Q 01/05

Colombia's name comes from the surname of which explorer?

A) Amerigo Vespucci

B) Christopher Columbus

C) Francisco Pizarro

D) Vasco Núñez de Balboa

Answer · why

B) Christopher Columbus

Ironically he never set foot on the Colombian mainland.

Q 02/05

On what date in 1810 was Colombia's Declaration of Independence issued, now its national day?

A) 1 January

B) 7 August

C) 12 October

D) 20 July

Answer · why

D) 20 July

Independence was only secured in 1819 after the Battle of Boyacá on 7 August.

Q 03/05

Which department of Colombia seceded in 1903 to become an independent country?

A) Zulia

B) Guayaquil

C) Panama

D) Chocó

Answer · why

C) Panama

The United States backed the split, and canal construction began the following year.

Q 04/05

Colombia's currency shares its name with several other Latin American countries. What is it?

A) The real

B) The sol

C) The bolívar

D) The peso

Answer · why

D) The peso

Its ISO code is COP; a coffee in Bogotá runs to a few thousand of them.

Q 05/05

Colombia's population is roughly how large?

A) About 75 million

B) About 30 million

C) About 52 million

D) About 100 million

Answer · why

C) About 52 million

That makes it the second most populous Spanish-speaking country after Mexico.