Colombian Facts
Email These are some of the basic facts about Colombia that I've noted:
How is it written?
It's written "Colombia", not "Columbia".
Where is Colombia located?
It's located in the northwest region of South America. Click on the following link to view a map of Colombia: Colombia Map.
What is Colombia's official language?
Colombia's official language is Spanish (Castellano).
Which currency is used in Colombia?
Colombia's currency is the Colombian Peso (COP).
What was the historical exchange rate of the Colombian Peso (COP) versus the U.S. Dollar (USD) and the Euro (EUR)
Here is the exchange rate of the Colombian Peso (COP) from 2003 to 2012 versus the U.S. Dollar (USD) and the Euro (EUR).
Which time zone is Colombia in?
Colombia's time zone is UTC-5 (Coordinated Universal Time). UTC-5, the time zone of Colombia , is the time zone used in Eastern Time during Eastern Standard Time (EST) and Central Standard Time (DST) during the summer schedule. The clock never changes (e.g., as a result of “Daylight Savings”).
What type of government does Colombia have and who is its leader?
It's form of government is presidentialist republic. Its president is Juan Manuel Santos.
Which is the capital of Colombia?
Its capital (and most populated city) is Bogota.
Which are the most populated Colombian cities?
The most populated Colombian cities are Bogota, (officially, Santa Fe de Bogota), Medellin y Cali (officially, “Santiago de Cali”).
What is Colombia's population?
Colombia's population is around 47 million people.
What is the climate like in Colombia?
As part of the zone of the Equator, Colombia has a tropical climate that includes heat and rain. The climate varies between the regions and cities in relation to the latitude and altitude. Medellin is known as “The city of eternal Spring”, and for the majority of the year it's temperature is between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (between 21 and 32 degrees Celsius) with average humidity. Bogota; is less hot y Cali and the coastal regions are more hot. It's a good idea to have an umbrella with you in any region and a jacket with you in higher regions that have more temperature variation.
What is Colombia's surface area?
Colombia's surface area is more than 2 million square kilometers.
What is the population density of Colombia?
Colombia's population density is 41 inhabitants per square kilometer.
What is Colombia known for?
Colombia is known globally for its production of coffee, flowers, emeralds, carbon y oil, its cultural diversity and for being the second country in the world for richness of biodiversity.
What is Colombia's telephone prefix?
Colombia's telephone prefix is “+57”.
Which are its area codes?
Its area codes are:
| City | Area Code |
|---|---|
| Armenia | 6 |
| Barranquilla | 5 |
| Bogota | 1 |
| Bucaramanga | 7 |
| Cali | 2 |
| Cartagena | 5 |
| Cucuta | 7 |
| Ibague | 8 |
| Manizales | 6 |
| Medellin | 4 |
| Neiva | 8 |
| Palmira | 2 |
| Pereira | 6 |
| Santa Marta | 5 |
| Villavicencio | 8 |
Which are its holidays?
Its holidays are:
| Date | Day | Observed | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01/01/2012 | Sunday | Ano Nuevo ("New Year's" or "New Year's Day") | |
| 03/19/2012 | Monday | Observed | San Jose |
| 03/19/2012 | Monday | San Jose | |
| 04/05/2012 | Thursday | Jueves Santo ("Holy Thursday") | |
| 04/06/2012 | Friday | Viernes Santo ("Good Friday") | |
| 05/01/2012 | Tuesday | Dia Internacional de los Trabajadores ("Labor Day") | |
| 05/17/2012 | Thursday | Ascension de Jesucristo ("Ascension of Jesus") | |
| 05/21/2012 | Monday | Observed | Ascension de Jesucristo ("Ascension of Jesus") |
| 06/07/2012 | Thursday | Corpus Christi (Latin for "Body of Christ") | |
| 06/17/2012 | Sunday | Dia del Padre ("Father's Day") | |
| 06/18/2012 | Monday | Sagrado Corazon de Jesus ("Sacred Heart of Jesus") | |
| 06/29/2012 | Friday | San Pedro y San Pablo ("Saint Peter and Saint Paul") | |
| 07/02/2012 | Monday | Observed | San Pedro y San Pablo ("Saint Peter and Saint Paul") |
| 07/20/2012 | Friday | Dia de la Independencia de Colombia ("Independence Day of Colombia" or "Colombian Independence Day") | |
| 08/07/2012 | Tuesday | Batalla de Boyaca ("Battle of Boyacá") | |
| 10/12/2012 | Friday | Dia de la Raza ("Columbus Day") | |
| 10/15/2012 | Monday | Observed | Dia De La Raza ("Columbus Day") |
| 11/01/2012 | Thursday | Dia De Todos Los Santos ("All Saints' Day") | |
| 11/05/2012 | Monday | Observed | Dia De Todos Los Santos ("All Saints' Day") |
| 11/11/2012 | Sunday | Independencia De Cartagena ("Independence of Cartagena" or "Cartagenian Independence") | |
| 11/12/2012 | Monday | Observed | Independencia De Cartagena ("Independence of Cartagena" or "Cartagenian Independence") |
| 12/08/2012 | Saturday | Inmaculada Concepcion ("Immaculate Conception") | |
| 12/25/2012 | Tuesday | Navidad ("Christmas" or "Christmas Day") |
Which are Colombia's Internet domains?
Colombia's Internet domains are “.co” and “.com.co”.
Which is the Colombian flag?
Click on the following link to view the flag of Colombia: Flag Colombia.
Is Colombia safe?
Although Colombia still has some dangers that one needs to be aware of, many regions are safe if one travels with caution, learns about the risks and annoyances, speaking with trustworthy locals and reading current material (e.g., interest groups, blogs, travel guides and government security notices), and takes the necessary precautions.
Besides traveling with caution and learning for oneself about the dangers and annoyances of the country by reading current material, speaking with trustworthy locals and taking the necessary precautions, some suggestions for traveling safely are:
- Learning and communicating in the native language (including the local jargon, as appropriate)
- Spending the majority of time with locals
- Being respectful and patient
- Assimilating oneself, not displaying objects of wealth or large amounts of money and maintaining a modest profile
- Having common sense
- Avoiding things that seem too good to be true
Are there more interesting or useful facts about Colombia?
Yes. For example:
- Officially, Colombia is called the “Republica de Colombia”, and this official name appears on government documents, such as passports, ID's (referred to as “cedulas” in Colombia) and visas.
- Colombia became independent from Spain in 1810.
- Colombia is a middle power that has the fourth largest economy in Latin America and the third largest economy in South America.
- More than 1.4 million square kilometers of Colombia's surface area corresponds to its contintental territory; and its remaining surface area, more than .9 million square kilometers, corresponds to its maritime extension.
- Colombia is the only South American nation that has coasts on the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
- Colombia is one of fourteen countries that is part of the zone of the Equator.
- Colombia is the fourth South American nation for territorial extension (after Brazil, Argentina and Peru) and the twenty-sixth in the world.
- Colombia is the third Latin American nation for population (after Brazil and Mexico) and the twenty-seventh in the world.
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