This article is about the country. For other uses and spellings see Colombia (disambiguation) and Columbia (disambiguation). Republic of Colombia Repblica de Colombia  (Spanish) Flag Coat of arms Motto: "Libertad y Orden"  (Spanish) "Liberty and Order" Anthem: Oh Gloria Inmarcesible!  (Spanish) O unfading glory! Capital (and largest city) Bogot D.C. 439N 743W / 4.65N 74.05W / 4.65; -74.05 Official language(s) Spanish1 Recognised regional languages The languages and dialects of ethnic groups are also official in their territories.1 Ethnic groups  58% Mestizo 26% White 15% Afro Colombian 1% Amerindian2 Demonym Colombian Government Unitary presidential republic  -  President Juan Manuel Santos  -  Vice President Angelino Garzn Independence From Spain   -  Declared July 20 1810   -  Recognized August 7 1819   -  Current constitution 1991  Area  -  Total 1141748 km2 (26th) 440831 sq mi   -  Water (%) 8.8 Population  -  August 2010 estimate 459253973 (29th)  -  2005 census 428885923   -  Density 40/km2 (168th) 104/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate  -  Total $435.367 billion4   -  Per capita $95664  GDP (nominal) 2010 estimate  -  Total $285.511 billion4   -  Per capita $62734  Gini (2006) 58.55 (high)  HDI (2010) 0.689 6 (high) (79th) Currency Peso (COP) Time zone (UTC-52) Date formats dd-mm-yyyy (CE) Drives on the Right ISO 3166 code CO Internet TLD .co Calling code +57 1 Although the Colombian Constitution does not specify the Spanish as official language in all its territory the native languages (approximately 75 dialects) are also official in their own territories. 2 The official Colombian time (horalegal.sic.gov.co) is controlled and coordinated by the state agency Superintendency of Industry and Commerce.7

Colombia (i /klmbi/) officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish: Repblica de Colombia pronounced repulika e kolombja ( listen)) is a constitutional republic in northwestern South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela8 and Brazil;9 to the south by Ecuador and Peru;10 to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the northwest by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. Colombia also shares maritime borders with Venezuela Jamaica Haiti the Dominican Republic Honduras Nicaragua and Costa Rica.1112 With a population of over 46 million people Colombia has the 29th largest population in the world and the second largest in South America after Brazil. Colombia has the third largest population of any Spanish-speaking country in the world after Mexico and Spain.

The territory of what is now "Colombia" was originally inhabited by indigenous people including the Muisca Quimbaya and Tairona. The Spanish arrived in 1499 and initiated a period of conquest and colonization creating the Viceroyalty of New Granada (comprising modern-day Colombia Venezuela Ecuador the northwest region of Brazil and Panama) with its capital in Bogot.13 Independence from Spain was won in 1819 but by 1830 "Gran Colombia" had collapsed with the secession of Venezuela and Ecuador. Panama and New Greneda stayed joined. The new nation experimented with federalism as the Granadine Confederation (1858) and then the United States of Colombia (1863) before the Republic of Colombia was finally declared in 1886.2 Given the fact that the Gran Colombia union did not exist anymore in 1903 Panama seceded. Panama separated from Colombia.

Colombia has a long tradition of constitutional government. The Liberal and Conservative parties founded in 1848 and 1849 respectively are two of the oldest surviving political parties in the Americas. However tensions between the two have frequently erupted into violence most notably in the Thousand Days War (18991902) and La Violencia beginning in 1948. Since the 1960s government forces left-wing insurgents and right-wing paramilitaries have been engaged in the continent's longest-running armed conflict. Fuelled by the cocaine trade this escalated dramatically in the 1980s. Nevertheless in the recent decade (2000s) the violence has decreased significantly. Many paramilitary groups have demobilized as part of a controversial peace process with the government and the guerrillas have lost control in many areas where they once dominated.2 Meanwhile Colombia's homicide rate for many years one of the highest in the world almost halved between 2002 and 2006.14 2009 and 2010 saw an increase in the urban homicide rate particularly in the city of Medelln attributed to gang warfare and paramilitary successor groups.151617 According to the Maplecroft research institute in 2010 Colombia had the world's sixth highest risk of terrorism.1819

Colombia is a standing middle power20 with the fourth largest economy in Latin America. Inequality and unequal distribution of wealth are widespread.21 In 1990 the ratio of income between the poorest and richest 10 per cent was 40-to-one. Following a decade of economic restructuring and a recession this ratio had climbed to 80-to-one in the year 2000.22 By 2009 Colombia had reached a Gini coefficient of 0.587 which was the highest in Latin America.23 According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights "there has been a decrease in the poverty rate in recent years but around half of the population continues to live under the poverty line" as of 2008-2009.24 Official figures for 2009 indicate that about 46% of Colombians lived below the poverty line and some 17% in "extreme poverty".2526

Colombia is very ethnically diverse and the interaction between descendants of the original native inhabitants Spanish colonists Africans brought as slaves and twentieth-century immigrants from Europe and the Middle East has produced a rich cultural heritage. This has also been influenced by Colombia's varied geography. The majority of the urban centres are located in the highlands of the Andes mountains but Colombian territory also encompasses Amazon rainforest tropical grassland and both Caribbean and Pacific coastlines. Ecologically Colombia is one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries (the most biodiverse per unit area).27 Contents 1 Etymology 2 Geography 2.1 Environmental issues 3 History 3.1 Pre-Columbian era 3.2 Spanish discovery conquest and colonization 3.3 Independence from Spain 3.4 Post-independence and republicanism 4 Government 4.1 Administrative divisions 4.2 Foreign affairs 4.3 Defense 4.4 Politics 5 Economy 5.1 Tourism 5.2 Transportation 5.3 Colombia dry canal 6 Demographics 6.1 Ethnic groups 6.2 Indigenous peoples 6.3 Immigrant groups 6.4 Impact of armed conflict on civilians 6.5 Religion 6.6 Health 7 Education 8 Culture 8.1 Popular culture 8.2 Cuisine 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links 13 Related information Etymology

The word "Colombia" comes from Christopher Columbus (Spanish: Cristbal Coln). It was conceived by the Venezuelan revolutionary Francisco de Miranda as a reference to all the New World but especially to those territories and colonies under Spanish and Portuguese rule. The name was later adopted by the Republic of Colombia of 1819 formed out of the territories of the old Viceroyalty of New Granada (modern-day Colombia Panama Venezuela and Ecuador).28

In 1835 when Venezuela and Ecuador broke away the Cundinamarca region that remained became a new country the Republic of New Granada. In 1858 New Granada officially changed its name to the Granadine Confederation then in 1863 the United States of Colombia before finally adopting its present name the Republic of Colombia in 1886.28 Geography Main article: Geography of Colombia See also: Natural regions of Colombia and Geology of Colombia Sierra Nevada del Cocuy. Shaded relief map of Colombia Chicamocha canyon in the Department of Santander.

Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by Panama and the Caribbean Sea; and to the west by Ecuador and the Pacific Ocean. Including its Caribbean islands it lies between latitudes 14N and 5S and longitudes 66 and 82W.

