What is the history of Colombia?

0:00 Welcome to History's Not Boring by Kidopoly.com. I'm Mira. And I'm Finn. Today we have some amazing shout-outs. First, a big hello to Matthew, who asked us about today's topic and is heading there this summer. This one is for you, Matthew.

0:18 Have an epic trip, Matthew! We also want to say a big Kidopoly hello to Zach and Alex in Hillcrest, South Africa. Thanks for listening to History's Not Boring.

0:30 And a huge hello to Archer, age 6, a big thinker, listening in rural Ontario, Canada. And guess what, Finn? What is it? Archer's middle name is Finn. Thanks for listening! No way! That is the coolest middle name ever! Hi five, Archer! Now, since Matthew is travelling there this summer, we are jumping on an aeroplane and heading down to South America, to a country filled with towering mountains, dense jungles, and amazing history.

1:04 Are we talking about Columbia? We sure are! Imagine this: a real-life king covered from head to toe in shimmering gold dust, diving into a sparkling lake, while his people toss brilliant green emeralds into the water.

1:23 Wait, a guy covered in actual gold? Like a living, breathing human statue.

1:29 Exactly! Long before the year 1500, a massive group of indigenous people called the Moisca lived in the high cold mountains of Central Colombia. How many people are we talking about? Up to 500,000 of them! They were incredible farmers, astronomers, and metal workers. To them, gold wasn't money, it was sacred, because it looked like the sun god Sue.

1:56 So where does the gold human statue come in? The Moiska had a supreme leader called the Zeepa. When a new zebra took power, they held a massive ceremony at a perfectly round crater lake called Lake Guatavita.

2:10 Did they throw a giant sparkly party?

2:13 A very sparkly one. The zebra would be completely coated in sticky treesap, and then priests would blow pure gold dust all over him until he shined like the sun itself. Whoa, that is way better than just wearing a gold crown. He would ride out to the centre of the lake on a wooden raft piled high with treasures.

2:35 Then he would dive into the freezing water to wash off the gold as an offering to their gods.

2:42 Wait a second, is this the famous legend of El Dorado? I always thought El Dorado was a hidden city made entirely out of gold.

2:50 That is the crazy part! El Dorado is Spanish for the Golden One. It started as a true story about this one person, the Zipa. But over time, European explorers misunderstood the rumours.

3:05unknown Ha!

3:06 They played a giant game of historical telephone.

3:09 Pretty much. They thought El Dorado was an entire golden city, and explorers spent hundreds of years searching for a place that didn't actually exist. So what happened when the explorers showed up looking for the golden city? In 1537, a Spanish explorer named Gonzalo Jimenez de Cesada marched into the Andes Mountains.

3:32 The Spanish took over the Muisca lands and claimed the territory for the King of Spain. That's terrible. How long did the Spanish rule them? For almost 300 years, the people of Colombia were forced to work in mines and pay heavy taxes. But eventually, the people decided they had had enough. I love a good rebellion.

3:54 When did they fight back? By 1819, a brilliant general named Simón Bolivar was determined to free South America. To defeat the Spanish army, he came up with one of the most daring military plans in history. What was the plan? A sneak attack? Exactly. But to surprise them, Bolivar had to lead his army of 2,800 ragged soldiers across the Andes Mountains through a pass called the Paramount de Pisba.

4:23 Oh no! Mountains are super high and freezing.

4:27 Very freezing. They climbed to an elevation of 13,000 feet. It was July 1819, the middle of the South American winter. Heavy rains, freezing winds, and icy slopes. Did they even have warm coats? No. Many soldiers only had thin cotton shirts, and some didn't even have shoes. But their incredible courage kept them moving forward.

4:52 They survived the crossing and totally surprised the Spanish.

4:56 Yes. What happened when they met the Spanish army?

4:59 They clashed at a small wooden bridge on August 7, 1819. It's known as the Battle of Boyaca. Bolivar's freezing, exhausted army fought with everything they had. How long did the battle last? Just two hours. In just 120 minutes, Bolivar completely defeated the Spanish forces, securing freedom for the country.

5:22 That is incredible! Two hours to win their independence. Yes. Bolivar helped create a massive new nation called Gran Colombia. Decades later, it split into several countries, including the modern-day Republic of Colombia.

