Colombia

Colombia is located in the northwestern corner of South America, with coasts on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and bordered by five countries. It is the only South American country with access to both oceans and includes parts of the Andes Mountains, the Amazon rainforest, and the Orinoco plains, creating extreme ecological variety.

Thanks to this strategic location and topographic complexity, Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth—ranked #1 globally in bird and orchid species, and among the top for amphibians, butterflies, and mammals. The country features a wide array of ecosystems: tropical rainforests, cloud forests, páramos (high mountain tundra), mangroves, deserts, and coral reefs.

This biodiversity is protected through a growing network of national parks and reserves, including Serranía de Chiribiquete, the largest national park in Colombia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With its combination of tropical location, varied elevation, and coastal access, Colombia plays a crucial role in global biodiversity and conservation efforts.