New Granada

The name of a former Spanish colony in northern South America, currently spread over Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela.

In 1514, the Spanish first permanently settled in the area. The conqueror Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada[?] colonised a large area in the region, founding the city of Santa Fé de Bogotá (currently Bogotá) and naming the region El nuevo reino de Granada, the new kingdom of Granada - after the kingdom of Granada which had existed in modern Spain. A government was installed in the area in 1549, and in 1717 New Granada was made a viceroyalty.

In 1810, a fight for independence commenced, and Venezuela and Ecuador separated from New Granada in 1830. The remainder was now renamed the Republic of New Granada, which in 1886 changed to the republic of Colombia. Panama became independent of Colombia in 1903.