NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Colombia

Colombia (IPA: /kəˈlʌmbɪə/) officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish: República de Colombia (help· info), IPA: [reˈpuβ̞lika ð̞e koˈlombja]), is a country located in the northwestern region of South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the North by the Atlantic Ocean, through the Caribbean Sea; to the north-west by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. Besides the countries in South America, the Republic of Colombia is recognized to share maritime borders with the Caribbean countries of Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Central American countries of Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.^[1]^[2] Colombia is the Spanish name for land of Christopher Columbus (Cristobal ColÃ³n) and may refer also to: Republic of Colombia a country in South America Greater Colombia a former country. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Colombia. ... Image File history File links Coat_of_arms_of_Colombia. ... The flag of Colombia was adopted on November 26, 1861. ... The Coat of Arms of Colombia contains a shield with numerous symbols. ... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Himno Nacional de la RepÃºblica de Colombia (National Anthem of the Republic of Colombia) is the official name of the national anthem of Colombia. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... Demographics of Colombia, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands. ... For other uses, see BogotÃ¡ (disambiguation). ... An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... In government, see Unitary state In mathematics, see Unitary matrix Unitary operator Unitary group Unitary representation This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... List of Heads of State (Presidents etc. ... Ãlvaro Uribe VÃ©lez (born July 4, 1952) is the 56th President of Colombia, whose first term ran from 2002 to 2006 and is currently serving his second term from 2006 to 2010. ... The Vice President of Colombia is the first in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of Colombia upon certain absences or death, resignation, or removal of the President. ... Francisco Santos CalderÃ³n also known as Pacho Santos born in the city of BogotÃ¡, is a Colombian politician and journalist. ... The President of the Congress of Colombia (Spanish: ) is the leader of the Congress of the Republic of Colombia. ... Nancy Patricia GutiÃ©rrez CastaÃ±eda (born October 16, 1963 in Girardot, Cundinamarca) is a Colombian politician and lawyer. ... CÃ©sar Julio Valencia Copete (born August 24, 1951 in Cali, Valle del Cauca) is a Colombian lawyer and magister of the Supreme Court of Colombia. ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1819 (MDCCCXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) in the [[Grhttp://en. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different surface areas here is a list of areas between 1 million kmÂ² and 10 million kmÂ². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... A percentage is a way of expressing a proportion, a ratio or a fraction as a whole number, by using 100 as the denominator. ... This is a list of countries ordered according to population. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/kmÂ². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations. ... The purchasing power parity (PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their purchasing power. ... There are three lists of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year). ... Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head. ... This article includes two lists of countries of the world[1] sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year divided by the average population for the same year. ... Graphical representation of the Gini coefficient The Gini coefficient is a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth distribution. ... This page talks about Human Development Index, for other HDIs see HDI (disambiguation) World map indicating Human Development Index (2007). ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This talks about the countries in the Human Development Index, for information on the Human Development Index, please Click Here World map indicating Human Development Index (2007) (Colour-blind compliant map) For red-green color vision problems. ... ISO 4217 Code COP User(s) Colombia Inflation 4. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... UTC redirects here. ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... .co is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Colombia. ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ... Colombia has various telephone dial plans, depending on the type of service. ... Image File history File links RepÃºblica_de_Colombia. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Map of Central America and the Caribbean The Caribbean Sea (pronounced or ) is a tropical sea in the Western Hemisphere, part of the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. ... West Indies redirects here. ... Central America is the region of North America located between the southern border of Mexico and the northwest border of Colombia, in South America. ...

Colombia is the 26th largest nation in the world and the fourth-largest country in South America (after Brazil, Argentina, and Peru), with an area more than twice that of France. In Latin America, it is also the country with the third highest population after Brazil and Mexico. Countries by area. ...

Colombia is a standing middle power with one of the largest Spanish speaking populations of the world, large recognition among world's culture and is also one of the largest manufacturers of South America. Colombia is also one of the most ethnically diverse nations in the South cone, product of large-scale migrations during the XX century which has caused a dramatic population growth since then.^[3] Middle power is a term used in the field of international relations to describe states that are not superpowers or great powers, but still have some influence internationally. ...

The country currently suffers from a low-intensity conflict involving rebel guerrilla groups, paramilitary militias, drug trafficking and corruption inside minor towns and some cities. The conflict originated around 1964-1966, when the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) were founded and began their guerrilla insurgency campaigns against successive Colombian government administrations. Colombian Armed Conflict or Colombian Civil War are terms that are employed to refer to the current low intensity conflict in Colombia that has existed since approximately 1964 or 1966, which was when the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and later the National Liberation Army (ELN) were founded and... â€œGuerrillaâ€ redirects here. ... Panamanian motor vessel Gatun during the largest cocaine bust in United States Coast Guard history (20 tons), off the coast of Panama. ... The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombiaâ€“Peoples Army, in Spanish Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombiaâ€“EjÃ©rcito del Pueblo, also known by the acronym of FARC or FARC-EP is a communist revolutionary and armed guerrilla organization in Colombia. ... EjÃ©rcito de LiberaciÃ³n Nacional (usually abbreviated to ELN), or National Liberation Army, is a revolutionary, Marxist, insurgent guerrilla group that has been operating in several regions of Colombia since 1964. ...

Etymology

The word "Colombia" comes from the name of Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón in Spanish, Cristoforo Colombo in Italian). It was conceived by the revolutionary Francisco de Miranda as a reference to the New World, especially to all American territories and colonies under Spanish and Portuguese rule. The name was then adopted by the Republic of Colombia of 1819 formed by the union of Venezuela, New Granada and Ecuador. Christopher Columbus (1451 â€“ May 20, 1506) was a navigator, colonizer, and explorer and one of the first Europeans to explore the Americas after the Vikings. ... Francisco de Miranda SebastiÃ¡n Francisco de Miranda RodrÃguez (commonly known as Francisco de Miranda March 28, 1750 â€“ July 14, 1816) was a South American revolutionary whose own plan for the independence of the Spanish American colonies failed, but who is regarded as a forerunner of SimÃ³n Bol...

In 1830 when Venezuela and Ecuador separated, the Cundinamarca region that remained became a new country: the Republic of New Granada. In 1863 New Granada officially changed its name to United States of Colombia, and in 1886 adopted its present day name: Republic of Colombia. Cundinamarca is a department of Colombia, one of the original nine states of the United States of Colombia. Most of Cundinamarca is in the Eastern Cordillera, just south of BoyacÃ¡, bordered by the Magdalena River on the west, reaching down into the Amazon River basin on the east, and bordering... Motto: Libertad y Orden (Spanish: Liberty and Order) Location of the Republic of the New Granada shown in green Capital Santa Fe de BogotÃ¡ Religion Roman Catholic Government Republic History - The Granadine Convention stablishes the new Federal Republic. ... Capital BogotÃ¡ Religion Roman Catholic Government Republic History - Established 1863 - Rionegro Constitution 1863 - Disestablished 1886 The United States of Colombia is the name adopted in 1863 through the Rionegro Constitution for the nation which had been known as the Republic of New Grenada since the dissolution of the federation of...

History

// Main article: Indigenous peoples in Colombia The Zipa used to cover his body in gold and, from his raft, he offered treasures to the Guatavita goddess in the middle of the sacred lake. ... This is a timeline of Colombian history. ...

Pre-Columbian Era

Approximately 10,000 BC hunter-gatherer societies existed near present-day Bogotá (at "El Abra" and "Tequendama") which traded with one another and with cultures living in the Magdalena River Valley.^[4] Beginning in the first millennium BC, groups of Amerindians developed the political system of "cacicazgos" with a pyramidal structure of power headed by caciques. Within Colombia, the two cultures with the most complex cacicazgo systems were the Tayronas in the Caribbean Region, and the Muiscas in the highlands around Bogotá, both of which were of the Chibcha language family. The Muisca people are considered to have had one of the most developed political systems in South America, after the Incas.^[5] Image File history File linksMetadata Muisca_raft_Legend_of_El_Dorado_Offerings_of_gold. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Muisca_raft_Legend_of_El_Dorado_Offerings_of_gold. ... When the Spanish arrived in the central Colombia highlands, the region had two kings; the Zipa, was the ruler of the southern part including what is now known as BogotÃ¡. The Zaque was the ruler or king of the northern area in Hunza, known today as Tunja. ... El Dorado or Eldorado (Spanish for the gilded one) is a legend that began with the story of a South American tribal chief who covered himself with gold dust and would dive into a lake of pure mountain water. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... In anthropology, the hunter-gatherer way of life is that led by certain societies of the Neolithic Era based on the exploitation of wild plants and animals. ... For other uses, see Abra. ... Map of the Magdalena River watershed. ... Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... Cazigazgo is a phonetic anglicized form of Cacicazgo, the Spanish transliteration (or a derivative) of the TaÃno word for the lands ruled by a Cacique e. ... The Cacique Nutivara Bloc (in Spanish, Bloque Cacique Nutibara, or BCN) was a Colombian paramilitary bloc founded by Diego Murillo Bejarano, affiliated with the AUC. Officially, the BCN demobilized in November 25, 2003, at which point it had 874 members. ... The Tairona were a precolumbian civilization in the region of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in the present-day Magdalena and La Guajira Departments of Colombia, South America which goes back to the 1st century AD and showed documented growth around in the 11th century. ... Caribbean Region The Caribbean Region or Caribbean Coast Region, is a regional sub-division of Colombia, composed of eight Departments located inside or around the Caribbean sea area pertaining to the country. ... For other uses, see Muska (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see BogotÃ¡ (disambiguation). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For other meanings of Inca, see Inca (disambiguation). ...

Colonial Era

Spanish explorers made the first exploration of the Caribbean littoral in 1500 led by Rodrigo de Bastidas. Christopher Columbus navigated near the Caribbean in 1502. In 1508, Vasco Nuñez de Balboa started the conquest of the territory through the region of Urabá. In 1513, he was also the first European to discover the Pacific Ocean which he called Mar del Sur (or "Sea of the South") and which in fact would bring the Spaniards to Peru and Chile. In 1510,^[6] the first European city in the American Continent was founded, Santa María la Antigua del Darién in what is today the Chocó Department. The territory's main population was made up of hundreds of tribes of the Chibchan and Carib, currently known as the Caribbean people, whom the Spaniards conquered through warfare and alliances, while resulting disease and the conquest itself caused a demographic reduction among the indigenous. In the sixteenth century, Europeans began to bring slaves from Africa. West Indies redirects here. ... Rodrigo de Bastidas (c. ... Christopher Columbus (1451 â€“ May 20, 1506) was a navigator, colonizer, and explorer and one of the first Europeans to explore the Americas after the Vikings. ... Vasco NÃºÃ±ez de Balboa Balboa setting his dogs upon Indian practitioners of male love; (1594); New York Public Library Vasco NÃºÃ±ez de Balboa (c. ... World map showing the Americas CIA political map of the Americas The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the continents of North America[1] and South America with their associated islands and regions. ... Santa MarÃa la Antigua del DariÃ©n (DariÃ©n) is a city in what is now DariÃ©n Province, Panama. ... Look up choco in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Chibchan languages are a language family indigenous to Colombia and Central America. ... Carib family (by John Gabriel Stedman) Drawing of a Carib woman Carib, Island Carib or Kalinago people, after whom the Caribbean Sea was named, live in the Lesser Antilles islands. ... The European peoples are the various nations and ethnic groups of Europe. ...

