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COLOMBIA
The Republic of
Colombia
 Area:
1,141,748 sq km
Population: 44 million
Capital City: Bogotá (population: 6.9million)
People: Colombia is an ethnic melting pot in which some
60% acknowledge that they have mixed Spanish/indigenous roots,
20% claim direct European descent, 18% are of Afro-Colombian
origin, and 2% belong to indigenous communities. There are tiny
Christian and Muslim Arab minorities, small and declining Jewish
communities in the major cities, and a small group claiming
Romany roots.
Language: Spanish with some isolated pockets where
indigenous languages remain in use.
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic, with some
evangelical influences in parts of the country.
Basic Economic Facts:
Currency:
Peso
GDP: US$ 80.9 billion (2004)
GDP per head: US$ 1,817 (2004)
Annual Growth: 3.9% (2004)
Inflation: 5.5% (2004)
Unemployment: 11.7% (2004)
Major Industries: Oil, Mining, Construction, Financial
Sector, Manufacturing, Transport and Communications.
Major trading partners: US, Venezuela, other Andean
Countries, Mexico, Brazil and China.
Major political parties:
The two
major political parties are the Liberals and the Conservatives.
President Uribe stood for the 'Primero Colombia' movement
(dissident Liberal). In addition, there are the following
parties: Polo Democrático, Movimiento Cristiano, Movimiento
Nacional Progresista (MNP) and recently some small independent
parties are emerging. The Conservatives opted not to field a
candidate in the 2002 Presidential elections.
Government: Democratically elected representative system
with a strong executive.
Legislature: Bicameral Congress; 102 member Senate and
165 member Chamber of Deputies are both directly elected for
four-year terms.
Head of State: President Alvaro Uribe Vélez
Foreign Minister: Carolina Barco
Membership of international groupings/organisations:
Colombia is a member of the Andean Community, UN, G3,
Organisation of American States (OAS), Latin American
Integration Association (ALADI), Latin American Economic System
(SELA), Association of Caribbean States (ACS), the Caribbean
Development Bank, Andean Development Corporation (CAF), and the
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) amongst others.
DID YOU KNOW?
-
The word "Colombia" comes from the
name of
Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón in Spanish,
Cristoforo Colombo in Italian) and was conceived by
the revolutionary
Francisco de Miranda as a reference to the New World,
especially to all
American territories and colonies under
Spanish and
Portuguese rule.
- The highest mountain in Colombia is
not in the Andes but in the Caribbean plain:
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta with its highest points
named Pico Cristobal Colon (5,775 m or 18,947 ft) and Pico
Simon Bolivar.
- Colombia is the third most populous
country in
Latin America, after
Brazil and
Mexico. It also has the third largest
Black/African-descent population in the western hemisphere,
after Brazil and the USA.
- Bogotá, originally called Bacatá by
the
Muiscas Indians, was the center of their civilization
before the
Spanish conquest, and sustained a large population.
- The main meal of a Colombian's day is
lunch, usually eaten at about 1 or 2pm. This meal
consists of three courses: a
soup followed by a
main course followed by either a
drink or
dessert.
MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS:
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