COLOMBIA

Welcome

National Name “República de Colombia”
Land Area 401,042 square miles
Capital Bogotá

Geography

Colombia is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Panama to the northwest, by Venezuela and Brazil to the east, and by Peru and Ecuador to the southwest.  Three Andean ranges run north and south through the western half of Colombia.  Jungle covered plains cover the eastern half of the country. The llanos and Amazonian rainforest occupy two-thirds of Colombian territory, however merely 2 percent of the population reside there. The vast abundance of Colombia’s population is located along the coast of the Caribbean or in the valleys and basins of the Andes mountains.

History

The terrain that is now Colombia has been populated for approximately 11, 000 years. In 1525, the initial Spanish settlement was founded on the Caribbean coast. In 1538, Bogotá was founded by a band of Spanish soldiers looking for El Dorado.  Colombia, then known as “New Grenada,” became Spain’s main resource for gold. Emeralds, tobacco and sugar cane were other sources of wealth.
In 1819, independence from Spain was achieved under the leadership General Simón at the battle of Boyacá. By 1845 two contending parties had formed and they continue to dominate Colombian politics: the Conservative party and the Liberal party. Colombia endured a civil war from 1899-1902. This event was followed by a period known as La Violencia from 1948-1962.

Weather

The weather in Colombia varies throughout the year due to its proximity to the Equator.  In general, the temperature usually falls about six degrees for every 1000 meters in altitude.  The climate is tropical along the coast and cooler in the highlands.

Economy

Colombia's major exports are petroleum, coffee, coal, nickel, and nontraditional exports (e.g., cut flowers, gold, bananas, semiprecious stones, sugar, and tropical fruits).
Currency Colombian Peso
Project Sites
Barranquilla Barranquilla is a modern, industrial city, with more than 1,700,000 inhabitants. The city is also known as "La Arenosa" (The Sandy One), alluding to the fine sand occasionally present in the air.