Independence from Spain

Since the beginning of the periods of Conquest and Colonization, there were several rebel movements under Spanish rule, most of them either being crushed or remaining too weak to change the overall situation. The last one, which sought outright independence from Spain, sprang up around 1810, following the independence of St. Domingue in 1804 (present day Haiti), who provided a non-negligible degree of support to the eventual leaders of this rebellion: Simón Bolívar and Francisco de Paula Santander. Simón Bolívar had become the first president of Colombia and Francisco de Paula Santander was Vice President; when Simón Bolívar stepped down, Santander became the second president of Colombia. The rebellion finally succeeded in 1819 when the territory of the Viceroyalty of New Granada became the Republic of Greater Colombia organized as a Confederation along Ecuador and Venezuela (Panama was part of Colombia). Image File history File links Congreso_de_CÃºcuta. ... Image File history File links Congreso_de_CÃºcuta. ... Francisco de Paula Santander (April 2, 1792 - May 6, 1840), was one of the military and political leaders during Colombias (then known as New Granada) independence struggle (1810-1819). ... SimÃ³n BolÃvar SimÃ³n JosÃ© Antonio de la SantÃsima Trinidad BolÃvar y Palacios (July 24, 1783 â€“ December 17, 1830) was a South American revolutionary leader. ... El Congreso de CÃºcuta happened the August 30 of 1821 in the city of CÃºcuta. ... This article is about the South American independence leader. ... Francisco de Paula Santander (April 2, 1792 - May 6, 1840), was one of the military and political leaders during Colombias (then known as New Granada) independence struggle (1810-1819). ... The Vice President of Colombia is the first in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of Colombia upon certain absences or death, resignation, or removal of the President. ... The Viceroyalty of New Granada was the name given to a group of colonial provinces in northern South America, corresponding mainly to modern Colombia. ... Capital BogotÃ¡ Created December 1819 Dissolved November 1831 Demonym Colombian Departments of the Republic Greater Colombia (Gran Colombia in Spanish) is the name given to the Republic of Colombia of 1819-1830, which was a short-lived republic in South America consisting of present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. ...

Political struggle

Internal political and territorial divisions led to the secession of Venezuela and Quito (today's Ecuador) in 1830. At this time, the so-called "Department of Cundinamarca" adopted then the name "Nueva Granada", which it kept until 1856 when it became the "Confederación Granadina" (Grenadine Confederation). After a two year civil war in 1863, the "United States of Colombia" was created, lasting until 1886, when the country finally became known as the Republic of Colombia. Internal divisions remained between the bipartisan political forces, occasionally igniting very bloody civil wars, the most significant being the Thousand Days civil war (1899 - 1902) which together with the United States intentions to influence in the area (specially the Panama Canal construction and control) led to the separation of the Department of Panama in 1903 and the establishment of it as a nation. Colombia engulfed in a year long war with Peru over a territorial dispute involving the Amazonas Department and its capital Leticia. For other uses, see Quito (disambiguation). ... Cundinamarca is a department of Colombia, one of the original nine states of the United States of Colombia. Most of Cundinamarca is in the Eastern Cordillera, just south of BoyacÃ¡, bordered by the Magdalena River on the west, reaching down into the Amazon River basin on the east, and bordering... Motto Libertad y Orden (Spanish: Liberty and Order) Location of the Republic of the New Granada shown in green Capital Santa Fe de BogotÃ¡ Religion Roman Catholic Government Republic History - Established October 20, 1831 - Bill of rightsÂ¹ 1853 - Constitutional Change April 11, 1858 Currency Peso Â¹ Abolition of slavery, and suffrage... Motto: Libertad y Orden (Spanish: Liberty and Order) Location of the Granadine Confederation shown in green Capital Santa Fe de BogotÃ¡ Religion Roman Catholic Government Republic President - 1858-1861 Mariano Ospina RodrÃguez - 1861 BartolomÃ© Calvo - 1861-1863 TomÃ¡s Cipriano de Mosquera History - New constitution May 22, 1858 - Constititional... Combatants Grenadine Confederation Cauca Commanders Mariano Ospina RodrÃguez, 1860 - 1861 BartolomÃ© Calvo, 1861 Julio Arboleda 1861 - 1862 General Braulio 1861 - 1862 General Leonardo Canal 1861 - 1862 TomÃ¡s Cipriano de Mosquera, 1860 - 1862 Strength 40000 10000 Casualties 15000 4000 The Colombian Civil War of May 8, 1860 to November... Capital BogotÃ¡ Religion Roman Catholic Government Republic History - Established 1863 - Rionegro Constitution 1863 - Disestablished 1886 The United States of Colombia is the name adopted in 1863 through the Rionegro Constitution for the nation which had been known as the Republic of New Grenada since the dissolution of the federation of... A civil war is a war in which parties within the same culture, society or nationality fight against each other for the control of political power. ... Combatants Colombian Liberal Party Colombian Conservative Party Commanders Rafael Uribe Uribe BenjamÃn Herrera PrÃ³spero PinzÃ³n RamÃ³n GonzÃ¡lez Valencia Pedro Nel Ospina The Thousand Days War (1899-1902) (Spanish: Guerra de los Mil Dias), was a civil armed conflict in the newly created Republic of Colombia... Two Panamax running the Miraflores Locks The Panama Canal (Spanish: ) is a major ship canal that traverses the Isthmus of Panama in Central America, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. ... Categories: Departments of Colombia | South America geography stubs | Colombia ... Leticia, Colombia, is a small city of approximately 37,000 inhabitants on the left bank of the Amazon river, and at the point where Colombia, Brazil and Peru, come together in an area called Tres Fronteras. ...

La Violencia

Soon after, Colombia achieved a relative degree of political stability, which was interrupted by a bloody conflict that took place between the late 1940s and the early 1950s, a period known as La Violencia ("The Violence"). Its cause was mainly because of mounting tensions between the two leading political parties, which subsequently ignited after the assassination of the Liberal Presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán on April 9, 1948. This assassination caused riots in Bogotá and became known as El Bogotazo, the violence from these riots spread through out the country and claimed the lives of at least 180,000 Colombians. From 1953 to 1964 the violence between the two political parties decreased first when Gustavo Rojas deposed the President of Colombia in a coup d'etat, and negotiated with the guerrillas, and then under the military junta of General Gabriel París Gordillo. La Violencia (literally The Violence, in Spanish) is a term that refers to an era of civil conflict in Colombia between supporters of the Colombian Liberal PartybobColombian Conservative Party, a conflict which took place roughly from 1948 to 1958 (exact dates vary). ... The massive riots that followed the assassination in BogotÃ¡ of Colombian Liberal leader Jorge EliÃ©cer GaitÃ¡n on April 9, 1948 were known as the Bogotazo (from BogotÃ¡ and the -azo suffix of violent augmentation). ... La Violencia (literally The Violence, in Spanish) is a term that refers to an era of civil conflict in Colombia between supporters of the Colombian Liberal PartybobColombian Conservative Party, a conflict which took place roughly from 1948 to 1958 (exact dates vary). ... Politics of Colombia Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Colombian political parties | Liberal parties ... Jorge EliÃ©cer GaitÃ¡n (January 23, 1903 - April 9, 1948) was a politician, a leader of a populist movement in Colombia, a former Education Minister (1940) and Labor Minister (1943-1944), mayor of BogotÃ¡ (1936) and chief of the Colombian Liberal Party (1947-1948). ... is the 99th day of the year (100th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see BogotÃ¡ (disambiguation). ... The massive riots that followed the assassination in BogotÃ¡ of Colombian Liberal leader Jorge EliÃ©cer GaitÃ¡n on April 9, 1948 were known as the Bogotazo (from BogotÃ¡ and the -azo suffix of violent augmentation). ... Gustavo Rojas Pinilla was a former military dictator (1953-1957) and Colombian political figure, as well as a former 1966 and 1970 presidential candidate on behalf of the National Popular Alliance, Alianza Nacional Popular, (ANAPO). ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... A military junta is government by a committee of military leaders. ... Gabriel ParÃs Gordillo (born March 8, 1910) was President of Colombia from May 1957 to August 1958 as Chairman of the Colombian Military Junta Government following his 1957 Coup dÃ©tat. ...

The National Front

After Rojas deposition the two political parties Colombian Conservative Party and Colombian Liberal Party agreed to the creation of a "National Front", whereby the Liberal and Conservative parties would govern jointly. The presidency would be determined by an alternating conservative and liberal president every 4 years for 16 years; the two parties would have parity in all other elective offices. The National Front ended "La Violencia", and National Front administrations attempted to institute far-reaching social and economic reforms in cooperation with the Alliance for Progress. In the end, the contradictions between each successive Liberal and Conservative administration made the results decidedly mixed. Despite the progress in certain sectors, many social and political injustices continued and many guerrillas were formally created such as the FARC, ELN and M-19 to fight the government and political apparatus with influences from Cold War doctrines. National Front (Spanish: 1958-1974) was a period in the history of Colombia in which the two main political parties; Liberal Party and Conservative Party agreed to let the opposite party govern, intercalating for a period of four presidential terms. ... The Colombian Conservative Party (Spanish: Partido Conservador Colombiano), is a conservative right wing / center right Colombian political party. ... Politics of Colombia Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Colombian political parties | Liberal parties ... La Violencia (literally The Violence, in Spanish) is a term that refers to an era of civil conflict in Colombia between supporters of the Colombian Liberal PartybobColombian Conservative Party, a conflict which took place roughly from 1948 to 1958 (exact dates vary). ... The FARC-EPs flag The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia â€“ EjÃ©rcito del Pueblo (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia â€“ Peoples Army, or FARC-EP) is a militant and revolutionary guerrilla group established in 1964-1966 as the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party, and is Colombias... EjÃ©rcito de LiberaciÃ³n Nacional (usually abbreviated to ELN), or National Liberation Army, is a revolutionary, Marxist, insurgent guerrilla group that has been operating in several regions of Colombia since 1964. ... M-19 banner The 19th of April Movement, Movimiento 19 de Abril or M-19, was a Colombian guerrilla movement. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ...

Colombian armed conflict

Emerging in the late 1970s, powerful and violent drug cartels developed during the 1980s and 1990s. The Medellín Cartel under Pablo Escobar and the Cali Cartel, in particular, exerted political, economic and social influence in Colombia during this period. These cartels also financed and influenced different illegal armed groups throughout the political spectrum. Some enemies of these allied with the guerrillas and created or influenced paramilitary groups. Colombian Armed Conflict or Colombian Civil War are terms that are employed to refer to the current low intensity conflict in Colombia that has existed since approximately 1964 or 1966, which was when the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and later the National Liberation Army (ELN) were founded and... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The FARC-EPs flag The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia â€“ EjÃ©rcito del Pueblo (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia â€“ Peoples Army, or FARC-EP) is a militant and revolutionary guerrilla group established in 1964-1966 as the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party, and is Colombias... The FARC-Government peace process (1999-2002), from January 7, 1999 to February 20, 2002, was a failed peace process between the Government of President Andres Pastrana and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group in an effort to bring to an end the ongoing Colombian Armed Conflict. ... Retail selling Street selling is the bottom of the chain and can be accomplished through purchasing from prostitutes, through cloaked retail stores or refuse houses for users in the act located in red-light districts which often also deal in paraphernalia, dealers marketing merriment at night clubs and other events... Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria, a. ... The Cali Cartel is a drug cartel based in southern Colombia, around the city of Cali and the Valle del Cauca Department. ... Paramilitarism in Colombia refers to the origin and development of paramilitary groups in Colombia during the 20th century. ...

