Colombia

1. Colombia By Mara G., and Christina B.

2. National symbols • The Flag of Colombia The National Bird The National Tree the “wax palm” • The Coat of Arms The National Flower The National Horse “Paso Fino” “orchid Cattleya trianae”

3. Location • Colombia is in South America, it touches Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Panama. • The Pacific Ocean is west of Colombia, and the Atlantic Ocean is to the North of it. • The Equator runs through part of Colombia.

4. Climate and Landscaping The Climate of Colombia is characterized as tropical and sunny. There are 5 climate zones in Colombia. They are, Tropical Rainforests, Savannas, steppes, deserts and mountain climate. Our favorite climate zone is the Tropical Rainforest zone. It is hot and has high humidity along with heavy rainfall .

5. Colombia has a free market economy with major commercial and investment ties to the United States. Transition from a highly regulated economy has been underway for more than a decade • The country imports agricultural products in which it is not competitive, like maize, wheat, cotton and soybeans. • Colombia had enjoyed a fairly stable economy. The first five years of liberalization were characterized by high economic growth rates of between 4% and 5%. Colombia's international reserves have remained stable at around 8 billion dollars. • Colombia produces A LOT of coffee. Economy

6. Culture • Religion: 90 % Catholic, 10 % • Colombians eat three meals a day and often snack in between. During the week, breakfast is often eaten individually, since family members leave for work and school at different times of the morning. On weekend mornings, families eat together.Mediasnueves is a mid-morning snack time. Lunch is eaten at school or work. Onces is a mid-afternoon teatime, when relatives and friends may gather at someone’s home for cookies and coffee or tea. Families eat dinner together at home. Good manners and courtesy when eating are important to Colombians. Pleasant conversation is welcome at the table. Guests are always served before the rest of the family. Colombian cities offer a wide variety of restaurants and cuisines. Families eat out for special occasions. People also eat at restaurants when socializing with friends or dating. Eating on the street is considered improper.

7. Education • Students usually enter school when they are seven years old. In most cases, single institutions provide five years of primary education and six years of secondary education.. A diploma, issued upon graduation, is vital for securing a job. • Public schools are free and widely accessible, but they are of low quality. Private schools are usually Catholic. Some private schools offer classes in Spanish, English,French, German, or Italian. Students at both private and public schools are required to wear uniforms. Students are often forced to drop out of school in order to work and help support their families • Nearly all schools provide access to computers. Students have one or two hours a day of homework. Parents are involved in their children’s educations and often attend meetings with teachers. Students have close relationships with their teachers, calling them by first name. Teachers often play sports with students at recess and tutor them individually in subjects they need help with. Schools often hold bazaars and fairs. Graduation prom parties and graduation trips are important social events. • About 35 percent of secondary school graduates go on to college. A small number of students complete graduate studies. Scholarly achievement has been valued throughout Colombia's history.

8. Senators are elected in a national vote, while representatives are elected regionally. The president (currently Juan Manuel Santos) is chief of state and head of government. The major political parties are the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party, there is escalating violence. All citizens may vote at age 18. Colombia is divided into 32 states and one capital district. Government

9. History • Before the arrival of Europeans, many groups thrived in the area that today makes up Colombia, producing sophisticated art, stone, and gold work. Carib, Arawak, Tairona, and Muisca peoples were present when the Spanish began settling the region in the 1500s. • Colombia's name, originally the State of New Granada, changed several times before it became the Republic of Colombia. Between independence and the mid-1950s, Colombians fought six major civil conflicts. The most brutal fighting occurred in the civil war. • Juan Manuel Santos won 2010 presidential elections. He rejected the FARC's offer of peace talks in January 2012, calling for the FARC to release its hostages, disarm, and stop all attacks before the government would enter into negotiations with the group. In February 2012, the FARC announced it would release its remaining hostages and stop kidnapping civilians for ransom. However, the organization did not pledge to cease all violent activity, and in March it attacked an army unit, killing 11 soldiers. The government killed at least 69 FARC fighters in retaliation, in what was one of the biggest blows to the FARC in recent years. April 2012 saw the FARC release its last 10 non-civilian hostages.

10. InterestingFacts (Wildlife) • The cotton-top tamarin is a small monkey. It is endangered. The white-footed tamarin has a pale silvery brown back with lighter streaks throughout. It is vulnerable.  • The Amazonian manatee lives in the Amazon River Basin. It is vulnerable . • The Boto is an Amazonian river dolphin. Most adult botos are pink, although some have a darker back or are partially gray. It is vulnerable.  • The mountain tapir is like an anteater. The babies have white stripes like a zebra. It is endangered.

11. Interesting Facts (random) • Shakira’s mom was Colombian. • Colombians marry around age 28. • Dating begins around age 14 or 15 • Music and dance are central to Colombian culture. Colombians call flutes, Flauta De Millo. • Holidays in Colombia include New Year's Day; Easter; Labor Day (1 May); Independence Day (20 July); Christmas; and Día de la Raza (12 Oct.), which celebrates the discovery of the Americas and the resulting mix of ethnicities.

12. Resources Used • Culture Grams • Flags of the World • Google images • Wikipedia • Animal Facts.org • Science.howstuffworks.com • zooinstitutes.com • myspace.com