Part of the Ring of Fire a region of the world subject to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions Colombia is dominated by the Andes mountains. Beyond the Colombian Massif (in the south-western departments of Cauca and Nario) these are divided into three branches known as cordilleras (mountain ranges): the Cordillera Occidental running adjacent to the Pacific coast and including the city of Cali; the Cordillera Central running between the Cauca and Magdalena river valleys (to the west and east respectively) and including the cities of Medelln Manizales Pereira and Armenia ; and the Cordillera Oriental extending north east to the Guajira Peninsula and including Bogot Bucaramanga and Ccuta. Peaks in the Cordillera Occidental exceed 13000 ft (3962 m) and in the Cordillera Central and Cordillera Oriental they reach 18000 ft (5486 m).29 At 8500 ft (2591 m) Bogot is the highest city of its size in the world. East of the Andes lies the savanna of the Llanos part of the Orinoco River basin and in the far south east the jungle of the Amazon rainforest. Together these lowlands comprise over half Colombia's territory but they contain less than 3% of the population. To the north the Caribbean coast home to 20% of the population and the location of the major port cities of Barranquilla and Cartagena generally consists of low-lying plains but it also contains the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range which includes the country's tallest peaks (Pico Cristbal Coln and Pico Simn Bolvar) and the Guajira Desert. By contrast the narrow and discontinuous Pacific coastal lowlands backed by the Serrana de Baud mountains are covered in dense vegetation and sparsely populated. The principal Pacific port is Buenaventura. Colombian territory also includes a number of Caribbean and Pacific islands. Environmental issues Main article: Environmental issues in Colombia The environmental challenges faced by Colombia are caused by both natural and human hazards. Many natural hazards result from Colombia's position along the Pacific Ring of Fire and the consequent geological instability. Colombia has 15 major volcanoes the eruptions of which have on occasion resulted in substantial loss of life such as at Armero in 1985 and geological faults that have caused numerous devastating earthquakes such as the 1999 Armenia earthquake. Heavy floods both in mountainous areas and in low-lying watersheds and coastal regions regularly cause deaths and considerable damage to property during the rainy seasons. Rainfall intensities vary with the El Nio-Southern Oscillation which occurs in unpredictable cycles at times causing especially severe flooding. Human induced deforestation has substantially changed the Andean landscape and has started to creep into the rainforests of Amazonia and the Pacific coast. Deforestation is also linked to the conversion of lowland tropical forests to oil palm plantations. However compared to neighbouring countries rates of deforestation in Colombia are still relatively low.30 In urban areas the use of fossil fuels and other human produced waste have contaminated the local environment. Demand from rapidly expanding cities has placed increasing stress on the water supply as watersheds are affected and ground water tables fall. Nonetheless Colombia has large reserves of freshwater and is the fourth country in the world by magnitude of total freshwater supply.31 Participants in the country's armed conflict have also contributed to the pollution of the environment. Illegal armed groups have deforested large areas of land to plant illegal crops with an estimated 99000 hectares used for the cultivation of coca in 200732 while in response the government has fumigated these crops using hazardous chemicals. Insurgents have also destroyed oil pipelines creating major ecological disasterscitation needed. History Main articles: History of Colombia and Timeline of Colombian history Villa de Leyva Pre-Columbian era Approximately 10000 BC hunter-gatherer societies existed near present-day Bogot (at "El Abra" and "Tequendama") which traded with one another and with cultures living in the Magdalena River Valley.33 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 Bogot 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.34 Spanish discovery conquest and colonization Attack on Cartagena de Indias Spanish explorers made the first exploration of the Caribbean littoral in 1499 led by Rodrigo de Bastidas. Christopher Columbus navigated near the Caribbean in 1502. In 1508 Vasco Nez de Balboa started the conquest of the territory through the region of Urab. In 1513 he was 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. Alonso de Lugo (who had sailed with Columbus) reached the Guajira Peninsula in 1500. Santa Marta was founded in 1525 and Cartagena in 1533. Gonzalo Jiminez de Quesada led an expedition to the interior in 1535 and founded the "New City of Granada" the name soon changed to "Santa F de Bogot." Two other notable journeys by Spaniards to the interior took place in the same period. Sebastian de Belalcazar conqueror of Quito traveled north and founded Cali in 1536 and Popayn in 1537; Nicolas Federman crossed Llanos Orientales and went over the Eastern Cordillera.35 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 such as smallpox and the conquest and ethnic cleansing itself caused a demographic reduction among the indigenous people.36 In the 16th century Europeans began to bring slaves from Africa. Independence from Spain Main article: Colombian Declaration of Independence Francisco de Paula Santander Simn Bolivar and other heroes of the Independence of Colombia in the Congress of Ccuta. 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: Simn Bolvar and Francisco de Paula Santander. A movement initiated by Antonio Nario who opposed Spanish centralism and led the opposition against the viceroyalty led to the independence of Cartagena in November 1811. This led to the formation of two independent governments which fought a civil war a period known as La Patria Boba. The following year Nario proclaimed the United Provinces of New Granada headed by Camilo Torres Tenorio. Despite the successes of the rebellion the emergence of two distinct ideological currents among the liberators (federalism and centralism) gave rise to an internal clash between these two thus contributing to the reconquest of territory by the Spanish allowing restoration of the viceroyalty under the command of Juan de Samano whose regime punished those who participated in the uprisings. This stoked renewed rebellion which combined with a weakened Spain made possible a successful rebellion led by Simn Bolvar who finally proclaimed independence in 1819. The pro-Spanish resistance was finally defeated in 1822 in the present territory of Colombia and in 1823 in Venezuela. The territory of the Viceroyalty of New Granada became the Republic of Colombia organized as a union of Ecuador Colombia and Venezuela (Panama was then an integral part of Colombia). The Congress of Cucuta in 1821 adopted a constitution for the new Republic. The first President of Colombia was the Venezuelan-born Simn Bolvar and Francisco de Paula Santander was Vice President. However the new republic was very unstable and ended with the rupture of Venezuela in 1829 followed by Ecuador in 1830. Post-independence and republicanism Main articles: La Violencia El Bogotazo National Front (Colombia) and Colombian armed conflict (1964present) The Gran Colombia Internal political and territorial divisions led to the secession of Venezuela and Quito (today's Ecuador) in 1830. The so-called "Department of Cundinamarca" adopted the name "Nueva Granada" which it kept until 1856 when it became the "Confederacin Granadina" (Granadine 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 (18991902). This together with the United States of America's intentions to influence the area (especially 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. The United States paid Colombia $25000000 in 1921 seven years after completion of the canal for redress of President Roosevelt's role in the creation of Panama and Colombia recognized Panama under the terms of the Thomson-Urrutia Treaty. Colombia was engulfed in the Year-Long War with Peru over a territorial dispute involving the Amazonas Department and its capital Leticia. 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 mounting tensions between the two leading political parties which subsequently ignited after the assassination of the Liberal presidential candidate Jorge Elicer Gaitn on April 9 1948. This assassination caused riots in Bogot and became known as El Bogotazo. The violence from these riots spread throughout the country and claimed the lives of at least 180000 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'tat and negotiated with the Guerrillas and then under the military junta of General Gabriel Pars Gordillo. 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 problems continued and guerrilla groups were formally created such as the FARC ELN and M-19 to fight the government and political apparatus. These guerrilla groups were dominated by Marxist doctrines. Emerging in the late 1970s powerful and violent drug cartels further developed during the 1980s and 1990s. The Medelln 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. The Colombian armed forces around the dead body of the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar. 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 causing accusations that drug cartels had lobbied for the provision; extradition was allowed again in 1996 when the provision was repealed. The cartels had previously promoted a violent campaign against extradition leading to many terrorist attacks and mafia-style executions. They also tried to influence the government and political structure of Colombia through corruption as in the case of the 8000 Process scandal. 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 which along with other minor factions have engaged in a bloody internal armed conflict. President Andrs Pastrana and the FARC attempted to negotiate a solution to the conflict between 1999 and 2002. The government set up a "demilitarized" zone but repeated tensions and crisis led the Pastrana administration to conclude that the negotiations were ineffectual. 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. During the presidency of lvaro Uribe the government applied more military pressure on the FARC and other outlawed groups. After the offensive which was supported by foreign aid provided by the United States many security indicators improved. Reported kidnappings showed a steep decrease (from 3700 in the year 2000 to 172 in 2009 (Jan.