The new Colombian Constitution of 1991 was ratified after being drafted by the Constituent Assembly of Colombia. The constitution included key provisions on political, ethnic, human and gender rights. The new constitution initially prohibited the extradition of Colombian nationals. There were accusations of lobbying by drug cartels in favor of this prohibition. The cartels had previously promoted a violent campaign against extradition, leading to many terrorist attack and mafia style executions. They also tried to influence the government and political structure of Colombia by means of corruption, as in the case of the 8000 Process scandal. Its the Constitution of Colombia. ... The Constituent Assembly of Colombia (Spanish: Asamblea Nacional Constituyente de Colombia) was formed on February 5, 1991, to draft Colombias 1991 constitution. ... The following is a timeline of acts and failed attempts that can be considered terrorism. ... This article is about the criminal society. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

In recent years, the country has continued to be plagued by the effects of the drug trade, guerrilla insurgencies like FARC and paramilitary groups such as the AUC (later demobilized, though paramilitarism remains active), which along with other minor factions have engaged in a bloody internal armed conflict. President Andrés Pastrana and the FARC attempted to negotiate a solution to the conflict between 1998 and 2002 but failed to do so. President Andrés Pastrana also began to implement the Plan Colombia initiative, with the dual goal of ending the armed conflict and promoting a strong anti-narcotic strategy. Panamanian motor vessel Gatun during the largest cocaine bust in United States Coast Guard history (20 tons), off the coast of Panama. ... â€œGuerrillaâ€ redirects here. ... An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority, by any irregular armed force that rises up against an enforced or established authority, government, or administration. ... The FARC-EPs flag The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia â€“ EjÃ©rcito del Pueblo (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia â€“ Peoples Army, or FARC-EP) is a militant and revolutionary guerrilla group established in 1964-1966 as the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party, and is Colombias... The AUCs logo The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, or AUC, in Spanish), were formed in April 1997 as an umbrella paramilitary federation seeking to consolidate many local and regional paramilitary groups in Colombia, each intending to protect different local economic, social and political... Colombian Armed Conflict or Colombian Civil War are terms that are employed to refer to the current low intensity conflict in Colombia that has existed since approximately 1964 or 1966, which was when the FARC and later the ELN were founded and subsequently started their guerrilla insurgency campaigns against successive... Order: 42nd President Vice President: Gustavo Bell Lemus Term of office: August 7, 1998 â€“ August 7, 2002 Preceded by: Ernesto Samper Succeeded by: Ãlvaro Uribe Date of birth: August 17, 1954 Place of birth: BogotÃ¡ First Lady: Nohra Puyana de Pastrana Political party: Conservative AndrÃ©s Pastrana Arango (born August... Plan Colombia is a controversial initiative aimed at resolving the ongoing, fifty-year civil war in Colombia. ... 19th century Heroin bottle This article is about the drug classification. ...

During the presidency of Álvaro Uribe, who was elected on the promise of applying military pressure on the FARC and other criminal groups, some security indicators have improved, showing a decrease in reported kidnappings (from 3700 in the year 2000 to 800 in 2005) and a decrease of more than 48% in homicides between July 2002 and May 2005 and of the terrorist guerrila itself reduced from 16.900 insurgents to 8.900 insurgents. It is argued that these improvements have favored economic growth and tourism.^[7] The 2006–2007 Colombian parapolitics scandal emerged due to the revelations and judicial implications of past and present links between paramilitary groups, mainly the AUC, and some government officials and many politicians, most of them allied to the governing administration. ^[8] Ãlvaro Uribe VÃ©lez (born July 4, 1952) is the 56th President of Colombia, whose first term ran from 2002 to 2006 and is currently serving his second term from 2006 to 2010. ... The Colombian parapolitics scandal or parapolitica in Spanish (from the term Parapolitics), also known in the English-speaking press as the paragate (from the Watergate scandal), refers to the 2006 - present Colombian congressional scandal in which several congressmen and other politicians have been indicted for suspicions of colluding with the... Paramilitarism in Colombia refers to the origin and development of paramilitary groups in Colombia during the 20th century. ... The AUCs logo The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, or AUC, in Spanish), were formed in April 1997 as an umbrella paramilitary federation seeking to consolidate many local and regional paramilitary groups in Colombia, each intending to protect different local economic, social and political...

Geography and climate

Colombia is the 26th largest nation in the world and the fourth-largest country in South America Colombian. Located in the northwestern region of South America, it is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the North by the Atlantic Ocean, through the Caribbean Sea; to the north-west by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. Besides the countries in South America, the Republic of Colombia is recognized to share maritime borders with the Caribbean countries of Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Central American countries of Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.^[9]^[10] Colombia has more physical diversity packed into its borders than any other area of comparable size in Latin America.^[11] The country is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region of the world subject to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Main article: Colombia The Geography of Colombia is characterized by containing five main natural regions which present their own unique characteristics, from the Andes mountain range region shared with Ecuador and Venezuela, the Pacific Ocean coastal region shared with Panama and Ecuador, the Caribbean Sea coastal region shared with Venezuela... The Natural Regions of Colombia are five natural regions comprised by primarily the Colombian Andes mountain range pertaining to the Andes, the Caribbean region pertaining to the area contiguous to the Caribbean sea, the Pacific region contiguous to the Pacific Ocean, the Amazon region part of the Amazon rainforest and... Plate tectonics within Colombia. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 505 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1059 Ã— 1258 pixel, file size: 4. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 505 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1059 Ã— 1258 pixel, file size: 4. ... Countries by area. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Map of Central America and the Caribbean The Caribbean Sea (pronounced or ) is a tropical sea in the Western Hemisphere, part of the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. ... West Indies redirects here. ... Central America is the region of North America located between the southern border of Mexico and the northwest border of Colombia, in South America. ... â€œThe Ring of Fireâ€ redirects here. ...

Geologically Colombia is formed by two great territorial zones, one submerged in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean sea covering a total area of 828,660 km² and the second is the emerged land which is formed by the Andes mountain range and the Llanos plains that are shared with Venezuela and cover an area of some 1'143,748 km². Colombian surface features form complicated land patterns. The western third of the country is the most complex, starting at the shore of the Pacific Ocean in the west and moving eastward at a latitude of 5 degrees north, a diverse sequence of features is encountered; In the extreme west are the very narrow and discontinuous Pacific coastal lowlands, which are backed by the Serranía de Baudó, one of the lowest and narrowest of Colombia's mountain ranges. Next is the broad region of the Río Atrato/Río San Juan lowland. The western mountain range, the Cordillera Occidental, is a moderately high range with peaks reaching up to about 13,000 ft (4,000 m). The Cauca River Valley, an important agricultural region with several large cities on its borders, separates the Cordillera Occidental from the massive Cordillera Central. Several snow-clad volcanoes in the Cordillera Central have summits that rise above 18,000 ft (5,500 m). The valley of the Magdalena River, a major transportation artery, separates the Cordillera Central from the main eastern range, the Cordillera Oriental. The peaks of the Cordillera Oriental are moderately high. This range differs from Colombia's other mountain ranges in that it contains several large basins. To the east of the country, the sparsely populated, flat to gently rolling eastern lowlands called Llanos orientales part of the Orinoco river basin and the jungle covered Amazon region part of the Amazon river basin (both basins called eastern plains) cover almost 60 percent of the country's total land area. The northern plains are mostly part of the Caribbean natural region which includes the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range, the highest mountain by the sea and the Guajira Peninsula, mostly arid with another separate formation from the Andes mountain range, the Serranía de Macuira to form the Guajira-Barranquilla xeric scrub. Map of Central America and the Caribbean The Caribbean Sea (pronounced or ) is a tropical sea in the Western Hemisphere, part of the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. ... This article is about the mountain system in South America. ... Los Llanos (meaning the flat plains) is a vast tropical grassland plain situated at the east of the Andes in northwestern South America (Colombia and Venezuela). ... The BaudÃ³ Mountains (SerranÃa de BaudÃ³) are a coastal mountain range on the Pacific coast of Colombia. ... The Cauca River is a river in Colombia that lies between the Cordilleras Occidental and Central. ... Map of the Magdalena River watershed. ... Los Llanos (meaning the flat plains) is a vast tropical grassland plain situated at the east of the Andes in northwestern South America (Colombia and Venezuela). ... This page is about the Orinoco River, for the Aphra Behn novel see Oroonoko With a length of 2140 km, the Orinoco is one of the largest rivers of South America. ... The Amazon Region in Colombia The AmazonÃa Region is a region in southern Colombia. ... This article is about the river. ... Caribbean Region The Caribbean Region or Caribbean Coast Region is a natural region of Colombia mainly composed of eight departments located near the Caribbean Sea coast. ... The Natural Regions of Colombia are five natural regions comprised by primarily the Colombian Andes mountain range pertaining to the Andes, the Caribbean region pertaining to the area contiguous to the Caribbean sea, the Pacific region contiguous to the Pacific Ocean, the Amazon region part of the Amazon rainforest and... The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is a mountain range in northern Colombia. ... Guajira is a style of Cuban acoustic music. ... SerranÃa de Macuira is a mountain range in northern Colombia located in the municipality of Uribia, Guajira Peninsula and part of the La Guajira Department. ... The Guajira Peninsula satellital view. ...

Climate

The climate of Colombia is determined by its proximity to the Earth's Equator predominating a tropical and isothermal climate, presenting variations within five natural regions and depending on the altitude; determined by mountain climate, temperature, humidity, winds; influenced by the trade winds and precipitation which is influenced by the Intertropical Convergence Zone. Colombia is also affected by the effects of the El Nino and La Nina. A not so common Hailstorm in BogotÃ¡ on March 3, 2006 product of a combination of altitude (low temperature at 2600 meters over sea level) and precipitation. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Nevado del Tolima is a volcano located in Tolima Department, Colombia, south of Nevado del Ruiz volcano. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 533 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (2,058 Ã— 1,372 pixels, file size: 128 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The content of this image was reviewed by Aliman5040 and afterwards uploaded by FlickrLickr. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 533 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (2,058 Ã— 1,372 pixels, file size: 128 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The content of this image was reviewed by Aliman5040 and afterwards uploaded by FlickrLickr. ... Map of Colombia subdivided into five regions; The Pacific Region covering the western part of the country bordering the Pacific Ocean. ... World map showing the equator in red In tourist areas, the equator is often marked on the sides of roads The equator marked as it crosses IlhÃ©u das Rolas, in SÃ£o TomÃ© and PrÃncipe. ... The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... An isothermal process is a thermodynamic process in which the temperature of the system stays constant; ΔT = 0. ... The Natural Regions of Colombia are five natural regions comprised by primarily the Colombian Andes mountain range pertaining to the Andes, the Caribbean region pertaining to the area contiguous to the Caribbean sea, the Pacific region contiguous to the Pacific Ocean, the Amazon region part of the Amazon rainforest and... The trade winds are a pattern of wind found in bands around Earths equatorial region. ... The thunderstorms of the Intertropical Convergence Zone form a line across the eastern Pacific Ocean. ... Chart of ocean surface temperature anomaly [°C] during the last strong El Niño in December 1997 El Niño and La Niña are major temperature fluctuations in the tropical Pacific Ocean. ... Chart of ocean surface temperature anomaly [°C] during the last strong El Niño in December 1997 El Niño and La Niña are major temperature fluctuations in the tropical Pacific Ocean. ...

Depending on the altitude temperatures decrease about 3.5 °F (2 °C) for every 1,000-foot (300-m) increase in altitude above sea level, presenting perpetual snowy peaks to lower hot lands. Rainfall varies by location and is present in two seasons (two dry and two rainy) in Colombia presenting one of the highest rainfalls in the world in the Pacific region. Rainfall in parts of the Guajira Peninsula seldom exceeds 30 in (75 cm) per year. Colombia's rainy southeast, however, is often drenched by more than 200 in (500 cm) of rain per year. Rainfall in most of the rest of the country runs between these two extremes. For other uses, see Fahrenheit (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Celsius (disambiguation). ... Map of Colombia subdivided into five regions; The Pacific Region covering the western part of the country bordering the Pacific Ocean. ...

Altitude affects not only temperature, but also vegetation. In fact, altitude is one of the most important influences on vegetation patterns in Colombia. The mountainous parts of the country can be divided into several vegetation zones according to altitude, although the altitude limits of each zone may vary somewhat depending on the latitude. The "tierra caliente" (hot land), below 3,300 ft (1,000 m), is the zone of tropical crops. The tierra templada (temperate land), extending from an altitude of 3,300 to 6,600 ft (1,000 to 2,000 m). Wheat and potatoes dominate in the "tierra fría" (cold land), at altitudes from 6,600 to 10,500 ft (2,000 to 3,200 m). In the "zona forestada" (forested zone), which is located between 10,500 and 12,800 ft (3,200 and 3,900 m). Treeless pastures table lands dominate the páramos, or alpine grasslands, at altitudes of 12,800 to 15,100 ft (3,900 to 4,600 m). Above 15,100 ft (4,600 m), where temperatures are below freezing, is the "tierra helada", a zone of permanent snow and ice.

