Colombia Fast Facts

8/3/2019 Colombia Fast Facts

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COLOMBIACOLOMBIA

Kolumbien - Colombie - ColmbiaKolumbien - Colombie - Colmbia

Geographical Location

Historical Background

National Symbols

Natural Regions

Colombian Food

2003 C. Giraldo, A. Calixto and M. Rodriguez - ColombianStudentsAssociation


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Colombia North of the SouthColombia North of the South

Colombia, the Golden Gate

of South America, is

surrounded by the Atlantic

and Pacific oceans. Crossed

in two sections by the

Equator, the north denotes

the end of the Andes

Mountains, while the south

is the beginning of the

Amazon basin. One of the

richest countries in

biological diversity, it ishome to the largest number

of species of birds,

butterflies and orchids, as

well as the tallest palm trees

and the largest bird in the

world, the Andean Condor.



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Population: 42 million

Area: 1,141,748 sq.kms. (446,000 sq.mi.)Currency: Peso

Independence Day: July 20

Government: Democratic Republic

Official Language: Spanish

Religion: 95% of the population is Roman Catholic

President2002-2006: Alvaro Uribe

Republic of ColombiaRepublic of Colombia

Honoring the discoverer of America,Cristoforo Colombo (Christopher Columbus)



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Patriotic SymbolsPatriotic Symbols

The yellow (twice the size of the blue and red) symbolizes

Colombia's wealth and resources.

The bluerepresents the two oceans and the many rivers thatirrigate our territory.

The redis a tribute to the blood shed by our patriots who

fought against Spain and gave Colombia its independence on

July 20, 1810.

National Anthem

Music Oreste Sindice

Lyrics Rafael Nuez



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National SymbolsNational Symbols

National Tree: Wax Palms

Ceroxylon quinduiense

National Flower: Orchid

Cattleya trianae

National Bird: Andean Condor

Vultur grypus



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Historical BackgroundHistorical BackgroundPre-Columbian cultures existed in scattered pockets in the Andean region and

on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Among the most outstanding were the

Tayrona, Sin, Muisca, Quimbaya, Tierradentro and San Agustn. Many of the

tribes produced accomplished goldwork and pottery, and some left behind

burial chambers and rock paintings which have helped anthropologists piece

together their cultures.Alonso de Ojeda, a companion of Christopher Columbus, landed on the Guajira

Peninsula in 1499. The wealth of the local Indians promulgated the myth of El

Dorado, and the shores of present-day Colombia became the target of numerous

expeditions. The Indians originally tolerated the arrival of the Spaniards but

rebelled when the colonists tried to enslave them and confiscate their lands. In

1544, the country was incorporated into the viceroyalty of Peru, where it

remained until 1739 when it became a part of New Granada (comprising the

territories of what are today Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama).



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EldoradoEldoradoThe Gilded One

'He went about all covered withpowdered gold, as casually as if itwere powdered salt. For itseemed to him that to wear anyother finery was less beautiful,and that to put on ornaments orarms made of gold worked byhammering, stamping, or by

other means, was a vulgar andcommon thing.'Gonzalo Fernndez de Oviedo,1535-48



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Simon Bolivar El LibertadorSimon Bolivar El LibertadorAlong with slavery, the Spanish

monopoly over commerce, taxes and

duty slowly gave rise to protest,

particularly towards the end of the 18th

century.

Simon Bolivar (1783-1830)

He was one of South America's

greatest generals. His victories over

the Spaniards won independence for

Bolivia, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador,

Peru, and Venezuela. He is calledEl

Libertador(The Liberator) and the

"George Washington of South

America."

It was during this period that the firststirrings of national autonomy occurred,

but it wasn't until 1819, and the

appearance of Venezuelan liberator

Simon Bolvar and his army, that

independence was achieved.

Ten years of uneasy confederation with

Venezuela and Ecuador followed in the

form of Gran Colombia, until regional

differences between the three finally

undermined the union



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Natural RegionsNatural Regions

Colombia is in the Equatorial zone, but the high Andes give it a varied terrain,

from humid jungles and tropical plains at sea level, to the pramo andperpetual snows. Geographers have devised different ways to divide Colombia

into regions. It is most appropriate to divide the country into five geographic

and natural regions:

Amazon Rainforest Region

Andean Highlands RegionCaribbean Lowlands Coastal Region.

Pacific Lowlands Coastal Region

Eastern Plains Region



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Andean HighlandsAndean Highlands

The Andes Mountains split in three

distinct, roughly parallel chains, called

cordilleras, that extend northeastward

almost to the Caribbean Sea. Altitudes

reach more than 5,700 meters, and

mountain peaks are permanentlycovered with snow.

Altitude controls not only the climate

but also the agriculture of a given area,

and production is amazingly varied. Inthe late 1980s, approximately 78 percent

of the country's population lived in the

Andean highlands.



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Products and CitiesProducts and Cities

Products:

Main crops: coffee, potatoes, wheat,

corn, fruits, vegetables and flowers.

Industry: leading sectors are

textiles, chemicals and intermediateconsumer goods.

Main cities:

Bogot D.C. (Capital District).

Other important cities are

Medellin, Cali and Bucaramanga.

Minerals: this region produces the

outstanding and worldwide

renowned Colombian emeralds.



