Colombia
Syllabification: (Co·lom·bi·a)
Pronunciation: /kəˈləmbēə/
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Definition of Colombia
Colombia was conquered by the Spanish in the early 16th century and achieved independence in the early 19th century, although the resulting Republic of Great Colombia lasted only until 1830, when first Venezuela and then Ecuador broke away to become independent states in their own right. Since the civil war of 1949–53, the country has struggled with poverty and social problems. During the 1990s, guerrilla warfare, partly funded by the growing drug trade, dominated Colombia’s countryside