For the curious: both "Columbia" and "Colombia" arise from Christopher Columbus' name, spelled with a 'u' in English and in Latin but with an 'o' both in Spanis

For the curious: both "Columbia" and "Colombia" arise from Christopher Columbus' name, spelled with a 'u' in English and in Latin but with an 'o' both in Spanish and Columbus' own native Italian. Hence, in English-speaking usage, "Columbia" (with a u) is more common, as in the Columbia River or District of Columbia. But the (Spanish-speaking) South American country uses the 'o' spelling.