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Official Name: Republica De Colombia
Origin: Colombia was one of the countries to emerge from the break of Great Colombia in the 1830s. The other two countries were Ecuador and Venezuela. The country was named after Christopher Columbus, although he never set foot on the land.Spaniards were attracted to the land because of the myth of El Dorado, a group of gold mountains littered with emeralds. . Colombia gained its independence in 1819 after Simon Bolivar defeated Spanish troops in the Battle of Boyaca on August 7, 1819. During the 1990s, an ongoing conflict between the Colombian Government and insurgent groups, mainly the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), escalated. By 2012, peace negotiations began and in 2016, the Farc will lay down their arms.
Flag: The Colombian flag has three stripes. A double width yellow stripe on op, a blue stripe in the middle, and a red stripe in the bottom. The flag retains the original colors of the Gran Colombia flag, a republic hat disbanded into 3 countries in the 1830s. There are many interpretations as to the colors of the flag. One describes the yellow as the gold that exists in Colombia's land, the blue for the seas and shores, and the red for the blood spilled for the freedom of Colombia. Another version is more symbolic, with the yellow for sovereignty and justice, the blue for loyalty and vigilance, and the red for valor and generosity.
Geographic Coordinates: 4 36 N, 74 05 W
Official Language: Spanish (99.2 percent of the population) and few indigenous languages.
Political Map: Political Map Of Colombia
Origin: Colombia was one of the countries to emerge from the break of Great Colombia in the 1830s. The other two countries were Ecuador and Venezuela. The country was named after Christopher Columbus, although he never set foot on the land.Spaniards were attracted to the land because of the myth of El Dorado, a group of gold mountains littered with emeralds. . Colombia gained its independence in 1819 after Simon Bolivar defeated Spanish troops in the Battle of Boyaca on August 7, 1819. During the 1990s, an ongoing conflict between the Colombian Government and insurgent groups, mainly the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), escalated. By 2012, peace negotiations began and in 2016, the Farc will lay down their arms.
Flag: The Colombian flag has three stripes. A double width yellow stripe on op, a blue stripe in the middle, and a red stripe in the bottom. The flag retains the original colors of the Gran Colombia flag, a republic hat disbanded into 3 countries in the 1830s. There are many interpretations as to the colors of the flag. One describes the yellow as the gold that exists in Colombia's land, the blue for the seas and shores, and the red for the blood spilled for the freedom of Colombia. Another version is more symbolic, with the yellow for sovereignty and justice, the blue for loyalty and vigilance, and the red for valor and generosity.
Geographic Coordinates: 4 36 N, 74 05 W
Official Language: Spanish (99.2 percent of the population) and few indigenous languages.
Political Map: Political Map Of Colombia
Physical Map: Physical Map of Colombia
Type of Government: Republic- people elect representatives to make decisions for them.
A republic has many advantages. Instead of giving the power to one person, a republic separates the power so one person does not seize power. People can elect their leaders. Also, the multiple branches allow for a system of checks and balances so one branch does not have too much power. Republics also have disadvantages. The lawmaking process is very long due to contrasting ideas on a subject. Elected politicians can be misleading, promising one thing and then never fulfilling that promise.
Type of Economy: Mixed Economy- Citizens own most of the resources, with very little government control. The government has control over wages, social security, and some work policies.
A mixed economy has advantages. In a mix economy, people can make a profit by selling goods and services. People can own land in a mixed economy. Also, the government provides essential services such as healthcare and social security. A mixed economy also has disadvantages. Heavy taxes are imposed on people to pay for services provided by government. The private sector tends to be more efficient than other sectors. Also, government has much control over businesses.
A republic has many advantages. Instead of giving the power to one person, a republic separates the power so one person does not seize power. People can elect their leaders. Also, the multiple branches allow for a system of checks and balances so one branch does not have too much power. Republics also have disadvantages. The lawmaking process is very long due to contrasting ideas on a subject. Elected politicians can be misleading, promising one thing and then never fulfilling that promise.
Type of Economy: Mixed Economy- Citizens own most of the resources, with very little government control. The government has control over wages, social security, and some work policies.
A mixed economy has advantages. In a mix economy, people can make a profit by selling goods and services. People can own land in a mixed economy. Also, the government provides essential services such as healthcare and social security. A mixed economy also has disadvantages. Heavy taxes are imposed on people to pay for services provided by government. The private sector tends to be more efficient than other sectors. Also, government has much control over businesses.
Racial/ Ethnic Distribution:
Analysis: The majority of the population is Mestizo. This is most likely because of the colonization. As Spanish settlers began their lives in Colombia, many began to form families with Indigenous people. The white percentage is most likely made up of the colonists that never merged with indigenous people. The next largest section, the mulatto, most likely formed from the colonists that made families with the African people after slave trade was overthrown. The Amerindian one percent is made up of the indigenous people that did not mix with any other race. The black population is made up from the children of the slaves that used to inhabit the area. The last is made by the indigenous people that mixed with the African people.
Religious Distribution:
Analysis: Since the Spanish colonized Colombia, it is very reasonable that a large percentage of the population would be Catholic, as that was the predominant religion in Spain at the time. The colonists most likely preserved the religion so well that it is still the largest in the country. The other 10 percent is mostly from the indigenous religions, which mostly all involve a sort of animism. Whatever may be left from the 10 percent was most likely brought by immigrants with different beliefs that had an influence on the citizens of Colombia.
