Colombia

Colombia

“Liberty and Order”

Location

• It’s located in Northern South America• It Borders the Caribbean Sea• It lies Between Panama and Venezuela• It Borders the North Pacific Ocean

GeographyGeography It is part of the Pacific Ring of FireIt is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire It has 15 major volcanoesIt has 15 major volcanoes It is slightly less than twice the size of It is slightly less than twice the size of

TexasTexas In the South East lies parts of the In the South East lies parts of the

Amazon rainforest and in other areas Amazon rainforest and in other areas lies the savanna of the Llanoslies the savanna of the Llanos

Beyond the Colombian Massif, the Beyond the Colombian Massif, the Andes mountains are split into three Andes mountains are split into three different ranges:different ranges: Cordillera Occidental– runs Cordillera Occidental– runs

adjacent to the pacific coastadjacent to the pacific coast Cordillera CentralCordillera Central – runs between – runs between

the Cauca and Magdalena river the Cauca and Magdalena river valleys valleys

Cordillera orientaCordillera orienta - extends north - extends north east to the Guajira Peninsula east to the Guajira Peninsula

• It is dominated by the Andes Mountains, and in other parts it is flat coastal lowlands • Area: 440,700 Square Miles

Government• Type of government: Republic• Government is divided into three

branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial

• Head of the executive branch is the President

• The president is elected to serve four-year terms and is currently limited to a maximum of two such 4 terms

• The President is Alvaro Uribe Velez

• The legislative branch of government is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

• The Senate has 102 members and they are elected nationally to serve four year terms

• The Judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has 23 Judges divided into 3 chambers

• Colombia is divided into 32 districts which are then subdivided into Municipalities

• Colombia’s constitution was signed on July 5, 1991

• The Capital of Colombia is Bogotá

The Pe$oThe Pe$o The Peso is the official currency of ColombiaThe Peso is the official currency of Colombia The exchange rate of the Colombian Peso is 1,960 The exchange rate of the Colombian Peso is 1,960

Colombian Pesos to 1 U.S. dollar.Colombian Pesos to 1 U.S. dollar. The peso has been the currency of Colombia since 1837. The peso has been the currency of Colombia since 1837. After periods of high inflation the peso was created in After periods of high inflation the peso was created in

higher denominationshigher denominations 5 peso coins were introduced in 1980 5 peso coins were introduced in 1980 10 pesos in 198110 pesos in 1981 20 pesos in 198220 pesos in 1982 50 pesos in 198650 pesos in 1986 100 pesos in 1992100 pesos in 1992 200 pesos in 1994200 pesos in 1994 500 pesos in 1993 500 pesos in 1993 1000 pesos in 1996. Unfortunately, due to the amount of 1000 pesos in 1996. Unfortunately, due to the amount of

counterfeit 1000 pesos, it was removed from circulation.counterfeit 1000 pesos, it was removed from circulation.

BanknotesBanknotes Between 1857 and 1880, Between 1857 and 1880,

five of Colombia's five of Colombia's provinces, Bolivar, Cauca, provinces, Bolivar, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Panama, Cundinamarca, Panama, and Santander issued and Santander issued paper money. paper money.

The paper money was The paper money was included 10 and 50 included 10 and 50 centavos, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 50 centavos, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 50 and 100 pesos. and 100 pesos.

Natural Resources• Colombia produces large

amounts of minerals and fuel oil• It has the largest reserve of

Coal in Latin America• Colombia is the second

producer of hydro-electricity• Brazil is the first • It has around 1.4 billion barrels

of oil• This should last Colombia till

2011

• Colombia has a rich reserve of natural gas along the Caribbean Coast. • There is enough gas in this reserve to last at least 150 years• The Llanos Basin contains the largest store of natural gas•Colombia is the Cocaine capital of the world•It manufactures 75 percent of the world’s cocaine

Education• School is mandatory for all children ages 6 – 12• Elementary school consists of five years• Most children enter the first grade at age 6• The school year is usually a year long, lasting from the end of January to

November• After the age of 12, the dropout rate in primary school is high because

most children live in rural areas and have to walk far distances to get school

• Most secondary schools are located in cities, leaving little opportunities for rural children to receive an education

• The government has established two programs for improving secondary education– adding practical training into high-school curriculum – agricultural training for students at the secondary level

• Secondary education is split into two sections: basic secondary (6th-9th) and mid secondary (10th-11)

• In order to enter a university or vocational school, students must pass the state test known as, “pruebas de estado”

Family• The family is the center of the social

structure in Colombia• Older people are viewed as extremely

wise and are given a lot of respect• It is still common for children to live at

home until they marry• The Colombians have large circle of

relatives, who are extended through 'compadrazgo'.

• In the lower classes, the mother is viewed as head of the family and makes all of the decisions

• In the upper classes, the father is the head of the family

• Traditionally, women belonging to the upper classes are not allowed to work, except for some voluntary services.

• In the lower classes it is necessary that the women work to help the family survive

• The economic independence of the lower class women has made lower class women on the same level of the men in the same class.

• The Roman Catholic Church has had a great influence over the lives of Colombian families

“The only risk is wanting to stay longer”

• Popular places to visit:• Plaza de Santander• Mercado de las Pulgas, a

large flea market• Colombian National Coffee

Park• Tayrona park• Caribbean Coast• Cartegena, a colonial port city• Bogota, capital of Colombia• Iglesia de Santa Clara• Iglesia de San Ignacio• La Candelaria, the oldest

quarter in the city•

• Cerro de Monserrate, famous site of many miracles

• Jardin Botánico José Celestino Mutis, a garden

HISTORY• Colombia was originally inhabited by a

group of native hunters• Santa Marta was the first permanent

Spanish settlement founded in 1525 • On July 20, 1810, the citizens of Bogota

created the first representative council to defy Spanish authority.

• Before successfully achieving independence from Spain, there were many other rebellions which were easily squashed

• The Congress of Cucuta in 1821 adopted a constitution, the main goal of the constitution was to create the Republic of Colombia

• In 1819, Simón Bolívar became the first President of Colombia, and Francisco de Paula Santander was the Vice President; when Simón Bolívar stepped down, Santander became the second President of Colombia

• 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

• A period known as “La Violencia” was a violent conflict that took place between the 1940s and 1950s.It was a conflict between supporters of the Colombian Liberal Party and the Colombian Conservative Party

• The new Colombian Constitution of 1991 was ratified after being drafted by the Constituent Assembly of Colombia.

• 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.

FOOD• Popular Colombian Foods• Ajiaco• Sancocho de mondongo • Bandeja Paisa• Arepa• Coffee• Arroz con Coco• Changua• Empanadas• Fritanga• Patacones• Sancocho• Postre de Natas• Natilla

• Colombian Cuisine is very diverse• The Colombian diet contains a lot

of meat• The typical Colombian breakfast

consists of fruit juice or coffee, fruit, eggs, and bread

• Lunch is usually served between 12 and 4 pm and it is the main meal of the day

• A typical lunch consists of a soup, a main dish, a drink, and sometimes a dessert

• The dinner is more of a snack

Glogster

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