White Colombians
| Total population | |
|---|---|
|
approx. 17,519,500 (37% of Colombian population) |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Throughout the nation, especially in the Andean Region, and the Major Cities. | |
| Languages | |
| Colombian Spanish | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Christianity (Roman Catholic, Protestant, other Christians), Atheism and Judaism |
White Colombians are the Colombian descendants of European (overwhelmingly Spanish) and Middle Eastern (primarily Lebanese and Syrian) people, who self identify as such. According to the 2005 Census 85% of Colombians do not identify with any ethnic group, thus being either White or Mestizo, which are not categorized separately. It is nevetherless estimated that 37% of the Colombian population can be categorized as white, forming the second largest racial group after mestizos (at 49 percent). Genetic research with over 60,000 blood tests and 25 variables, determined that the average Colombian (of all races) has an admixture of 65% European/Mediterranean, 22% native Amerindian and 13% African ancestry, with these proportions varying widely among regions and ethnicities.
The various racial groups exist in differing concentrations throughout the nation, in a pattern that to some extent goes back to colonial origins. Paisa Region and Bogotá have the a largest concentration of White Colombians. Whites tend to live mainly in the urban centers, like Medellín or Bogotá, and the burgeoning highland cities.
The presence of Whites in Colombia began in 1510 with the colonization of San Sebastián de Urabá. In 1526, settlers founded Santa Marta, the oldest Spanish city still in existence in Colombia. Many Spaniards began their exploration searching for gold, while others established themselves as leaders of the native social organizations teaching the Christian faith and the ways of their civilization. Catholic priests would provide education for Native Americans that otherwise was unavailable. Within 100 years after the first Spanish settlement, nearly 95 percent of all Native Americans in Colombia had died. The majority of the deaths were the cause of diseases spread by the settlers, such as measles and smallpox. Some natives were also killed in armed conflicts with their new neighbours.
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Wikipedia