Colombia is a Spanish speaking nation, located to the South of Venezuela. Colombia, as of 2016, has a population of 48,481,028 people. The Official Colombian currency is the Peso. The Peso is worth a miniscule 0.051 American dollars. Colombia’s main export is petroleum, with coffee and coal not far behind. Colombia’s main imports are most mechanical, and technological products. The United States, the main trade partner of Colombia provides most of these imports. The capital of Colombia is Bogota, a state with a population of 8 million. Most Colombians practice Catholicism, the Official Religion of Colombian. Colombian culture is deeper than religion, they have many different cuisines. Ajiaco and Asado Bogotano are among the most popular. The
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In the aftermath of the Spain’s independence, a leader needed to be established. Two political parties emerged and defined the two major viewpoints of the people, a strong federalist government, and a strong centralist government. Simón Bolívar, centralist is elected president. Francisco de Paula Santander, federalist, is elected vice president. Unfortunately, the centralist government could not sustain the entire nation. Many territories decided to break away and become three separate entities. Centralists and Federalists became Conservatives and Liberals. The arguments became fights, and quickly became a civil war. The war that followed is known as The War of a Thousand Days. In the midst of the war, the United States got involved. They wanted Panama to leave the recently formed union, Gran Colombia, in order to build a canal across Central America. Towards the close of the war, Colombia recognized Panama’s independence. Colombia allowed the US to make the Panama Canal. Even with the conflict ending, the animosity between Liberals and Conservatives continued. The ¨Hereditary Hatreds¨ caused many bloody civil wars. The state of the nation deteriorated. Murder and drugs filled the streets. The government waged a war on crime, unsuccessfully. A change came with the election of Álvaro Uribe as President. Uribe successfully slowed the growth of crime. Uribe’s successor President Chavez attempted to put an end to drug cartels, with some success.
In the aftermath of the Spain’s independence, a leader needed to be established. Two political parties emerged and defined the two major viewpoints of the people, a strong federalist government, and a strong centralist government. Simón Bolívar, centralist is elected president. Francisco de Paula Santander, federalist, is elected vice president. Unfortunately, the centralist government could not sustain the entire nation. Many territories decided to break away and become three separate entities. Centralists and Federalists became Conservatives and Liberals. The arguments became fights, and quickly became a civil war. The war that followed is known as The War of a Thousand Days. In the midst of the war, the United States got involved. They wanted Panama to leave the recently formed union, Gran Colombia, in order to build a canal across Central America. Towards the close of the war, Colombia recognized Panama’s independence. Colombia allowed the US to make the Panama Canal. Even with the conflict ending, the animosity between Liberals and Conservatives continued. The ¨Hereditary Hatreds¨ caused many bloody civil wars. The state of the nation deteriorated. Murder and drugs filled the streets. The government waged a war on crime, unsuccessfully. A change came with the election of Álvaro Uribe as President. Uribe successfully slowed the growth of crime. Uribe’s successor President Chavez attempted to put an end to drug cartels, with some success.