Colombia
Waiting for the first voice
تا مرد سخن نگفته باشد / عیب و هنرش نهفته باشد
Until a man has spoken, his faults and his gifts both stay hidden.
No advice from here yet. Know an elder from this country? Your recording could be the first: 2–3 minutes on a phone.
Did you know
The aquatic plant Macarenia gives Caño Cristales its green, yellow, pink and red hues, which change with the rains. (source)
Elders in numbers
- of people are 65 or older
- 10.2%
- people aged 65 or older
- 5.4M
- will be 65 or older in 2050
- 20.6%
- is how long people live after 60, on average
- 22.9 years
- of people 65+ live alone
- 14.9%
- women 15.4%, men 14.3%
- of people 65+ live in collective quarters: care homes, hospitals, hostels and the like
- 0.8%
Sources: World Bank, 2025; World Bank projection for 2050; WHO, 2023; UN, 2018; UN, 2018 census
Languages
88 languages, 84 of them endangered
- AndoqueCritically endangered
- CarijonaCritically endangered
- CocamaCritically endangered
- MapoyoCritically endangered
- OcainaCritically endangered
- PisamiraCritically endangered
- ResígaroCritically endangered
- SalibaCritically endangered
- TarianaCritically endangered
- TiniguaCritically endangered
- MuinaneSeverely endangered
- Nüpode HuitotoSeverely endangered
Show all 88
- AchawaDefinitely endangered
- Angosturas TuneboDefinitely endangered
- BaniwaDefinitely endangered
- Barasana-EduriaDefinitely endangered
- Barro Negro TuneboDefinitely endangered
- CabiyariDefinitely endangered
- CamsáDefinitely endangered
- CarapanaDefinitely endangered
- Central TuneboDefinitely endangered
- ChimilaDefinitely endangered
- CubeoDefinitely endangered
- CuibaDefinitely endangered
- DesanoDefinitely endangered
- IngaDefinitely endangered
- KakwaDefinitely endangered
- KoreguajeDefinitely endangered
- MacaguánDefinitely endangered
- MacunaDefinitely endangered
- Minica HuitotoDefinitely endangered
- Murui HuitotoDefinitely endangered
- NheengatuDefinitely endangered
- NukakDefinitely endangered
- PalenqueroDefinitely endangered
- PiapocoDefinitely endangered
- PiratapuyoDefinitely endangered
- PlayeroDefinitely endangered
- Providence Island Sign LanguageDefinitely endangered
- PuinaveDefinitely endangered
- SecoyaDefinitely endangered
- SionaDefinitely endangered
- SirianoDefinitely endangered
- Tanimuca-RetuarãDefinitely endangered
- TatuyoDefinitely endangered
- TuyucaDefinitely endangered
- WaimahãDefinitely endangered
- WananoDefinitely endangered
- WarekenaDefinitely endangered
- Western TuneboDefinitely endangered
- WiwaDefinitely endangered
- WounaanDefinitely endangered
- YaguaDefinitely endangered
- YaruroDefinitely endangered
- YucunaDefinitely endangered
- ArhuacoVulnerable
- Awa PitVulnerable
- BaríVulnerable
- BaudoVulnerable
- BoraVulnerable
- Border KunaVulnerable
- CarabayoVulnerable
- CatioVulnerable
- ChamiVulnerable
- CofánVulnerable
- Colombian Sign LanguageVulnerable
- CurripacoVulnerable
- Emberá-TadóVulnerable
- EperaraVulnerable
- GuahiboVulnerable
- GuambianoVulnerable
- GuayaberoVulnerable
- KoguiVulnerable
- Napo Lowland QuechuaVulnerable
- Northern EmberaVulnerable
- PáezVulnerable
- PiaroaVulnerable
- San Andrés–Providencia CreoleVulnerable
- San Blas KunaVulnerable
- TicunaVulnerable
- TucanoVulnerable
- WayuuVulnerable
- YuhupVulnerable
- YukpaVulnerable
- Hup
- Portuguese
- Spanish
- Wajiara
Languages and their status: Glottolog v5.3, CC BY 4.0. Names: Wikidata.
UNESCO intangible heritage
- Living pictures of Galeras, Sucre2024
- Midwifery: knowledge, skills and practices2023
- Ancestral system of knowledge of the four indigenous peoples, Arhuaco, Kankuamo, Kogui and Wiwa of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta2022
- Traditional knowledge and techniques associated with Pasto Varnish mopa-mopa of Putumayo and Nariño2020
- Safeguarding strategy of traditional crafts for peace building2019
- Colombian-Venezuelan llano work songs2017
- Traditional Vallenato music of the Greater Magdalena region2015
- Marimba music, traditional chants and dances from the Colombia South Pacific region and Esmeraldas Province of Ecuador2015
Show all 15
- Festival of Saint Francis of Assisi, Quibdó2012
- Traditional knowledge of the jaguar shamans of Yuruparí2011
- Wayuu normative system, applied by the Pütchipü’üi (palabrero)2010
- Carnaval de Negros y Blancos2009
- Holy Week processions in Popayán2009
- Carnival of Barranquilla2008
- Cultural space of Palenque de San Basilio2008
List and years: ich.unesco.org
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