Colombia my country!
Colombia my country!
Colombia my country!
Presentation Welcome to Colombia, a tropical country of incredible diversity and charm. Its ever-changing geography, a history loaded with mystery and adventure, its people and cultures, have fascinated the world for centuries. Although its excellent coffee and the purity of its emeralds have made the country famous, Colombia is also the homeland of the El Dorado legend and the magical universe of Garcia Marquez’s Macondo. If you have not been here, you can ask about our country and realize how much you have been missing. Coming to Colombia is discovering a completely new world. Colombian people have many reasons to be proud of their country. Our contrasting natural regions, their profuse flora and fauna, the ethnic diversity of our people and the richness of our cultural and artistic patrimony are some of them. We also recognize ourselves in multiple symbols and icons that identify us in front of the world. They are present in our everyday life, in our celebrations, events and solemn occasions. Their meaning is the pride we feel to be Colombians, our belonging and origin. They state our presence and comfort us in face of adversity. These symbols make up an indivisible unity out of our diversity. Yellow is a symbol of the country's riches; blue represents the two oceans; red is for the blood spilled by our national heroes.
Colombia my country!
Location Situated in the northwest corner of South America, Colombia is the only country in the region with coasts on both the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean, with a continental area of 1.141.748 km2 (440 829 square miles) and 928.660 km2 (358 555 square miles) of maritime dominions. It shares borders with Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador, and maritime limits with Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Haiti. Located between latitudes 4° south and 12° north, and between 67° and 79° longitude west, Colombia is an equatorial country whose climate is determined by trade winds, humidity and altitude – the temperature drops as the altitude increases.
Colombia my country!
Natural Regions: The Caribbean: This region extends for 1.600 km (994 miles) along the Caribbean coast. It comprises desert on the peninsula of La Guajira; mountains covered by rainforest and perennial snow that form the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the highest coastal mountain in the world (5.770 meters above sea level); cienagas (swamps) and plains in the departments of Magdalena, Cesar and Sucre; bays with white sandy beaches such as the Gulf of Morrosquillo; jungles in the Gulf of Uraba, and a dazzling view of the Caribbean. Near Cartagena lie the archipelagos of Rosario and San Bernardo, coral paradises with islets of mangrove.
The Andes: The longest mountain range in the world, the Andes enters Colombia in the Nudo de los Pastos in the south of the country, where it divides into two. In the Colombian Massif, the country’s main hydrographic star, it separates into three mountain chains that cross Colombia from south to north and create a rugged terrain, with peaks higher than 5.300 meters above sea level, expansive highland plains, deep canyons and broad valleys. These three mountain chains, crowned by perennial snow, boggy paramos, Andean rainforests, deserts and marshes, produce terrain that varies with altitude and whose fertile soils support an immense variety of crops.
Colombia my country!
Natural Regions: The Pacific Coast: Stretching for 1.300 km (808 miles), the Pacific coast is one of the wettest regions on Earth, with a rainfall of over 10.000 mm3 per year. The northern part, where the hills of Baud贸 sink into the ocean forming bays and sounds, is a jungle region of great biodiversity. The flatter south is bordered by cliffs and beaches lined with mangrove and crossed by wide rivers.
The Orinoquia: This vast region, which extends as far as the river Orinoco on the border with Venezuela, is a plain that spreads out eastwards, its savannas spotted with scrub and riverain forests. Crossed by broad rivers, the Orinoquia covers over 230.000 km2 (2 475 699 square feet), representing 20% of the country. The Serrania de La Macarena rises in the southwest, a formation independent of the Andes and endowed with an immense biodiversity, in which natural elements of the Andes, the Amazon and the Orinoquia merge.
The Amazon: Of the 6.8 million km2 (2 625 483 square miles) of jungle that make up the Amazon basin, 400.000 km2 (154 440 square miles) belong to Colombia. This immense region, considered the lung of the Earth and one of the largest genetic banks of animal and vegetable species, is inhabited by numerous Indian communities who continue to preserve their ancestral way of life.
Colombia my country!
Culture A diversity of cultures inhabited Colombian territory before the arrival of the Spanish, some as advanced and sophisticated as those that produced the statues of San Agustín, in the Department of Huila, the subterranean tombs of Tierradentro, in the Department of Cauca, or the “Lost City” (Buritaca 2000), in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The Spanish arrived with the Conquest and colonization and brought slaves with them from Africa. For this reason Colombia is a multi-ethnic and pluri-cultural nation, where each region has its own characteristics that distinguish it from the others. Thus you can talk of an Andean culture that strongly feels its European ancestry; of a Caribbean culture that is an amalgam of Indian and African inheritance; a Pacific culture with African roots, and of the culture of the Orinoquia and the Amazon that is basically Indian.
Colombia my country!
Fairs and festivals In Colombia we always have a good reason to celebrate, eat, drink, and dance. No matter the time of year, upon arriving in the country, visitors will encounter a fair, a pageant, or a celebration somewhere. By nature we are cheerful people. Among carnivals, dances, parades, and cavalcades, the year runs its course to the rhythm of our tropical music and contagious good spirits. Our religious feasts, historic milestones, and even our victories in sports, are events we celebrate until we run out of energy. What are you waiting for to join the party? Carnival of Blacks and Whites Place: Pasto, Nariño Región: Pacific Date: January 4 – 6, every year Duration: 3 days. The Manizales Fair Place: Manizales Region: Café Triangle, Andes Date: January 4-11, every year Duration: one week. The Hay Festival Place: Cartagena, Bolívar Region: Caribbean Date: 29.01 - 01.02 every year Duration: 4 days.
