Gran Colombia: Map & History
Gran Colombia, also known as Greater Colombia and officially the Republic of Colombia, was the Colombian state that encompassed much of northern South America and parts of Central America from 1819 to 1831.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
Gran Colombia, also known as Greater Colombia and officially the Republic of Colombia, was the Colombian state that encompassed much of northern South America and parts of Central America from 1819 to 1831. It included present-day Colombia, mainland Ecuador, Panama, Venezuela, parts of northern Peru, northwestern Brazil, and claimed the Essequibo region. The terms Gran Colombia and Greater Colombia are used historiographically to distinguish it from the current Republic of Colombia, which is also the official name of the former state.
Modern Countries Once Part of Gran Colombia
At its mapped extent, Gran Colombia covered territory in 10 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Colombia1822–1833 CE · nearly all
- Bolivia1824–1829 CE · nearly all
- Venezuela1822–1833 CE · nearly all
- Ecuador1822–1833 CE · most
- Panama1822–1833 CE · most
- Paraguay1824–1829 CE · a small part
- Peru1822–1833 CE · a small part
- Chile1824–1829 CE · a small part
- Brazil1822–1833 CE · a small part
- Argentina1824–1829 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
- Santa Cruz, Bolivia
- La Paz, Bolivia
- El Beni, Bolivia
- Antioquia, Colombia
- Antofagasta, Chile
- Cochabamba, Bolivia
- Potosí, Bolivia
- Guárico, Venezuela
- Loreto, Peru
- Anzoátegui, Venezuela
- Bolívar, Colombia
- Boyacá, Colombia
- Chuquisaca, Bolivia
- Esmeraldas, Ecuador
- Manabi, Ecuador
- Meta, Colombia
- Nariño, Colombia
- Tarija, Bolivia
- Trujillo, Venezuela
- Valle del Cauca, Colombia
- Amazonas, Brazil
- Mato Grosso, Brazil
- Presidente Hayes, Paraguay
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Gran Colombia's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Gran Colombia in Depth
History
In 1821, it was proclaimed by the Congress of Cúcuta in the Constitution of Cúcuta and had been promulgated through the Fundamental Law of the Republic of Colombia during the Congress of Angostura (1819). The territory it claimed loosely corresponded to the former territories of the Viceroyalty of New Granada (1739–1777), which it claimed under the legal principle of uti possidetis. It united the territories of the former Third Republic of Venezuela, the United Provinces of New Granada, the former Royal Audiencia of Panama, and the Presidency of Quito (which was still under Spanish rule in 1821).
Government
Before a new constitution could be written by the 1821 Congress of Cúcuta, the 1819 Congress of Angostura appointed Bolívar and Santander president and vice president, respectively. Under the Constitution of Cúcuta, the country was divided into twelve departments, each governed by an intendant. Departments were further divided into thirty-six provinces, each headed by a governor, who had overlapping powers with the intendant. Military affairs at the department level were overseen by a commandant general, who could also be the intendant. The central government appointed all three offices. The central government, which temporarily was to reside in Bogotá, consisted of a presidency, a bicameral congress, and a high court (the Alta Corte).
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Gran Colombia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Gran Colombia: Key Facts
| Capital | Bogotá |
|---|---|
| Official language | Spanish |
| Form of government | republic, federal republic |
| Currencies | piastre, Colombian real |
| Founded | 1819 |
| Dissolved | 1831 |
Preceded by
- Viceroyalty of New Granada
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q199821 (CC0).
Gran Colombia Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 4,322,815 km² in 1826 CE.
Gran Colombia: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Gran Colombia exist?
Gran Colombia is dated to 1822 CE – 1833 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of Gran Colombia?
The capital of Gran Colombia was Bogotá.
How large was Gran Colombia at its peak?
At its peak in 1826 Gran Colombia covered about 4,322,815 km².
Other Sovereign Realms
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Söğüt, Bursa, Edirne, Constantinople
Industrial Era • Capital: London
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Raigad