FACTS ABOUT COLOMBIA
AMAZING FACTS ABOUT COLOMBIA
1. Colombia is officially known as the “Republic of Colombia”.
2. Bogotá is the capital city of Colombia.
3.
The total population of Colombia is 49,996,445.
4.
The natives of Colombia are called
Colombians.
5. The Peso (COP) is official currency of Colombia.
6.
Colombia is named after the legendary
Italian explorer, navigator, and colonizer – Christopher Columbus.
7.
It is mandatory for radio and public
television in Colombia to play the national anthem every day at 6 am and 6 pm.
8. Starbucks opened its 1000th store in the city of Medellin, Colombia.
Image Source: stories.starbucks.com
9.
Colombia is one of the 17 mega diverse
countries in the world.
10.
Almost 10% of the Amazon rainforest lies
in Colombia.
11.
Colombia is made up of 32 provinces, also
known as departments. These are spread across the country’s five geographic
regions.
12.
Colombia has between 40,000 and 45,000
plant species, equivalent to 10 or 20% of total global species.
13. Colombia has the most bird species in the entire world.
14. Bogota is one of the top cities in the world for Graffiti Art. Artists from all over the world come to paint Bogota’s streets.
15. Colombia is the world’s largest exporter of Emeralds. It produces about 70-90% of the world's emeralds.
16.
One out of every five butterfly species
is found in Colombia.
17. One of the unique animals that can be spotted in Colombia is the Amazon River dolphin, which is pink!
18. Colombia has a total of 58 national parks that cover about 11% of the country.
19. Colombia is the third-most populous country in Latin America, after Brazil and Mexico.
20.
Colombia is home to the world’s tallest
palm trees.
21. More than 99.2% of Colombians speak Spanish.
22. Colombia has more than 180 indigenous languages and dialects, belonging to linguistic groups such as Arawakan, Chibchan, Cariban, Tupi-Guaraní, and Yurumanguí.
23.
With the second largest Spanish-speaking
population, Colombia is also nicknamed “Gateway to South America”.
24.
Colombia is a highly urbanized country.
25.
The agricultural land in Colombia is 37.5%.
26.
Colombia began to develop literacy after
the Spanish arrived and its literature is still a strong influence.
27. Colombia has a literacy rate of 94.2%.
28. Colombia shares a border with Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Venezuela.
29. Colombia is the only NATO Global Partner in Latin America.
30. Colombia's economy is the third-largest in South America.
31. Colombia is part of the CIVETS group of leading emerging markets, alongside Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey, and South Africa.
32. Colombia's government is divided into three branches: the executive branch, headed by the President, the legislative branch, headed by the Congress and the judicial branch, headed by four high courts.
33. Colombia was one of the four founding members of the Pacific Alliance, which promotes the free movement of things like goods and services between its members.
34.
It is the 25th largest
country in the world in terms of land area.
35.
It is the 29th largest
country in the world in terms of population.
36.
It is the 173rd largest
country in the world in terms of population density.
37.
The average life expectancy in Colombia
is 76 years.
38.
The national sport of Colombia is ‘Tejo’,
while football is the most common.
39.
Cano Cristales – the “River of Five
Colors” or the “Liquid Rainbow”, is a river in Colombia located in the Serrania
de la Macarena province of Meta.
40.
Archeologists estimate that humans
settled in Colombia some 20,000 years ago.
41.
Elders are deeply respected in Colombia.
42.
Colombia celebrates 18 national
holidays. It comes second in the list of “countries with the most national
holidays”.
43.
Colombia hosts the world’s largest theater
festival, the “Iberoamericana”.
44.
The most popular choice for breakfast in
Colombia is Changua. It’s simply a milk soup with an undercooked egg.
45. Dinner for the middle-class normally includes fresh fruit, a main dish with fish or meat with rice or potatoes, and a homemade soup.
46.
Specialty dishes are eaten at holidays
and a dish associated with the capital is known as ‘ajiaco’ which is a special
stew.
47.
It is perfectly normal for children of
Colombia to drink coffee after dinner.
48.
During major events, the government
imposes a temporary ban on alcohol. This is to avoid violence.
49.
Colombia is reported to be the happiest
place on planet earth.
50.
The King of Coke, Pablo Escobar, was
born and bred in Colombia.
51.
Pablo Escobar was so rich he offered $10
billion to waive off Colombia’s National debt.
52.
The government of Colombia found a $2
billion Spanish shipwreck under the sea near its coast.
53.
Colombia’s “Sierra Nevada de Santa
Marta”, at 13,000 m, is the world’s highest coastal mountain range.
54.
Initially, people who went to find the
treasures of El Dorado never returned. Maybe they were all broke.
55.
Spain discovered a mountain, Cerro Rico,
filled with silver….precious silver.
