Gran Colombia in 1819

Gran Colombia was an independent state that existed for only 12 years, when it was split into the modern nations of Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador.

The region had been under the control of the Inca Empire, when it was subjugated by Spain in the early 1500s. As such, it became a region of the Viceroyalty of Peru, which covered the entire former empire. By 1717, it was detached from Peru with the creation of a new entity called the Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada. After a war of independence that lasted from 1810 to 1819, the newly formed republic took the name Gran Colombia (Greater Colombia) in honor of Christopher Columbus. The complexity of the geography led to establishing local governments in remote areas, with departments of Venezuela and Ecuador centered around the cities of Caracas and Quito.

Political stability was never found between the proponents of a centralized state and those who favoured federalism. As a result, Venezuela and Ecuador seceded in 1831, and the remaining territory took the name of New Granada. It was renamed Colombia in 1863. With the help of the United States, which was building a Canal, Panama became independent from Colombia in 1903.

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