Colombia Economy, People, Culture, Flag

Colombia is made up of people from different races. Around 58 per cent is made up of mestizos, a mixture of European and Native American race, 14 per cent is made up of mulatto, a mixture of black and European race and 20 per cent consists of unmixed European race. The remaining is made up of 4 per cent of Blacks, 3 per cent of mixed black-Native Americans and 1 per cent of unmixed Native Americans. The country is urbanized as over 76 per cent of the population lives in towns and cities.

The art and culture of Colombia touched the peak around the 16th century, which is even before the Spanish settlers came in. The folk music and dance of the country reveals African or Native American influences. Bambuco, the national dance is quite famous but Salsa is also equally popular. The music loved by most people in Colombia is called murga, which is played by groups of wandering street musicians using stringed instruments. The country also excels in art and craft work. The temples, statues, potteries that are made here are the examples of the fine artwork of Colombians. The culture of Colombia has traces of Native Americans,

which the Spanish settlers incorporated during the colonial period.

The flag of Colombia has three horizontal bands - yellow on the top, which is double-width, blue in the middle and red at the bottom.
Please click here to view the Flag of Colombia

The economy of Colombia is mainly dependent on agriculture and coffee used to be a principal cash crop in the past. But later, when the coffee prices declined in the international market, Colombia successfully diversified its economy. Economic reforms were planned and implemented in the direction of oil and coal, which helped the economy grow. However, by the end of the 20 th century, Colombia suffered recession due to a combination of low world oil prices, reduced export demand, and diminished investment flow. To worsen things, the domestic growth and foreign investment were also hindered by widespread violence stemming from drug trafficking and guerrilla insurgencies. The gross domestic product (GDP) in 2001 was $82.4 billion, or about $1,910 per capita.

Information on Colombia, Its Geography & History