Abby+Mintz

Colombia **Abby Mintz** Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag-map_of_Colombia.svg

Maps Source: [] ,http://www.zonu.com/South-America/Colombia/Thematic_en2.html

A lot of people in Colombia live near near the mountains. This most likely affects their culture. They probably used to, or still, herd animals because there is probably a lot of vegetation on the mountains. I think that a lot of people live on the mountains because there are a lot of rivers there. A lot of people also live near the border near Panama. This is probably because Panama used to be part of Colombia and people lived in that area.

Flag The Colombian flag consists of three stripes, one yellow, one red, and one blue. Some think that the yellow stands for the gold in Colombia and others think it stands for justice. The blue stands for either the water surrounding Colombia or for loyalty and vigilance. The red stands for the blood that was spilled during battles for freedom, or it stands for valor and generosity.

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 * Colombia’s infant mortality rate is 16.39 deaths out of every 1000. Even though this number doesn’t seem very high, it is much higher than the United States’ infant mortality rate of 6.06 deaths. Colombia’s high infant mortality rate can possibly tell us that they do not have good conditions for giving birth, or that they don’t have many good hospitals.
 * Colombia’s literacy rate is 90.4%. This means that 90.4% of the population over the age of 15 can read and write. This shows us that Colombia has a pretty good education system. Also, the literacy rate for males and females is almost the same, 90.1% for males and 90.7% for females. This shows us that Colombia has a pretty fair system of education, at least between genders.
 * The percentage of population below the poverty line in Colombia is 45.5%. This means that 45.5% of Colombia’s population is what the country considers poor. This shows us that Colombia is a poor country because almost half of their population is below the poverty line, which means that they are poor.
 * The percentage of internet users in Colombia is 50.4%. This is a very small percent compared to the USA's 78.22% of people who use the internet. This could show us that maybe Colombia isn't as technologically advanced as the United States. Because if only half of the population has access to the internet then probably they aren't able to because they don't have computers.

Geography and Climate Colombian Geography and Climate

Colombia has a very diverse geography and climate. There are many different climate zones throughout Colombia. There are also many geographic landmarks; some are the Andes Mountains and the Amazon Rainforest. The wide range of climates and geography enable Colombia to grow many different types of crops. Colombia’s wide variety is beneficial to their economy.

Colombia has many kinds of climate zones. Some of them are savannas and deserts but mostly there are tropical rainforests and mountain climates. Colombia is usually very rainy, windy and warm. Its physical location near the equator is a reason for these types of climate. The closer you get to the equator the more tropical the weather gets. This means more rain, more humidity and more heat. And since the equator passes through Colombia all of these types of weather apply. Because of the different kinds of climates many different plants and crops can be grown at different times of the year. This helps Colombia’s economy because even if they have one bad crop it won’t completely ruin the economy.

In addition to the variety in climates there is also a wide variety in physical features. There are mountains, rainforests and rivers. Some more specific examples are the Andes Mountains, which run north to south through western Colombia, there is also the Amazon Rainforest, which covers many other countries in South American but also covers much of southern Colombia, then there is the Magdalena River, which runs through the Andes Mountains, north to south. All of these physical features also affect agriculture in Colombia. It is the same principle as it is with the different climates. Because there are so many different types of vegetation and different geographical landmarks this enables the Colombians to grow many different types of crops.

Colombia has a very diverse geography. There are many different types of climates and vegetation zones. This wide variety helps Colombia’s economy, which relies almost completely on agriculture, because they can grow many different kinds of crops all year long. Colombia’s location close to the equator also means that it is hot and wet. Colombia’s diverse geography is very beneficial to the country.

**So, if you love to hike, whether it’s through a jungle or up a mountain, Colombia, with its wide range of terrains, would be the perfect place for a fun vacation for you! But just remember to come prepared for any kind of weather!**