Women's Rights: Women do not have fair treatment in Colombia. Only 12 percent of the national parliament is made up of women. Women are discouraged from getting a good education. Many believe that the only education women should get should be to learn to be good mother and wife. Crimes against women are often disregarded and reported. Most women that report abuse usually do not win their court case. Women are strongly discouraged from getting help or seeking justice when abused.
Push/Pull Factors: A strong push factor for Colombian emigration could be the ongoing war against drugs and rebels. The thought of being killed would drive away many Colombians. Another push factor would be the recent economic crisis Colombia faced. Many people left in fear of becoming poor. A third push factor could be the unfair working conditions that have been reported. People do not want to work with unfair conditions.
A pull factor could be the peace in other countries. People could immigrate to another country to avoid the war. Another pull factor could be the hope of earning more money from a job. People could have a better lifestyle and even send money back to relatives. A third pull factor could be the better working conditions offered to workers. These could include better pay, a safer area, and less laborious work.
Diplomatic Relationships With the United States: The U.S established a relationship with Colombia in 1822. The U.S has set up many programs in Colombia to aid victims of the ongoing war against drugs and rebels. The U.S and Colombia made an agreement in May 2012 called The U.S-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement. This agreement eliminated many trade barriers between the two countries, allowing both countries to develop economically and for trade between the two countries to be expanded. U.S imports from Colombia mainly include crude oil, coffee and cut flowers. U.S exports to Colombia include oil, machinery, agricultural products, and organic chemicals.
Energy Consumption/Production: Colombia produces 57.81 billion kWh and consumes 49.38 billion kWh. The country exports 715 million kWh and imports 6.5 million kWh. Colombia produces 989,900 BBL a day. 624,600 BBL are exported per day. The country also produces 340,000 BBL of refined petroleum every day, and 324,000 of those barrels. 96,530 BBL of refined petroleum are exported a day, and about 65,110 BBL are imported. Colombia produces 10.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas and consume 7.609 billion cubic meters. The country exports about 2.591 billion cubic meters of natural gas and does not import any.
Natural Resources: Petroleum, coal, nickel, gold, copper, emerald, and natural gas.
Infrastructure: Colombia currently has 7.2 million fixed telephone lines, with 16 out of every 100 population having a fixed line. 55.3 million of the population have a mobile telephone, with 120 out of every 100 people owning a mobile telephone. The country code for Colombia is 57. The broadcast media has state and privately owned stations. There are 454 AM stations, 34 FM stations, and 27 short length stations. On television, there are 60 channels available to the population. 24.3 (52.4%) of the population use the internet.
Colombia has 836 airports that are available to use (121 with paved runways and 715 without paved runways). The country has 3 heliports, 874 km worth of railways, 141,374 km of highways and 24,725 km of waterways. Colombia has 4,991 km of gas pipelines, 6,796 km of oil pipelines, and 3,429 km of refined products. Major seaports include: (Atlantic)- Cartagena, Santa Marta, Turbo, (Pacific)-Buenaventura. The major river port is the Barranquilla in the Magdalena River.
Push/Pull Factors: A strong push factor for Colombian emigration could be the ongoing war against drugs and rebels. The thought of being killed would drive away many Colombians. Another push factor would be the recent economic crisis Colombia faced. Many people left in fear of becoming poor. A third push factor could be the unfair working conditions that have been reported. People do not want to work with unfair conditions.
A pull factor could be the peace in other countries. People could immigrate to another country to avoid the war. Another pull factor could be the hope of earning more money from a job. People could have a better lifestyle and even send money back to relatives. A third pull factor could be the better working conditions offered to workers. These could include better pay, a safer area, and less laborious work.
Diplomatic Relationships With the United States: The U.S established a relationship with Colombia in 1822. The U.S has set up many programs in Colombia to aid victims of the ongoing war against drugs and rebels. The U.S and Colombia made an agreement in May 2012 called The U.S-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement. This agreement eliminated many trade barriers between the two countries, allowing both countries to develop economically and for trade between the two countries to be expanded. U.S imports from Colombia mainly include crude oil, coffee and cut flowers. U.S exports to Colombia include oil, machinery, agricultural products, and organic chemicals.
Energy Consumption/Production: Colombia produces 57.81 billion kWh and consumes 49.38 billion kWh. The country exports 715 million kWh and imports 6.5 million kWh. Colombia produces 989,900 BBL a day. 624,600 BBL are exported per day. The country also produces 340,000 BBL of refined petroleum every day, and 324,000 of those barrels. 96,530 BBL of refined petroleum are exported a day, and about 65,110 BBL are imported. Colombia produces 10.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas and consume 7.609 billion cubic meters. The country exports about 2.591 billion cubic meters of natural gas and does not import any.
Natural Resources: Petroleum, coal, nickel, gold, copper, emerald, and natural gas.
Infrastructure: Colombia currently has 7.2 million fixed telephone lines, with 16 out of every 100 population having a fixed line. 55.3 million of the population have a mobile telephone, with 120 out of every 100 people owning a mobile telephone. The country code for Colombia is 57. The broadcast media has state and privately owned stations. There are 454 AM stations, 34 FM stations, and 27 short length stations. On television, there are 60 channels available to the population. 24.3 (52.4%) of the population use the internet.
Colombia has 836 airports that are available to use (121 with paved runways and 715 without paved runways). The country has 3 heliports, 874 km worth of railways, 141,374 km of highways and 24,725 km of waterways. Colombia has 4,991 km of gas pipelines, 6,796 km of oil pipelines, and 3,429 km of refined products. Major seaports include: (Atlantic)- Cartagena, Santa Marta, Turbo, (Pacific)-Buenaventura. The major river port is the Barranquilla in the Magdalena River.