-Oct.)) and so did intentional homicides (from 28837 in 2002 to 15817 in 2009 according to police while the health system reported a decline from 28534 to 17717 during the same period). Kidnappings suffered a steady decline for almost a decade until a 2010 increase saw 280 cases reported between January and October most of which were concentrated in the Medelln area.37383940 According to official statistics guerrillas were reduced from 24000 fighters in 2002 to 9500 in 2010.41 While rural areas and jungles remained dangerous the overall reduction of violence led to the growth of internal travel and tourism after security conditions improved.42 The 20062007 Colombian parapolitics scandal emerged from 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.43 Government Main article: Government of Colombia See also: Colombian Constitution of 1991 Current President Juan Manuel Santos The government of Colombia takes place within the framework of a presidential representative democratic republic as established in the Constitution of 1991. In accordance with the principle of separation of powers government is divided into three branches: the executive branch the legislative branch and the judicial branch. Nario Palace presidential residence. The head of the executive branch is the President of Colombia who serves as both head of state and head of government followed by the Vice President and the Council of Ministers. The president is elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms and is currently limited to a maximum of two such terms (increased from one in 2005). At the provincial level executive power is vested in department governors municipal mayors and local administrators for smaller administrative subdivisions such as corregidores or corregimientos. The legislative branch of government is composed by the Senate and the House of Representatives. The 102-seat Senate is elected nationally and the Representatives are elected by every region and minority groups.44 Members of both houses are elected two months before the president also by popular vote and to serve four-year terms. At the provincial level the legislative branch is represented by department assemblies and municipal councils. All regional elections are held one year and five months after the presidential election. The judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Court consisting of 23 judges divided into three chambers (Penal Civil and Agrarian and Labour). The judicial branch also includes the Council of State which has special responsibility for administrative law and also provides legal advice to the executive the Constitutional Court responsible for assuring the integrity of the Colombian constitution and the Superior Council of Judicature responsible for auditing the judicial branch. Colombia operates a system of civil law which since 2005 has been applied through an adversarial system. Administrative divisions Main articles: Departments of Colombia and Municipalities of Colombia See also: List of cities in Colombia and Corregimientos of Colombia Click on a department on the map below to go to its article.  Department Capital city 1  Amazonas Leticia 2  Antioquia Medelln 3  Arauca Arauca 4  Atlntico Barranquilla 5  Bolvar Cartagena 6  Boyac Tunja 7  Caldas Manizales 8  Caquet Florencia 9  Casanare   Yopal 10  Cauca Popayn 11  Cesar Valledupar       12  Choc Quibd 13  Crdoba Montera 14  Cundinamarca Bogot 15  Guaina Inrida 16  Guaviare San Jos del Guaviare 17  Huila Neiva  Department Capital city 18  La Guajira   Riohacha 19  Magdalena Santa Marta 20  Meta Villavicencio 21  Nario Pasto 22  Norte de Santander Ccuta 23  Putumayo Mocoa 24  Quindo Armenia 25  Risaralda Pereira 26  San Andrs Providencia and Santa Catalina San Andrs 27  Santander Bucaramanga 28  Sucre Sincelejo 29  Tolima Ibagu 30  Valle del Cauca Cali 31  Vaups Mit 32  Vichada Puerto Carreo 33  Bogot Capital District Bogot Capital District Colombia is divided into 32 departments and one capital district which is treated as a department (Bogot also serves as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca). Departments are subdivided into municipalities each of which is assigned a municipal seat and municipalities are in turn subdivided into corregimientos. Each department has a local government with a governor and assembly directly elected to four-year terms. Each municipality is headed by a mayor and council and each corregimiento by an elected corregidor or local leader. In addition to the capital nine other cities have been designated districts (in effect special municipalities) on the basis of special distinguishing features. These are Barranquilla Cartagena Santa Marta Ccuta Popayn Bucaramanga Tunja Turbo Buenaventura and Tumaco. Some departments have local administrative subdivisions where towns have a large concentration of population and municipalities are near each other (for example in Antioquia and Cundinamarca). Where departments have a low population and there are security problems (for example Amazonas Vaups and Vichada) special administrative divisions are employed such as "department corregimientos" which are a hybrid of a municipality and a corregimiento. Foreign affairs Main article: Foreign relations of Colombia See also: Diplomatic missions of Colombia Colombian Embassy in Paris. Former President of Colombia lvaro Uribe being presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President of the United States George W. Bush. 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 continents and is also represented in multilateral organizations at the following locations: Brussels (Mission to the European Union) Geneva (Permanent Missions to the United Nations and other international organizations) Montevideo (Permanent Missions to the Latin American Integration Association and Mercosur) Nairobi (Permanent Missions to the United Nations and other international organizations) New York (Permanent Mission to the United Nations) Paris (Permanent Mission to UNESCO) Rome (Permanent Mission to the Food and Agriculture Organization) Washington D.C. (Permanent Mission to the Organization of American States) The foreign relations of Colombia are mostly concentrated on combating the illegal drug trade the fight against terrorism improving Colombia's image in the international community expanding the international market for Colombian products and environmental issues. Colombia receives special military and commercial co-operation and support in its fight against internal armed groups from the United States mainly through Plan Colombia as well as special financial preferences from the European Union in certain products. Colombia was one of the 12 countries that joined the UNASUR when it was created. UNASUR is supposed to be modeled like the European Union having free trade agreements with the members free movement of people a common currency and also a common passport. Colombia as well as all the other members of UNASUR have had some problems with the integration due to the 2008 Andean diplomatic crisis. Colombia is a member of the Andean Community of Nations and the Union of South American Nations. Colombians need tourist visa for 180 countries45 and do not need tourist visa for 15 countries.46 Defense Main article: Military of Colombia Colombian Navy ARC Almirante Padilla (FM-51) frigate. The executive branch of government has responsibility for managing the defense of Colombia with the President commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The Colombian military is divided into three branches: the National Army of Colombia; the Colombian Air Force; and the Colombian National Armada. The National Police functions as a gendarmerie operating independently from the military as the law enforcement agency for the entire country. Each of these operates with their own intelligence apparatus separate from the national intelligence agency the Administrative Department of Security. The National Army is formed by divisions regiments and special units; the National Armada by the Colombian Naval Infantry the Naval Force of the Caribbean the Naval Force of the Pacific the Naval Force of the South Colombia Coast Guards Naval Aviation and the Specific Command of San Andres y Providencia; and the Air Force by 13 air units. The National Police has a presence in all municipalities. Politics Main article: Politics of Colombia See also: Elections in Colombia and List of political parties in Colombia Colombian National Capitol. For over a century Colombian politics were monopolized by the Liberal Party (founded in 1848 on an anti-clerical broadly economically liberal and federalist platform) and the Conservative Party (founded in 1849 espousing Catholicism protectionism and centralism). This culminated in the formation of the National Front (19581974) which formalized arrangements for an alternation of power between the two parties and excluded non-establishment alternatives (thereby fueling the nascent armed conflict). By the time of the dissolution of the National Front traditional political alignments had begun to fragment. This process has continued since and the consequences of this are exemplified by the results of the presidential election of 28 May 2006 which was won with 62% of the vote by the incumbent lvaro Uribe. President Uribe was from a Liberal background but he campaigned as part of the Colombia First movement with the support of the Conservative Party and his hard line on security issues and liberal economics place him on the right of the modern political spectrumcitation needed. In second place with 22% was Carlos Gaviria of the Alternative Democratic Pole a newly formed social democratic alliance which includes elements of the former M-19 guerrilla movement. Horacio Serpa of the Liberal Party achieved third place with 12%. Meanwhile in the congressional elections held earlier that year the two traditional parties secured only 93 out of 268 seats available. Despite a number of controversies most notably the ongoing parapolitics scandal dramatic improvements in security and continued strong economic performance have ensured that former President lvaro Uribe remained popular among Colombian people with his approval rating peaking at 85% according to a poll in July 2008.47 However having served two terms he was constitutionally barred from seeking re-election in 2010. The Colombian Congress with overwhelming support of the Colombian people had attempted to hold a referendum allowing a vote that would overturn the 2-term limit for presidents but this attempt was ruled unconstitutional by the Colombian constitutional court on February 27 2010. President Uribe stated that he respects the decision one that cannot be appealed. On presidential elections performed as of May 30 2010 people voted 46% 48 for the former Minister of defense Juan Manuel Santos for being the president from 2010 to 2014 but according to the current laws since he does not have 50% of the votes there was a second round on June 20 2010 against the second most voted candidate Antanas Mockus with 21%.48 The winning candidate was Juan Manuel Santos who became Colombia's president beginning on August 7 2010. Economy Bogot D.C. Colombia's largest