Colombia

1. Colombia

2. Where is it?

3. Facts • Capital: Bogota • Population: 49 million • Named after Christopher Columbus • Mostly Catholic • Has different ecozones from tropical rainforests to desert to savanna • The second most biodiverse country in the world

4. El Dorado • Spanish conquistadors were lured to what was then called New Granada in a search for El Dorado, the "city of gold“ • Their explorations resulted in much of northern South America being mapped for the first time • At first the term was used by the Spanish Empire to describe a mythical tribal chief of the native people of Colombia, who, as an initiation rite, covered himself with gold dust and submerged in a lake • The legends surrounding El Dorado changed over time, as it went from being a man, to a city, to a kingdom, and then finally an empire.

5. 20th Century History • The late 1940s - early 1950s was a period known as La Violencia ("The Violence"). • A time of political tension, assassinations, and riots that claimed the lives of at least 180,000 Colombians • They had a military coup in the 1950s • Since the 1960s, the country has suffered from an armed conflict between the • government forces • left-wing guerrilla groups • right-wing paramilitaries.

6. In all, the war—the longest continuous in the world—is thought to have claimed 220,000 lives between 1958 and 2013, and uprooted around 7 million people

7. FARC – Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia • Was a guerilla movement that had been fighting the government since 1964 • It was founded as the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party after the military attacked rural communist settlements in the aftermath of La Violencia • It used terrorism, kidnapping, illegal mining, extortion, and the production and distribution of illegal drugs • Approx. 20–30% of the recruits were minors, most of whom were forced to join the FARC • Some countries classify it as a terrorist organization, others do not • In June 2016, the FARC signed a ceasefire accord with the President of Colombia (this earned him the Nobel Peace Prize). • In 2017 FARC disarmed itself and handed over its weapons to the UN • Then they turned themselves into a legal political party • However, thousands of FARC supporters still continue with drug trafficking

8. Pablo Escobar (1949-1993) • He was a Colombian drug lord, drug trafficker and narco-terrorist. • His Medellin cartel supplied an estimated 80% of the cocaine smuggled into the United States, turning over US $21.9 billion a year in personal income • "The King of Cocaine“ • He was the wealthiest criminal in history, with an estimated known net worth of US $30 billion by the early 1990s (equivalent to about $55 billion as of 2016), making him one of the richest men in the world at his prime.

9. Invasive Cocaine Hippos • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU1laVxReaY 2:38 • In the 1980s Escobar brought 4 hippos to his private ranch • They escaped into the wild after the collapse of his empire, and today are around 60 hippos • Some enjoy the sight of the hippos • They can also be a nuisance. The massive animals can be seen wandering through city streets and even chasing locals • Cornrare, the Colombian environmental agency that cares for the animals, has recently tried curbing the population through castration.

10. Medellin • In 1991, with Escobar at the height of his power, the homicide rate in Medellín reached 375 murders per 100,000 inhabitants per year, or about three times today’s highest homicide rate • Medellín—once nicknamed the “murder capital of the world”—is now called the world’s most innovative city and “South America’s Silicon Valley”

11. Venezuelan Refugees • About 1 million Venezuelans have fled over the border to Colombia to escape the chaos in their home country • They are escaping a crippled economy, violence, political persecution and food and medicine shortages • The UN has been helping Colombia handle the onslaught of people

12. Tourism in colombia

13. Booming Tourism • Tourism usually has been considered a low-growth service industry • For many years the violence deterred tourists from visiting Colombia, with official travel advisories warning against travel to the country. • However, in recent years numbers have risen sharply, thanks to improvements in security • They increased their own military strength and police presence • They pushed rebel groups further away from the major cities, highways and tourist sites • Lonely Planet ranked Colombia second in its list of best countries to visit in 2017 • The government has been taking steps to expand tourism while moving away from its infamous history.

14. Number of visitors has grown 250% in a decade • Cruise ship passengers make up for the majority of growth • Foreign tourist visits: • 1 million in 2006 • 2.5 million in 2016 • Over 3 million in 2017

15. Safety • The recovery of tourism has been helped by the so-called tourist caravans • Military forces provide protection on scheduled days along roads to major attractions

16. Ecotourism • With its very rich and varied geography, which includes the Amazon and Andean regions, the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, and the deserts of La Guajira, and its unique biodiversity, Colombia also has major potential for ecotourism

17. Narco-Tourism • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgXjavjnDTs Vice, 4:19 • Many Americans come to see the legacy of Pablo Escobar • Medellin is struggling to find a balance to not erase history, but to honour the victims of Escobar’s violence instead of glamourizing him

18. Cartegena • The city was founded in 1533, now is a UNESCO site • One of Colombia’s top tourist destinations • This port city has a historic walled fortress and colonial city centre

19. La Lajas Sanctuary • A church built inside the canyon of the Guáitara River • The present church was built in Gothic Revival style between 1916 and 1949. • The inspiration for the church's creation was a miraculous event in 1754, when two women were caught in a storm , found sanctuary and saw the Virgin Mary appear to them • This apparition of the Virgin Mary instigated popular pilgrimage to the site and occasional reports of cases of miraculous healing. The image on the stone is still visible today.

20. Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira • A Catholic church built within the tunnels of a salt mine 200 metres underground • It is a very popular tourist destination and place of pilgrimage • The Salt Cathedral is considered one of the most notable achievements of Colombian architecture,] being described as a "Jewel of Modern Architecture".

21. Cano Cristales • The river is commonly called the "River of Five Colors" or the "Liquid Rainbow", and is even referred to as the most beautiful river in the world due to its striking colors. • The bed of river in the end of July through November is variously colored yellow, green, blue, black, and especially red

22. The Lost City • The ‘Ciudad Perdida’ is an archaeological site in the Sierra Nevada mountain range • This "lost city" is believed to have been founded at the start of the 9th century (650 years older than Machu Picchu).

23. The Coffee Region • Also called the Coffee Triangle • This fertile region, located in the heart of the Andes, is where the majority of the famous Colombian coffee is produced. • The perfect weather conditions to grow the best quality coffee • A great variety of options for rural tourism, including visits to coffee farms, hiking in natural parks or visiting traditional villages.

24. Los Katios National Park

25. Tierradentro • A national archeological park • The area is very well known for its pre- Columbian tombs • The walls are painted with geometric patterns and animals

26. Bogota • The capital city is a blend of very cosmopolitan and modern with colonial • Cobblestoned historic centre • Many museums including the Museum of Gold • Surrounded by the Andes mountains

27. Bogota Street Art • Graffiti has been decriminalized

28. Colombia Clips • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTsPaAIJdnw ‘Geography Now’ Colombia 12:56