Colombia has a long history dating back before the Spanish conquest. Some indigenous ruins still exist today, such as stone monoliths and underground burial chambers. Colombia has experienced strong economic growth in recent decades but wealth is unequally distributed and poverty and unemployment remain issues. Colombian culture blends indigenous, Spanish, African and other influences. Some of Colombia's most emblematic cities are Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena, and Barranquilla, which are notable for their cultural offerings and festivals. Typical Colombian foods include bandeja paisa, tamales, sancocho, and cazuela. Famous Colombians include artist Fernando Botero, writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez,

1. COLOMBIA
Colombia is a country
of America located in
the northwestern part
of South America. Its
capital is Bogota.
Bordered on the east
by Venezuela and
Brazil, south to Peru
and Ecuador and
Panama to the
northwest.

2. History
Colombia has a long history before the Conquest and in various
places still bear testimony to their indigenous past. In San Agustin,
Huila, are preserved stone monoliths depicting gods and warriors. In
the area of ​Tierradentro (Cauca), travelers can tour the hypogea
complex of underground burial chambers.
From Parque Tayrona on the Caribbean coast, is promoted by a
cobblestone path to the ruins of Pueblito, stone city built by the
Tayrona, an advanced pre-Hispanic culture whose legacy of jewelry
can be admired in the Museo del Oro in Bogota and Tayrona
Culture Museum in Santa Marta.

3. Economy
Colombia's economy is the fourth in Latin America
by the International Monetary Fund and fifth by
the World Bank. Has experienced an average
annual growth of 5.5% since 2002. In 2007, 20.5
million Colombians were used as labor in the
economy. However, the unequal distribution of
wealth remains at 29.2% of Colombians live
below the national poverty line, which adds to the
poor pension system, unemployment (11.2% in
2007) and underemployment.

4. Culture
Colombia lies at the crossroads of Latin America
and the broader American continent, and as such
has been hit by a wide range of cultural
influences. Native American, Spanish and other
European, African, American, Caribbean, and
Middle Eastern influences, as well as other Latin
American cultural influences, are all present in
Colombia's modern culture. Urban migration,
industrialization, globalization, and other political,
social and economic changes have also left an
impression.

5. most emblematic places

6. Bogotá
Bogota (Colombia's capital)
is the largest and most
populous city in the
country, besides being the
main cultural, industrial,
economic and most
important tourist Colombia.
The important cultural offer
is represented in many
museums, theaters and
libraries, some of them in
the country. It is
noteworthy that UNESCO
named the city the title of
World Book Capital for
2007.

7. Medellin
The city is notable alike as one
of the main cultural centers of
Colombia. It hosts major
festivals of wide experience
and recognition locally,
nationally and internationally.
It is characterized by
academic and scientific
activity, which has earned
him recognition as a
university city and
knowledge, and given also
that it also settle some of the
most important Colombian
universities.

8. Cartagena de indias
Cartagena de Indias,
Cartagena is a city in
Colombia, capital of the
department of Bolivar. It was
founded on 1. ° June 1533 by
Pedro de Heredia. It is the
fifth largest city in population
after Bogota, Medellin, Cali
and Barranquilla. Since 1991,
Cartagena is a tourist district,
Historical and Cultural. The
city is located along the
Caribbean Sea and is the
second largest urban center
in the Caribbean Coast, after
Barranquilla.

9. Barranquilla
Barranquilla is a city in
Colombia, capital of
Atlántico. In 1993 he was
constitutionally organized
special district, industrial
and port is one of the sea
and river ports and major
assets of Colombia, and
the main commercial,
industrial, cultural and
educational development
of the Colombian
Caribbean Region.

10. Typical food

11. Bandeja paisa
A key feature of this dish is its enormous
wealth, both in quantity and variety of
foods, so that the tray full paisa only be
called to serve in large plates trays.
* Beans with claw
* White rice
* Chicharrón
* Fried Egg
* Patacón
* Chorizo ​Antioquia with lemon
* Arepa Antioquia
* Hogao
* Sausage
* Tomato sliced ​red
* Avocado.

12. Tamal
The most famous Colombian
tamales are those of
Tolima, consisting of corn
flour, rice and peas,
accompanied by boiled
eggs, carrots, bacon, pork
and chicken, seasoned
lightly with salt and pepper,
all of which are wrapped in
a kitchen banana leaf,
usually served with corn
bread or bread and
chocolate.

13. Sancocho
The stew is a soup
consisting of meat,
tubers, vegetables and
seasonings. Among its
origins seem to be the
melting pot Taino,
Spanish stew, pot rotten
Spanish and Corsican
stews, Irish, Danish,
German, Italian and
French.

14. Cazuela
This recipe from Colombia.
It's made ​but has the
advantage that they can
prepare all the ingredients
and put them together the
day be eating. The
amounts are put to six
servings, if you can reduce
them a bit less taking into
account the approximate
proportions store.

15. Famous people

16. Botero
Fernando Botero Angulo is a
painter, sculptor and
draftsman born on April 19,
1932 in Medellin
(Colombia). Universal art
icon, extensive work is
recognized by children and
adults alike everywhere. It
is considered the living
artist originally from Latin
America's most recognized
and quoted in the world
today.

17. Gabriel Garcia Márquez
Gabriel José de la Concordia
García Márquez (Aracataca,
Colombia, March 6, 1927) is a
writer, novelist, storyteller,
writer and journalist in
Colombia. In 1982 he received
the Nobel Prize for Literature
(Awards, awards and honors).
And familiarly known to his
friends as Gabito (hipocorístico
peasant to Gabriel), or its
shortened form Gabo since
Eduardo Zalamea Borda
assistant editor of The
Spectator, began to call it that.

18. Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak
Ripoll (Ottawa,
February 2, 1977),
known simply as
Shakira, is a singer,
songwriter, record
producer, dancer and
Colombian Latin pop
rock genre in Spanish
and English.

19. Juanes
Juan Esteban Aristizabal
Vasquez (Medellin,
August 9, 1972), better
known as Juanes, is a
singer, composer,
arranger and Colombian
activist of Spanish pop
and rock, fusing different
musical styles. Juanes
has sold over 15 million
copies worldwide.

20. Colombian typical clothes
Woman dressed in long black skirt
decorated with colored ribbons or
made ​of colorful printed fabrics as
chintz or calico flowered Rouen
colorido.Las immaculate blouses,
white, square or round neckline with
sleeves topped pants like the neckline,
with Barcelona lace, bobbin letines or
bands with bodkins.Man consists of
crude cotton cloth pants, rolled up
even when not "jornaliando" blanket
listed, leather sandals or espadrilles,
long-sleeved shirt and no collar, made
of white cloth red stripes. The carriel is
a small bag of skins and hides of wild
cat, oval at the bottom and pointed top
that serves as a closure.