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. ...

[edit] 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...

[edit] History

Main articles: History of Colombia and Timeline of Colombian 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. ...

[edit] Pre-Columbian Era

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 old Muisca tradition became the origin of El Dorado legend.

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). ...

[edit] 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. ...

[edit] Independence from Spain

Francisco de Paula Santander, Simón Bolivar and other heroes of the Independence of Colombia in the Congress of Cúcuta.

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. ...

[edit] 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. ...

[edit] La Violencia

Main articles: La Violencia and El Bogotazo

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. ...

[edit] The National Front

Main article: National Front (Colombia)

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). ...

[edit] Colombian armed conflict

Main article: Colombian armed conflict (1960s–present)

FARC-EP commanders during the failed peace process (1999-2002)

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...

[edit] Geography and climate

Main article: Geography of Colombia

See also: Natural Regions of Colombia and Geology of Colombia

Shaded relief map of Colombia.

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. ...

[edit] Climate

Main article: Climate of Colombia

Glacier Snowy peaks of the Nevado del Tolima volcano. 5,200+ metres (17,060 feet)

The hot and humid Colombian Pacific coast, one of the rainiest in the world.

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 Intertropica

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