56.
Colombia is the world’s leading producer
of Emeralds.
57.
The finest quality emerald, a green
gemstone, is found only in Colombia.
58.
The country has more than 150 mines
churning out high-quality emeralds.
59.
Colombia Exports:
petroleum, coal, emeralds, coffee, nickel, cut flowers, bananas and apparels.
60.
Colombia Imports:
industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals,
paper products, fuels and electricity.
61.
Colombia lies above the Pacific Ring of
Fire, a region where volcanoes and earthquakes are as natural as birds and
bees. The ring is 40,000km long, and there are more than 450 volcanoes.
62.
The economy of Colombia is mainly
dependent on manufacturing and agricultural exports such as bananas, cut
flowers, sugar, and coffee. Manufacturing exports include textiles, chemicals,
garments, and metal products.
63.
Colombia is the third largest exporter
of coffee in the world after Brazil and Vietnam.
64.
Tejo is the native and national sport of
Colombia. Beer is so common in this game, it’s almost a rule. The game consists
of trying to throw a metal disk at a sack filled with gunpowder while being
dead drunk.
65.
Colombia is so passionate about its
sugar that it went to war with Peru over it. The eight-month war, known as the
Leticia War, started due to a dispute in the sugar trade.
66.
Colombia has been a contributor of very
important advances in medicine, biology, geology, physics, mathematics,
anthropology, and psychology.
67.
Colombia practices a free-market economy
that has greatly benefited the country due to foreign investment and foreign
trade.
68.
Colombia’s GDP was $292.1 billion in
2016.
69.
The nominal GDP per capita is $14,100.
70.
The national flag of Colombia was designed
by a Venezuelan ‘Francisco Miranda’ in 1806.
71.
Colombia is comprised of many regional
cultures.
72.
Many of the indigenous groups of
Colombia have embraced the Spanish cultural influences.
73.
Art is a very large part of the
Colombian culture.
74.
Colombian art has over 3,000 years of
history.
75.
Colombia has a very diverse music scene.
76.
Colombia is the only country in South
America to have coastlines on the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
77.
There are over 300 beaches that locals
and tourists can take advantage of to see all of the natural beauty this
country has to offer.
78.
Colombia has over 2,000 miles of
coastline that stretches along the Pacific.
79.
The architecture of the nation reflects
Spanish colonial origins from the seventeenth century.
80.
There is evidence of Castilian and
Moorish architecture in many of the cities in the region.
81.
Colombia is considered to be a
hierarchical society and people earn respect due to their position and their
age.
82.
It’s a big deal when a girl turns 15 in
Colombia. But for a boy, it’s a regular birthday.
83.
It is necessary to bring gold on a
girl’s 15th birthday.
84.
The details in the many churches in the
country reflect the Medieval and Renaissance eras in Spain.
85.
Here are some gifting manners in
Colombia: For a casual visit, bring a fruit or chocolate. For something
elegant, bring imported alcohol and for a girl’s 15th birthday, only
gold.
86.
In Colombia, eyes are everything. Real
Colombian men look deep into the eyes while shaking hands.
87.
Upon meeting and departing it is
considered to be courteous to shake both hands. A man should also wait for a
woman to extend her hand.
88. In Colombian culture, flowers as a gift should only be sent in advance (roses are well liked), while making sure not to include lilies and marigolds.
89. Colombia has the world’s largest flower festival.
90. Colombia has the world’s largest Salsa festival.
91.
Lilies and marigolds are only reserved
for funerals.
92.
Boxing is one of the sports that more
world champions have produced for Colombia.
93.
The largest bike route in South America
is located in Colombia.
94.
Tipping your taxi driver is not common
in Colombia.
95.
The target of Colombia's government is
to build 7,000 km of roads for the 2016–2020 period and reduce travel times by
30 per cent and transport costs by 20 per cent.
96.
World-famous pop singer “Shakira”
hails from good old Colombia.
97.
The Colombian military is divided into
three branches: the National Army of Colombia; the Colombian Air Force; and the
Colombian Navy.
98.
The National Police is a branch of the
armed forces and was formed in 1891 in order to enforce the federal laws of
Columbia.
99.
The foreign affairs of Colombia are
headed by the President, as head of state, and managed by the Minister of
Foreign Affairs.
100.
The social security system was developed
in 1843 and only applied to military personnel.
101.
Colombia has more than 3,950 research
groups in science and technology.
102. The internet country code for Colombia is .co.
103.
Many film festivals take place in
Colombia, but the two most important are the Cartagena Film Festival, which is
the oldest film festival in Latin America, and the Bogotá Film Festival.
104.
Although the Colombian cinema is young
as an industry, more recently the film industry was growing with support from
the Film Act passed in 2003.
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