Colombia Overview

                   Colombia Flag

Geography

Colombia has a great variety of geographical regions including deserts (e.g. Tatacoa in Huila department, and the area around Cabo de la Vela in La Guajira), jungle (e.g. Leticia - on the border of Brazil and Peru), the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, mountains (e.g. Nevado del Ruiz, and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta), and vast plains (Los Llanos). The change from one region to another can sometimes be quite sudden (e.g. the dramatic change from the mountainous region of Antioquia to the thick jungle of Choco.)

Climate

Altitude is the biggest factor in determining a region's average temperature. Regions at sea level such as Cartagena and Santa Marta have an average temperature in the high twenties, whereas cities such as Bogota at 2,600m have an average temperature in the mid-teens.

Temperature and climate are also connected to a region's culture and its people's lifestyle. People who live at higher altitudes (Bogota, Pasto for example) are generally regarded as slightly more reserved. People from hotter parts like Cali and the coastal regions are known for a more relaxed attitude to life and for a passion for partying and dancing. These are of course generalisations, but they do seem to be somewhat accurate.

Money

The unit of currency in Colombia is the peso. It exists in coin and note form. Coin denominations are: $50, $100, $200 and $500. Note denominations are: $1000, $2000, $5000, $10,000, $20,000 and $50,000. The $50,000 pesos notes can sometimes be hard to change, especially in smaller shops, so try to break them in places like supermarkets if possible.

Cash machines/ATMs are found in all but the most remote parts of Colombia.

Time

Colombia is 5 hours behind GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). There is no time difference between Colombia and Ecuador, Peru or Panama. Venezuela is one hour ahead of Colombia.

There is little shift in daylight hours throughout the year. The sun rises around 6am and sets around 6pm.

Concept of time: Colombians generally have a more relaxed attitude to punctuality than, say, Europeans or North Americans. In formal business situations punctuality is considered very important, especially in the larger cities. If meeting socially it's quite common for people to arrive 15 or 30 minutes late or more and occassionally not even turn up. It should be mentioned that for many Colombians this impunctual attitude is an annoyance and are themselves very punctual.

Colombians use the word 'ahora' ('now') (or 'ahorita' - the diminutive form) rather flexibly. If you ask a bus driver when a bus is to leave, for example, and receive an 'ahora' that could mean in 1 minute or 1 hour. Patience is the order of the day!

Language

Spanish is Colombia's official language. The spanish used in Colombia is often regarded as one of the 'best' in the spanish-speaking world. To some extent this is subjective, but the spanish in the interior of the country is probably easier to understand, and perhaps learn, than in other countries in Latin America.

There is a wide range of dialects within Colombia. The most easily distinguishable dialects for non-native spanish speakers are the dialects from the Bogotá region, characterised by a rising intonation, the 'paisa' dialect from Medellin, Antioquia and the Coffee region characterised by the use of the 'vos' form of verbs and a large number of distinctive words and expressions, and the 'costeño' dialect from coastal regions. The costeño dialect can be difficlut for native and non-native speakers of Spanish alike due to it's array of distinctive vocabulary and expressions, the speed at which it is spoken and the non-pronunciation of certain letters, most notably the 's' at the end of words.

History

For information on Colombia's history visit one of the following links:

• Good summary of Colombian history, especially of La Violencia and Plan Colombia
  
• Comprehensive information especially of Colombia's earlier history

Transport

More to follow soon...