- Colombians Oppose US Request for Immunity From ICC (August 20, 2002)
...Opposition to a US request for Colombia to back immunity for US troops before the International Criminal Court cou... - Clinton Backs Role in Colombia (June 29, 2002)
...CARTAGENA, Colombia Former President Clinton said Saturday that he backs broadening mil... - Pipeline Brigade (April 8, 2002)
...drugrunning that threaten the area. As is usual, half the money will go to Colombia, but with a new twist: $98 million for training and equipping a Colombian... - US Finds a Palatable Word for Military Aid to Colombia (May 5, 2002)
... Washington's expanding war on international terrorism. The new aid for Colombia, being considered on Capitol Hill, would for the first time allow the US m... - Mark Thomas Urges the Unions to Take on Coca-Cola (March 29, 2004)
...at activists and trade unionists should be concerned about. On 15 March in Colombia, 30 Coca-Cola workers went on hunger strike outside eight Coke bottling pl... - US Suspends $47m in Aid Over Int'l Criminal Court Dispute (July 2, 2003)
...munity from the tribunal. The suspension affects US allies like Brazil, Colombia and South Africa, the Baltic states as well as NATO hopefuls such as Bulga... - Claim of FARCñal Qaeda Link Rescinded (August 9, 2002)
...ation last November that said members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were thought to have received training at Al Qaida camps located in... - US-British Strategy on Iraq Close to Collapse (October 28, 2002)
...t Britain and the United States can count on the support only of Bulgaria, Colombia, Norway and Singapore for its latest proposal. Russia, China, France and S... - University Bans 'Illegal Links' (September 26, 2002)
...ctive, that linking to a site supporting the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) would not be permitted because it violated federal law. In a le... - Peru Cancels US Joint Military Training Exercise (April 20, 2002)
...d States plans to build a military base in Peru, presumably to expand Plan Colombia into the neighboring nation, has been popular among some politicians. The... - A Deadly Franchise (August 28, 2003)
...t use terrorist tactics such as Hamas or the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (Farc). But that's only its most basic application. WoT can be used on any... - Court Order (July 21, 2003)
...elize, Ecuador, Brazil, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Peru and Colombia, to name a few. What these countries have in common are long-standing mili... - Amnesty: Iraq War Increased Fear, Insecurity (May 28, 2003)
... on Afghanistan and Iraq in 2002 meant human rights abuses in Ivory Coast, Colombia, Burundi, Chechnya and Nepal had gone largely unnoticed. Amnesty said t... - War on Terror May Extend to Cuba (May 7, 2002)
...g political agenda. The administration has also accused Farc rebels in Colombia of supporting anti-US terrorism, while calling for increased military aid... - Democracy: Not A Multiple Choice Question (February 12, 2004)
...y have spoken against the Iraq war, but his policy on Israel/Palestine and Colombia show that he is certainly no Gandhi. He is unclear about whether he would... -
Colombia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Republic of Colombia is a country in northwestern South America. To the north is found the Caribbean Sea, while it borders Venezuela to the east, Brazil to the southeast, Peru and Ecuador to the south, and Panama and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
República de Colombia 
(In Detail) (Full size) National motto: Libertad y Orden
(Spanish; "Liberty and Order")
Official language Spanish Capital Bogota President Álvaro Uribe Vélez Area
- Total
- % waterRanked 25th
1,138,910 km²
8.8%Population
- Total (2003)
- DensityRanked 28th
44,531,434
36/km²Independence
- Declared
- RecognisedFrom Spain
July 20, 1810
August 7, 1819Currency Colombian peso Time zone UTC -5 National anthem Oh Gloria Inmarcesible! Internet TLD .CO Calling Code 57 Table of contents 1 History
2 Politics
3 Departments
4 Geography
5 Economy
6 Demographics
7 Culture
8 Miscellaneous topics
9 External Links
History
Main article: History of ColombiaSpanish explorers arrived in the area around 1500, at which time they encountered many Chibchan peoples who they subjugated through warfare, disease, exploitation, and conquest. They soon established settlements that eventually grew into the provinces which where part of the Captaincy General of New Granada. As it became a Viceroyalty in 1717, some other provinces of northwestern South America came under its jurisdiction. An independence movement sprang up around 1810 that finally succeeded in 1819 when the territory of the Viceroyalty of New Granada became the Republic of Greater Colombia (Gran Colombia).
Internal political and territorial divisions led to the secession of Venezuela and Quito (today's Ecuador) in 1830 and the remaining Department of Cundinamarca was renamed New Granada until 1856 when it became the Granadine Confederation until 1863 when it became the United States of Colombia until 1886 when it became the Republic of Colombia. Internal divisions remained, occasionally igniting civil war and contributing to the US-sponsored secession of Panama in 1903. The country continues to be plagued by guerrilla insurgents such as FARC and the effects of the influential drug trade, which are hampering political and economic reforms and leading to disruptions of public life and international concern.
