| Area |
1,141,748 sq km (440,831 sq miles). |
| Population |
44,583,577 (2003). |
| Capital |
Santa Fe de Bogotá - population 6,260,862 (1999). |
| Climate |
The climate is very warm and tropical on the coast and in the north, with a rainy season from May to November. This varies according to altitude. It is cooler in the upland areas and cold in the mountains. Bogotá is always spring-like, with cool days and crisp nights. |
| Language |
Spanish is the official language. Local Indian dialects and some English, French, German and Italian are also spoken. |
| Religion |
Christianity, with 92 per cent Roman Catholic; small Protestant and Jewish minorities. |
| Time |
GMT - 5
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| Highlights |
Colombia is blessed with undoubtedly some of South America's most stunning scenery made up of Caribbean beaches, beautiful Andean mountain ranges and the vast expanse of the jungle. Bogota the capital is a fascinating city with many historical landmarks including the Gold Museum, which has a unique collection of over 100,000 gold artefacts, many of them retrieved from the bottom of Lake Guatavita. Cartagena, an ancient walled fortress city on the Caribbean coast is Colombia's most mesmerizing and beautiful cities with numerous churches and monasteries, formal gardens and plazuelas, palaces and beaches. Other islands such as Islas del Rosario, San Andres and Providencia are easily reached from Cartagena. The mountain road from north to south passing through Medellin and Cali offers visitors an insight into beautiful, unspoilt countryside and charming country people. The jungle region is inhabited mostly by Indians and Leticia is the base from which visitors can explore the area.
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| Country Facts |
Colombia, the fourth largest country in South America, is located to the northwest of the continent with the Caribbean Sea to the north, Panama in the northwest, the Pacific Ocean hugging the west coast, Ecuador and Peru to the south, the northeast dominated by Venezuela and to the southeast the vast expanse of Brazil. The Andes run into the country in three main cordilleras which spread out across Colombia from the Ecuadorian border, finally rolling down into the lowlands of the Caribbean coast. The spectacular geography of the country majestically shifts from the relatively un-inhabited, jungle-covered lowlands to the cool, lush, fertile, high valleys sandwiched between the three main cordilleras. Flat grassy prairies in the east combined with the jungles and impressive rainforests of the Amazonas make up over 50% of the country's area. |