Amazing nature, including the magnificent Amazon jungle and the majestic Andean 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 they see here. This place is Colombia, which has the best beaches in all of Latin America.
In this article we will answer some questions about this amazing country. What are the features of the state structure? Colombia - republic or monarchy? What are the features of nature and climate? Let's talk about the population and geographical location, about the original national cuisine and much more.
General information
Colombia is the gateway to South America. It is the only South American country whose shores are washed by the Caribbean Sea (access to the Atlantic Ocean) and the Pacific Ocean.
The Government of the country in recent years has made significant efforts for the widespread development of tourism and to ensure the safety of travelers and vacationers. The republic is beautiful and rich in natural attractions.
Greater Colombia is a country with its richest nature and cultural history. Every corner and every city of this state can tell about the curious past and its inhabitants.
Colombia (Republic): photo, geographic location
Colombia occupies the northwestern zone of South America. It borders countries such as Venezuela and Brazil to the east, Panama to the northwest, and Ecuador and Peru to the south. Its northern part is washed by the Caribbean Sea, the western part by the Pacific Ocean.
The total area of the state is 1,141,748 sq. kilometers, the length of the border is 6004 km. Colombia owns several islands.
The Republic is located on a terrain, the relief of which is a variety of landscapes. The western part of Colombia is represented by the Andes mountain system, the eastern part is a plateau with savannah, and the southeastern part is the jungle. Low-lying plains stretch along the coast, partly occupied by the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range. The highest peak here is Cristobal Colon (altitude 5775 meters).
The great Amazon River stretches in the southeastern part of the territory of Colombia, and the river. The Orinoco flows in the east.
Population
Colombia is a republic, most of whose population lives in mountainous areas in the western part of the country. Moreover, people mainly settle along narrow and rather far from each other river valleys. The total population of the country is more than 46 million people. One third of the population live in rural areas, and one sixthpart 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, approximately 75% of the total population of the state lives in Colombian cities.
In terms of ethnic composition, about 58% are mestizos, whites (Europeans) make up 20%, mulattos about 14%, 4% blacks and 3% and 1%, respectively, sambos and Indians. 90% of the inhabitants of Colombia by religion are Catholics, 5% are Christians.
Capital
The capital of Colombia is Bogotá. More than 11 million people live in this city. The Spaniards founded it on the site of a small Indian fortress in 1538.
Official language, religion
The official language in the country is Spanish. In addition, 75 Indian languages have been preserved in Colombia, but their number is decreasing every year.
Government
Independence from Spanish colonization Colombia received in July 1810, and it acquired its modern name (Republic of Colombia) in 1886.
According to the Constitution (1991), Colombia is a republic headed by a president elected every 4 years by popular vote. At the same time, the elected head of the Republic also heads the government.
Gran Colombia has a bicameral parliament called the National Congress, which in turn consists of the House of Representatives(total 166 deputies) and the Senate (it has 102 senators).
The main political parties are: National Unity Social Party, Liberal, Conservative, National Integration Party, Radical Change.
Administratively divided into departments (and they - into municipalities) and the capital district of the Republic of Columbia.
Colombian climate
Although Colombia is located almost on the equator, due to the elevation difference it has 4 climatic zones (mainly subequatorial and equatorial). Most of the territories (83%) are below 1000 m from sea level. 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 average air temperature is about +18C. There are heights up to 3000 meters here, 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 flora and fauna. The Republic, where the Pacific Lowland is located, has evergreen rain forests, and where the Caribbean coast is located, mangrove forests extend. Savannas predominate, as noted above, in the northeast and east. The Andes represent woodlands and shrubs.
And the animal world is diverse here: many varieties of insects, birds, mammals and fish.
The most exotic species 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 part by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The sea coast has a total length of 3,208 km. The average annual water temperature near the shore is +26С.
Three rivers flow through the territory of Colombia: in the southeast - the Amazon, in the west - the Magdalena River, in the east - the Orinoco. Magdalena is the largest natural exotic attraction (1600 km) that the Republic of Colombia has.