Colombian Flora and Fauna also interact with climate zone patterns. A scrub woodland of scattered trees and bushes dominates the semiarid northeastern steppe and tropical desert. To the south, savannah (tropical grassland) vegetation covers the eastern plains; Colombian portion of the llanos. The rainy areas in the southeast are blanketed by tropical rain forest. In the mountains, the spotty patterns of precipitation in alpine areas complicate vegetation patterns. The rainy side of a mountain may be lush and green, while the other side, in the rain shadow, may be parched. As a result Colombia is considered to be among 17 of the most megadiverse countries in the world.^[12] The Flora of Colombia is characterized by a high biodiversity, with the highest rate of species by area unit worldwide. ... The Pink Dolphin of Amazon river is an endangered specie The Fauna of Colombia is characterized by a high biodiversity, with the highest rate of species by area unit worldwide[1]. // Yellow-eared parrot is an endemic specie which only lives in a 20km2 area in Cocora valley Colombia has... This article is about the ecological zone type. ... This article is about arid terrain. ... Savannah redirects here. ... A rainforest is a forested biome with high annual rainfall. ... The Megadiverse countries are a group of countries in which less than the 10% of the global surface has more than the 70% of the biodiversity. ...

Environmental issues

The environment issues in Colombia are caused by both natural hazards and human effects on the environment. Natural hazards are determined by the global positioning of Colombia by the Pacific ring of fire causing geological instability. Colombia has some 15 major volcanoes which have caused tragedies like Armero and geological faults that have caused numerous devastating earthquakes like the 1999 Armenia earthquake. Human induced deforestation have also added to the problems of geological instability and inundations during the rainy seasons, two region are very susceptible to these mainly in the Caribbean region of Colombia; La Mojana Region and the Magdalena river basin. The population increase and the burning of fossil fuels and industry, among other human produced waste has contaminated the environment of major cities and nearby water sources. Participants in the Colombian armed conflict have also contributed to the pollution of the environment in Colombia. The illegally armed groups have deforested large portions of land to plant illegal crops (mostly on government designated protected areas) while the government fumigated these crops using hazardous chemicals. The guerrillas also destroyed oil pipelines creating major ecological disasters. Environmental issues in Colombia was codified in the 1991 constitution with new environmental protection legislation, including the creation of specially protected zones, of which more than 200 were created in the early 1990s, mostly in forest areas and national parks. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (981x632, 46 KB) Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia Steam eruption in September 1985 prior to the major eruption on November 13, 1985 Original source URL: National Geophysical Data Center, URL: http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (981x632, 46 KB) Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia Steam eruption in September 1985 prior to the major eruption on November 13, 1985 Original source URL: National Geophysical Data Center, URL: http://www. ... Space radar image of Nevado del Ruiz Nevado del Ruiz 2006 Nevado del Ruiz is an Andean stratovolcano in Caldas Department, Colombia. ... This article is about the year. ... Armero, the aftermath. ... â€œThe Ring of Fireâ€ redirects here. ... This is a list of active and extinct volcanoes in Colombia. ... Armero, the aftermath. ... The 1999 earthquake caused devastation in armenia The 1999 Armenia earthquake is a natural disaster that affected heavily the city of Armenia, Colombia in the Quindio department, 18 towns and 28 villages in the Colombian Coffee-Growers Axis region departments, and in a lesser degree, the cities of Pereira and... Map of the Magdalena River watershed. ... Colombian Armed Conflict or Colombian Civil War are terms that are employed to refer to the current low intensity conflict in Colombia that has existed since approximately 1964 or 1966, which was when the FARC and later the ELN were founded and subsequently started their guerrilla insurgency campaigns against successive...

Government, law and politics

The Government of Colombia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic as established in the Colombian Constitution of 1991. The Colombian government is divided into three branches of power; the executive, legislative and judicial with special control institutions and electoral institutions. The President of Colombia is the maximum representative of executive branch of government in Colombia and is also the head of state and head of government with supreme administrative authority, followed by the Vice President and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Colombia. Constitutional Reforms Colombias present constitution, enacted on July 4, 1991, strengthened the administration of justice with the provision for introduction of an accusatorial system which ultimately is to replace entirely the existing Napoleonic Code. ... Its the Constitution of Colombia. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 398 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (2,000 Ã— 3,008 pixels, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 398 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (2,000 Ã— 3,008 pixels, file size: 1. ... Ãlvaro Uribe VÃ©lez (born July 4, 1952) is the 56th President of Colombia, whose first term ran from 2002 to 2006 and is currently serving his second term from 2006 to 2010. ... List of Heads of State (Presidents etc. ... Constitutional Reforms Colombias present constitution, enacted on July 4, 1991, strengthened the administration of justice with the provision for introduction of an accusatorial system which ultimately is to replace entirely the existing Napoleonic Code. ... A presidential system, also called a congressional system, is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term) separately from the legislature, to which it is not accountable and which cannot in normal circumstances dismiss it. ... Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of popular sovereignty by the peoples representatives. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Its the Constitution of Colombia. ... The National Capitol houses the Congress of Colombia maximum representative of the Legislative branch of government in Colombia. ... The Palace of Justice building houses the judicial branch of government in Colombia, it is located in BogotÃ¡. Judicial Branch of Government of Colombia (Spanish: ) is the system of courts in Republic of Colombia which administer justice in the name of the state as a mechanism for the resolution of... List of Heads of State (Presidents etc. ... For the comedy film of the same name, see Head of State (film). ... The head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. ... The Vice President of Colombia is the first in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of Colombia upon certain absences or death, resignation, or removal of the President. ... The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Colombia is part of the excecutive power, and according to the presidential orientation of the Colombian Constitution of 1991, its a cabinet of advicers to the President of Colombia. ...

At a provincial level the executive is managed by department governors, municipal mayors at municipal level and local administrators for smaller administrative subdivisions such as corregidor for corregimientos. The legislative branch of government in Colombia is represented by the National Congress of Colombia which is formed by an upper house the Senate and the Chamber of Representatives. At a provincial level the legislative branch is represented by department assemblies and a municipal level with municipal councils. Both the legislative and executive branches share most of the government power while the judicial branch of Colombia functions as an independent body from the other two branches which are vested with a shared power. The judicial branch under a adversarial system is represented by the Supreme Court of Justice which is the highest entity in this branch but shared in responsibility with the Council of State, Constitutional Court and the Superior Council of the Judicature which also have jurisdictional and regional courts. This is a list of Governors of Departments of Colombia. ... Below the departments Colombia is divided into municipalities (municipios). ... Corregimiento is a term used in Colombia to define a subdivision of Colombian departments. ... Congress (Spanish: Congreso) is the name given to Colombias bicameral national legislature. ... The Senate (Spanish: Senado) is the upper house of the Congress of Colombia. ... The Chamber of Representatives (Spanish: CÃ¡mara de Representantes) is the lower house of the Congress of Colombia. ... This is a list of Department Assemblies in the Republic of Colombia. ... The adversarial system (or adversary system) of law is the system of law, generally adopted in common law countries, that relies on the skill of each advocate representing his or her partys positions and involves a neutral person, usually the judge, trying to determine the truth of the case. ... The Supreme Court of Colombia is the highest judicial body in Colombia and leads the judicial branch of the Government of Colombia. ... The Constitutional Court of Colombia is the highest entity in the judicial branch of government in the Republic of Colombia in charge of safeguarding the integrity and supremacy of the Colombian Constitution of 1991 within the Constitutional laws. ...

Administrative divisions

Colombia is divided into 32 departments and one capital district which is treated as a department. There are in total 10 districts assigned to cities in Colombia including Bogota, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Tunja, Cucuta, Popayan, Buenaventura, Tumaco and Turbo. Colombia is also subdivided into some municipalities which form departments, each with a municipal seat capital city assigned. Colombia is also subdivided into corregimientos which form municipalities. Each department has a local government which is headed by a department governor and its own department assembly elected for a period of four years in a regional election. Each municipality also headed by a municipal mayor and a municipal council. And for corregimientos there will be an elected corregidor or local leader. Colombia is a unitary republic conformed by 32 departments (Spanish: departamentos, sing. ... Below the departments Colombia is divided into municipalities (municipios). ... Corregimiento is a term used in Colombia to define a subdivision of Colombian departments. ... Colombia is a unitary republic conformed by 32 departments (Spanish: departamentos, sing. ... For other places with the same name, see Barranquilla (disambiguation). ... For other places with the same name, see Cartagena (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Colombian city. ... Location of the town and municipality of Tunja in BoyacÃ¡ Department. ... Cúcuta, also known as San José de Cúcuta, is a city in Colombia. ... Popayán is the capital of the Colombian Department of Cauca, with a population of about 215,000 people. ... Seaside park near the main tourist jetty. ... Tumaco is a port city in NariÃ±o Department, Colombia. ... Turbo is a municipality in the Colombian department of Antioquia. ... Below the departments Colombia is divided into municipalities (municipios). ... Corregimiento is a term used in Colombia to define a subdivision of Colombian departments. ...

Some department have also local administrative regional subdivisions such as the departments of Antioquia and Cundinamarca, where towns have a large concentration of population and municipalities are near each other. In the case of some department where the population is still scarce and there are security problems such as in eastern Colombian departments of Amazonas, Vaupés and Vichada there special administrative definitions for territories, some are considered Department corregimientos, which are a hybrid between a corregimiento and a municipality. The difference besides the population is also subject to a cut in the assigned budget.

Defense

The executive branch of government is in charge of managing the defense affairs of Colombia with the President of Colombia being the supreme chief of the armed forces, followed by the Minister of Defense, which controls the Military of Colombia and the Colombian National Police among other institutions. The Colombian military is divided into three branches with their respective chains of command; the Colombian National Army, the Colombian Air Force and the Colombian National Armada. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (860 Ã— 645 pixel, file size: 203 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (860 Ã— 645 pixel, file size: 203 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The Colombian National Army (Spanish: Ejercito Nacional de Colombia) is the land force of Colombia and the largest branch of the Colombian Armed Forces. ... The Ministry of National Defense is the Colombian Ministry in charge of Security and defense of Colombia managing the Armed Forces of Colombia; the military branches Colombian National Army, Colombian National Armada and Colombian Air Force and the legal paramilitary forces the Colombian National Police under the management of the... Colombias Ministry of Defense, charged with the countrys internal and external defense and security, has an Army, Navy (which includes both marines and coast guard) Air Force, and National Police under the leadership of a civilian Minister of Defense. ... Colombian National Police The Colombian National Police (spanish: Policia Nacional de Colombia) is the national police of the Republic of Colombia. ... The Colombian National Army (Spanish: Ejercito Nacional de Colombia) is the land force of Colombia and the largest branch of the Colombian Armed Forces. ... Coat of arms of the Colombian Air Force The Colombian Air Force or FAC (Fuerza Aerea Colombiana) is the Air Force of The Republic of Colombia. ... Coat of Arms of the Colombian National Armada. ...

The national police functions as a gendarmerie independently from the Military as a the law enforcement agency for the entire country. Each of these operating with their own intelligence apparatus and also separately form the national intelligence agency Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad. The National Police has a presence in all municipality seats of Colombia, while the National Army is formed by divisions, regiments and special units, the Colombian National Armada is formed by the Colombian Marine Corps, Naval Force of the Pacific, Naval Force of the Caribbean, Naval Force of the South, Colombia Coast Guards, Naval Aviation and the Specific Command of San Andres y Providencia, the Colombian Air Force is formed by combat air commands units supported by other air support units. A gendarmerie or gendarmery (pronounced ) is a military body charged with police duties among civilian populations. ... Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad (DAS) is the Security Service of Colombia. ... The Colombian Naval Infantry[1] and also referred to as Colombian Marines (Spanish: ) is the marine force of the Colombian National Armada. ...

