Colombia Fact Sheet

Official Name: Republic of Colombia (the oldest democracy in South America)

Area: 1,138,910 km2 (almost twice the size of Texas, 26th country in size in the world)

Border countries: Brazil 1,644 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 1,800 km, Venezuela 2,050 km

Coastline: 3,208 km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, Pacific Ocean 1,448 km)

Weather: Tropical along the coast and lower lands, cold and rainy along hihghlands (more on Colombian weather)

Highest Point: Peak Simon Bolívar in the Sierra Nevada (5775m)

Capital: Bogotá DC

Official Language: Spanish and more than 60 indigenous tongues officialy spoken in their territory

Population (July 2012): 45,239,079 (29th country in the world)

Religion: Catholic (90%), other (10%)

Main Cities (population): Bogotá DC (8’262.000), Medellín (3’497.000), Cali (2’352.000), Barranquilla (1’836.000), Cartagena (944.250)

Ethnic Groups (self defined): mixed race (49%), White (37%), afro colombian (10,6%), native (3,4%) (there are more than a 100 indigenous communities in Colombia)

Population below poverty line: 37.2%

Life Expectancy: 74.79 years

Currency: Colombian peso (COP)

President: Juan Manuel Santos 2010 - 2014 (U party)

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