city and financial heart; one of the most influential cities in Latin America. Main article: Economy of Colombia See also: Agriculture in Colombia Headquarters of the Banco de la Repblica in Bogot. In spite of the difficulties presented by serious internal armed conflict Colombia's market economy grew steadily in the latter part of the twentieth century with gross domestic product (GDP) increasing at an average rate of over 4% per year between 1970 and 1998. The country suffered a recession in 1999 (the first full year of negative growth since the Great Depression) and the recovery from that recession was long and painful. However in recent years growth has been impressive reaching 8.2% in 2007 one of the highest rates of growth in Latin America. Meanwhile the Colombian stock exchange climbed from 1000 points at its creation in July 2001 to over 7300 points by November 2008.49 According to International Monetary Fund estimates in 2010 Colombia's GDP (PPP) was US$429.866 billion (28th in the world and third in South America). Adjusted for purchasing power parity GDP per capita stands at $7968 placing Colombia 82nd in the world. However in practice this is relatively unevenly distributed among the population and in common with much of Latin America Colombia scores poorly according to the Gini coefficient with UN figures placing it 119th out of 126 countries. In 2003 the richest 20% of the population had a 62.7% share of income/consumption and the poorest 20% just 2.5% and 17.8% of Colombians live on less than $2 a day.50 Macroeconomic Indicators 20012010. Government spending is 37.9% of GDP.2 Almost a quarter of this goes towards servicing the country's relatively high government debt estimated at 52.8% of GDP in 2007.250 Other problems facing the economy include weak domestic and foreign demand the funding of the country's pension system and unemployment (10.8% in November 2008).49 Inflation has remained relatively low in recent years standing at 5.5% in 2007.2 Historically an agrarian economy Colombia urbanised rapidly in the twentieth century by the end of which just 22.7% of the workforce were employed in agriculture generating just 11.5% of GDP. 18.7% of the workforce are employed in industry and 58.5% in services responsible for 36% and 52.5% of GDP respectively.2 Colombia is rich in natural resources and its main exports include petroleum coal coffee and other agricultural produce and gold.51 Colombia is also known as the world's leading source of emeralds52 while over 70% of cut flowers imported by the United States are Colombian.53 Principal trading partners are the United States (a controversial free trade agreement with the United States is currently awaiting approval by the United States Congress) Venezuela and China.2 All imports exports and the overall balance of trade are at record levels and the inflow of export dollars has resulted in a substantial re-valuation of the Colombian peso. Economic performance has been aided by liberal reforms introduced in the early 1990s and continued during the presidency of lvaro Uribe whose policies included measures designed to bring the public sector deficit below 2.5% of GDP. In 2008 The Heritage Foundation assessed the Colombian economy to be 61.9% free an increase of 2.3% since 2007 placing it 67th in the world and 15th out of 29 countries within the region.54 Meanwhile the improvements in security resulting from President Uribe's controversial "democratic security" strategy have engendered an increased sense of confidence in the economy. On 28 May 2007 the American magazine BusinessWeek published an article naming Colombia "the most extreme emerging market on Earth".55 Colombia's economy has improved in recent years. Investment soared from 15% of GDP in 2002 to 26% in 2008. private business has retooled. However unemployment at 12 % and the poverty rate at 46% in 2009 are above the regional average.56 According to a recent World Bank report doing business is easiest in Manizales Ibagu and Pereira and more difficult in Cali and Cartagena. Reforms in custom administration have helped reduce the amount of time it takes to prepare documentation by over 60% for exports and 40% for imports compared to the previous report. Colombia has taken measures to address the backlog in civil municipal courts. The most important result was the dismissal of 12.2% of inactive claims in civil courts thanks to the application of Law 1194 of 2008 (Ley de Desistimiento Tcito).57 Tourism Main article: Tourism in Colombia Cartagena de Indias one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean For many years serious internal armed conflict deterred tourists from visiting Colombia with official travel advisories warning against travel to the country. However in recent years numbers have risen sharply thanks to improvements in security resulting from President lvaro Uribe's "democratic security" strategy which has included significant increases in military strength and police presence throughout the country and pushed rebel groups further away from the major cities highways and tourist sites likely to attract international visitors. Foreign tourist visits were predicted to have risen from 0.5 million in 2003 to 1.3 million in 200758 while Lonely Planet picked Colombia as one of their top ten world destinations for 2006.59 Colombia Minister for Industry Trade and Tourism Luis Guillermo Plata said his country had received 2348948 visitors in 2008. In 2010 Colombia received more than 25 million foreign visitors according to official statistics.60 In November 2010 the U.S. State Department travel warning for the country stated that security conditions had improved significantly in recent years and kidnappings had been noticeably reduced from their previous peak but cautioned travelers about continuing terrorist threats and the dangers of common crime including hostage-taking. Rising murder rates in Cali and Medelln were also highlighted and U.S. citizens were urged to travel between cities by air instead of using ground transportation.61> Fortifications of the old city of Cartagena one of the seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Colombia. Arrecifes beach in the Tayrona National Natural Park one of the main ecotourist destinations. Downtown Bogot. Archipelago of San Andrs Providencia and Santa Catalina. Pueblito Paisa. (Medelln) The "Eje Cafetero" Riohacha night. Santa Cruz de Mompox. Cali night. La Candelaria Bogot's historic district. Popular tourist attractions include the historic Candelaria district of central Bogot the walled city and beaches of Cartagena the colonial towns of Santa Fe de Antioquia Popayn Villa de Leyva and Santa Cruz de Mompox and the Las Lajas Sanctuary and the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquir. Tourists are also drawn to Colombia's numerous festivals including Medelln's Festival of the Flowers the Barranquilla Carnival the Carnival of Blacks and Whites in Pasto and the Ibero-American Theater Festival in Bogot. Meanwhile because of the improved security Caribbean cruise ships now stop at Cartagena and Santa Marta. The great variety in geography flora and fauna across Colombia has also resulted in the development of an ecotourist industry concentrated in the country's national parks. Popular ecotourist destinations include: along the Caribbean coast the Tayrona National Natural Park in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range and Cabo de la Vela on the tip of the Guajira Peninsula; the Nevado del Ruiz volcano the Cocora valley and the Tatacoa Desert in the central Andean region; Amacayacu National Park in the Amazon River basin; and the Pacific islands of Malpelo and Gorgona. Colombia is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Transportation Medelln Metro El Dorado International Airport. Rush hour on a Bogot freeway. Transmilenio. Main article: Transport in Colombia Colombia has a network of national highways maintained by the Instituto Nacional de Vas 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. Colombia's main airports are El Dorado International Airport in Bogot Jose Maria Cordova International Airport in Medelln Alfonso Bonilla Aragon International Airport in Cali Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport in Barranquilla Matecaa International Airport in Pereira and Rafael Nuez International Airport in Cartagena. El Dorado International Airport is the busiest airport in Latin America based upon the number of flights and the weight of goods transported.62 Several national airlines (Avianca AeroRepblica AIRES SATENA and EasyFly ) and international airlines (such as Iberia American Airlines Varig Copa Continental Delta Air Canada Spirit Lufthansa Air France Aerolneas Argentinas Aerogal TAME TACA JetBlue Airways LAN Airlines) operate from El Dorado. 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. Urban transport systems have been developed in Bogot and Medelln. Traffic congestion in Bogot has been greatly exacerbated by the lack of rail transport. However this problem has been alleviated somewhat by the development of the TransMilenio Bus Rapid System and the restriction of vehicles through a daily rotating ban on private cars depending on plate numbers. Bogot's system consists of bus and minibus services managed by both private- and public-sector enterprises. Since 1995 Medelln has had a modern urban railway referred to as the Metro de Medelln which also connects with the cities of Itag Envigado and Bello. An elevated cable car system Metrocable was added in 2004 to link some of Medelln's poorer mountainous neighborhoods with the Metro de Medelln. A bus rapid-transit system called Transmetro similar to Bogot's TransMilenio will begin operating in Barranquilla by late 2007. Cali's streets remain under construction as a new public-transit system called the Massive Integration of the West is being built. Colombia dry canal China and Colombia have discussed a Panama Canal rival a 'Dry Canal' a 220 km rail link between the Pacific and a new city near Cartagena. China is Colombia's second largest trade partner after the USA. Colombia is also the world's fifth-largest coal producer but most is currently exported via Atlantic ports while demand is growing fastest across the Pacific. A dry canal could make Colombia a hub where imported Chinese goods would be assembled for re-export throughout the Americas and Latin American raw materials would begin the return journey to China.63 Demographics Main article: Demographics of Colombia See also: List of Colombian Departments by population With an estimated 46 million people in 2008 Colombia is the third-most populous country in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico. It is also home to the fourth-largest number of Spanish speakers in the world after Mexico the United States and Spain. It is slightly ahead of Argentina. The population increased at a rate of 1.9% between 1975 and 2005 predicted to drop to 1.2% over the next decade. Colombia