Foreign affairs

The Foreign affairs of Colombia are headed by the President of Colombia and managed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Colombia has diplomatic missions in all the continents, but not in all countries, and also multilateral relations with Brussels (Mission to the European Union) Geneva (Permanent Mission to the United Nations and other International Organizations) Montevideo (Permanent Missions to ALADI and MERCOSUR) Nairobi (Permanent Missions to the United Nations and other International Organizations) New York City (Permanent Mission to the United Nations) Paris (Permanent Mission to UNESCO) Rome (Permanent Mission to FAO) Washington DC (Permanent Mission to the Organization of American States). Colombia seeks diplomatic and commercial relations with all countries, regardless of their ideologies or political or economic systems. ... Embassy of Colombia in Mexico City Residence of the Colombian Embassy in Washington DC Embassy of Colombia in Warsaw Listed below are the embassies and consulates-general of Colombia (excluding honorary consulates): // Austria Vienna (Embassy) Belgium Brussels (Embassy) France Paris (Embassy) Germany Berlin (Embassy) Frankfurt (Consulate-General) Holy See Vatican... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3506x2337, 925 KB) BogotÃ¡ (ColÃ´mbia) - Presidente Lula e o presidente da ColÃ´mbia, Ãlvaro Uribe, acompanham a execuÃ§Ã£o dos hinos nacionais durante a cerimÃ´mia oficial de chegada Ã ColÃ´mbia . ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3506x2337, 925 KB) BogotÃ¡ (ColÃ´mbia) - Presidente Lula e o presidente da ColÃ´mbia, Ãlvaro Uribe, acompanham a execuÃ§Ã£o dos hinos nacionais durante a cerimÃ´mia oficial de chegada Ã ColÃ´mbia . ... Brazilian Presidential Standard The President of Brazil is both the head of state and head of government of the Federative Republic of Brazil. ... Luiz InÃ¡cio Lula da Silva (pron. ... The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Spanish: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores) is the Ministry of the Colombian Government in charge of the foreign relations of the country. ... For other places with the same name, see Brussels (disambiguation). ... Geneva (pronunciation //; French: GenÃ¨ve //, German: //, Italian: Ginevra //, Romansh: Genevra) is the second most populous city in Switzerland (after ZÃ¼rich), and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French-speaking part of Switzerland). ... Department Montevideo Department Altitude 43 m Coordinates 34Âº 53S 56Âº 10W Founded 1726 Founder Bruno Mauricio de Zabala Population 1,325,968 (2004) (1st) Demonym Montevideano Phone Code +02 Postal Code 10000 Montevideo (IPA: ) is the capital, largest city, and chief port of Uruguay. ... The Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración (the Latin American Integration Association; known as ALADI or, occasionally, by the English acronym LAIA) is a Latin American trade integration association, based in Montevideo. ... Motto (Spanish) (Portuguese) (GuaranÃ) Our North is the South â€¢ â€¢ Pro Tempore Secretariat Montevideo, Uruguay Largest city SÃ£o Paulo, Brazil Official languages 3 Portuguese Spanish GuaranÃ Membership 5 Argentina Brazil Paraguay Uruguay Venezuela Leaders - Carlos Ãlvarez Establishment - Declaration of Foz do IguaÃ§u 30 December 1985 - Treaty of AsunciÃ³n... Nairobi (pronounced IPA: ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. ... UN and U.N. redirect here. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... Possible meanings: Faro Airport (Portugal) Federation of Astrobiology Organizations Financial Aid Office Food and Agriculture Organization This page expands a three-character combination which might be any or all of: an abbreviation, an acronym, an initialism, a word in English, or a word in another language. ... Headquarters Washington, D.C. Official languages English, French, Spanish, Portuguese Membership 35 countries Leaders - Secretary General JosÃ© Miguel Insulza (since 26 May 2005) Establishment - Charter first signed 30 April 1948 in effect 1 December 1951 Website http://www. ...

The foreign relations of Colombia are mostly concentrated on combating illegal drug trade, improving Colombian image in the international community, fight against terrorism, expanding the Colombian products in the global market and environmental issues. Colombia receives special military and commercial cooperation and support from the United States mainly through Plan Colombia to fight against the internal armed groups as well as special financial preferences from the European Union in certain products. Panamanian motor vessel Gatun during the largest cocaine bust in United States Coast Guard history (20 tons), off the coast of Panama. ... Plan Colombia is a controversial initiative aimed at resolving the ongoing, fifty-year civil war in Colombia. ...

Politics of Colombia

The Politics of Colombia take place in the framework of a presidential representative democratic republic as established in the Colombian Constitution of 1991. The constitution vested the National Electoral Council along with the National Registry of the Civil State with the function of organizing and controlling the electoral process in Colombia. Since the 2005 reform the electoral process abides by the Law 974 of 2005 which modified the way political parties organize and interact in the government. Colombia goes through three electoral processes to elect candidates for a period of four years; a Presidential election, for president and vice president candidates (authorized to serve one reelection, 8 years), a legislative election for congress; senate and chamber of representatives (authorized many terms through reelection) and a regional election to elect department governors, department assemblies, municipal mayors and municipal councils and Local administrative juntas (executive regional leaders are only authorized one term in office). Constitutional Reforms Colombias present constitution, enacted on July 4, 1991, strengthened the administration of justice with the provision for introduction of an accusatorial system which ultimately is to replace entirely the existing Napoleonic Code. ... Elections in Colombia gives information on election and election results in Colombia. ... A political party is a political organization subscribing to a certain ideology or formed around very special issues with the aim to participate in power, usually by participating in elections. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... On March 12, 2006 Colombians went to the polls to elect Senate and Chamber of Representatives. ... Constitutional Reforms Colombias present constitution, enacted on July 4, 1991, strengthened the administration of justice with the provision for introduction of an accusatorial system which ultimately is to replace entirely the existing Napoleonic Code. ... A presidential system, also called a congressional system, is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term) separately from the legislature, to which it is not accountable and which cannot in normal circumstances dismiss it. ... Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of popular sovereignty by the peoples representatives. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Its the Constitution of Colombia. ... For other uses, see National Electoral Council. ... Elections in Colombia gives information on election and election results in Colombia. ...

The last presidential and legislative elections were on May 28, 2006, in which president Álvaro Uribe was reelected by a vote of 62%, with 22% going to Carlos Gaviria of the Democratic Pole, and 12% to Horacio Serpa of the Liberal Party. Colombia's bicameral parliament is the Congress of Colombia consists of a 166-seat Chamber of Representatives of Colombia and a 102-seat Senate of Colombia. Members of both houses are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. With congressmen, Colombia also elects the president. Department deputies, city councils and mayors are elected one year and five months after the president's and congressmen's election. The latest regional election was on October 28, 2007 with some 27 million Colombians apt to vote to elect between some 86 thousand candidates to represent 1,098 Colombian municipalities and 32 governors of Colombian Departments. Colombian authorities mobilized 167,559 soldiers and policemen in order to vigil the 9,950 voting sites.^[13] The 2006 Colombian presidential election will take place on May 28, 2006. ... On March 12, 2006 Colombians went to the polls to elect Senate and Chamber of Representatives. ... is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Order: 43rd President Vice President: Francisco Santos CalderÃ³n Term of office: August 7, 2002 â€“ Present Preceded by: AndrÃ©s Pastrana Succeeded by: Incumbent Date of birth: July 4, 1952 Place of birth: MedellÃn First Lady: Lina Moreno de Uribe Political party: Independent Ãlvaro Uribe VÃ©lez (born July... Carlos Gavirias Presidential Campaign flyer Carlos Gaviria Diaz, born May 8, 1937 in Sopetran, Antioquia, is a Colombian lawyer, former Constitutional Court magistrate, and active politician. ... The Independent Democratic Pole (Polo Democrático Independiente) or (PDI), is a leftwing social democratic Colombian political party. ... Horacio Serpa Uribe (b. ... Politics of Colombia Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Colombian political parties | Liberal parties ... Congress (Spanish: Congreso) is the name given to Colombias bicameral national legislature. ... The Chamber of Representatives (Spanish: CÃ¡mara de Representantes) is the lower house of the Congress of Colombia. ... The Senate (Spanish: Senado) is the upper house of the Congress of Colombia. ... The Colombian elections of 2007 (Spanish: ) refers to the democratic elections of October 28, 2007 in the Republic of Colombia. ... is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Below the departments Colombia is divided into municipalities (municipios). ... This is a list of Governors of Departments of Colombia. ...

The election process in the judicial system is headed by the Constitutional Court and members are appointed by the Congress of Colombia out of nominations made by the President and other high ranking tribunals, presidents of courts in the other hand are elected in internal elections. In Electoral Institutions and Control Institutions of Colombia officials are also appointed by the president and approved by congress like the Inspector General of Colombia. Not to be confused with Attorney General of Colombia. ...

Economy

Colombia's economy is fueled by abundant natural resources, a highly literate population and relatively high-valued currency. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 584 pixelsFull resolution (3364 Ã— 2457 pixel, file size: 495 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: cehc84 Information source: DANE Unemployment rate is not seasonally adjusted. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 584 pixelsFull resolution (3364 Ã— 2457 pixel, file size: 495 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: cehc84 Information source: DANE Unemployment rate is not seasonally adjusted. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1179x1421, 238 KB) Colombian Coffee Farmer. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1179x1421, 238 KB) Colombian Coffee Farmer. ... Roasted coffee beans Colombian Coffee is a Protected designation of origin granted by the European Union (September 2007) that applies to the coffee produced in Colombia[1] The colombian coffee has been recognized worldwide as having high quality and distinctive taste. ... Motto: Joven Rico y Poderoso Capital Armenia Governor Area 1,845 kmÂ² Population - Total (2003) - Density 613,375 332 people/kmÂ² Adjective quindiano QuindÃo is a department of Colombia. ... Plantation of Colombian coffee, Quindio. ...

After experiencing decades of steady growth (average GDP growth exceeded 4% in the 1970-1998 period), Colombia experienced a recession in 1999 (the first full year of negative growth since 1929), and the recovery from that recession was long and painful. Colombia's economy suffers from weak domestic and foreign demand, austere government budgets, and serious internal armed conflicts. The IMF Economic Indicators published on September 2006, forecast the Colombian GDP to reach US$156.69 billion in 2008. Inflation has been below 6% for 2004, 2005, and 2006. Colombia's main exports include manufactured goods (41.32% of exports), petroleum (28.28%), coal (13.17%), and coffee (6.25%). Unofficially, illegal drugs are also a major export^[14] . Colombia is one of the largest producers of pop-up books in the world.^[15] In macroeconomics, a Recession is a decline in any countrys Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or negative real economic growth, for two or more successive quarters of a year. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... Petro redirects here. ... The Colombian Coffee Federation is a non-profit business association, popularly known for its Juan Valdez marketing campaign. ... Stacks of Cocaine. ... A pop-up book is a book whose pages fold out, or pop up, when they are opened and turned. ...

Colombia is also the largest exporter of plantains to the United States. Within Latin America, Colombia is known as a provider of fine lingerie, with the industry being centered in Medellín. All imports, exports, and the general trade balance are in record levels, and the inflow of export dollars has resulted in substantial revaluation of the Colombian Peso. Species Musa Ã— paradisiaca A big load of plantains in Masaya, Nicaragua The plantain (pronounced [ËˆplÃ¦nteÉªn] or [ËˆplÃ¦ntÉªn][1]) is a species of the genus Musa and is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana (which is sometimes called the dessert banana). ... Assorted lingerie styles. ... Nickname: Location of the city (urban in red) and municipality (dark gray) of MedellÃn in Antioquia Department. ... ISO 4217 Code COP User(s) Colombia Inflation 4. ...

The problems facing the country range from pension system problems to drug dealing to moderately high unemployment (12%). Several international financial institutions have praised the economic reforms introduced by current President Álvaro Uribe, which include measures designed to bring the public-sector deficit below 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP). The government's economic policy and its controversial democratic security strategy have engendered a growing sense of confidence in the economy, and GDP growth in 2003 was among the highest in Latin America. On May 28, 2007, the American magazine BusinessWeek published an article naming Colombia the most Extreme Emerging Market on Earth.^[16] This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... Ãlvaro Uribe VÃ©lez (born July 4, 1952) is the 56th President of Colombia, whose first term ran from 2002 to 2006 and is currently serving his second term from 2006 to 2010. ... Democratic Security and Defense Policy excerpt from Embassy of Colombia in Washington: One of the first measures of the Ãlvaro Uribe Administration was to declare a State of Limited Emergency that provided the legal framework to carry out some of the measures necessary to address the acute security problems facing... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...

