Colombia

Area:	1,139,910 sq km
Population:	21,008,007
Capital:	Bogota
Language:	Spanish
Religion:	Roman Catholic(90%) Other (10%)
Currency	Colombian Peso(COL)
YFU Colombia´s web site:	www.yfu.org.co

Introduction

Colombia, a gateway to South America, may have been a transit point for early peoples who migrated south from North and Central America.

Short Facts

Area: Colombia occupies the northwestern corner of South America. It is the only country in its region that borders on both the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. Its closest neighbors are Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Panama. About the size of Egypt, it is the fourth largest country on the South American continent. Colombia has three main topographical regions: a flat coastal area broken by the high Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains, central highlands, and sparsely settled eastern plains (Llanos) drained by tributaries of the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers. The Andes Mountains enter Colombia in the southwest and fan out into three distinct ranges running through the country.

Climate: The country has striking variations in temperature based on regional elevation. Depending on the region, precipitation is moderate to heavy.

Population: Colombia, with 40 million inhabitants, is the third most populous nation in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico. Its population is growing rapidly. Nearly 60% of Colombians are mestizos, a mixture in varying degrees of people of European (particularly Spanish) and Indian descent. About 20% of Colombians are white, 14% mulatto (a European-African mix), 4% black, and 3% African-Indian. Only about 1% of all Colombians are of full Indian descent. Colombia is a country of many cities. Its capital, Bogotá, has 7 million inhabitants. Three other cities have populations of more than 1 million, and another 7 have at least 500,000 inhabitants. There is a distinct difference between urban and rural peoples. Country peoples live a more modest and traditional lifestyle, and are known for their honesty and generosity. Even peoples on the outskirts of the big cities display behavior and customs that are different from those of city dwellers.

Language: Spanish is Colombia's official language. Colombians speak a traditional form of Castilian Spanish. Greetings in Colombia have evolved into an elaborate ritual. The short Spanish hola or hello has been replaced by a variety of expressions and all of them mean something between "Hello" and "How do you do?" Some of these include "Cómo está?", "Cómo ha estado?", "Cómo le va?", and "Qué me cuenta?" These greetings reflect regional variations. Some indigenous tribes maintain the use of their own language. There are 200 indigenous languages, most of which belong to the Arawak, Carib, Chibcha and Tupi-Guarani language groups. The large Guajiro community speaks an Arawakian language. Arawakian words that have entered the English language include canoe, tobacco and hammock.

Religion: Religion occupies a very important place in the social life of Colombians. Roman Catholicism is the state religion and about 90% of the people are Catholics. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Constitution.

Government: Colombia had 10 constitutions between 1810-1886. A new, more modern, constitution was ratified in 1991. Colombia currently has a presidential system of government. The president has powers over the executive branch, bureaucracy, and around 100 decentralized agencies. In addition to his administrative powers, he is commander-in-chief and also has considerable power over legislation. He may promulgate decrees with force of law, especially in the economic area. The president can serve only one consecutive four-year term. Legislative authority is vested in a bicameral Congress. Both houses of Congress have joint responsibility for initiating, amending, interpreting, and repealing legislation; inaugurating the president and selecting the presidential designate.

History: Mesoamericans (Indians originally living in Central America) arrived in Colombia in approximately 1200 BC and again in 500 BC. Between 400 and 300 BC, the Chibchas traveled to Colombia from Nicaragua and Honduras. By 1500, they were the most advanced indigenous peoples in Colombia. Some tribes of the Chibchas centered their social organization on a hereditary form of leadership following a matrilineal succession. These early settlers left behind few spectacular monuments, but as goldsmiths, they proved to be the best on the continent, both for techniques used and for their artistic design. Colombia was ruled by Spain for 300 years, between around 1510 until 1824. Colombia won its freedom from Spain in the revolt of the Spanish- American colonies (1810 - 1824).Periods of re-conquest by the Spanish led to a greater radicalization of the independence movement. The liberator, Simón Bolívar, established the Republic of Gran Colombia in 1819, which included the lands now known as Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Panama. Venezuela and Ecuador withdrew from Gran Colombia in 1830, leaving the “Republic of New Granada.” New Granada became Colombia in 1886. In 1903, Panama declared itself an independent state.

Economy: Colombia is the second largest coffee producer in the world. Coffee represents over 30% of the total agricultural production and about 70% of the country’s exports. Colombia is also the world’s largest producer of cocoa. Other important crops include bananas, rice, sugar cane, cotton, tobacco, and grains. Industry employs around 15% of the population. The country supplies 90% of the world’s emeralds and is the second largest source of petroleum in South America, after Venezuela. Other important industries include textiles, food processing, clothing, footwear, and beverages.

Education: The school system includes kindergarten, five years of elementary school, and six years of high school. Students usually begin high school at age 11 or 12. Colombian high schools are either academic or technical in their focus. High schools are generally known as colegios, although some are called institutos. Private schools play an important role in the overall education system in Colombia. Co-education is not frequent in private schools. The school year is not the same throughout the country. In the North, or Atlantic Zone, classes start in February, and in the South, in September. Education is academic and theoretical, and does not try to train students for employment. Therefore, technical training institutes are becoming more and more important, producing graduates for middle management positions in business, industry, and banking.

Family life: Because of the high internal migration rate and growth of industrial centers, urban Colombia in recent years has seen somewhat of a decline in the traditional patriarchal extended-family structure. Nevertheless, most Colombians still have a very traditional way of life. The nuclear family continues to be dominated by traditional malefemale roles and responsibilities. There is a strong protectiveness and caring for children, who depend on their parents financially, even during university studies.

Recreation: Colombia’s most popular sports are football (soccer) and bicycle racing. On Sundays and holidays, the major avenues in some cities are closed to traffic so people can jog and skate safely. Young people in Colombia enjoy going to discotheques and meeting at different places to talk, eat and listen to music.

Food: Colombia has a varied regional cuisine and some wonderful fruits. You'll be offered coffee in various forms: tinto: small cup of strong, black coffee; perico or pintado: small cup of coffee with milk; café con leche: coffee with lots of milk. Some of the colombian specialties are: Ajiaco: chicken soup with potatoes, corn and capers; bandeja paisa: ground beef, chorizo, beans, fried plátano, fried egg, chicharron, and avocado; Cuy: grilled guinea pig; Lechona: baked pig stuffed with meat, rice, peas, tamales: pork, rice and vegetables mix, steamed in banana leaves.

.YFU Colombia

YFU Colombia was founded in 1969. The national office is located in Bogotá and has representatives in 10 other cities. Each city has a group of volunteers responsible for recruiting Colombian students to go abroad, as well as for selecting host families and contacting schools about incoming students. They also coordinate promotional activities in their area and participate in orientations along with returnees.

Exchange activities for inbound

students: All students attend an orientation in Bogota upon arrival. At the end of the program, year students have the opportunity to travel to Bogota, or if possible, to other cities, so they can learn more about the country. Before beginning school, year students have 40 hours of Spanish language classes to help them better adjust to daily life in Colombia.

Host families and placement: Host families are selected by YFU volunteers in various cities from among families who have sent their own children abroad through YFU. Students are placed in all cities having a YFU representative.

Exchanges with: Benelux, Canada, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, Norway, the USA and Venezuela.

Common Phrases:

English	Spanish
Hallo	Hola
Good Morning	Buenos Dias
Good Night	Buenos Noches
Please	Por Vavor
My name is_______	Me llamo___________
Goodbye	Adios