INTRODUCTION
TO COLOMBIA
Indigenous, African and European influences merge to form what we call today Colombia’s culture. A fascinating and refreshingly different culture, yet familiar in many aspects, that will make you fall in love with this vast and enchanting country. Several aspects of today’s culture could be tracked down to the fusion of Spanish culture of the 16th century and our native communities; immigration, carnivals and cultural exchange (students, workers, marriages) with other countries are accountable as well of today’s social behaviors of Colombians.
FACTS AND STATISTICS
Population:
Colombia has 48 million inhabitants. Over 87 indigenous ethnic groups that represent 1.5 percent of the country’s total population and speak 64 native languages that belong to 22 linguistic families. Several million Afro-Colombians who represent nearly 16 percent of the population. Over 30 million mestizo inhabitants with an immense variety of cultural traditions; and nearly 12,000 gypsies who descend from Colonial times, and several other non-traditional immigrant groups in different regions of the country.
Location, land extension and regions:
With an extension of 1.141.748 km2, Colombia is located in the northern part of South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama. The capital is Bogotá. Regions: Caribbean region, Andean Region, Pacific Region, Amazon Region, Orinoquian region.
GENERAL
INFORMATION
CURRENCY
Colombian peso.
LANGUAGE
Spanish.
RELIGION
Catholic Church (79%)
Protestants (13%)
None/Atheist/Agnostic (6%)
Other religions (2%)
HISTORY
Modern-day Colombia was first inhabited in 10,000 BC in the area that is now the capital city of Bogotá. While the Aztecs and the Incas built empires that extended control over vast regions of pre-Columbian America, Colombia was settled by a number of smaller groups of people such as the Tayronas and the Muiscas. Just before the arrival of the Spaniards, the area was characterized by communities that left vestiges of the surprising level of development they had achieved. Towns and stone paths, enigmatic statues, and impressive gold and pottery, constitute part of a cultural heritage that provides insights about their beliefs and way of life.
In the early 1600s the Spaniards began to settle in Colombia, and many towns were established. When the Spanish arrived at the Caribbean coast of Colombia, they witnessed with great interest the incredible wealth of the local indigenous people. Gold-craving Spaniards soon heard intriguing tales of a city of gold somewhere tucked away within Colombia’s interior (legend of El dorado). The Spanish conquest of present Colombia would see the founding of Bogotá (over the Muisca city of Bagatá), Cali and other cities. During this time, land was distributed among the conquerors, and the exploration of salt, gold and emerald mines was organized. Christianity was established as the dominant religion. The coexistence of the Spanish colonizers, the Native Indians and African slaves gave origin to Colombia’s diverse cultural heritage.
After years of Spanish colonial rule, enforcing slavery and heavy taxes, Colombia won independence in 1819 with the help of revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar. The period that followed, however, saw a number of civil wars as tensions between the country’s early political parties escalated.
NATIONAL SYMBOLS
National flag:
Designed by Francisco Miranda, a Venezuelan in 1806. Adapting the red and yellow of the Spanish flag, Miranda divided the two colors by a stripe of blue to symbolize the ocean separating the independent country from the motherland. Yellow, symbolizing the natural riches of the country, red symbolizing the bloodshed in the war for independence. In 1834, the national shield, Arms of the Republic, was added to the flag to represent the defensive armament used in early battles. Another important national symbol is the condor, which signifies liberty and sovereignty.
Colombian coffee:
Famous across the globe for its high quality, Colombian coffee is known for its smoothness and aroma. There are many secrets to our success but our geography is undeniably one of them. Coffee grows best in volcanic soil, at altitudes of 1,200 to 1,800 meters, in places that are free of frost but receive around 80 inches of rain a year. Colombia ticks all those boxes. Colombia’s coffee zone or eje cafetero (Coffee Cultural Landscape) in the center of our country, produces most of our coffee however, we produce it all over the country: Colombia basically has a bean to suit every taste. Our beans. The world’s most important species of coffee shrub are the cofea arabica (arabica) and the cofea canephora (robusta) and everyone knows arabica has the best flavor. Colombian coffee is 100% arabica. Our harvest is a main difference as well. Some countries favor strip picking, in mountainous Colombia, our norm is to “cherry pick” or select only the fully ripe cherries.
Wax Palm:
Our national tree grows to 70 feet in height in the Cocora Valley (Quindío). The ceroxylon quindiuense or wax palm is a species unique to Colombia’s Cocora Valley. Wax trees had been known and used by indigenous peoples of Colombia for centuries. They were an integral part of their survival, with each part of the tree being utilized. Today, the rainy Cocora Valley is a popular tourist destination. The natural habitat of the wax palms remains largely intact. And it must remain intact, because so far efforts to grow wax palms in other parts of the world have been largely unsuccessful. Cocora valley is the only place in the world where you can experience these magnificent giants.
