Colombia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Republic of Colombia República de Colombia  (Spanish) Flag Coat of arms Motto: "Libertad y Orden" (Spanish) "Freedom and Order" Anthem: ¡Oh, Gloria Inmarcesible!  (Spanish) O unfading glory! Sorry, your browser either has JavaScript disabled or does not have any supported player. You can download the clip or download a player to play the clip in your browser. Capital and largest city Bogotá, D.C. 4°35′N 74°4′W / 4.583°N 74.067°W / 4.583; -74.067 Official languages Spanisha Recognised regional languages 68 ethnic languages and dialects. English also official in the San Andrés and Providencia Islands. Ethnic groups (2005) 49.0% Mestizo 37.0% White 10.6% Afro Colombian       (includes Mulatto) 3.4% Amerindian 0.01% Roma Demonym Colombian Government Unitary presidential constitutional republic  -  President Juan Manuel Santos  -  Vice President Angelino Garzón Legislature Congress  -  Upper house Senate  -  Lower house Chamber of Representatives Independence from Spain  -  Declared 20 July 1810   -  Recognized 7 August 1819   -  Current constitution 4 July 1991  Area  -  Total 1,141,748 km2 (26th) 440,831 sq mi   -  Water (%) 8.8 (17th) Population  -  February 2012 estimate 47,072,915 (27th)  -  2005 census 42,888,592  -  Density 40.74/km2 (172nd) 105.72/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2012 estimate  -  Total $502.874  billion (28)  -  Per capita $10,791 GDP (nominal) 2012 estimate  -  Total $366.020 billion (31)  -  Per capita $7,854 Gini (2012) 53.9 high HDI (2013)  0.719 high · 91st Currency Peso (COP) Time zone COT (UTC−5b) Date format dd−mm−yyyy (CE) Drives on the right Calling code +57 ISO 3166 code CO Internet TLD .co a. Although the Colombian Constitution specifies Spanish as the official language in all its territory, other languages spoken in the country (approximately 68 languages) are also official. English is also official in San Andrés and the Providencia Islands (Consulta de la Norma. Alcaldiabogota.gov.co. Retrieved on 8 October 2012.) b. The official Colombian time (horalegal.sic.gov.co) is controlled and coordinated by the state agency Superintendency of Industry and Commerce. "Decreto 2153 de 1992, articulo 20" (in Spanish). Presidencia de la República de Colombia. Retrieved 13 October 2008. 

Colombia (/kəˈlʌmbiə/ kə-LUM-biə, or /kəˈlɒmbiə/ kə-LOM-biə), officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish: República de Colombia ), is a unitary, constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. It is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the northwest by Panama; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean.

The territory of what is now Colombia was originally inhabited by indigenous peoples including the Muisca, Quimbaya, and Tairona. The Spanish arrived in 1499 and initiated a period of conquest and colonization ultimately creating the Viceroyalty of New Granada, with its capital at Bogotá. Independence from Spain was won in 1819, but by 1830 "Gran Colombia" had collapsed with the secession of Venezuela and Ecuador. What is now Colombia and Panama emerged as the Republic of New Granada. The new nation experimented with federalism as the Granadine Confederation (1858), and then the United States of Colombia (1863), before the Republic of Colombia was finally declared in 1886. Panama seceded in 1903. Colombia was the first constitutional government in South America, and an important promoter of the Pan American organizations, initially through the Congress of Panama and later as founder of the Organization of American States.

Colombia is ethnically diverse. The interaction between descendants of the original native inhabitants, Spanish colonists, African people originally brought to the country as slaves and 20th-century immigrants from Europe and the Middle East, have produced a varied cultural heritage. The imposing landscape of the country has resulted in the development of very strong regional identities, in many cases stronger than the national. The majority of the urban centres are located in the highlands of the Andes mountains, but Colombian territory also encompasses Amazon rainforest, tropical grassland and both Caribbean and Pacific coastlines.

Colombia is a middle power, and is the fourth largest economy in Latin America, and the third largest in South America. The production of coffee, flowers, emeralds, textiles, industrial chemicals, plastics, ferro-alloys, coal, oil and financial services are the most representative sectors of Colombia's economy. Colombia is an emerging market and it is also part of the group of emerging countries CIVETS. Ecologically, Colombia is one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries, and is considered the most megadiverse per square kilometer. Colombia is considered a strong performer of the Environmental Performance Index policies.