Tourism

The Tourism industry in Colombia developed in the 1940s and has maintained a steady growth since then. The main touristic destinations are Bogotá, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla, San Andres Island among others, each presenting different tourist attractions. There are different tourist season in Colombia, the two most busy are related to religious celebrations; the holy week and Christmas among other numerous public holidays, including the celebrations surrounding the Independence of Colombia.^[17] Map of Colombia Tourism in Colombia has grown in the last few years with the increase in safety and growth in the economy. ... Bogota colombia (Spanish:Carnaval de BogotÃ¡) in August 6 for the citys centenary of Hispanic foundation, includes masquerades, krewes and dances parades at the same time or after 5 days takes place the Summer festival which is a group of activities, concerts and sports events in all the city... Image File history File linksMetadata Cartagena_Beach. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Cartagena_Beach. ... For other places with the same name, see Cartagena (disambiguation). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2592 Ã— 1944 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2592 Ã— 1944 pixel, file size: 2. ... Small wooden sculpture depicting a Native American mother holding her child. ... RÃ¡quira is a municipality and town in BoyacÃ¡ Department, Colombia. ... Motto: Capital Tunja Governor Jorge Eduardo LondoÃ±o Area 23,189 kmÂ² Population - Total (2003) - Density 1,411,239 61 people/kmÂ² Adjective Boyaca (Spanish: BoyacÃ¡) is a department of Colombia, one of the original nine states of the United States of Colombia. BoyacÃ¡ is centrally located within Colombia, almost... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see BogotÃ¡ (disambiguation). ... For other places with the same name, see Cartagena (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Colombian city. ... Medellín is the capital city of Antioquia, a province in Colombia ( South America). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... For other places with the same name, see Barranquilla (disambiguation). ... San AndrÃ©s and Providencia Islands. ... Holy Week (Latin: ) in Christianity is the last week of Lent. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... The following are public holidays in Colombia: Ano Nuevo (New Years Day) (January 1) DÃa de los Reyes Magos (Epiphany) (January 6*) DÃa de San JosÃ© (St. ...

The most notable festivities are the Cali's Fair, the Barranquilla's Carnival, the Bogotá summer festival, the Iberoamerican Theater Festival, the Festival of the Flowers, the Vallenato Legend Festival, Carnival of Blacks and Whites and the Fiestas del Mar. Despite Travel advisories warning not to travel to Colombia due to Colombian armed conflict, the country continues to attract more tourists in recent years. The apparent cause appears to be the current hardline approach of President Álvaro Uribe called democratic security to push rebels groups farther away from the major cities, highways and tourist sites that may attract international visitors. Since President Uribe took office in 2002, he has notably increased Colombia's stability and security by significantly boosting its military strength and police presence throughout the country. This apparently has achieved fruitful results for the country's economy, particularly international tourism. In 2006, Colombia received some 1.5 million international visitors, an astonishing increase of about 50% from the previous year. Lonely Planet, a world travel publisher, has picked Colombia as one of their top 10 world destinations for 2006.^[18] The World Tourism Organization reported in 2004 that Colombia achieved the third highest percentage increase of tourist arrivals in South America between 2000 and 2004 (9.2%). Only Peru and Suriname had higher increases during the same period.^[19] Because of the improved security, Caribbean cruise ships tours stop in Cartagena and Santa Marta. To further point out the improved security in the country, in June 2007, the Travel Channel's show, 5 Takes Latin America, aired an episode on Colombia. Points of interest on the show were Bogota, Cocora Valley in Salento, and the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá.^[20] Bogota colombia (Spanish:Carnaval de BogotÃ¡) in August 6 for the citys centenary of Hispanic foundation, includes masquerades, krewes and dances parades at the same time or after 5 days takes place the Summer festival which is a group of activities, concerts and sports events in all the city... Barranquillas Carnaval (Spanish: Carnaval de Barranquilla) is a carnival with traditions that date back to the 19th century. ... Logo of the 2006 version of this festival Iberoamerican Theater Festival is the biggest theater festival in the world. ... Old and Classic Automobile parade Festival of the Flowers (Spanish: ) is a festival that takes place in the Colombian city of MedellÃn. ... Spanish: Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata The Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata is one of the most important music festivals in Colombia. ... The Carnival of Blacks and Whites (Spanish: Carnaval de Negros y Blancos) of Pasto, Colombia was declared National Cultural Heritage by the congress of the Republic of Colombia in April 2002. ... A travel advisory is a public notice issued by a government agency to provide information about the relative safety of traveling to or visiting one or more specific destinations. ... Democratic security or Democratic security policy refers to a Colombian security policy implemented during the administration of President Álvaro Uribe (2002-2006). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Salt Cathedral of ZipaquirÃ¡ The Salt Cathedral of ZipaquirÃ¡ (Spanish: Catedral de Sal de ZipaquirÃ¡) is an underground Church built in a tunnel of salt mines 200 mts inside a salt mountain near the town of ZipaquirÃ¡, in Cundinamarca, Colombia. ...

The varied and rich geography, flora and fauna of Colombia has also developed an eco-touristic industry, mostly developed in the National Natural Parks of Colombia which include the areas of Amacayacu Park in the Department of Amazonas, Colombian National Coffee Park in the town of Montenegro, Quindío, the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Los Nevados National Park (near the city of Manizales), Cocora valley in Salento, Quindío, PANACA theme Park, PANACA Savanna Park, Tayrona Park in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range (near the city of Santa Marta, the Tatacoa Desert, the Chicamocha Canyon National Park, Gorgona and Malpelo islands, as well as Cabo de la Vela in the Guajira Peninsula. Tapanti National Park in Costa Rica Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of tourism that appeals to the ecologically and socially conscious individuals. ... Amacayacu Park is a park in Colombia along the Amazon River. ... Categories: Departments of Colombia | South America geography stubs | Colombia ... Colombian National coffee Park Colombian National Coffee Park is a Colombian theme park located at Montenegro, Colombia. ... Flag of Montenegro. ... Space radar image of Nevado del Ruiz Nevado del Ruiz 2006 Nevado del Ruiz is an Andean stratovolcano in Caldas Department, Colombia. ... Los Nevados National Park 2007. ... Motto: The city of open doors - World Capital of Coffee Location of the city and municipality of Manizales in the Department of Caldas. ... Cocora valley (Spanish: ) is a valley in Colombia considered a wildlife sanctuary. ... Flag of Salento. ... PANACA (Spanish: ) is a farming theme park that promotes the contanct between humans and nature, intended for those who live in the city and to create awareness about nature. ... The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is a mountain range in northern Colombia. ... This article is about the Colombian city. ... The Tatacoa Desert The Tatacoa Desert (Spanish for Desierto de la Tatacoa) is a desert located in the Colombian Department of Huila, some 38 km from the city of Neiva. ... Gorgona is a Colombian island in the Pacific Ocean. ... Malpelo Island (Spanish: Isla de Malpelo) is an island located 314 miles off Colombias Pacific coast at 4Â°08â€²N 81Â°30â€²W. The island consists of a sheer and barren rock with three high peaks. ... Guajira is a style of Cuban acoustic music. ...

Transportation

Colombia has a network of national highways maintained by the Instituto Nacional de Vías or INVIAS (National Institute of Roadways) government agency under the Ministry of Transport. The Pan-American Highway travels through Colombia, connecting the country with Venezuela to the east and Ecuador to the south. // Railways Total 3,380 km Standard gauge 150 km of 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 536 pixel Image in higher resolution (1280 Ã— 857 pixel, file size: 895 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Picture captured by uploader on November, 2006 File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 536 pixel Image in higher resolution (1280 Ã— 857 pixel, file size: 895 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Picture captured by uploader on November, 2006 File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other... Motto: Capital MedellÃn Governor Area 63,612 kmÂ² Population - Total (2003) - Density 5,750,478 90 people/kmÂ² Adjective antioqueÃ±o Antioquia was one of the states in the original United States of Colombia, and is now a department in the northwest part of the Republic of Colombia. ... For other uses, see Ministry of Transport. ... The Pan American Highway from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina. ...

Colombia's principal airport is El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá. Several national airlines (Avianca, AeroRepública, AIRES , SATENA and Easy Fly, ), and international airlines (such as Iberia, American Airlines, Varig, Copa, Continental, Delta, Air Canada, Air France, Aerolineas Argentinas, Aerogal, TAME, TACA) operate from El Dorado. Bogotá's airport is one of the largest and most expensive in Latin America. Because of its central location in Colombia and America, it is preferred by national land transportation providers, as well as national and international air transportation providers. Satellite image Runway 13R/31L AeroSucre aircraft parked at the Domestic Cargo Terminals, to be demolished in 2008 El Dorado International Airport (IATA: BOG, ICAO: SKBO) is an international airport located in BogotÃ¡, Colombia. ... For other uses, see BogotÃ¡ (disambiguation). ... Avianca (Spanish acronym: AerovÃas del Continente Americano, formerly AerovÃas Nacionales de Colombia) has been the national flag air carrier of Colombia since 1919, making it the second oldest airline in the world behind KLM. Likewise it is the largest airline in the country. ... AeroRepÃºblica is an airline based in BogotÃ¡, Colombia. ... AIRES (Acronym: AerovÃas de IntegraciÃ³n Regional) is an airline based in BogotÃ¡, Colombia. ... SATENA Embraer ERJ 145 SATENA (acronym of Servicio AÃ©reo a Territorios Nacionales) is an airline based at El Dorado International Airport in BogotÃ¡, Colombia. ... Airbus A319-100 McDonnell Douglas MD-88 Iberia Airlines or Iberia, full name Iberia Airlines of Spain (Spanish: ), (IBEX-35:IBLA) is the largest airline of Spain, based in Madrid and is the Spanish flag carrier. ... American Airlines, Inc. ... Varig Boeing 737-300 Varig (ViaÃ§Ã£o AÃ©rea RIo Grandense) is an airline owned by Gol Transportes AÃ©reos based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ... The Child Online Protection Act (COPA) is a law in the United States of America, passed in 1998 with the declared purpose of protecting children from harmful sexual material on the internet. ... Continental may refer to: The adjective of continent, such as in continental Europe, continental breakfast, or continental climate, or Continental Glacier; The culture of the continental nation states of Europe, inasmuch as it contrasts with the culture of Anglo-Saxon England; The Lincoln Continental, a car made by Lincoln division... Delta Air Lines, Inc. ... Air Canada is Canadas largest airline and flag carrier. ... Air France (formally SociÃ©tÃ© Air France) is Europes largest airline company. ... Aerol neas Argentinas is Argentinas largest domestic and international airline. ... Aerogal (Aerolineas Galapagos SA) is an airline based in Quito, Ecuador. ... TAME (LÃnea AÃ©rea del Ecuador) is an airline based in Quito, Ecuador. ... TACA is an airline in Central America. ...

Demographics

With approximately 43.6 million people in 2006,^[21] Colombia is the third-most populous country in Latin America, after Brazil and Mexico. Demographics of Colombia, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (2,288 Ã— 1,712 pixels, file size: 339 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (2,288 Ã— 1,712 pixels, file size: 339 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...