The Orchid:
Native to temperate climates, the ' cattleya trianae ' has been our national flower since 1936. The orchid is Colombia’s national flower, and some would say with good reason as this South American country has the largest number of orchids in the world. There are four-thousand different species and more than 1,500 of them can only be found here.
GASTRONOMY
Most middle-class families eat elaborate meals that reflect Spanish and indigenous traditions. A typical meal is identified by size rather than content, such as a light breakfast, a substantive midday lunch, and a lighter meal in the early evening. Lower-income people eat a more carbohydrate-rich diet. Meals usually end with a very sweet dessert, frequently made from panela, a type of brown sugar.
There are regional differences in foods. In the interior rural regions, a lot of carbohydrates, fruits and animal protein are consumed in every meal. In the coastal region, the emphasis is on seafood. Colombians enjoy a variety of national and international cuisines.
Specialty dishes are eaten during holidays Colombians consume large quantities of beer and coffee and relatively little milk or wine. Aguardiente combines local rum and a corn of sugar brandy.
Many international gastronomy offers are available as well for visitors.
CARNIVALS AND EVENTS
Festivals, carnivals, holidays parties and celebrations happen all year around in Colombia. The nightlife and local celebrations of the country have no comparison to others and they are an important part of our culture: music and dance are inherent to Colombians. Among the many events celebrated all year around in the country, many of them are number one in the globe such as: Feria de Cali in December with the biggest salsa festival; Flower festival in Medellin in August with the largest flower parade in the world; the second biggest carnival in the world celebrated in February in Barranquilla; the most important afro-festival in South America, Petronio Alvarez in Cali; and one of the largest festivals in the world, Ibero-American theater festival in Bogotá.
Additionally, we are one of the countries with the largest number of holidays in the world. With 18 free holidays approximately per year due to historic, religious or global celebrations, most of them happen on Mondays which is why we are famous for long weekends. This year the number of days were less but we still carry the leadership on local holidays and celebrations.
MUSIC AND FOLKLORE
Colombia is a land of music; its diversity is intimately linked to its many distinct regional differences. Vallenato, a type of Colombian music and dance, originated on the Atlantic coast and is enjoyed throughout the country.
Currulao, a type of music from the Pacific coast, uses the sea, rain, and rivers as its central themes and employs mostly ordinary wooden instruments. In the interior of the country, the two traditional types of music played throughout the Andean region are the Bambuco and the Guabina. Both types of music have considerable mestizo influence, often using as their undercurrents themes that emphasize the earth, mountains, and lakes.
Joropo is considered to be "fierce" or Plains' music because it is played in the Llanos Orientales, or Eastern Plains, and reflects the cattle ranch workers' arduous way of life. Cumbia music and dance are considered Colombian national treasures whose rhythmic cadence and melodies echo the mulatto and indigenous flavor; it has become the flagship of Colombia's musical genres.
Boasting a wide array of options, you can get a taste of Colombia’s diverse culture by simply listening to all our different categories of music. With different histories, audiences and instruments to all of them, they all have one thing in common, they sound great and will provide you a new window into appreciating life in Colombia.
Some of the most common rithyms are: cumbia, vallenato, porro, carranga, bambuco, joropo, currulao, champeta, and not ours but certanly a part of our culture: salsa and reggaeton.
Throughout its history, the country’s ethnically diverse population has enriched Colombia with a wide range of cultural expressions in music, art and literature, which can be admired in museums, art galleries, libraries and public spaces.
Art is considered one of the defining features of Colombian culture. The arts are supported through private individuals and foundations. Colombia did not begin to develop a literary tradition until the arrival of the Spanish, and its literature still shows a strong European influence. After independence, writers began to develop their own styles, and wrote about national themes instead of European ones. One of the writers whose style grew out of the artistic influences of the Caribbean coast is Gabriel García Márquez, winner of the Nobel Prize in 1982. Over 2,000 years ago, native peoples in the Andes produced intricate artwork. After colonization, native artistic influences were abandoned in favor of European styles. However, Colombia is attempting to carve a niche in the international art world with the production of works by painters such as Fernando Botero and Alejandro Obregón and the sculptor Edgar Negret. One of the leaders of national art was Pedro Nel Gómez, whose murals featured social criticism. Other artists followed the nationalistic and indigenous themes of the movement, although their technique was more traditional. Colombia takes pride in its artists, many of whom still use nationalistic and indigenous themes while incorporating international elements.
Colombian handicrafts are world-renowned. The shoulder bags made by the Arhuaco Native Indians of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the sombrero vueltiao of the plains of the Department of Córdoba, the hammocks of San Jacinto in the Department of Bolívar, the figures decorated with barniz de Pasto in Nariño and the pottery of Ráquira in Boyacá, are just a few examples of handicrafts that are known for their distinct style and beauty. We are also the birthplace of many contemporary designers and a textile nation by excellence.
ARTS AND LITERATURE
