Amazing nature, including the magnificent Amazon jungle and the majestic Andes mountains, can be seen in this indescribably beautiful place. Even the most sophisticated tourists who have visited many countries of the planet are amazed at the beauty seen here. This place is Colombia, on the territory of which there are also the best beaches of all of Latin America.
In the article we will answer some questions regarding this amazing country. What are the features of government? Colombia - a republic or a monarchy? What are the features of nature and climate? We will tell you about the population and geographical location, about the peculiar national cuisine and much more.
general information
Colombia is the gateway to South America. It is the only one among the South American countries whose shores are washed by the Caribbean Sea (access to the Atlantic Ocean) and the Pacific Ocean.
In recent years, the government of the country has made significant efforts for the wide development of tourism and for ensuring the safety of travelers and vacationers. The republic is beautiful and rich in natural attractions.
Greater Colombia is a country with its rich nature and cultural history. Every corner and every city of this state can tell about the curious past and its inhabitants.
Colombia (republic): photo, geographical location
Colombia occupies the northwestern zone of South America. In the east, it borders countries such as Venezuela and Brazil, in the north-west - with Panama, and in the south - with Ecuador and Peru. Its northern part is washed by the Caribbean Sea, the western - by the Pacific Ocean.
The total area of the state is 1,141,748 square meters. kilometers, the length of the border is 6004 km. Several islands are owned by Colombia.
The Republic is located in such a terrain, the relief of which represents the most diverse landscapes. The western part of Colombia is represented by the Andes mountain system, the eastern part is the plateau with savannah, and the southeastern part is the jungle. Lowland plains stretch along the coast, partially occupied by the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta massif. The highest peak here is Cristobal Colon (5775 meters high).
The great Amazon River extends in the southeastern part of Colombia, and the river. Orinoco flows in the east.
Population
Colombia is a republic whose majority of its population lives in mountainous regions in the western part of the country. Moreover, people mainly settle in narrow and quite far apart river valleys. The total population of the country is more than 46 million people. A third of the population are rural residents, and a sixth of the Colombian population lives in the main city of the country - Santa Fe de Bogota.
After the capital, the largest cities in Colombia are Cali, Medellin and Barranquilla. In total, about 75% of the total population of the state lives in the cities of Colombia.
In terms of ethnic composition, about 58% are mestizos, whites (Europeans) make up 20%, mulattos - about 14%, 4% - blacks and 3% and 1%, respectively, Sambo and Indians. 90% of the inhabitants of Colombia are Catholics by faith, 5% are Christians.
Capital
The capital of Colombia is Bogotá. In total, more than 11 million people live in this city. It was founded by the Spaniards on the site of a small Indian fortress in 1538.
Official language, religion
The official language is Spanish. In addition, in Colombia, 75 Native American languages have survived, but their number is decreasing every year.
Government structure
Colombia gained independence from the Spanish colonization in July 1810, and it acquired its modern name (Republic of Colombia) in 1886.
According to the Constitution (1991), Colombia is a republic led by a president, elected for every 4 years by universal suffrage. At the same time, the elected head of the Republic also heads the government.
Greater Colombia has a bicameral parliament called the National Congress, which, in turn, consists of the House of Representatives (166 deputies in total) and the Senate (102 senators in it).
The main political parties are the following: Social Party of National Unity, Liberal, Conservative, Party of National Integration, "Radical Change".
The administrative plan is divided into departments (and they - into municipalities) and the metropolitan area of the Republic of Columbia.
Climate of Colombia
Although Colombia is located almost at the equator, due to the elevation difference, it has 4 climatic zones (mainly subequatorial and equatorial). The territories for the most part (83%) are below 1000 m from ur. seas. In these places, the average air temperature is + 24C. The rest (9%) is located at an altitude of 1000-2000 m above sea level, where the air temperature is on average about + 18C. There are heights up to 3000 meters, the average air temperature at which is + 12C.
On the Caribbean coast, the dry season is from December to March, and the rest of the months are the rainy season. There is virtually no dry season on this Pacific coast.
Flora and fauna
Colombia has a wide variety of vegetation and wildlife. The Republic, where the Pacific Lowland is located, has evergreen moist forests, and where the coast of the Caribbean Sea is located, mangrove forests extend. Savannahs prevail, as noted above, in the northeast and east. Andes are represented by woodlands and shrubs.
And the animal world is diverse: many varieties of insects, birds, mammals and fish.
The most exotic types of animals, especially interesting for tourists: jaguars, butterflies, hummingbirds and piranhas.
Oceans, seas and rivers of Colombia
The northern part of the country, as noted above, is washed by the waters of the Caribbean Sea, and the western - by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The sea coast has a total length of 3,208 km. The average annual water temperature off the coast is + 26 ° C.
Three rivers flow through Colombia: in the southeast - the Amazon, in the west - the Magdalena River, in the east - Orinoco. Magdalena is the largest natural exotic attraction (1600 km) that the Republic of Colombia possesses.
Historical cities, reviews about them
The largest cities in Colombia are Bogota, Cali, Medellin, Cucuta, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Bucaramanga.
Reviews of tourists about traveling to this amazing country in these historical cities are the most positive. Especially popular for visiting cities that have preserved the architecture of colonial times.