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FolkloreFolklore

It seems that hardly a day goes by without

some kind of festival in some corner.

The Flowers Parade is a beautiful event

held in Medellin. The peasants or

silleteros elaborate their sillas withflowers of the region.



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Caribbean LowlandsCaribbean LowlandsThe Caribbean lowlands consist of all

of Colombia that is north of an

imaginary line extending

northeastward from the Gulf of Urab

(near the border with Panama) to the

Venezuelan border at the northern end

of the Cordillera Oriental.

In the northernmost part of the country,

the semiarid Guajira Peninsula,

stretches in the blue waters of the

Caribbean sea.

In the central part rises the Sierra Nevada

de Santa Marta, an isolated mountain

system with peaks reaching heights over

5,700 meters and slopes generally too

steep for cultivation.



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Cities and ProductsCities and Products

The region produces bananas, cotton andAfrican palm. Traditional and industrial

fisheries abound along the coast.

Cities like Cartagena de Indias, the mostfortified city in the Americas, and San

Andres island, are national and international

tourist destinations.

The largest marine salt complex of the

country is located in the Guajiras

white beaches. Not far from there, El

Cerrejon hosts the largest opencast

coal mine in the world.



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FolkloreFolklore

The most famous carnival

takes place each February in

Barranquilla.

A mix of legacies from native

Americans, African slaves andold Spanish conquerors

explodes in multicolor

expressions of joy and music.

The carnival lasts for four daysand ends on Ash Wednesdays

eve.



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Eastern Plains RegionEastern Plains RegionThe area east of the Andes includes

about 699,300 square kilometers, or

three-fifths of the country's total area.

The entire area, known as the eastern

plains is rich in oil, agriculture andcattle breeding.

The region is unbroken by highlands except

in Meta Department, where the Macarena

Sierra, an outlier of the Andes, is of interest

to scientists because its vegetation and

wildlife are believed to be reminiscent of

those that once existed throughout the Andes.



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Products and CitiesProducts and CitiesThe economy had

been based on

cattle-raising, but

oil reserves have

proved to be larger

and of better quality

than expected and

oil production has

now become a

major input for the

economy.

Among other farm

products, thisregion crops rice,

African palm,

tobacco, yam, and

ripe plantain.

The area east of the Andes includes about

699,300 square kilometers, or three-fifths,

of the country's total area. Although this

region is vast, the density of population is

low .

The main cities are Villavicencio, Arauca

and Yopal.



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FolkloreFolklore

Thejoropo andgaleron are the

typical dances of the Eastern

plains. The harp, the trebleclarinet, the maracas and the

four-string guitar are the

regular ensemble for an event in

the Llanos (plains)



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People and CulturePeople and Culture

The majority of the population of the

Pacific region is black and of an

indigenous tribe. Both of these ethnic

groups still conserve their traditions.

One of the main

attractions of this region

is Gorgona Island where,

during August andSeptember, the Yubartas

-hunchback whales-

visit its coast.



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Amazon RainforestAmazon Rainforest

Colombia shares a portion of the so-

called largest lung of the Earth. This

area has a very low population

density and access is only possible

by air or riding one of the many longrivers that cross it.

Inhabitants are mostly native tribes

that preserve their pre-discovery

traditions.Colombia is the second richest country in

biodiversity in the world, after Brazil.Colombia's herbariums have classified over

130,000 plants, including Victoria

Amazonica, which is similar to a water lily

and has leaves large and strong enough to

support a child.



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Andres Jaramillo Botero

Ca r l o s V i ve s

Juan MontoyaJuan Montoya


Some Colombians Around the World


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Only in Colombia



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COLOMBIAN CUISINECOLOMBIAN CUISINE

The Taste of the TropicsThe Taste of the Tropics

BANDEJA PAISA

CAZUELA DE MARISCOS

MONDONGO

PIPITORIAAJIACO

MAMONA



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If you want to see the Caribbean,

go to Cuba or Dominican Republic;

If you want to see the Pacific Ocean,

go to Chile;

If you want to see The Andes,

go to Ecuador;

If you want to see The Amazon,

go to Brasil;

If you want to see the pre-columbian cultures,

go to Mxico or Per;

but if you want to see all these things together, your destination is

definitelyColombia.



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Credits

Viva Colombia Video CD. MinDesarrollo,Genoma Ltda. Colombia 2002.

http://www.yocreoencolombia.com/

http://www.themodernword.com/gabo/ http://www.wag.caltech.edu/home-pages/ajarami

http://www.geocities.com/colombia_botero/

http://www.americas-fr.com/musique/cartes/carl

http://www.yocreoencolombia.com/http://www.themodernword.com/gabo/http://www.wag.caltech.edu/home-pages/ajaramil/http://www.geocities.com/colombia_botero/http://www.americas-fr.com/musique/cartes/carlos-vives.html/http://www.americas-fr.com/musique/cartes/carlos-vives.html/http://www.geocities.com/colombia_botero/http://www.wag.caltech.edu/home-pages/ajaramil/http://www.themodernword.com/gabo/http://www.yocreoencolombia.com/


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For more information visit or

e-mail us at:http://stuact.tamu.edu/stuorgs/csa/

[email protected]
http://stuact.tamu.edu/stuorgs/csa/http://stuact.tamu.edu/stuorgs/csa/

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