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Capital Bogotá

Area 1,141,748 sq km (440,831 sq miles)

Population 45.5 million (2010)

Language Spanish is the official language. Local dialects and some English, French, German and Italian are also spoken.

Time GMT ‑5

Electricity Mostly 110 volts AC, 60Hz. American‑style two‑pin plugs.

Description

The Republic of Colombia was formally established in 1855. Over the next 100 years, Colombian politics were dominated by the Conservative‑Liberal feud, which often broke out into warfare. Periods of democratic government alternated with dictatorships. There were occasions, however, when the two parties were able to unite to see off a common threat. Yet what has endured in the midst of such ever‑changing, violent proceedings is a calm and beautiful landscape that has much to offer, from nature (much is covered by the Amazon Basin, large lakes are surrounded by mountains, a Caribbean coastline twinkles with azure water) to man‑made wonders (archaeological digs unearth historical wealth, colonial houses adorn the towns, the Guajira Peninsula is home to more than 100,000 nomadic Indians). There must be hope that the political climate becomes just as clement very soon.

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.

Geography

Colombia is situated in South America, bordered to the north by the Caribbean, to the northwest by Panama, to the west by the Pacific Ocean, to the southwest by Ecuador and to the south by Peru, to the northeast by Venezuela and to the southeast by Brazil. The Andes Mountains extend into the country in three ranges running south to north, dipping finally into the lowlands of the Caribbean coast. Along the southern part of the Pacific coast run wide, marshy lowlands rising to a relatively low but rugged mountain chain. East of this range, the southwestern coastal lowlands extend in a low trough running from the port of Buenaventura on the Pacific coast to the Caribbean. East of this rise the slopes of the Western Cordillera which, with the Central Cordillera range, runs north to the Caribbean lowlands from Ecuador, separated by a valley, filled in the south by volcanic ash to a height of 2,500m/8,202ft. Further north lies the fertile Cauca Valley, which extends to Cartago where it becomes a deep gorge running between the Cordilleras to the Caribbean lowlands. The Eastern Cordillera, the longest range, rises north of the Ecuadorean border and runs north then northeast towards Venezuela. Flat grassy prairies in the east along with the jungles and towering rain forests of the Amazon make up over half the country’s area. There are also two small islands, San Andrés and Providencia, located 700 km/430 miles north of the Colombian coast, that have belonged to Colombia since 1822.

Money

Currency

Colombian Peso (Col$)

Credit Cards

VISA and MasterCard are widely accepted, American Express and Diners Club less so. There are ATM's throughout the main cities, some allow cash withdrawals using VISA, MasterCard, Cirrus.

Travelers Checks

The most commonly accepted traveler's checks are those issued by American Express and Citicorp. Traveler's checks can be exchanged at banks, hotels or bureaux de change. They are generally not accepted as a form of payment, other than at major hotels.

Banking Hours

Mon‑Fri 9AM‑3PM. On the last business day of every month, banks close at 12N