Ibero-American Theater Festival Place: Bogotá, Cundinamarca Region: Andes Date: every two years, in March or April, and including Holy Week Duration: 17 days. Festival of the Vallenato Legend Place: Valledupar, Cesar Region: Caribbean Date: April 26 – 30, or the last week in April, every year Duration: 5 days The Medellín Flower Fair Place: Medellín, Antioquia Region: Andes Date: every year during the first weeks in August Duration: 10 days
The Cali Fair Place: Cali, Valle del Cauca Region: Pacific Date: December 25 – 30, every year Duration: 6 days.
Colombia my country!
Medellín City Medellín: Due to the beauty of its women, the warmth and friendliness of its people, the year-round spring-like weather, and its gorgeous flowers and mountains, Medellín attracts like a magnet. As a city with a great gastronomic, commercial and tourist offer, it provides countless opportunities for leisure vacations and business. Colombia’s second most important city, Medellin, rises in the center of a valley and covers part of the mountains that surround it. The landscape evokes the drive of the colonists who toiled their way through a rugged topography and whose descendants founded this large industrial, ever-thriving city of hard-working, persevering people. Medellín is considered a Colombian hub for business, industry and technological development.
Colombia my country!
Bogota City Culture is breathed and experienced every day in Bogotå, the capital of Colombia, located at 2,600 meters above sea level. The past and the present blend in this metropolis founded in 1538 to offer its visitors varied artistic expressions that include museum exhibits, dance, theater, music, and splendid cuisine. From old times, Bogotå has offered a rich socio-cultural context that is the product of the convergence of Colombia’s contemporary and ancestral cultures. As a result of this convergence, visitors will find an ancestral past represented in architecture and historical elements preserved in its museums in addition to a present full of life.
Colombia my country!
Cali City Cali is known in Colombia as the capital of fiestas, street partying, dancing, and salsa as Cali's Salsa Clubs are among the most famous in the entire continent. Among many other things you can experience on your vacations, the people from Cali have developed a playful and hedonistic culture in harmony with the natural surroundings and country life. Cali is a great place for tourism and leisure. The capital of the department of Valle del Cauca has become a mecca for tourism thanks to the beauty of its women, its historical sites, and a multitude of spots for day and night entertainment. Cali is one of the major economic and industrial centers of the country, and the main urban, economic, industrial, and agrarian city of southwest Colombia.
Colombia my country!
Cartagena City The inhabitants of Cartagena do not say it. Neither do the Colombians. The world and Frommer, one of the most important US tourists guides say it. Frommer recommends Cartagena de Indias as one of the top 12 world destinations to visit in 2009. It is the only location in Latin America on the recent list issued by this influential publication, which international tourists take into account when it comes to planning their vacation. All those who know this city of the Colombian Caribbean are aware of the reasons for coming. With all the international recognition and tourism prestige of this destination, recommendations and good references on Cartagena abound; on each trip there will be something new and enough reasons to return to this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Frommers tourist guide recommends Cartagena as one of the 12 destinations to visit in 2009.
Colombia my country!
Info: Country: Capital: Official language(s): Population: Demonym: Currency: Time zone: Internet TLD: Calling code: Independence day: Exports:
Republic of Colombia Bogotá D.C. Spanish. 47´657.879 Colombian. Peso (COP) (UTC-52) .co Cartagena +57 July 20 flowers, coffee, textiles, coal, gas, energy, oil, sugar, salt, emeralds, gold, Medellín bananas, iron, steel, Bogotá D.C Cali
Samuel
Colombia my country!
Hello, my name is Samuel, I have 11 years old. I live in Medellin city. I have one sister, her name is Elisa. My father´s name is Hector and my mother´s name is Diana. My hobbies are: play soccer, play video-games, play with my friends and speak a lot ;). My favorite soccer teams are: Atlético Nacional, F.C. Barcelona, Chelsea, Colombia, Spain, Brazil and Germany. E-mail: sami.e.l@hotmail.com
Colombia my country!
Camila
Hello! My name is Camila Sanchez and I am 11 years old. I live in Medellin, Colombia. I have been in CISV for four years, but this is the first time I travel out of Colombia with CISV. I like to play soccer, my favorite food is sushi. My mom´s name is Maria Luisa, my dad´s name is Miguel and my brother Eduardo. I am crazy, I love to laugh because I think laughter is a universal language. I study in the Columbus School, it´s really fun! E-mail: camilasanchez200@hotmail.com
Tomas
Colombia my country!
Hello, my name is TomĂĄs Buitrago, I am eleven years old. I am from MedellĂn, Colombia, South America. I have a brother, his name is Martin and he is twelve years old. My parents are Luisa and Felipe and they are very lovely. I study at German School. I speak three languages: Spanish, German and a little English. I like to play volleyball five times at week and to eat pizza. I dislike violence and ungry people. I love scout activities. I want to enjoy this time here in the village, and to learn the better qualities from others. My email is: omybuitrago@hotmail.com
Colombia my country!
Mariana
Hello, my name is Mariana Castro, i am 11 years old. I love to jump, play, talk, have many friends and run. I have a dog that is called Oliver, he is very cute. I have a sister called Juanita. I live in a house in Medellin, Colombia, it is so cool. See you soon! E-mail: mayi.castro@yahoo.es
Daniela
Colombia my country!
Hello everyone! My name is Daniela, best known as Dani! I´m the leader of the Colombian delegation! I am 23 years old, I live in Medellin city with my parents and my brother Mateo which is 21 years old. Right now I am studying International Business at EAFIT University, which I love a lot. I can speak four languages: Spanish, English, French and Portuguese, hope I can learn more new languages at the village =D. My favorite sport is swimming, I make part of the team of my university. I love to dance, talk, meet new people and learn about other cultures! Can´t wait to see you guys! I´m really excited.E-mail: danicorrales6@hotmail.com
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