5:37 So what is the Republic of Colombia like? Are there still treasures buried everywhere?

5:41 Oh, there are massive treasures. Colombia produces between 70 and 90% of the entire world's emeralds.

5:50 No way! So if you see a beautiful green emerald ring, it's probably from Colombia.

5:55 Almost definitely. But their real treasure is their land. The massive Andes split into three huge mountain ranges called Cordilleras, which creates the perfect climate for growing coffee.

6:09 Coffee! My parents are basically zombies in the morning until they have their coffee.

6:14 Well they should thank Colombia! The country exports around 11 million bags of coffee every single year. Each bag weighs 132 pounds. That's enough to fill hundreds of Olympic swimming pools.

6:29 Wow. But wait, Mira, I heard Colombia also had some really tough times recently. Is that true?

6:36 It is true, Finn. In the late 1900s, the country went through a very hard chapter. People were deeply divided, and an internal conflict lasted for over 50 years. It was a time when a lot of people had to leave their homes.

6:52 That sounds really sad. Are things getting better for them?

6:56 Yes, they are. The Colombian people are incredibly strong and resilient. In 2016, they signed a historic peace agreement. They've been working so hard to heal and build a bright, hopeful future.

7:10 How do you rebuild after something like that?

7:13 Through brilliant ideas. In the city of Medellin, they built huge cable cars, like the gondolas at ski resorts. These fly over the mountains to connect poor neighbourhoods at the top to the bustling city at the bottom. That is so smart! It's like a flying bus system. It totally changed the city. In fact, Medellin was even named the most innovative city in the world.

7:39 Colombia is a country that is healing through amazing architecture, vibrant music, and by protecting its incredible nature.

7:48 Ooh, how much nature are we talking about?

7:52 Prepare to have your mind blown. Colombia is the second most biodiverse country on the entire planet. Number two in the whole world! Yes, because of its coastlines, jungles and mountains, it has over 1,900 different species of birds. That is 20% of all the bird species on Earth, more than any other country.

8:19 Do they have weird, unusual animals too? Have you ever heard of a pink river dolphin?

8:25 A dolphin that is pink, like bubblegum.

8:29 Exactly. They swim in the Amazon River in the south of Colombia. And speaking of magical nature, there's a place called the Kokora Valley that is filled with wax palm trees that grow up to 200 feet tall.

8:43 200 feet? That's as tall as a 20-story building. Trees that big actually exist.

8:50 They do. The landscape is so incredibly beautiful that the creators of the movie Encanto base the magical casita's surroundings on the Kokora Valley.

9:00 Oh, I love that movie. No wonder it looks so magical.

9:04 Alright, Finn, quiz time. I have five rapid fire questions for you.

9:09 Okay, I'm ready. I've been paying super close attention.

9:13 First question. What was the name of the real legendary person covered in gold dust? Next one. What freezing mountain range did Simon Bolivar lead his army across? Question three. What green gemstone does Colombia produce the most of in the world? Here's number four. What magical movie was inspired by Colombia's super tall wax palm trees?

9:51 Last question. How many species of birds live in Colombia? Great job! Let's see how you did. First, the legendary person covered in gold was the zebra, which became the legend of El Dorado. For question two, Simon Bolívar boldly crossed the freezing Andes Mountains. The green gemstones are emeralds. Colombia produces up to 90% of the world's supply.

10:22 Number four, the movie inspired by the tall palm trees of the Kokora Valley is encanto. And finally, Colombia is home to over 1,900 species of birds, more than anywhere else on Earth. Wow!

10:38 From Gold Dust Kings and freezing mountain battles to pink dolphins and flying gondolas, Colombia's story is a massive adventure.

10:47 It really is. It's a beautiful country, filled with strong, resilient people who have overcome hard times to build an amazing future. Matthew, we really hope you have the most incredible trip there this summer.

11:02 Yeah, take tons of pictures of those giant palm trees. Hey guys, if you love learning about Colombia's epic history with us today, please leave us a five-star review.

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11:21 Oh, and don't forget to head over to our site kidopoly.com. We've got tons of fun learning games and activities there to keep your brain supercharged.

11:31 And if you want a shout out on the show or just want to say hi and tell us what topic to do next, send us an email at hello at kidopoly.com.

11:40 See you next time on History's Not Boring. Bye everyone.