Movement from rural to urban areas was very heavy in the mid-twentieth century, but has since tapered off. The urban population increased from 31% of the total population in 1938, to 57% in 1951 and about 70% by 1990. Currently the figure is about 77%. Thirty cities have a population of 100,000 or more. The nine eastern lowlands departments, constituting about 54% of Colombia's area, have less than 3% of the population and a density of less than one person per square kilometer (two persons per sq mi.). Colombia's total population in 2015 is projected to be more than 52 million.^[22]

The country has a diverse population that reflects its colourful history and the peoples that have populated here from ancient times to the present. The historic amalgam of the different main groups forms the basics of Colombia's current demographics: European immigrants, Indigenous Natives, Africans, Asians, Middle Easterners and other recent immigrants. Many of the indigenous peoples were absorbed into the mestizo population, but the remaining 700,000 currently represent over eighty-five distinct cultures. The European immigrants were primarily Spanish colonists, but a good number of other Europeans (Dutch, German, French, Swiss, Belgian and in smaller numbers Polish, Lithuanian, English and Croatian communities) immigrated during the Second World War and the Cold War. For example, former Bogotá mayor Antanas Mockus is the son of Lithuanian immigrants. Africans were brought as slaves, mostly to the coastal lowlands, beginning early in the sixteenth century, and continuing into the nineteenth century. Other immigrant populations include Asians and Middle Easterners, particularly Lebanese, Jordanians, Syrians, Chinese, Japanese and Koreans. The European peoples are the various nations and ethnic groups of Europe. ... Native Americans redirects here. ... World map showing location of Africa A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second_largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ... Languages Arabic and other minority languages Religions Sunni Islam, Shia Islam, Christianity, Druzism and Judaism Arab diaspora refers to the numbers of Arab immigrants, and their descendants, who voluntarily or as refugees emigrated from their native countries and now reside in non-Arab nations, primarily in Western countries as well... Language(s) Predominantly Spanish, (with a minority of other languages), while MestiÃ§os speaks Portuguese Religion(s) Christianity (Predominantly Roman Catholic, with a minority of Protestant and other Religions) Related ethnic groups European (mostly Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian), Amerindian people, Austronesian people, Hispanics and Latinos Mestizo (Portuguese: MestiÃ§o... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Antanas Mockus Å ivickas (BogotÃ¡, March 25, 1952), is a Colombian mathematician, philosopher, and politician. ...

Indigenous peoples

Before the Spanish colonization of the region that would become the country of Colombia, the territory was the home of many different indigenous peoples. Today more than fifty different indigenous ethnic groups exist in Colombia. Most of them speak languages beonging to the Chibchan and Cariban linguistic families. The Colombian government has established 567 reserves for indigenous peoples and they are inhabitated by more than 800,000 persons. Some of the largest indigenous groups are the Arhuacos, the Muisca, the Kuna people, the Witoto, the Páez, the Tucano, the Wayuu and the Guahibo. The Indigenous peoples in Colombia (pueblos indÃgenas in Spanish) comprise a large number of distinct ethnic groups who inhabited the countrys present territory prior to its discovery by Europeans around 1500. ... The term indigenous people has no universal, standard or fixed definition, but can be used about any ethnic group who inhabit the geographic region with which they have the earliest historical connection. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Carib family (by John Gabriel Stedman) Drawing of a Carib woman Carib, Island Carib or Kalinago people, after whom the Caribbean Sea was named, live in the Lesser Antilles islands. ... Arhuacos holding a meeting. ... For other uses, see Muska (disambiguation). ... A Kuna woman stands next to a clothesline brandishing her Mola-adorned blouse - or dulemola - on the San Blas islands of Panama. ... Witotoan (also Bora-Witotoan, Bora-WitÃ³toan, Huitotoan, Bora-Huitoto, BÃ³ra-WitÃ³to, Bora-Uitoto, Huitotoano, Huitotoana) is a language family of northeastern Peru, southwestern Colombia (Amazonas Department), and western Brazil (Amazonas State). ... The Paez, also known as the Nasa, are a Native American people who live in the Andes Mountains of Colombia. ... The Tucano are a group of indigenous South Americans living in the northwestern Amazon, along the VaupÃ©s river and the surrounding area. ... Area inhabited by the Wayuus, between Colombia and Venezuela. ...

Immigrant groups

Because of its strategic location Colombia has received several immigration waves during its history. Most of these immigrants have settled in the Caribbean Coast; Barranquilla (the largest city in the Colombian Caribbean Coast) has the largest population of Lebanese, Jewish, Italian, German, American, Chinese, French, Portugesse and Gypsy descendants. There are also important communities of German and Chinese descendants in the Caribbean Coast. The largest concentration of foreign immigrants in Colombia is in Barranquilla, which was the main entrance port into Colombia, it also received the name Puerta de Oro de Colombia (Colombias golden gate) Inmigration to Colombia has been historically low when compared to similar countries such as Venezuela, due to... For other places with the same name, see Barranquilla (disambiguation). ...

Ethnic groups

The census data in Colombia does not take into account ethnicity, so percentages are basically estimates from other sources and can vary from one another. Statistics reveal that Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and overwhelmingly speakers of Spanish, and that a majority of them are the result of the a mixture of Europeans, Africans, Amerindians.

58% of the population is mestizo, or of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry, while 20% is of European ancestry. Another 14% is mulatto, or of mixed black African and European ancestry, while 4% is of black African ancestry and 3% are zambos, of mixed black African and Amerindian ancestry. Pure indigenous Amerindians comprise 1 percent of the population.^[23] There are 101 languages listed for Colombia in the Ethnologue database, of which 80 are spoken today as living languages. There are about 500,000 speakers of indigenous languages in Colombia today.^[24]

More than two-thirds of all Colombians live in urban areas—a figure significantly higher than the world average. The literacy rate (94 percent) in Colombia is also well above the world average, and the rate of population growth is slightly higher than the world average. Also, a large proportion of Colombians are young, largely because of recent decreases in the infant mortality rate. While 33 percent of the people are 14 years of age or younger, just 4 percent are aged 65 or older.

Education

Over 93% of the entire population over 15 years of age can read and write, and this number has continued to increase throughout the years. Sixty percent of students complete primary schooling (5 years) and move onto secondary schooling(6 years). Most primary schools are private. Approximately 80 percent of Colombian children enter school, but they usually join a preschool academy until age 6 and then go to school. The school year extends from February to November in the capital city while in many other cities it extends from August to June. Primary education is free and compulsory for nine years for children between 6 and 12 years of age. The net primary enrollment (percentage of relevant age-group) in 2001 was 86.7 percent. The completion rate (percentage of age-group) for children attending elementary school (primaria) in 2001 totaled 89.5 percent. In many rural areas, teachers are poorly qualified, and only five years of primary school are offered. Secondary education (educación media) begins at age 11 and lasts up to six years, without any opportunity for vocational training. Secondary-school graduates are awarded the diploma (high-school diploma). Net secondary enrollment in 2001 was 53.5 percent. School life expectancy in 2001 was 11.1 years. Total public spending as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2001 was 4.4 percent—one of the highest rates in Latin America—as compared with 2.5 percent at the end of the 1980s. Government expenditures on education in 1999 totaled 19.7 percent of total government spending. The ratio of pupils to teachers in 2001 in primary school was 26:1 and in secondary school, 19:2. Colombia has 24 public universities. A total of 92.5 percent of the population is literate (male: 92.4 percent; female: 92.6 percent), according to a 2003 estimate. Literacy is at 93 percent in urban areas, but only 67 percent in rural areas. People in Colombia are educated in Spanish (see also Colombian Spanish). The second most spoken language is English. Education in Colombia comprehends the formal and non-formal education. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1632 Ã— 1224 pixels, file size: 352 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The name of this media object is misspelled, incomplete, misleading, cryptic, or does not conform to an established naming convention. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1632 Ã— 1224 pixels, file size: 352 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The name of this media object is misspelled, incomplete, misleading, cryptic, or does not conform to an established naming convention. ... Beaux Arts Building, BogotÃ¡, D.C.. Art Museum, BogotÃ¡, D.C.. The Universidad Nacional de Colombia (National University of Colombia) is a public educational institution. ... For other uses, see BogotÃ¡ (disambiguation). ... A primary school in ÄŒeskÃ½ TÄ›Å¡Ãn, Poland Primary education is the first stage of compulsory education. ... Compulsory education is education which children are required by law to receive and governments to provide. ... Secondary education - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Vocational education (or Vocational Education and Training (VET)) prepares learners for careers or professions that are traditionally non-academic and directly related to a trade, occupation or vocation in which the learner participates. ... This article is about GDP in the context of economics. ... The traditional definition of literacy is considered to be the ability to read and write, or the ability to use language to read, write, listen, and speak. ... The Caro y Cuervo Institute in BogotÃ¡ promotes the good use of spanish in Colombia The Colombian spanish language is the variation of Spanish language spoken in Colombia, which have some distinctive features in comparison to the Spanish spoken in Spain and in other countries of Latin America. ...

Religion

The National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) does not collect religious statistics, and accurate reports are hard to obtain. Based on various studies, more than 95% of the population adheres to Christianity,^[25] in which a huge segment of the population, between 81% and 90%, practices Roman Catholicism. About 1% of Colombians practice indigenous religions. Under 1% practice Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Despite strong numbers of adherents, around 60% of respondents to a poll by El Tiempo report that they do not practice their faith actively.^[26] Divino NiÃ±o JesÃºs, a Colombian cultural icon The Religion in Colombia is an expression of the different cultural heritages in the Colombian culture including the Spanish colonisation, the Native Amerindian and the Afro-Colombian. ... The Republic of Colombia has an area of 439,735 square miles, and its population is estimated at 46 million. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1200 Ã— 1600 pixel, file size: 425 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Santuario de las Lajas File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1200 Ã— 1600 pixel, file size: 425 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Santuario de las Lajas File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Las Lajas Cathedral Las Lajas Cathedral or Las Lajas Sanctuary (in Spanish Catedral de Las Lajas or Santuario de Las Lajas) is a cathedral located in the southern Colombian Department of NariÃ±o, municipality of Ipiales and built inside the canyon of the Guaitara River. ... Motto: Capital Pasto Governor Area 33,268 kmÂ² Population - Total (2003) - Density 1,775,139 53 people/kmÂ² Adjective nariÃ±ense Narino (Spanish: NariÃ±o) is a department of Colombia named after Antonio NariÃ±o. ... The National Administrative Department of Statistics (Spanish: Departamento Administrativo Nacional de EstadÃstica, commonly referred to as DANE) is the Colombian Administrative Department responsible for the planning, implementation, analysis and diffusion of official statistics of Colombia. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Â· Other religions Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Catholic Pope Coptic Pope Â· Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box: Christianity is... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The term Animism is derived from the Latin anima, meaning soul.[1][2] In its most general sense, animism is simply the belief in souls. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... hinduism also involves the exchange of male pun. ... A statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Tawang Gompa, India. ...

The Colombian constitution guarantees religious freedom, but also states that the State "is not atheist or agnostic, nor indifferent to Colombians' religious sentiment." Religious groups are readily able to obtain recognition as organized associations, but some smaller ones face difficulty in obtaining recognition as religious entities, which is required to offer chaplaincy services in public facilities.^[26]

Image File history File linksMetadata CatedralPrimadaBogota2004-7. ... Image File history File linksMetadata CatedralPrimadaBogota2004-7. ... For other uses, see BogotÃ¡ (disambiguation). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1024 Ã— 768 pixel, file size: 230 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Escultura inspirada en el Adan de Miguel Angel Catedral de Sal, ZipaquirÃ¡, Cundinamarca, Colombia File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1024 Ã— 768 pixel, file size: 230 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Escultura inspirada en el Adan de Miguel Angel Catedral de Sal, ZipaquirÃ¡, Cundinamarca, Colombia File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia... Salt Cathedral of ZipaquirÃ¡ The Salt Cathedral of ZipaquirÃ¡ (Spanish: Catedral de Sal de ZipaquirÃ¡) is an underground Church built in a tunnel of salt mines 200 mts inside a salt mountain near the town of ZipaquirÃ¡, in Cundinamarca, Colombia. ... |official_name = ZipaquirÃ¡ |nickname = |image_flag = Flag of ZipaquirÃ¡.svg |image_seal = |image_map = MunsCundinamarca Zipaquira. ... Cundinamarca is a department of Colombia, one of the original nine states of the United States of Colombia. Most of Cundinamarca is in the Eastern Cordillera, just south of BoyacÃ¡, bordered by the Magdalena River on the west, reaching down into the Amazon River basin on the east, and bordering...