is projected to have a population of 50.7 million by 2015. These trends are reflected in the country's age profile. In 2005 over 30% of the population was under 15 years old compared to just 5.1% aged 65 and over. The population is concentrated in the Andean highlands and along the Caribbean coast. The nine eastern lowland departments comprising 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 square mile). Traditionally a rural society movement to urban areas was very heavy in the mid-twentieth century and Colombia is now one of the most urbanized countries in Latin America. The urban population increased from 31% of the total in 1938 to 60% in 1975 and by 2005 the figure stood at 72.7%.5064 The population of Bogot alone has increased from just over 300000 in 1938 to approximately 8 million today. In total thirty cities now have populations of 100000 or more. As of 2010 Colombia has the world's largest populations of internally displaced persons (IDPs) estimated up to 4.5 million people.6566 view talk view talk Largest cities of Colombia Source Bogot Medelln Rank City Name Department Pop. Cali Barranquilla 1 Bogot Distrito Capital 8840116 2 Medelln Antioquia 3374340 3 Cali Valle del Cauca 2728431 4 Barranquilla Atlntico 1946359 5 Cartagena Colombia Bolvar 1198665 6 Ccuta Norte de Santander 918942 7 Pereira Colombia Risaralda 576329 8 Bucaramanga Santander 566598 9 Ibagu Tolima 518401 10 Santa Marta Magdalena 455270 Colombia is ranked sixth in the world in the Happy Planet Index. Ethnic groups Afro-Colombian woman in Cartagena The census data in Colombia does not record ethnicity other than that of those identifying themselves as members of particular minority ethnic groups so overall percentages are essentially estimates from other sources and can vary from one to another.67 According to the CIA World Factbook the majority of the population (58%) is Mestizo or of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry. Approximately 20% of the population is of European ancestry (predominantly Spanish partly Italian Portuguese and German). The CIA World Factbook also states that 14% of Colombia's total population is of mixed African and European ancestry with 3% being of mixed African and Amerindian ancestry and 4% having primarily African ancestry. Indigenous Amerindians comprise only 1% of the population.2 Other sources claim that up to 29% of Colombians (13 million people) have some African ancestry.68 The overwhelming majority of Colombians speak Spanish (see also Colombian Spanish) but in total 101 languages are listed for Colombia in the Ethnologue database of which 80 are spoken today. Most of these belong to the Chibchan Arawak and Cariban language families. The Quechua language spoken in the Andes region of the country has also extended more northwards into Colombia mainly in urban centers of major cities. There are currently about 500000 speakers of indigenous languages.69 Indigenous peoples Main article: Indigenous peoples in Colombia The Wayuu represent the largest indigenous ethnic group in Colombia.70 Before the Spanish colonization of what is now Colombia the territory was home to a significant number of indigenous peoples. Many of these were absorbed into the mestizo population but the remainder currently represents over eighty-five distinct cultures. 567 reserves (resguardos) established for indigenous peoples occupy 365004 square kilometres (over 30% of the country's total) and are inhabited by more than 800000 people in over 67000 families.71 The 1991 constitution established their native languages as official in their territories and most of them have bilingual education (native and Spanish). Some of the largest indigenous groups are the Wayuu72 the Arhuacos the Muisca the Kuna the Paez the Tucano and the Guahibo. Cauca La Guajira and Guainia have the largest indigenous populations. The Organizacin Nacional Indgena de Colombia (ONIC) is an organization representing the indigenous peoples of Colombia who comprise some 800000 people or approximately 2% of the population. The organization was founded at the first National Indigenous Congress in 1982. In 1991 Colombia signed and ratified the current international law concerning indigenous peoples Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention 1989.73 Immigrant groups Main article: Immigration to Colombia The first and most substantial wave of modern immigration to Colombia consisted of Spanish colonists following the arrival of Europeans in 1499. However a low number of other Europeans and North Americans migrated to the country in the late 19th and early twentieth centuries and in smaller numbers Poles Lithuanians English Irish and Croats during and after the Second World War. Many immigrant communities have settled on the Caribbean coast in particular recent immigrants from the Middle East. Barranquilla (the largest city of the Colombian Caribbean) and other Caribbean cities have the largest populations of Lebanese and Arabs Sephardi Jews Roma. There are also important communities of Chinese and Japanesecitation needed. Black Africans were brought as slaves mostly to the coastal lowlands beginning early in the 16th century and continuing into the 19th century. Large Afro-Colombian communities are found today on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. The population of the department of Choc running along the northern portion of Colombia's Pacific coast is over 80% black.74 Impact of armed conflict on civilians Around one third of the people in Colombia have been affected in some way by the ongoing armed conflict. Those with direct personal experience make up 10% of the population and many others also report suffering a range of serious hardships. Overall 31% have been affected on a personal level or as a result of the wider consequences of the conflict.75 During the 1990s an estimated 35000 people died as a result of the armed conflict.76 Trade unions in Colombia are included among the victimized groups with over 2800 of their members being murdered between 1986 and 2010.77 Religion Da de las Velitas (Little candles' day) one of the traditional holidays in Colombia. It is the Christmas opening day of the country Las Lajas Sanctuary in Nario. Main article: Religion in Colombia See also: Freedom of religion in Colombia The National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) does not collect religious statistics and accurate reports are difficult to obtain. However based on various studies more than 95% of the population adheres to Christianity78 the vast majority of which (between 81% and 90%) are Roman Catholic. About 1% of Colombians adhere to indigenous religions and under 1% to Judaism Islam Hinduism and Buddhism. However despite high numbers of adherents around 60% of respondents to a poll by El Tiempo reported that they did not practice their faith actively.79 While Colombia remains an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country the Colombian constitution guarantees freedom and equality of religion.80 Religious groups are readily able to obtain recognition as organized associations although some smaller ones have faced difficulty in obtaining the additional recognition required to offer chaplaincy services in public facilities and to perform legally recognised marriages.79 Health Main article: Health care in Colombia Life expectancy at birth in 2005 was 72.3; 2.1% would not reach the age of 5 9.2% would not reach the age of 40.50 Health standards in Colombia have improved greatly since the 1980s. A 1993 reform transformed the structure of public health-care funding by shifting the burden of subsidy from providers to users. As a result employees have been obligated to pay into health plans to which employers also contribute. Although this new system has widened population coverage by the social and health security system from 21 percent (pre-1993) to 56 percent in 2004 and 66 percent in 2005 health disparities persist with the poor continuing to suffer relatively high mortality rates. In 2002 Colombia had 58761 physicians 23950 nurses and 33951 dentists; these numbers equated to 1.35 physicians 0.55 nurses and 0.78 dentists per 1000 population respectively. In 2005 Colombia was reported to have only 1.1 physicians per 1000 population as compared with a Latin American average of 1.5. The health sector reportedly is plagued by rampant corruption including misallocation of funds and evasion of health-fund contributions.81 Education Main article: Education in Colombia The educational experience of many Colombian children begins with attendance at a preschool academy until age 6 (Educacin preescolar). Basic education (Educacin bsica) is compulsory by law.82 It has two stages: Primary basic education (Educacin bsica primaria) which goes from 1st to 5th grade and usually it encompasses children from 6 to 10 years old and Secondary basic education (Educacin bsica secundaria) which goes from 6th to 9th grade. Basic education is followed by Middle vocational education (Educacin media vocacional) that comprehends 10th and 11th grade. It may have different vocational training modalities or specialties (academic technical business and so on.) according to the curriculum adopted by each school. However in many rural areas teachers are poorly qualified and only the five years of primary schooling are offered. The school year can extend from February to November or from August to June and in many public schools attendance is split into morning and afternoon "shifts" in order to accommodate the large numbers of children.83 After the successful completion of all the basic and middle education years a high-school diploma is granted. The high-school graduate is known as a bachiller because secondary basic school and middle education are traditionally considered together as a unit called bachillerato (6th to 11th grade). Students in their final year of middle education take the ICFES test in order to gain access to Superior education (Educacin superior). This superior education includes undergraduate professional studies technical technological and intermediate professional education and post-graduate studies. Bachilleres (high-school graduates) may enter into a professional undergraduate career program offered by a university; these programs last up to 5 years (or less for technical technological and intermediate professional education and post-graduate studies) even up to 67 years for some careers such as medicine. In Colombia there is not an institution such as college; students go directly into a career program at a university or any other educational institution to obtain a professional technical or technological title. Once graduated from the university people are granted a (professional technical or technological) diploma and licensed (if required) to practice the career they have chosen. For some professional career programs students are required to take the SABER-PRO test in their final year of undergraduate academic