Source: Wikipedia

History  Colombian History Colombia has a very rich history full of battles for freedom. Colombia was colonized by Spain. It once was part of many different colonies and territories, some ruled by Spain, others not. Spain’s rule on Colombia greatly influenced their culture, and the cultures of many other countries in the same area. Colombia has a fascinating history that is worth learning about. In the 1500s the Spanish Conquest began. The first permanent settlement in South America, Santa Marta, was settled in 1535, and the Spanish colonized the area that we now know as Colombia. Then sometime during the 18th century, Spain combined most of their colonies in the South American area to create a very large territory called the Viceroyalty of New Granada. This territory included the areas of Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. About a hundred years later, these colonies started to rebel against Spain. In 1819 they broke away from Spain and a rebel general, Simon Bolivar, became the first president of the Republic of Gran Colombia. This included the same areas as the Viceroyalty of New Granada, but this was a republic and had its own government and its own rule. So Colombia was no longer part of Spain but they weren’t their own country yet. Even though Spain no longer ruled the area that would be Colombia their culture was still very prominent. For example, they speak Spanish in Colombia and this is because of Spain. And Roman Catholicism is the main religion in Colombia. The main religion in Spain at that time was Roman Catholicism. These are a couple of examples of how Spain influenced Colombia’s culture. In 1829 the Republic of Gran Colombia separates. Nueva Granada is established. This consists of Colombia and Panama. They stayed together until 1899 when the first Colombian civil war starts. It is called The War of a Thousand Days, and was between two government parties, the conservatives and the liberals. In 1903 the war ended and Panama became its own country and Colombia was now just Colombia. But then in 1948 following the assassination of the mayor of Bogota, Colombia’s capital, the second Colombian civil war began. 300,000 people died in the war. After it ended in 1957 Colombia gained some political stability and is now and a stable country. It took Colombia a long time to become a stable, independent country. First it was colonized by Spain. This influenced Colombia’s culture by bringing in the Spanish language and Roman Catholicism. Then there was Colombia and Panama’s joined territory and their civil war. Then Colombia was its own country and had its second civil war, which resulted in a substantially more stable government because after the war there was less political instability. Now Colombia is a republic and an independent country who’s culture is strongly influenced by its history. Source: http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=118161
 * If you ever visit Colombia and wonder why they speak Spanish or why there are so many churches around, you now know its because of Colombia’s history with the Spanish.**

Religion Colombian Religions, Festivals and Holidays

Colombia’s religion is almost entirely Roman Catholic, and there are next to no Jews in Colombia. The Spanish brought Catholicism to Colombia. Because of the Spanish popularizing Catholicism there are almost no Jews. But there are still small communities of Jews. Colombia’s religious culture has a fascinating history.

In the 1500s Spain colonized Colombia and ruled them for about 300 years. During these 300 years the Spanish culture greatly influenced that of Colombia. The Colombians picked up on their language and their religion. When the Spanish first went to South America, they forced their religion on the Natives. Their religion was Roman Catholicism. Roman Catholicism became the religion of Colombia’s government. Originally this was because of the Spanish, but even long after Colombia became independent this was still the country’s official religion. It wasn’t until 1991 when the Colombians wrote a new constitution that stated that all religions were equal in Colombia. There is now no official religion of Colombia. Even though there is no longer an official religion, 90% of the Colombian population is still Roman Catholic.

Even though most of the Colombian population is Roman Catholic there is still a small percentage that are Jewish. They live in small communities in large cities. There are only nine synagogues in Colombia. The majority of Jews who do live in Colombia are not very observant. Most of the Jews who used to live in Colombia left because of the anti-Semitism, more specifically because of the Spanish Inquisition. But still today Jews continue to live in Colombia, even if their population is small.

Colombia doesn’t really have many different religious cultures. Almost everyone is Roman Catholic due to Colombia’s history being connected with that of the Spanish. There are almost no Jews in Colombia but there are still some. Colombia does not really have a diverse religious culture. **If you ever plan on going to Colombia on Passover, remember to bring your own matzah because they probably won't have any in Colombia!** Source: http://www.turnbacktogod.com/september-14-triumph-of-the-holy-cross/

Economy Colombian Economy The Colombian economy is based mainly on agriculture and manufacturing. Colombia grows many different kinds of goods. Other countries buy Colombia’s products. Colombia also relies on imports to help with the manufacturing. Colombia relies mostly on exporting food to keep their economy alive.

Manufacturing is a main part of the Colombian economy. They manufacture things such as steel, cement, iron, plastic products, processed foods, leather, coal, and oil. But a reason why exporting these products are important is because some of these are products that are in high demand such as oil. Oil can be used to make energy or to make gasoline to power cars. It is a very valuable resource, so they can sell it for a high price. Manufacturing is an important piece of Colombia’s economy.

Another very important part of Colombia’s economy is agriculture. Because of Colombia’s variety of climates and vegetation zones many different crops can be grown. Some of the main products are bananas, flowers, sugar, and coffee. Coffee is a very important crop in Colombia. They are very famous for their coffee. Colombia is the world’s second leading exporter of Coffee. It is good for Colombia that many people drink coffee because when coffee is in high demand they sell more. But the difficult part about an economy reliant on agriculture is that if they have a bad season their economy won’t do too well.

Colombia has an economy reliant on agriculture and manufacturing. The diversity in Colombia’s geography and climate allows for many different kinds of agriculture. Many other countries rely on Colombia for the different products that they export. Colombia has a stable economy based on agriculture and manufacturing. Source: http://dailycoffeenews.com/2011/11/22/colombias-coffee-production-estimates-continue-downward/
 * If you love drinking coffee every morning and eating a banana for breakfast, you should know that those foods are probably imported from Colombia.**

Sources Colombia History Timeline [] The Backpacking Site [] Embassy of Colombia [] BBC News [] South America [] Colombian Independence [] Environmental News [] Countries and Their Cultures [] Wikipedia [] Conquest [] Travel Document Systems [] Jewish Virtual Library []  Cia World Factbook []