Colombia was named in honor of Christopher Columbus, following the Italian version of his name (Cristoforo Colombo). This country is located in northwestern South America, bordered by Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Panama. Colombia is the only South American country which borders both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is the fourth largest country in South America. Just try to imagine Portugal, Spain and France together; this is how big Colombia is.
Approximately 46 million people live In Colombia. 94.5% of the population is concentrated in 42 % of the territory. 30% of the people is concentrated in six cities: Bogotá (its capital city), Cali, Medellín, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga and Cartagena.
Spanish is the official language.
Spanish is the official language.
There are no seasons in Colombia, this is because The Andes Mountain have divided the country in different regions which makes the temperatures change according to the altitude. So in Colombia you can find all kind of weathers depending on the zone you travel. That is why Colombia is one of the richest countries in the world in flora and fauna diversity. It makes it just a paradise for those who love to practice the ecotourism. And also for you who loves adventure and extreme sports, here you can find just the perfect scenery to practice paragliding, rafting, spelunking, mountain biking among others.
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| Adventure and Extreme Sports in Colombia. |
The climate diversity in the Andes region of Colombia provides the ideal conditions for agriculture richness allowing it to produce large amount of products like coffee, flowers, cacao, fruits and so on.
| According to "The Guardian", Tayrona: The Second Most Beautiful Beach in the World. |
On the other hand, there are also pretty nice beaches. Colombia’s coast on the Caribbean sea is 1600 km (994 mi.) long and on the pacific Ocean the coast measures 1300 km (808 mi.). There exist over 300 beaches enough to satisfy all tastes. The English newspaper, ´The Guardian´, voted Tayrona Beach in Colombia as the 2nd most beautiful beach in the world. The islands of San Andres and Providencia in Colombia with white beaches and clear waters have the third largest coral reef in the world with more than 85 species of corals, as well as a rich marine life with over 270 fish species, sea turtles and sponges. Just perfect for diving!
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| The Islands of San Andres and Providencia: The Third Largest Coral Reef in the World. |
The security situation in Colombia is better that its reputation, you just need to use common sense and caution to stay safe. Anything can happen anywhere at any time, and that does not necessarily reflect the state of safety in the entire country or even the particular place for that matter. In Colombia there are few regions which are not as safe to be around, but they are easy to avoid and they don’t make part of the tourist areas. In the cities don’t make yourself an easy target like walking in lonely streets at night, and don’t expose yourself with fancy and flashy accessories. The best is to interact with the locals and listen to their advices. The Colombian people are very friendly and nice and they always are willing to help you if you need it.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT COLOMBIA :)
- Colombia is the second world’s most important coffee supplier and occupies worldwide the first place as an exporter of mild coffee.
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| Colombia: The World's Largest Exporter of Mild Coffe. |
- Colombian emeralds are considered the world’s finest. There are about 150 known deposits in the country. Colombian emeralds differ from emeralds from other parts in that they have an especially fine, shining emerald green unimpaired by any kind of bluish tint. Colombia produces 60 % of the world emerald supply.
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| Colombia: The World's Finest Emeralds. |
- Colombia is also number 1 country in the world for flower species (55.000 different types) As well as the largest number of orchids species: 3.500. Flowers are Colombia’s No. 2 agricultural export, behind coffee. The country is the world’s second-largest exporter of cut flowers, after the Netherlands; Colombia now commands about 80 percent of the U.S. market; if you buy a bouquet in a supermarket, big-box store or airport kiosk, it probably came from the Bogotá savanna.
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| Colombia has the Biggest Variety of Flower Species of any Country in the World. |
- Colombia has the most biodiversity per square metre in the world - that means visitors can discover more different animals and plants than anywhere in the world. Colombia has the most different amphibians in the world with 733 species and the most species of butterflies - with an amazing 3800 different species. Travel to Colombia and you can see a greater number of bird species than anywhere else in the world. There are 1.816 species - one of every five species on earth is found Colombia.
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| Colombia has The Most Species of Amphibians, Butterflies, and Birds in the World. |
- Half of the kronosaurus fossils in the world remain in the colonial town of Villa de Leyva, Colombia (two hours away from the capital city of Bogota). Kronosaurus was a 43-feet long Mesozoic marine reptile like a huge crocodile.
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| Kronosaurus, The Jewel in the Colombian Paleontology. |
- Colombia is home to numerous tropical fruits and rarely found elsewhere. It has one of the most diverse and tasty fruit selection that you can find.
- Colombia is known for its multicultural society. One can see interesting influences of Spanish, French, American, Arab and African culture out here. The predominant racial strain in Colombia is the Mestizo (White – Indian Mix) constituting about 58% of the population; 25% whites; 14% Mulattoes (Black – White Mix); 4% are Black; 3% are Zambo ( Black – Indian); and 1% are pure Amerindian.
- A Colombian did THE BEST FOOTBALL TRICK EVER INVENTED!
Rene Higuita's spectacular "Scorpion Kick' was voted The Best Ever Football Trick in a poll conducted by
www.footy-boots.com
WELCOME TO COLOMBIA!
Hope you all fall in love with this wonderful country.