education.84 Public spending on education as a proportion of gross domestic product in 2006 was 4.7% one of the highest rates in Latin America as compared with 2.4% in 1991. This represented 14.2% of total government expenditure.5085 In 2006 the primary and secondary net enrollment rates stood at 88% and 65% respectively slightly below the regional average. School life expectancy was 12.4 years.85 A total of 92.3% of the population aged 15 and older were recorded as literate including 97.9% of those aged 1524 both figures slightly higher than the regional average.85 However literacy levels are considerably lower in rural areas.86 Education in Colombia Ernesto Guhl library in the National University of Colombia. The National University is the largest state-run university in Colombia. "Neomundo" in Bucaramanga National University of Colombia in Medelln Universidad de los Andes in Bogot National University of Colombia. Universidad Externado de Colombia in Bogot Culture Main article: Culture of Colombia See also: Festivals in Colombia and Music of Colombia Colombia lies at the crossroads of Latin America and the broader American continent and as such has been hit by a wide range of cultural influences. Native American Spanish and other European African American Caribbean and Middle Eastern influences as well as other Latin American cultural influences are all present in Colombia's modern culture. Urban migration industrialization globalization and other political social and economic changes have also left an impression. Historically the country's imposing landscape left its various regions largely isolated from one another resulting in the development of very strong regional identities in many cases stronger than the national. Modern transport links and means of communication have mitigated this and done much to foster a sense of nationhood but social and political instability and in particular fears of armed groups and bandits on intercity highways have contributed to the maintenance of very clear regional differences. Accent dress music food politics and general attitude vary greatly between the Bogotanos and other residents of the central highlands the paisas of Antioquia and the coffee region the costeos of the Caribbean coast the llaneros of the eastern plains and the inhabitants of the Pacific coast and the vast Amazon region to the south east. Colombians dancing Salsa Fiesta in Palenque. Afro-Colombian tradition from San Basilio de Palenque a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity since 2005. Festival of the Flowers in Medelln Antioquia. Colombians in the Carnival of Barranquilla Gabriel Garca Mrquez Shakira Juan Pablo Montoya Juanes A "Chiva" in New York city Sofa Vergara Camilo Villegas An inheritance from the colonial era Colombia remains a deeply Roman Catholic country and maintains a large base of Catholic traditions which provide a point of unity for its multicultural society. Colombia has many celebrations and festivals throughout the year and the majority are rooted in these Catholic religious traditions. However many are also infused with a diverse range of other influences. Prominent examples of Colombia's festivals include the Barranquilla Carnival the Carnival of Blacks and Whites Medelln's Festival of the Flowers and Bogot's Ibero-American Theater Festival The mixing of various different ethnic traditions is reflected in Colombia's music and dance. The most well-known Colombian genres are cumbia and vallenato the latter now strongly influenced by global pop culture. A powerful and unifying cultural medium in Colombia is television. Most famously the telenovela Betty La Fea has gained international success through localized versions in the United States Mexico and elsewhere. Television has also played a role in the development of the local film industry. As in many Latin American countries Colombians have a passion for football. The Colombian national football team is seen as a symbol of unity and national pride though local clubs also inspire fierce loyalty and sometimes-violent rivalries. Colombia has "exported" many famous players such as Freddy Rincn Carlos Valderrama Ivn Ramiro Crdoba and Faustino Asprilla. Other Colombian athletes have also achieved success including Formula 1 Racing's Juan Pablo Montoya Major League Baseball's Edgar Rentera and Orlando Cabrera and the PGA Tour's Camilo Villegas. Other famous Colombians include the Nobel Prize winning author Gabriel Garca Mrquez the artist Fernando Botero the writers Fernando Vallejo Laura Restrepo lvaro Mutis and James Can the musicians Shakira Juanes Carlos Vives and Juan Garcia-Herreros and the actors Catalina Sandino Moreno John Leguizamo Catherine Siachoque and Sofa Vergara. The Colombian cuisine developed mainly from the food traditions of European countries. Spanish Italian and French culinary influences can all be seen in Colombian cooking. The cuisine of neighboring Latin American countries Mexico the United States and the Caribbean as well as the cooking traditions of the country's indigenous inhabitants have all influenced Colombian food. For example cuy or guinea pig which is an indigenous cuisine is eaten in the Andes region of south-western Colombia. Many national symbols both objects and themes have arisen from Colombia's diverse cultural traditions and aim to represent what Colombia and the Colombian people have in common. Cultural expressions in Colombia are promoted by the government through the Ministry of Culture. Popular culture Main article: Colombia in popular culture The depiction of Colombia in popular culture especially the portrayal of Colombian people in film and fiction has been asserted by Colombian organizations878889 and government to be largely negative and has raised concerns that it reinforces or even engenders societal prejudice and discrimination due to association with narco-trafficking terrorism and other criminal elements and poverty.90 These stereotypes are considered unfair by many Colombians.9192 The Colombian government funded the "Colombia es Pasin" advertisement campaign as an attempt to improve Colombia's image abroad with mixed results.9394 Cuisine Main article: Colombian cuisine Dishes & drinks from Colombia Aguardiente. Sancocho de mondongo. Ajiaco. Tamal. Bandeja Paisa. Arepa. Colombia's cuisine influenced heavily by the Spanish and Indigenous populations is not as widely known as other Latin American cuisines such as Peruvian or Brazilian but to the adventurous traveler there are plenty of delectable dishes to try not to mention fruits rum and especially Colombian coffee. See also Colombia portal Main article: Outline of Colombia Index of Colombia-related articles National Library of Colombia United Nations Development Programme CIVETS South America Life Quality Rankings References Constitution of Colombia 1991 (Article 10) (Spanish) a b c d e f g h i CIA world fact book (2009-05-14). "Colombia". CIA. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/co.html. Retrieved 2009-05-24.  a b "Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadstica". Dane.gov.co. http://www.dane.gov.co/reloj/relojanimado.php. Retrieved 2010-08-22.  a b c d "Colombia". International Monetary Fund. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/weodata/weorept.aspxpr.x100&pr.y7&sy2008&ey2011&scsm1&ssd1&sortcountry&ds.&br1&c233&sNGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp0&a. Retrieved 2011-04-21.  "Gini Index". World Bank. http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI/. Retrieved 2 March 2011.  "Human Development Report 2010". United Nations. 2010. p. 145. http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR2010ENComplete.pdf. Retrieved 5 November 2010. dead link "Decreto 2153 de 1992 articulo 20" (in Spanish). Presidencia de la Repblica de Colombia. http://www.presidencia.gov.co/prensanew/decretoslinea/1992/diciembre/30/dec2153301992.pdf. Retrieved 2008-10-13.  Gerhar Sandner Beate Ratter Wolf Dietrich Sahr and Karsten Horsx (1993). "Conflictos Territoriales en el Mar Caribe: El conflicto fronterizo en el Golfo de Venezuela" (in Spanish). Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango. http://www.lablaa.org/blaavirtual/geografia/ctemc/ctemc03.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-05.  The Geographer Office of the Geographer Bureau of Intelligence and Research (1985-04-15). "Brazil-Colombia boundary" (PDF). International Boundary Study. http://www.law.fsu.edu/library/collection/LimitsinSeas/IBS174.pdf. Retrieved 2008-01-05.  CIA (2007-12-13). "Ecuador". World Fact Book. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ec.html. Retrieved 2008-01-05.  (Spanish) Tratados Internacionales limtrofes de Colombia (Spanish) Colombia Limites territoriales Nicols del Castillo Mathieu (March 1992). "La primera vision de las costas Colombianas Repaso de Historia" (in Spanish). Revista Credencial. http://www.lablaa.org/blaavirtual/revistas/credencial/marzo1992/marzo3.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-29.  "Violence Crime and Illegal Arms Trafficking in Colombia" (PDF). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. November 2006. http://www.unodc.org/pdf/ColombiaDec06en.pdf.  Mike Giglio (2010-09-09). "Colombia Wrestling to Quell Local Drug Gangs". Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/2010/09/09/colombia-wrestling-to-quell-local-drug-gangs.html. Retrieved 2011-05-14.  "Gangs tied to paramilitaries cited in Colombia violence". CNN. 2010-02-03. http://articles.cnn.com/2010-02-03/world/colombia.violence1paramilitaries-rights-group-human-rights-watchsPM:WORLD. Retrieved 2011-05-14.  McDermott Jeremy (2010-07-31). "Colombia sees crime rise in major cities". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-10560568. Retrieved 2011-05-14.  Maplecroft terrorism risk index http://www.maplecroft.com/about/news/terrorism.html "Colombia ranks 6 on terrorism risk list". Colombia Reports. 2010-11-15. http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/12911-colombia-ranks-6-on-terrorism-risk-list.html. Retrieved 2011-05-14.  David R. Davis Brett Ashley Leeds and Will H. Moore (1998-11-21). "Measuring Dissident and state behaviour: The Intranational Political Interactions (IPI) Project" (PDF). Florida State University. http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/whmoore/ipi/harmel.conf.pdf. Retrieved 2008-01-05.  Jan Kippers Black (2005). Latin America its problems and its promise: a multidisciplinary introduction. Westview Press. p. 406. ISBN 9780813341644. http://books.google.com/booksid5v1gkSLNEA4C&pgPA406&dqfarc+growers+peasants&eiYCyPS97qM6XIlATi0cDDDQ&cd4#vonepage&qfarc%20growers%20peasants&ffalse.  Stokes Doug (July 1 2005). "America's Other War: Terrorizing Colombia". Canadian Dimension 39 (4): 26.  Rudolf Hommes (22 de noviembre de 2009). "La otra seguridad democrtica" (in Spanish). El Colombiano. http://www.elcolombiano.com/BancoConocimiento/L/laotraseguridaddemocratica/laotraseguridaddemocratica.aspCodSeccion9.  "OHCHR in Colombia (2008-2009)". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. http://www.ohchr.org/EN/countries/LACRegion/Pages/COSummary0809.aspx. Retrieved 2010-07-25.  "Almost Half of 43.7 Million Colombians Live Below the Poverty Line". MercoPress. May 4 2010. http://en.mercopress.com/2010/05/04/almost-half-of-43.7-million-colombians-live-below-the-poverty-line. Retrieved 2010-07-25.  "Por qu Colombia no sale del club de los pobres". Revista Semana. March 13 2010. http://www.semana.com/noticias-nacion/colombia-no-sale-del-club-pobres/136288.aspx. Retrieved 2010-07-25.  "en Colombia Paisajes naturales de Colombia". Telepolis.com. http://www.telepolis.com/cgi-bin/web/DISTRITODOCVIEWurl/1604/doc/Parquesnaturales/paisajes.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  a b Carlos Restrepo Piedrahita (February 1992). "El nombre "Colombia" El nico pas que lleva el nombre del Descubrimiento" (in Spanish). Revista Credencial. http://www.lablaa.org/blaavirtual/revistas/credencial/febrero1992/febrero2.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-29.  "Tallest mountains by continent". Mountainpeaks.net. http://www.mountainpeaks.net/tallestmountainbycontinent.php. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  "Human Development Report: Deforestation 2007/2008". Hdrstats.undp.org. http://hdrstats.undp.org/indicators/217.html. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  "The World's Water". Pacific Institute. 2008. pp. tables 1. http://www.worldwater.org/data.html. Retrieved 2009-02-01.  "UNODC 2008 World Drug Report Executive Summary" (PDF). http://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR2008/Executive%20Summary.pdf. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  Van der Hammen T. and Correal G. 1978: "Prehistoric man on the Sabana de Bogot: data for an ecological prehistory"; Paleography Paleoclimatology Paleoecology 25:179190 Broadbent Sylvia 1965: Los Chibchas: organizacin socio-poltica. Srie Latinoamericana 5. Bogot: Facultad de Sociologa Universidad Nacional de Colombia Simons Geoff. Colombia: A Brutal History (London: Saqi 2004) p. 19. "The Story Of... Smallpox and other Deadly Eurasian Germs". Pbs.org. http://www.pbs.org/gunsgermssteel/variables/smallpox.html. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  "Kidnapping on the rise for 1st time in decade". Colombia Reports. 2010-11-17. http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/12941-kidnapping-on-the-rise-for-1st-time-in-decade.html. Retrieved 2011-05-14.  "Disminuir la tasa anual de homicidios por cada 100. 000 habitantes ( Sin accidentes de transito)" (in Spanish). SIGOB. https://www.sigob.gov.co/ind/indicadores.aspxm552. Retrieved 2010-03-15.  "Homicidios 2002" (in Spanish) (PDF). Medicina Legal. pp. 38 42. http://www.medicinalegal.gov.co/drip/2002/Homicidios2002.pdf. Retrieved 2009-05-16. dead link "Homicidios 2009" (in Spanish) (PDF). Medicina Legal. pp. 30 3537 65. http://www.medicinalegal.gov.co/drip/2009/2%20Forensis%202009%20Homicidios.pdf. Retrieved 2010-11-19. dead link "FARC ELN have less than 10000 members: government". Colombia Reports. 2010-07-24. http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/10983-farc-eln-have-less-than-10000-members-government.html. Retrieved 2011-05-14.  Come to Sunny Colombia The Economist June 29 2006. "Polo Democratico Alternativo Por qu la parapoltica" (in Spanish). Polodemocratico.net. February 26 2007. http://www.polodemocratico.net/Por-que-la-parapolitica. Retrieved 2010-05-16. dead link Colombian Constitution. 1991 "Portal del Estado Colombiano - Inicio". Gobiernoenlinea.gov.co. http://www.gobiernoenlinea.gov.co/web/guest/homeppidpecjournalcontent&pplifecycle0&ppstatemaximized&doAsGroupId10136&refererPlid23211&pecjournalcontentstrutsaction/ext/pecjournalcontent/view&pecjournalcontentgroupId10136&pecjournalcontentarticleId642. Retrieved 2011-05-14.  1dead link Bronstein Hugh (2008-07-06). "Reuters Popularity of Colombia's Uribe soars after rescue". Reuters.com. http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN06348039. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  a b "Registraduria Registraduria Nacional del Estado Civil". Registraduria.gov.co. http://www.registraduria.gov.co. Retrieved 2010-06-01.  a b "Banco de la Repblica Economic and Financial Data for Colombia". Banrep.gov.co. http://www.banrep.gov.co/estad/dsbb/imfcolom.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  a b c d e "Human Development Report for Colombia 2007/2008". Hdrstats.undp.org. http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/datasheets/ctydsCOL.html. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  International Trade Centre: Colombia Exportsdead link "International Colored Gemstone Association: Emerald". Gemstone.org. 2001-09-28. Archived from the original on 2008-08-21. http://web.archive.org/web/20080821232509/http://www.gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/english/emerald.html. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  America's Flower Basket: Colombian Flowers and the American Marketplacedead link "Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom". Heritage.org. http://www.heritage.org/Index/country.cfmidColombia. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  BusinessWeek Colombia The Most Extreme Emerging Market on Earth May 28 2007 The Economist Colombia's resilient economy October 17 2009 "Doing Business in Colombia". Doingbusiness.org. http://www.doingbusiness.org/Subnational/exploreeconomies/Colombia-2010.aspx. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  By Marin Hens (2007-12-07). "BBC News A new hot-spot for the tourism industry". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7120906.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  "Hot Destination: Colombia". Christian Science Monitor. May 9 2006. http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0509/p06s01-woam.html.  El Espectador (spanish) http://elespectador.com/noticias/bogota/articulo-269115-bogota-ocupa-sexto-puesto-america-latina-ranking-de-turismo 'Travel Warning: Colombia' U.S. State Department 2010 Infraero.gov.brdead link "China in talks over Panama Canal rival". Ft.com. 2011-02-13. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7e14756c-37a9-11e0-b91a-00144feabdc0.htmlftcamprss#axzz1Dw79Zosw. Retrieved 2011-05-14.  "Colombia: A Country Study". Countrystudies.us. http://countrystudies.us/colombia/36.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  "Colombia has most displaced in world: UN". Colombia Reports. 2010-11-09. http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/12808-colombia-has-most-displaced-in-the-world.html. Retrieved 2011-05-14.  Number of internally displaced people remains stable at 26 million. Source: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). May 4 2009. "Colombia una nacin multicultural: su diversidad tnica" (PDF). http://www.dane.gov.co/files/censo2005/etnia/sys/colombianacion.pdf. Retrieved 2011-05-14.  "Comunidades Negras: Poblacion Negra Afrocolombiana". Todacolombia.com. 2007-03-28. http://www.todacolombia.com/etnias/afrocolombianos/poblacion.html. Retrieved 2010-11-14.  "The Languages of Colombia". Ethnologue.com. http://www.ethnologue.com/showcountry.aspnameColombia. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  EPM (2005). "La etnia Wayuu" (in Spanish). Empresas Publicas de Medelln. Archived from the original on February 19 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080219042234/http://www.eeppm.com/epmcom/contenido/acercade/infraestructura/generacion/Jepirachi/etnia.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-29.  "Los Resguardos Indgenas". Etniasdecolombia.org. http://www.etniasdecolombia.org/gruposresguardos.asp. Retrieved 2011-05-14.  EPM (2005). "La etnia Wayuu" (in Spanish). Empresas Publicas de Medelln. Archived from the original on 2008-02-19. http://web.archive.org/web/20080219042234/http://www.eeppm.com/epmcom/contenido/acercade/infraestructura/generacion/Jepirachi/etnia.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-29.  "ILOLEX: submits English query". Ilo.org. 2004-01-09. http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/cgi-lex/ratifce.plC169. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  (Spanish) Colombia una Los grupos tnicos colombianos Colombia Opinion survey 2009 by ICRC and Ipsos "Colombia in Crisis". Jon Lottman Center for Defense Information. http://www.cdi.org/adm/1315/transcript.html. Retrieved 2010-09-08.  International Trade Union Confederation 11 June 2010 ITUC responds to the press release issued by the Colombian Interior Ministry concerning its survey "Religious Intelligence  Country Profile: Colombia". Archived from the original on September 27 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070927194326/http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/country/CountryID78. Retrieved 2007-10-03.  a b International Religious Freedom Report 2005 by the Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor U.S. Department of State November 8 2005. Constitution of Colombia 1991 (Article 19) Colombia country profile. Library of Congress Federal Research Division (February 2007). This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain. Artculo 67 Constitucin Poltica de Colombia Organizacin de Estados Iberoamericanos: Sistemas Educativos Nacionales Colombia OEI.es "Ministerio de Educacin de Colombia Estructura del sistema educativo". http://menweb.mineducacion.gov.co/nnormas/normasbasicas4.swf. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  a b c "UNESCO Institute for Statistics Colombia Profile". http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/TableViewer/document.aspxReportId289&IFLanguageeng&BRCountry1700&BRRegion40520. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  "US Department of State Background Note: Colombia". State.gov. 2010-02-24. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35754.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-16.  Fohr D. Mythes et rlatis del'Amrique Latine a travers le dpliantpublicitaire touristique. Thsedu 3ecy-de Universit de Pars III 1981. Bouroon J. "Les trangers au primetime ou la tlvision est-elle xnophobe Tlvision d'Europe et Immigration. INA et Association Dialogue entre cultures 1993 Marketing internacional de lugares y destinos: estrategias para la atraccin de clientes y negocios en Latinoamrica. Authors: Philip Kotler Vctor Campos Olgun Matthew G. Whitehouse. Editor Pearson Educacin 2 hotdog 007. ISBN 970-26-0852-X 9789702608523 AC Zentella. "'Jos can you see': Latino Responses to Racist Discourse.". Retrieved 4 July 2007. (Spanish) Rodriguez P. Estereotipos denacionalidad en estudiantes colombianos y venezolanos. Boletn de la VEPSOVol. XV Nos. 1365741992 Wetherell M. Cross-culturalstudies ofminimal groups: implicationsfor the social identity theory of inter-group relations 1982. Tajfel H. Social identity and intergroup relations. Cambridge University Press 1982 Tiempoviajes.comdead link Jenkins Simon (2007-02-02). "Passion alone won't rescue Colombia from its narco-economy stigma". