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Our Place in the World Colombia is the only country in South America with coastlines on both the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Lying to the south of Panamá, Colombia controls the land access between Central and South America. With Panamá to the north, Colombia is surrounded by Venezuela to the east, Brazil to the southeast, Ecuador and Perú to the south west.
Our Flag Our flag's colours have a meaning. Yellow (double the size of blue and red) is for wealth and resources. Blue symbolizes our two oceans and the rivers of our territory. Red is a tribute to blood spilled by patriots during the independency wars.
Our Coat of Arms Our Coat of Arms has three horizontal stripes. The first one represents the richness of the land; minerals, and the rich soil from the tropical zone.The second section represents the symbol of freedom on a field of platinum, a precious metal from Colombia.The last section represents the two coastal areas of the country, and the Panama Canal that used to be part of Colombia. At the top of the coat of arms is the condor that represents liberty. Hanging from its beak is a laurel wreath with a golden ribbon containing the words "Libertad y Orden" (Freedom & Order) printed in black.
Colombia is… • For most travellers, Colombia is unknown territory – a land of myths, of cocaine barons, guerrillas, emeralds, coffee and the mysterious El Dorado. It is the land of Gabriel García Márquez and his famous novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude – a tale as magical as the country itself. • It’s a country of amazing natural and cultural diversity and contrast, where climate, topography, wildlife, crafts, music and architecture change within hours of overland travel – it’s as if Colombia were several countries rolled into one.
Facts • Full Name: Republic of Colombia • Capital City: Bogotá • Area: 1,141,748 sq km, 440,829 sq miles • Population: 41,500,000 • Time Zone: GMT/UTC -5 () • Language: Spanish (official), Spanish is the official language; there are also about 65 indigenous languages. • Religion: Catholic (90%), with the remainder a mixture of traditional, Episcopal & Jewish faiths • Currency: Colombian Peso (Col$) ($ 1 USD = $ 2,400 COP aprox.) • Electricity: 110V 60HzHz • Country Dialing Code: 57
Colombian People Colombian people form a palette of ethnic blends uncommon elsewhere on the continent and include a few dozen Indian groups, some of which still maintain traditional lifestyles. The Colombian people are very, very special – you’ll rarely find such joyful, open-hearted, skilled and inspiring folk during your travels. And Colombia also boasts a developed tourist infrastructure and is one of the cheapest countries on the South American continent. It is one of the world’s most exotic, sensual, wild, complex and fascinating countries.
Economy Main Agricultural Products: Crops; sugarcane, potatoes, plantains, rice, bananas, cassavas, corn, coffee, flowers. Livestock; cattle, sheep, pigs, chicken. Main Mined Products: Petroleum, natural gas, gold, coal, iron ore. Main Manufactured Products: Foods, textiles, chemicals, machinery, electrical apparatus, transport equipment, metal products. Main Exports: Coffee, petroleum and petroleum products, fruits, flowers, iron and steel, textile and apparel. Main Imports: Machinery, chemicals, transport equipment. Monetary Unit: Peso.
Culture Typical Colombian Dances • Mapalé • Cumbia • Joropo • Bambuco • Porro
Colombian Manners • Colombians are formal and friendly in the way they greet you. For men a handshake and for women either a handshake (if the person is not very familiar to you) or one kiss on the cheek (if the person is familiar to you), is the usual greeting. • For close friends hugs are usually exchanged, Colombians are very demonstrative. • Generally speaking, Colombians do not need the same amount of personal space as someone from the UK; for example, people might seem to push in the queue before you. Occasionally, this might have to do with the fact that they have not realised that you are waiting to be served. • Driving is a bit of a problem here; pedestrians are hardly ever respected. Many people do not use indicators, zebra crossings are not often respected for the pedestrians’ point of view and cars, buses and taxis can pull in, in front of you. • If you feel frustrated about something, shouting at people does not work. Colombians are verbally, incredibly polite and respect you If you are polite back. • The Colombians have an expression “no dar papaya” which means do not give people the opportunity to take advantage of you. For example, drawing unnecessary attention to yourself by showing off an expensive watch, which may tempt someone to steal it, or by making it easy for someone to take something from you. • The security problems of Colombia are the typical ones, you do need to take extreme precautions, however, if you walk around with a scared look on your face when visiting the “Candelaria” of the centre of town this will not help you.
Fauna & Flora • Colombia’s geography is among the most varied in South America, as are its flora and fauna. Few countries have the variety of cultural and natural resources that Colombia has; white-sand beaches, mountains, snow-covered peaks, endless plains, rainforests, exotic vegetation, archaeological zones, modern cities and calm towns with colonial flavour, frozen in time, and of course, its people, kind and warm.
History • Colombia is named after Christopher Columbus, even though he never set foot on Colombian soil. It was Alonso de Ojeda, one of his companions on his second voyage, who landed on the Cabo de la Vela on the Guajira Peninsula in 1499. He briefly explored the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and was astonished by the wealth of the local Indians. Their gold and their stories about fabolous treasures inland gave birth to the myth of El Dorado, a mysterious kingdom abundant in gold. In a short period of time, a large part of the colony was conquered by Spaniards and a number of towns were founded. • The population of the colony, initially consisting of indigenous communities and the Spanish invaders, diversified with the arrival of blacks, brought from Africa to serve as the workforce. The demographic picture became more complex when three racial groups began to mix, producing fusions like mestizos (European – Indian), mulatos (European – African) and zambos (African – Indian).
A Spanish domination of the continent increased with years, and this, together with a series of external events (North American and French revolutions, and the invasion of Spain by Napoleón Bonaparte), paved the way to independence. When Napoleón put his own brother on the Spanish throne in 1808, the colonies refused to recognise the new monarch. One by one, Colombian towns declared their independence. • When Napoleón was defeated at Waterloo, Spain recovered its throne and then set about reconquering its colonies. Troops were sent under Pablo Morillo and Cartagena was retaken in 1815. Spanish troops reconquered the interior and colonial rule was re-established by 1817. • Simón Bolívar marched over the Andes into Colombia, and after many battles he arrived triumphantly in Bogotá. Colombia´s independence was won.
Money Equivalencies: 100 pesos = 1 bubble gum 1,000 pesos = 1 bus ticket 10,000 pesos = 1 manicure 100,000 pesos = Dinner for two 1´000,000 pesos = Rent a 100 mt apartment 10´000.000 pesos = A motorcycle 100´000.000 pesos = Buy a 50 mt apartment • The official currency of Colombia is the PESO. 1 PESO = 100 centavos. • There are coins in the following denominations: $20, $50, $100, $200 and $500 pesos. (The $ 1,000 coin used to exist). • There are paper notes in the following denominations: $1,000, $2,000, $5,000, $10,000, $20,000 and $50,000 pesos. • You will need your passport to conduct any banking in Colombia. • The exchange rate to June 14th, 2006 is: $ 2,535 Pesos = $ 1 USD$ 4,708 pesos = £ 1
Archaeological Sites There are three important archaeological sites in the country: San Agustín Tierradentro Ciudad Perdida
Colombians that you already know… Fernando Botero - Artist Carlos Vives - Singer Juanes - Singer Gabriel García Márquez - Nobel Prize in Literature Shakira - Singer Camilo Villegas - Golfer • Alvaro Uribe Vélez • President of • Colombia Manuel Elkin Patarroyo - Discovered the Malaria Vaccine Catalina Sandino - Actress Juan Pablo Montoya - F1 Driver Pibe Valderrama - Football Player Fabiola Zuluaga - Tennist