Here you can see a magnificent city with many preserved churches of that period - Popayan. Tourists admire the magnificent architecture of monasteries and museums (16th century).
The same amazing architectural structures can be seen in the city of Kali. One of the main attractions of this city is the famous Farallones de Canaberalejo (national park), where bullfights are constantly held.
The city of Leticia is located on the banks of the great Amazon River (near the border with Peru and Brazil). It is glorified by the so-called Monkey Island, in which these animals live in an amount of about 1000.
Great for relaxing and traveling the Republic of Colombia.
sights
In Colombia, you can see the preserved historical monuments of the powerful and mysterious civilizations of the Andean Indians. There are interesting archaeological parks of Tierradentro and San Agustin. Ancient necropolises are discovered in them.
Tourists can visit and see the ancient Spanish cities with magnificent monuments of medieval architecture (Spanish) preserved to the modern day. These are cities such as Tunja (the Spaniards founded it in 1539), Villa de Leiva (founded in 1572) and Santa Cruz de Mompox (founded in 1540).
The Republic of Colombia has many national reserves and parks where you can see beautiful exotic birds and animals: national parks of the Sierra Macarena, Tayrona, Farallones de Cali, Chiribiquet, Ensenada de Utra, Paramillo, National Park on the island of Gorgon.
Tourists resting in Colombia are offered interesting excursions, during which you can better learn about the life of local Indians. You can also visit the homeland of the famous writer - Colombian Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
It should also be noted that more than 1700 species of birds live in Colombia.
Culture
Colombia is a republic with a culture formed under the influence of ancient traditions and customs of Indians and immigrants from Africa and Europe (Spaniards). It turns out that this is a multicultural country, where all regions have their own unique characteristics.
The culture of the Andean population has a strong European influence. And the population of the Caribbean is a mixture of African and Native American. Residents of the Pacific coast closer African traditions. The basis of the Amazon basin culture is Native American customs.
Moreover, each Colombian region has its own holidays.
Holidays
The people of Colombia are very fond of carnivals. The largest of them are in January (in the city of Pasto) and February (Carnival of Barranquilla).
Of the fairs, festivals and exhibitions, the following should be noted:
• Fair Kali.
• Flower show in Medellin.
• International Caribbean Music Festival.
• Theater Festival (Latin American).
• Film Festival in the city of Cartagena.
Colombia is a republic whose people love and know how to have fun. And sports for them, too, are not in last place. The Columbia Tour tour is held here annually (from March to April). Often there are competitions in tennis, football and other games. And bullfighting is an important part of the culture of this people.
Most of the holidays have a religious character, for example, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Joseph.
Colombian national cuisine
At its core, the national cuisine of this country is the traditions that developed here before its discovery by Columbus. Both European and Asian influence are felt in it.
The basis of almost all of their dishes is legumes, vegetables, rice and a wide variety of aromatic spices.
Colombian cuisine is quite diverse and sometimes unusual. It all depends on the regions. Some even eat roasted ants that are not touched in other areas.
A great emphasis, in general, in the country is on meat dishes. In coastal areas, however, lobster, fish and other seafood dishes, which are often cooked with coconut milk sauce, predominate.
The Republic of Colombia has a peculiar, unusual for many tourists national cuisine. Therefore, as a rule, for tourists a recommendation is given to try only some of the dishes. These are: chicken soup with potatoes, capers, avocados, corn and sour cream; muffin-like tortillas; rice in coconut milk; creamy soup with green onions and eggs; stewed seafood; pork with red beans; fried meat with potatoes, fried bananas and cassava; rice-coconut pudding and other dishes from chicken, beef, fruits and vegetables.
The traditional and most common drinks here are coffee, hot chocolate, water with cane sugar and lime juice, fruit juices, and alcoholic drinks - beer and rum (cane vodka).
Alcoholic beverages: Aguardiente liqueur (made from sugar cane with anise with a strength of 29%), Chicha (rice fermented drink with sugar and milk), Canelazo (fruit juice with cinnamon).
Resorts
Colombia is a republic that has several beautiful large resorts on the Caribbean coast - Barranquilla, Cartagena, Santa Marta. Near the coast there are islands, the location of which is convenient for tourists: Providencia, Santa Catalina and San Andres. On their magnificent beaches with white sand and fabulously beautiful coral reefs, numerous tourists relax with pleasure.
All these beach resorts offer a wide variety of services for vacationers: hotels, clubs, shops, restaurants. The only, little-mastered by tourists remains the Pacific coast in the western part of the country, although the beaches there are also beautiful, as well as on the Caribbean coast. On these shores, the lagoons are beautiful, and the islands. The only negative is that it rains more often.
In conclusion - how to get to Colombia
Colorful and attractive resorts have Colombia (Republic). How to get to her to see these magnificent places and to spend a good time relaxing?
There are no direct flights to Colombia from Russia. You can get there by plane only through transit routes, with transfers at the airports of America or Europe.
From France there are regular direct flights to Bogota, as well as from Amsterdam and Madrid.
Many North American (Washington, Atlanta, Houston, etc.) and South American cities (Caracas, Buenos Aires, Quito, etc.) are directly related to Bogotá.
Colombian Eldorado Airport is 15 km from the center of Bogota.
In order to see the amazing beauties of the magnificent nature of Colombia, it is worth moving such a rather long flight.