Politics
Main article: Politics of ColombiaColombia is a republic where the executive branch dominates government structure. The president, elected together with the vice-president by popular vote for a single four-year term, functions as both head of state and head of government.
Colombia's bicameral parliament is the Congress or Congreso, which consists of the Senate or Senado of 102 seats and the House of Representatives or Camara de Representantes of 166 seats. Members of both houses are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. The Colombian judicial system has undergone significant reforms in the 1990s.
Departments
Main article: Departments of ColombiaColombia is divided into 32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento):
- Amazonas (Leticia)
- Antioquia (Medellín)
- Arauca (Arauca)
- Atlántico (Barranquilla)
- Bolívar (Cartagena)
- Boyacá (Tunja)
- Caldas (Manizales)
- Caquetá (Florencia)
- Casanare (Yopal)
- Cauca (Popayán)
- Cesar (Valledupar)
- Chocó (Quibdó)
- Córdoba (Montería)
- Cundinamarca (Bogotá)
- Guainía (Puerto Inírida)
- Guaviare (San José del Guaviare)
- Huila (Neiva)
- La Guajira (Riohacha)
- Magdalena (Santa Marta)
- Meta (Villavicencio)
- Nariño (Pasto)
- Norte de Santander (Cúcuta)
- Putumayo (Mocoa)
- Quindío (Armenia)
- Risaralda (Pereira)
- San Andres and Providencia (San Andrés)
- Santander (Bucaramanga)
- Sucre (Sincelejo)
- Tolima (Ibagué)
- Valle del Cauca (Cali)
- Vaupés (Mitú)
- Vichada (Puerto Carreño)
Additionally, there is one capital district (distrito capital), Bogotá D.C..
Geography
Main article: Geography of ColombiaThe western half of Colombia is dominated by the Andes, which split into three great mountain ranges, the Western, Central and Eastern Cordillera. In between the ranges the Cauca and Magdalena rivers flow into the low-lying plains along the Caribbean coast. The highlands are home to some occasionally active volcanoes and the highest point is the Pico Cristobal Colon at 5,775 m.
The eastern half is characterised by lowland plains, often densily forested, which contain many rivers such as the Putumayo, the Yapura, the Meta, or the Guaviare that either flow to the Orinoco or the Amazon River. Colombia also holds several small islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean.
The local climate is tropical along both coasts and in the eastern plains, whereas the mountain ranges and highlands can be considerably cooler. Colombia's largest city is its capital Bogota, other major cities include Medellín, Cali, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Ibagué, Manizales, Pasto, Cúcuta and Bucaramanga.
Economy
Main article: Economy of ColombiaColombia's economy suffered from weak domestic demand, austere government budgets, and a difficult security situation. The current government faces economic challenges ranging from pension reform to reduction of unemployment. Two of Colombia's leading exports, oil and coffee, face an uncertain future; new exploration is needed to offset declining oil production, while coffee harvests and prices are depressed.
Problems in public security are a concern for Colombian business leaders, who are calling for progress in the government's peace negotiations with insurgent groups. Colombia is looking for continued support from the international community to boost economic and peace prospects.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of ColombiaEthnic diversity in Colombia is a result of the intermingling of indigenous Amerindians, Spanish colonists, and African slaves, producing a mixture of mestizos (58%), whites (20%), mulattos (14%), blacks (4%), and mixed black-Amerindians (3%). Today, only about 1% of the people can be identified as fully Amerindian on the basis of language and customs. The predominant religion in Colombia is Roman Catholicism.
Colombia is the third-most populous country in Latin America, after Brazil and Mexico. Movement from rural to urban areas has been heavy. The urban population increased from 57% of the total population in 1951 to about 74% by 1994. Thirty cities have a population of 100,000 or more. The nine eastern lowlands departments, constituting about 54% of Colombia's area, have less than 3% of the population and a density of less than one person per square kilometre.
Culture
Main article: Culture of Colombia- List of Colombians
- Music of Colombia
- List of people on stamps of Colombia
Miscellaneous topics
- Communications in Colombia
- Transportation in Colombia
- Military of Colombia
- Foreign relations of Colombia
- List of cities in Colombia
External Links
- PEC - Official governmental portal (in Spanish)
- Casa de Nariño - Official presidential site (in Spanish)
- Colombia Banknotes
- Colombia from the air - On-line book with aerial pictures of Colombia, (English)
- Colombia, a new vision - On-line book with photographs of Colombia and it´s people, (English)
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