Nariño, Colombia

Colombia is a transcontinental country whose mainland lies in the northwest portion of South America, and island territories in the North American territory. Many Native American Indian tribes including the Incan Empire inhabited this land since 12,000 BC. In 1499 Spain claimed land, and by the mid 16th century had annexed part of this region. The sovereign state the Republic of Colombia was founded on July 20, 1810 and became independent from Spain in 1819. Colombia is both ethnically and linguistically diverse, drawing its cultural heritage from Amerindian civilizations and European colonization.