Crime

Colombia has become notorious for its illicit drug production, kidnappings, and murder rate. In the 1990s, it became the world's largest producer of cocaine and coca derivatives.^[27] Cultivation of coca in 2000 was estimated at 402,782 acres (1,630 km²).^[28] This article covers national and international security issues in Colombia. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image:PhotoIngridSimple. ... The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombiaâ€“Peoples Army, in Spanish Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombiaâ€“EjÃ©rcito del Pueblo, also known by the acronym of FARC or FARC-EP is a communist revolutionary and armed guerrilla organization in Colombia. ... is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... For other uses, see Coca (disambiguation). ...

For some time Colombia also had the highest murder rate in the world at 62 murders per 100,000 people.^[27] However, it has descended in recent years to 39 murders per 100,000 people, bringing it down in the List of countries by murder rate below the levels of South Africa. Over 90 percent of the murdered are males. Regions like Putumayo, Guaviare and Arauca remain at 100 or more murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2005. Neighbouring Venezuela, meanwhile, has seen a rise from 13 in 1991 to 33 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2005 and Ecuador has gone from 11 in 1991 to 18 in 2004. This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...

Between 1992 and 1999 a total of 5,181 kidnappings, two-thirds of the world's reported, occurred in Colombia.^[27] In the year 2005, 800 kidnappings were reported, (73% less than in 2002) of which 35% were rescued in the same year. In 2005, 18,960 vehicles were stolen (37% less than in 2002) and 18,111 persons were murdered (38% less than in 2002).^[29]

Coca cultivation is a major illegal business in Colombia. In several rural regions, large tracts of land have been used for coca plant cultivation. According to U.S. figures, in 2004 an estimated 281,947 acres (1,141 km²) of land were used to grow the plant, and the nation had a producing potential of 430,000 metric tons of cocaine per year.^[21] According to a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime survey, coca cultivation was estimated at 212,511 acres (860 km²) in December 2006.^[28] United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is a United Nations agency which was founded in 1997 as the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention with the intent to fight drugs and crime on an international level. ...

In the year of 2006 the Colombian government had destroyed around 180,387 acres (730 km²) beating all records in coca plant destruction. The Colombian government now plans to destroy around 123,553 acres (500 km²) of coca plants in 2007 and they claim there will be only around 49,421 acres (200 km²) left, which they claim will be destroyed in 2008.^[30] While Colombian efforts to eradicate the coca plant have displaced production, they have not diminished the area on which the crop is harvested.^[31]This disputes the Colombian claim that coca will be eradicated in 2008.

Human rights

According to Amnesty International's Annual Report 2006, "Although the number of killings and kidnappings in some parts of the country fell, serious human rights abuses committed by all parties to the conflict remained at critical levels. Of particular concern were reports of extrajudicial executions carried out by the security forces, killings of civilians by armed opposition groups and paramilitaries, and the forced displacement of civilian communities."^[32] More than 3.5 million civilians out of the country’s 40 million people have been displaced during the last two decades, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.^[33] According to the U.S. Department of Stateâ€™s 2003 human rights report, Colombiaâ€™s human rights record, despite significant improvements by police and military forces in some areas, remained poor. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amnesty international Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience... Extrajudicial punishment is physical punishment without the permission of a court or legal authority. ...

"Women comprise over 55 percent of Colombia’s internally displaced population (IDP). According to the Profamilia study, conducted from 2000 to 2001, one displaced woman in five is a victim of sexual violence; many suffer unwanted pregnancies."^[34] The victims, as reported by Ms. Magazine, have sometimes resorted to illegal abortions. In 2007, abortion was decriminalized in the cases of rape, when a fetus is expected to die, and when the mother's life or health is endangered.^[35]

According to Amnesty International, "Paramilitaries who had supposedly demobilized under the terms of a controversial law ratified in July continued to commit human rights violations, while armed opposition groups continued to commit serious and widespread breaches of international humanitarian law. Individuals who may have been responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity were not brought to justice."^[36] The Justice and Peace law, together with other legal mechanisms such as Decree 128, provides legal and economic benefits to demobilized paramilitaries. More than 25,000 paramilitary members are taking advantage of the demobilization process. Amnesty International believes that some have concealed their paramilitary activities by using different names or acting as civilian informers and civic guards.^[37] Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amnesty international Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience... In the context of war, a war crime is a punishable offense under International Law, for violations of the laws of war by any person or persons, military or civilian. ... This article is in need of attention. ...

Culture

The culture of Colombia lies at the crossroads of Latin America characterized for having one of the most multicultural societies; a complex mixing of European, African, Native American and to a lesser extend Middle Eastern traditions that was later influenced by American culture and other Latin American cultures such as the Mexican culture, Argentine culture and Caribbean culture. Due to Colombia's geography and years of social and political instability, Colombian culture has been heavily fragmented into five major cultural regions which are also natural regions. Rural to urban migration, industrialisation, globalization and internal political, social and economic issues have changed Colombians' way of living through out the years. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Afro-Colombians refers to Colombians of African ancestry, and the great impact theyve had on Colombian culture. ... Fiesta in Palenque San Basilio de Palenque or Palenque de San Basilio is a Palenque village and corregimiento in the Municipality of Mahates, Bolivar in northern Colombia. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... Vallenato, along with cumbia, is the most popular folk music of Colombia. ... US President Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea during a visit to Cartagena, Colombia, where they were greeted by The Children of Vallenato. ... Gabriel GarcÃa MÃ¡rquez (b. ... Latin American culture is the formal or informal expression of the peoples of Latin America, and includes both high culture (literature, high art) and popular culture (music, folk art and dance) as well as religion and other customary practices. ... Multiculturalism or cultural pluralism is a policy, ideal, or reality that emphasizes the unique characteristics of different cultures in the world, especially as they relate to one another in immigrant receiving nations. ... This article very generally discusses the customs and culture of the United States; for the culture of the United States, see arts and entertainment in the United States. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... West Indies redirects here. ... Fragmentation is a term that occurs in several fields and describes a process of something breaking or being divided into pieces (fragments). ... The Natural Regions of Colombia are five natural regions comprised by primarily the Colombian Andes mountain range pertaining to the Andes, the Caribbean region pertaining to the area contiguous to the Caribbean sea, the Pacific region contiguous to the Pacific Ocean, the Amazon region part of the Amazon rainforest and... Rural-urban migration is the migration of people from rural areas into cities. ... A factory in Ilmenau (Germany) around 1860 Industrialisation (also spelt Industrialization) or an Industrial Revolution is a process of social and economic change whereby a human group is transformed from a pre-industrial society (an economy where the amount of capital accumulated per capita is low) to an industrial one... The rise of multinational corporations and outsourcing have played a crucial part in globalization. ...

Inherited from the Spanish colonization, Colombia in general maintains a large base of Roman Catholic traditions which largely influences its culture and multicultural society despite the presence of other beliefs. The Constitution of 1991 made possible the protections and freedom of religious beliefs. The mixture a variety of the different ethnic traditions developed unique hybrids of musical, dancing and rites expressions being Cumbia and Vallenato the most renown and strongly influenced by world pop culture. The Spanish colonization of the Americas was Spains conquest, settlement, and rule over much of the western hemisphere from 1492-1898. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Modern Colombian music is a mixture of African, native Indigenous and European (especially Spanish) influences, as well as more modern American and Caribbean musical forms, such as Trinidadian, Cuban, and Jamaican. ... Monument to the dance and music of cumbia in El Banco. ... Vallenato, along with cumbia, is the most popular folk music of Colombia. ... Popular culture, or pop culture, is the vernacular (peoples) culture that prevails in a modern society. ...

Colombia also has multiple celebrations and festivals through out the year, most of these being celebrations related to religious traditions, human expressions such as musical and theater, freedom celebration; as the case of the Ibero-American Theater Festival, Barranquilla's Carnival, Carnival of Blacks and Whites, the Independence day every July 20th, the holy week and Christmas. One of the most important aspects in Colombia is television with telenovelas playing a key role in the Colombian culture and lately the growing local film industry. Bogota colombia (Spanish:Carnaval de BogotÃ¡) in August 6 for the citys centenary of Hispanic foundation, includes masquerades, krewes and dances parades at the same time or after 5 days takes place the Summer festival which is a group of activities, concerts and sports events in all the city... Logo of the 2006 version of this festival The Iberoamerican Theater Festival is the largest theater festival in the world. ... Barranquillas Carnaval (Spanish: Carnaval de Barranquilla) is a carnival with traditions that date back to the 19th century. ... The Carnival of Blacks and Whites (Spanish: Carnaval de Negros y Blancos) of Pasto, Colombia was declared National Cultural Heritage by the congress of the Republic of Colombia in April 2002. ... Holy Week (Latin: ) in Christianity is the last week of Lent. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... Telenovela is the Spanish and Portuguese word for prime time serial or soap opera. ... Photogram of the film: Garras de oro (1926) The Cinema of Colombia (Spanish: ) or Colombian Cinema (Spanish: ) refers to the historic evolution of cinematography in Colombia. ...

Colombians have developed a special passion for the Football (soccer) sport, the Colombia national football team is seen as a symbol of unity and national pride, as well as the triumphs of many athletes in different sport disciplines who are Colombian, more notably Juan Pablo Montoya in NASCAR, Edgar Renteria in MLB and Camillo Villegas on the PGA Tour. Another Colombians of pride are those who are successful in different disciplines, such as literature like Gabriel Garcia Marquez; Art like master Fernando Botero, and Shakira, Juanes and Carlos Vives in music. Soccer redirects here. ... First international Mexico 3 - 1 Colombia (Panama City, Panama; 10 February 1938) Biggest win Argentina 0 - 5 Colombia (Buenos Aires, Argentina; 5 September 1993) Colombia 5 - 0 Peru (Barranquilla, Colombia; 4 June 2005) Biggest defeat Argentina 9 - 1 Colombia (Santiago, Chile; 7 February 1945) World Cup Appearances 4 (First in... Juan Pablo Montoya RoldÃ¡n (born September 20, 1975 in BogotÃ¡, Colombia) is a race car driver in NASCAR for Chip Ganassi Racing and a former Formula One driver. ... Edgar Enrique Rentería [ren-ter-EE-ah] (born August 7, 1975 in Barranquilla, Colombia) is a Major League Baseball shortstop and right-handed batter who plays for the Boston Red Sox. ... Gabriel Garcia Marquez Gabriel García Márquez (born March 6, 1928) is a Colombian novelist, journalist, publisher, and political activist. ... Familia (1989) Fernando Botero (born April 19, 1932) is a neo-figurative Colombian artist, self-titled the most Colombian of Colombian artists early on, coming to prominence when he won the first prize at the SalÃ³n de Artistas Colombianos in 1958. ... This article is about the musician. ... Juan Esteban AristizÃ¡bal VÃ¡squez (born August 9, 1972), best known as Juanes, is a rock musician from MedellÃn, Colombia. ... Carlos Vives (born 1961) is a Colombian singer and composer. ...

The Cuisine of Colombia developed from influences of the European cuisine mainly Spanish cuisine, Italian cuisine and French cuisine, American cuisine other Latin American cuisines such as the Mexican and the Caribbean and the local indigenous traditional cuisine. The Bandeja paisa dish is the traditional dish of the Paisa Region. ... Spanish cuisine consists of a great variety of dishes which stem from differences in geography, culture and climate. ... Italian cuisine as a national cuisine known today has evolved from centuries of social and political change. ... French cuisine is a style of cooking derived from the nation of France. ... The Cuisine of the United States is characterized by the broad diversity of the possible foods, but more importantly the willingness of the country as a whole to integrate widely divergent foods. ... Latin American cuisine is a phrase that refers to typical foods, beverages, and cooking styles common to many of the countries and cultures in Latin America. ...

All this multiculturalism has developed national symbols which are objects or themes identified to be representatives of Colombia and its people within the local pop culture. Cultural expressions in Colombia are promoted by the government through the Ministry of Culture. The nationa symbols of Colombia represent the identity of the South American country of Colombia. ...