas. They name the battles of the independence war one by one, among them Bárbula, Boyacá, Junín and Ayacucho, together with the heroes Bolívar, Nariño and Ricaurte.

06 · Anthem text

The words of the Colombian national anthem

Chorus (Coro) and stanzas I to XI, lines separated by a slash.

  • ¡Oh gloria inmarcesible! / ¡Oh Júbilo inmortal! / En surcos de dolores / El bien germina ya.
  • ¡Cesó la horrible noche! La libertad sublime / derrama las auroras de su invencible luz. / La humanidad entera, que entre cadenas gime, / comprende las palabras del que murió en la cruz.
  • ¡Independencia! grita el mundo americano / se baña en sangre de héroes la tierra de Colón. / Pero este gran principio: el pueblo es soberano, / resuena, y los que sufren bendicen su pasión.
  • Del Orinoco el cauce se colma de despojos / de sangre y llanto un río se mira allí correr. / En Bárbula no saben las almas ni los ojos, / si admiración o espanto sentir o padecer.
  • A orillas del caribe hambriento un pueblo lucha, / Horrores prefiriendo a pérfida salud. / Oh, sí, de Cartagena la abnegación es mucha, / y escombros de la muerte desprecia su virtud.
  • De Boyacá en los campos el genio de la gloria / con cada espiga un héroe invicto coronó. / Soldados sin coraza ganaron la victoria / su varonil aliento de escudo les sirvió.
  • Bolívar cruza el Ande que riega dos océanos / espadas cual centellas fulguran en Junín. / Centauros indomables descienden a los llanos, / y empieza a presentirse de la epopeya el fin.
  • La trompa victoriosa en Ayacucho truena / y en cada triunfo crece su formidable son. / En su expansivo empuje la libertad se estrena, / del cielo americano formando un pabellón.
  • La virgen sus cabellos arranca en agonía / y de su amor viuda los cuelga del ciprés. / Lamenta su esperanza que cubre loza fría, / pero glorioso orgullo circunda su alba tez.
  • La patria así se forma Termópilas brotando / constelación de cíclopes su noche iluminó. / La flor estremecida, mortal el viento hollando, / debajo los laureles seguridad buscó.
  • Mas no es completa gloria vencer en la batalla, / que el brazo que combate lo anima la verdad. / La independencia sola al gran clamor no acalla / si el sol alumbra a todos, justicia es libertad.
  • Del hombre los derechos Nariño predicando, / el alma de la lucha profético enseñó. / Ricaurte en San Mateo en átomos volando, / deber antes que vida con llamas escribió.
07 · Questions

Questions about Colombia's names, departments and anthem

Why is Colombia not spelled Columbia?

Spanish writes Columbus as Colón and the derived name as Colombia, with o. Latin, Welsh and Romanian do write Columbia.

How many departments does Colombia have?

32, plus the Capital District of Bogotá. ISO 3166-2:CO codes them from CO-AMA Amazonas to CO-VID Vichada, with CO-DC for Bogotá.

Which stanza says "¡Independencia! grita el mundo americano"?

The second. The fifth opens with "De Boyacá en los campos el genio de la gloria", recalling the battle of 1819.

What are the ISO codes of Colombia?

CO (alpha-2), COL (alpha-3) and 170 (numeric).