Historic cities, reviews of them
The largest cities in Colombia are Bogotá, Cali, Medellin, Cucuta, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Bucaramanga.
Reviews of tourists about traveling to this amazing country, through these historical cities, are the most positive. Particularly popular to visit are cities that have retained the architecture of colonial times.
Here you can see a magnificent city with many preserved churches of that period - Popayan. Tourists in it admire the magnificent architecture of monasteries and museums (16th century).
The same amazing architectural structures can be seen in the city of Cali. One of the main attractions of this city is Farallones de Canaberalejo (National Park), well-known to many, 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 famous for the so-called Islandmonkeys, in which these animals live in an amount of about 1000.
Great for holidays and travel Republic of Colombia.
Attractions
In Colombia, you can see the preserved historical monuments of the powerful and mysterious civilizations of the Andean Indians. There are interesting archaeological parks Tierradentro and San Agustin. They discovered ancient necropolises.
Tourists can visit and see the ancient Spanish cities with magnificent monuments of medieval architecture (Spanish) that have survived to the present day. These are cities such as Tunja (founded by the Spaniards in 1539), Villa de Leyva (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: the national parks of Sierra Macarena, Tayrona, Farallones de Cali, Chiribikete, Ensenada de Utra, Paramillo, National Park on Gorgon Island.
Tourists on vacation in Colombia are offered interesting excursions, during which you can get to know the life of local Indians better. You can also visit the birthplace of the famous Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
It should also be noted that over 1,700 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 people from Africa and Europe (Spanish). It turns out that this is a multicultural country, where all regions have their own unique characteristics.
CultureThe population of the Andean territory has a strong European influence. And the population of the Caribbean is a mixture of African and Indian. The inhabitants of the Pacific coast are closer to African traditions. The basis of the culture of the Amazon Basin are Indian 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 Pasto) and February (Carnival of Barranquilla).
From fairs, festivals and exhibitions, the following should be noted:
• Cali Fair.
• Medellin Flower Show.
• Caribbean International Music Festival.
• Theater Festival (Latin American).
• Cartagena Film Festival.
Colombia is a republic whose people love and know how to have fun. And sports are also not in last place for them. The Columbia Tour is held here every year (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 are religious in nature, 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 Columbus discovered it. It has both European and Asian influences.
The basis of almost all their dishes are legumes,vegetables, rice and a variety of aromatic spices.
Colombian cuisine is quite varied and sometimes unusual. It all depends on the regions. Some of them even eat fried ants, which are not touched in other areas.
Big emphasis, in general, in the country is on meat dishes. In coastal areas, however, lobster, fish and other seafood dishes predominate, which are very often prepared with coconut milk sauce.
The Republic of Colombia has a peculiar, unusual national cuisine for many tourists. Therefore, as a rule, tourists are advised to try only some of the dishes. These are: chicken soup with potatoes, capers, avocado, corn and sour cream; corn tortillas, similar to pancakes; 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 chicken, beef, fruit and vegetable dishes.
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 drinks: Aguardiente liqueur (made from sugar cane with anise, 29% ABV), Chicha (fermented rice 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. Close tocoast there are islands, the location of which is convenient for tourists to visit: Providencia, Santa Catalina and San Andrés. Numerous tourists enjoy relaxing on their magnificent beaches with white sand and fabulously beautiful coral reefs.
All these beach resorts offer a wide variety of services for vacationers: hotels, clubs, shops, restaurants. The Pacific coast in the western part of the country remains the only little-developed tourist, although the beaches there are also beautiful, like those on the Caribbean coast. On these shores there are beautiful lagoons and 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 there to see these magnificent places and make the most of your vacation?
There are no direct flights to Colombia from Russia. You can get there by plane only via transit routes, with transfers at airports in 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 connected to Bogotá.
Colombian El Dorado Airport is located 15 km from the center of Bogotá.
In order to see the amazing beauty of the magnificent nature of Colombia, it is worth rescheduling such a rather long flight.