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0200417000.html. Retrieved 2010-04-30.  Further reading (English) Mellander Gustavo A.; Nelly Maldonado Mellander (1999). Charles Edward Magoon: The Panama Years. Ro Piedras Puerto Rico: Editorial Plaza Mayor. ISBN 1-56328-155-4. OCLC 42970390. (English) Mellander Gustavo A. (1971). The United States in Panamanian Politics: The Intriguing Formative Years. Danville Ill.: Interstate Publishers. OCLC 138568. (Spanish) Academia Colombiana de Historia (1986) Historia extensa de Colombia (41 volumes). Bogot: Ediciones Lerner 19651986. ISBN 958-95013-3-8 (Complete work) (Spanish) Barrios Luis (1984) Historia de Colombia. Fifth edition Bogot: Editorial Cultural (Spanish) Bedoya F. Vctor A. (1944) Historia de Colombia: independencia y repblica con bases fundamentales en la colonia. Coleccin La Salle Bogot: Librera Stella Bushnell David (1993) The Making of Modern Colombia: A Nation in Spite of Itself. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-08289-3 (Spanish) Caballero Argaez Carlos (1987) 50 aos de economa: de la crisis del treinta la del ochenta. Second edition Coleccin Jorge Ortega Torres Bogot: Editorial Presencia Asociacin Bancaria de Colombia. ISBN 958-9040-03-9 (Spanish) Cadavid Misas Roberto (2004) Cursillo de historia de Colombia: de la conquista la independencia. Bogot: Intermedio Editores. ISBN 958-709-134-5 (Spanish) Caldern Schrader Camilo; Gil Antonio; Torras Daniel (2001) Enciclopedia de Colombia (4 volumes). Barcelona: Cano Grupo Editorial 2001. ISBN 84-494-1947-6 (Complete work) (Spanish) Caldern Schrader Camilo (1993) Gran enciclopedia de Colombia (11 volumes). Bogot: Crculo de Lectores. ISBN 958-28-0294-4 (Complete work) (Spanish) Cavelier Gaviria Germn (2003) Centenario de Panam: una historia de la separacin de Colombia en 1903. Bogot: Universidad Externado de Colombia. ISBN 958-616-718-6 (Spanish) Forero Manuel Jos (1946) Historia analtica de Colombia desde los orgenes de la independencia nacional. Second edition Bogot: Librera Voluntad. (Spanish) Gmez Hoyos Rafael (1992) La independencia de Colombia. Madrid: Editorial Mapfre Colecciones Mapfre 1492. ISBN 84-7100-596-4 (Spanish) Granados Rafael Mara (1978) Historia general de Colombia: prehistoria conquista colonia independencia y Repbica. Eighth edition Bogot: Imprenta Departamental Antonio Nario. (Spanish) Hernndez de Alba Guillermo (2004) Como naci la Repblica de Colombia. Coleccin Bolsilibros. Bogot: Academia Colombiana de Historia. ISBN 958-8040-35-3 (Spanish) Hernndez Becerra Augusto (2001) Ordenamiento y desarreglo territorial en Colombia. Bogot: Universidad Externado de Colombia ISBN 958-616-555-8 (Spanish) Hernndez Rodrguez Guillermo (1949) De los chibchas la colonia y la repblica. Bogot: Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Seccin de Extensin Cultural. Hylton Forrest (2006) Evil Hour in Colombia. New York: Verso Books. ISBN 1-84467-551-3 (Spanish) Jaramillo Uribe Jaime; Tirado Meja lvaro; Caldern Schrader Camilo (2000) Nueva historia de Colombia (12 volumes). Bogot: Planeta Colombiana Editorial. ISBN 958-614-251-5 (Complete work) Kirk Robin (2004) More Terrible Than Death: Drugs Violence and America's War in Colombia. United States: PublicAffairs. ISBN 1-58648-207-6 (Spanish) Ocampo Lpez Javier (1999) El proceso ideolgico de la emancipacin en Colombia. Coleccin La Lnea de Horizonte Bogot: Editorial Planeta. ISBN 958-614-792-4 Ospina William (2006) Once Upon a Time There Was Colombia. Colombia: Villegas Asociados. ISBN 958-8156-64-5 Palacios Marco (2006) Between Legitimacy and Violence: A History of Colombia 18752002. United States of America: Duke University Press. ISBN 0-8223-3767-3 (Spanish) Reichel-Dolmatoff Gerardo (1998) Colombia indgena. Medelln: Hola Colina. ISBN 958-638-276-1 (Spanish) Restrepo Jos Manuel (1974) Historia de la revolucin de la Repblica de Colombia. Medelln: Editorial Bedout. (Spanish) Rivadeneira Vargas Antonio Jos (2002) Historia constitucional de Colombia 15102000. Third edition Tunja: Editorial Bolivariana Internacional. Simons Geoff (2004) Colombia: A Brutal History. London: Saqi Books. ISBN 0-86356-758-4 Smith Stephen (1999) Cocaine Train: Travels in Colombia. London: Little Brown. ISBN 0-316-64749-7 (Spanish) Tovar Pinzn Hermes (1975) El movimiento campesino en Colombia durante los siglos XIX y XX. Second edition Bogot: Ediciones Libres. (Spanish) Trujillo Muoz Augusto (2001) Descentralizacin regionalizacin y autonoma local. Bogot: Universidad Nacional de Colombia. (Spanish) Vidal Perdomo Jaime (2001) La Regin en la Organizacin Territorial del Estado. Bogot: Universidad del Rosario. External links Find more about Colombia on Wikipedia's sister projects: Definitions from Wiktionary Images and media from Commons Learning resources from Wikiversity News stories from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks The Land of Warm and colorful People: Colombia Colombia Travel Colombia: Official Tourism Portal (English) Colombia Investment Colombia: Official Investment Portall (English) Portal del Estado Colombia Online Government web site (Spanish) Instituto Geogrfico Agustn Codazzi Maps of Colombia (Spanish) Colombia travel guide from Wikitravel Colombia at Encyclopdia Britannica Colombia entry at The World Factbook News on Colombia in English Colombia History Geography and Culture Colombia at UCB Libraries GovPubs Colombia at the Open Directory Project Witness for Peace: Colombia Program Satellital view of all cities of Colombia Mexican Decree recognizing the National sovereignty of Colombia as a free and independent power 2 May 1822 The Colombia Report - informative articles in English UNDP.org Colombia: a top emerging country - Official investment portal report Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadistica National Administrative Department of Statistics (Spanish) The ICRC in Colombia Related information  Geographic locale v d eDepartments of Colombia  Amazonas  Antioquia  Arauca  Atlntico  Bolvar  Boyac  Caldas  Caquet  Casanare  Cauca  Cesar  Choc  Crdoba  Cundinamarca  Guaina  Guaviare  Huila  La Guajira  Magdalena  Meta  Nario  N. Santander  Putumayo  Quindo  Risaralda  San Andrs  Santander  Sucre  Tolima  Valle del Cauca  Vaups  Vichada Capital district:  Bogot v d eCountries and dependencies of South America Sovereign states Argentina  Bolivia  Brazil  Chile  Colombia  Ecuador  France (French Guiana)  Guyana  Netherlands (Bonaire)  Panama  Paraguay  Peru  Suriname  Uruguay  Venezuela Dependencies Netherlands Aruba  Curaao United Kingdom Falkland Islands  South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands  International membership v d eLatin Union Member nations Andorra  Angola  Bolivia  Brazil  Cape Verde  Chile  Colombia  Costa Rica  Cte d'Ivoire  Cuba  Dominican Republic  East Timor  Ecuador  El Salvador  France  Guatemala  Guinea-Bissau  Haiti  Honduras  Italy  Mexico  Moldova  Monaco  Mozambique  Nicaragua  Panama  Paraguay  Peru  Philippines  Portugal  Romania  San Marino  So Tom and Prncipe  Senegal  Spain  Uruguay  Venezuela Permanent observers Argentina  Holy See  Sovereign Military Order of Malta Official languages Catalan  French  Italian  Portuguese  Romanian  Spanish v d eUnion of South American Nations Member states Argentina  Bolivia  Brazil  Chile  Colombia  Ecuador  Guyana  Paraguay  Peru  Suriname  Uruguay  Venezuela Summits South American Energy Summit  2004 South American Summit  2010 South American Summit Topics Cusco Declaration  Constitutive Treaty  President Pro Tempore  Secretary General  Bank of the South  South American Parliament  Initiative for Infrastructure Integration of South America  Mercosur  Andean Community v d eAndean Community of Nations Members Bolivia  Colombia  Ecuador  Peru Associate members Argentina  Brazil  Chile  Paraguay  Uruguay  Venezuela Observers Mexico  Panama v d eMercosur  Mercosul  (Southern Common Market) Full Members Argentina  Brazil  Paraguay  Uruguay Becoming Full Members Venezuela Associate members Bolivia  Chile  Colombia  Ecuador  Peru Observers Mexico v d eOrganization of American States (OAS) Antigua and Barbuda  Argentina  Barbados  Brazil  Belize  Bahamas  Bolivia  Chile  Costa Rica  Cuba  Canada  Dominica  Dominican Republic  Ecuador  El Salvador  Grenada  Guatemala  Guyana  Haiti  Honduras  Jamaica  Mexico  Nicaragua  Panama  Paraguay  Peru  St. Lucia  St. Vincent and the Grenadines  St. Kitts and Nevis  Suriname  Trinidad and Tobago  United States  Uruguay  Venezuela v d e Colombia topics History Timeline Indigenous peoples  Spanish conquest  New Kingdom of Granada  Viceroyalty of New Granada  Foolish Fatherland  United Provinces of New Granada  Military career of Simn Bolvar (Independence)  Gran Colombia  Republic of New Granada  Granadine Confederation  United States of Colombia  Republic of Colombia  Thousand Days' War  Separation of Panama  ColombiaPeru War  La Violencia  National Front  Current internal armed conflict By topic Coat of arms  Flag  Demographic  Economic  Military  Natural Geography General Geology  Natural Regions (Caribbean  Pacific  Andean  Amazon  Orinoqua  Insular) By topic Cities  Climate  Mountains  Islands  Rivers  Fauna  Flora  Protected Areas  Environmental issues  Natural hazards Government Constitution Law  Bill of Rights  Separation of Powers Executive President  Vice President  Council of Ministers  Government agencies Legislative Congress (Senate  Representatives) Judicial Superior Council  Attorney General  Supreme Court  Constitutional Court Control Comptroller General  Auditor General  Inspector General  Ombudsman Security Air Force  Army  Navy  Police Politics Political parties  Elections  Political ideologies (Liberalism  Conservatism  Uribism  Guerrilla movements  Paramilitarism)  Political scandals Foreign affairs Andean Community of Nations  Plan Colombia  Union of South American Nations Economy Agriculture  Banking  Central Bank  Coffee  Communications  Industry  Companies  Currency  Mineral industry  Poverty  Stock Exchange  Taxation  Trade unions Demographics 1993 Census  2005 Census  Colombian people  Immigration  Emigration  Colombian nationality  Languages (Colombian Spanish)  Health care  Education (Universities)  Religion  Metropolitan Areas  People  Human rights (LGBT rights)  Drug trafficking  Water supply and sanitation  International rankings Culture Architecture  Art  Handicrafts  Carnivals  Cinema  Cuisine  Festivals  Folklore  Juan Valdez  Languages  LGBT  Literature  Media  Medicine  Music  Mythology  National symbols  Public holidays  Religion  Science and technology  Sport  Smoking  Tourism  Colombia in popular culture  Archaeological sites Transportation Vehicles  Highways  Airports  Railroads Portal v d e National symbols of Colombia National Anthem  Flag  Coat of Arms  Sombrero Vueltiao  Andean Condor  Carriel  Poporo Quimbaya  Wax Palm  May flower Orchid  Chiva Bus