COLOMBIA

1. COLOMBIA

2. GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION • Situated in the northwest corner of South America. • Colombia is the only country in the region with coasts on both the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean.

3. COLOMBIA • Total area: 440,839sq.miles • Colombia has the third largest population in South America (46.2 million people) • Colombia is Latin America’s oldest and most stable democracy • Never defaulted on its international debts

4. IMPORTANT FACTS • Panama was part of Colombia- Independence (1903) . U.S paid US 25.000.000 to Colombia for the American seizure of Panama (1921). • The highest educational levels in South America and a literacy rate of over 92%. • The participation of women in professional fields is the highest in Latin America • Home of the underground Salt Cathedral

5. Zipaquira Salt Cathedral • Built within the tunnels of a salt mine 200 meters underground in a halite mountain. • - The icons, ornaments and architectural details are hand carved in the halite rock.

6. EXPORTS • Flowers • Emeralds • Coffee • Coal • Fruits • Petroleum • Ferronickel (used to make steel) • Gold

7. Second main exporter of flowers in the world after Holland. • 70% of the imported flowers in the U.S are Colombian

8. World’s leading source!

9. Third largest producer and exporter of coffee in the world

10. COAL • Colombia has the world’s largest open cast coal mine, located on the peninsula of La Guajira, which produces almost 50 million tons per year. • Colombia is the world’s fifth coal producer and the largest exporter of thermal coal.

11. BIODIVERSITY • One of Colombia’s great potentials is its immense biodiversity. The country ranks second after Brazil (while only a quarter of its size).

12. Has the highest number of classes of orchids than any • other country. • Country with the largest number of amphibians in the world – • 583 species. • Has 10% of the world’s animals and plants species, with less than 1% of its land.

13. BOGOTA- The capital • Is on a highland plain of fertile soils dedicated to dairy farming and flowers for export • A modern and dynamic city that has a population of almost eight million inhabitants

18. CITY HALL

19. Porciuncula Church

20. Botanic Garden

21. MEDELLIN • Is located in a valley surrounded by mountains, close to agricultural and mining regions of the Department of Antioquia. • Two million inhabitants. • Main producer of textiles and apparel.

22. Medellín

23. Christmas lights

24. Medellín Flower Festival Typical Hacienda Botero Plaza

25. CALI • Is surrounded by the fertile Cauca River valley, which is covered by enormous sugar plantations. • Home to multinational companies supplying the Andean region. • Salsa capital!

29. Cali

30. FIVE NATURAL REGIONS • CARIBBEAN • ANDEAN • PACIFIC COAST • ORINOQUIA • AMAZON

31. Handicrafts

32. CULTURE • JUANES • SHAKIRA • CARLOS VIVES • CUMBIA • CURRULAO • JOROPO • BAMBUCO • VALLENATO • SALSA • MERENGUE MODERN MUSIC TRADITIONAL MUSIC

33. IfyouwanttoseetheCaribbean, gotoCuba orDominicanRepublic IfyouwanttoseethePacific, gotoChile I youwanttoseethe Andes, gotoEcuador Ifyouwanttoseethe Amazon, gotoBrazil Ifyouwanttoseethe Pre-Columbiancultures , gotoMéxico orPerú Butifyouwanttoseeallthesetogethergoto : COLOMBIA!

34. COLOMBIA

36. COLONIAL CITIES VILLA DE LEYVA

37. San Agustin World Heritage Site Stone sculptures carved between 100 and 1200 AD, 500 square kilometers -the largest of the Pre-Columbian sites in South America

38. COFFEE PARK

39. CARTAGENA

40. Cartagena

41. Colonial Architecture

43. La Guajira

44. Amazon

45. 3452 classes of orchids