Full country name: Republic of Colombia
Capital: Bogotá D.C., District Capital
Area: 440,831 square miles (1,141,748 square kilometers), includes the islands San Andrés and Providencia.
Population: 44.000.000
Major Industries:  Textiles, coffee, oil, sugar cane, food processing.

LOCATION
To the north the Caribbean Sea, to the East, Venezuela and Brazil, to the South Peru and Ecuador, to the West the Pacific Ocean, and to the Northwest with Panama.

CLIMATE
Colombia has a broad variety of climates and temperatures that depend exclusively on the elevation above sea level. There are no defined climatic stations; however there are three types of climate areas.  A warm area which goes from sea level up to 800 m above sea level, with temperatures between 24ºc and 36ºc; a temperate area which begins at 800 m to 2000 m above sea level with temperatures between 16ºc and 24ºc; and a cold area which begins at 2000 m above sea level with temperatures below 16ºc.

GOVERNMENT

Colombia has a republic government with an executive branch that rules the governmental structure.

CURRENCY
The currency unit is the “Colombian peso”, and there are coins of 50, 100, 200, 500, and bills of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 (pesos).  The free exchange rate cannot be established per dollar since there is a constant fluctuation of the peso.

BANKING
Some of the major banks in Colombia are: Bancolombia, Grupo AVAL, Citibank, BBVA, HSBC, Helm Bank, and Banco Santander. The hours of operation are Monday-Friday 9:00 am- 4:00 pm and weekend hours depend on each bank.

LANGUAGES
Colombia's official language is Spanish although English is spoken in the islands San Andrés and Providencia.

Religion
Colombia is mainly a Catholic country; however, there is religious freedom allowing any one to exercise its religious will.

Shopping
There are many types of national and imported products in the malls, supermarkets, department stores and commercial zones. The flea markets, which are popular Sunday street sales of antiques and curious objects, are a very interesting option. Some items that can be bought are Colombian emeralds, jewelry, leathers, footwear, handcrafts, and antiques.

Restaurants
The Colombian food is as diverse as its landscape and the customs of its people. The typical foods, according to the regions are different types of soups such as the ajiaco, cuchuco, mondongo, and sancocho. Also, sobrebarriga (a type of cooked meat), frijoles (beans), coconut rice, fish, patacones (fried green plantain) and the famous tamales and arepas (cornmeal pies) are an important part of Colombian cuisine. Among the native desserts we have the guava paste, milk sweet, milk pudding and yucca loafs. The most common alcoholic beverages are aguardiente and distilled rum based on sugar cane. Colombia has a diverse variety of tropical fruits such as mango, guava, custard apple and others which may be eaten as fruit or juice.

Entertainment
Colombia has a number of resources for entertainment. The main sources of arts and entertainment in Colombia are newspapers, radio and television. All these media resources provide a lot of valuable information and entertainment to the people of Colombia. Some of the most popular newspapers of Colombia are El Tiempo, El Espectador, and El Colombiano. The popular TV channels of Colombia are Caracol Television, RCN Television, Canal Capital, and, Citytv. These television channels broadcast a variety of interesting programs, which are widely viewed by the people of Colombia. You may also find television stations that broadcast American shows in English with Spanish subtitles. Colombian radio forms a major part of arts and entertainment of Colombia. The important radio stations of Colombia are Candela Estereo, Besame, La FM, La Mega, Caracol Basica, and La W. Nightlife is also a significant part of entertainment in Colombia. The nightlife is centered on bars, especially salsa bars and clubs. Colombia also offers a wide range of museums and monuments from El Museo del Oro or The Museum of Gold to Monserrate, a church that sits at the top of a mountain in Bogota. The church which has the statue of the Señor Caído or Fallen Christ is claimed to be a place of miracles. To get to the top there are hundreds of stairs that can be climbed or a cable car can be ridden. Once at the top, there is an amazing and beautiful view of Bogota.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS
INFORMATION: 113
POLICE: (Automatic Dispatch Center) 112
FIRE DEPARTMENT: 119
RED CROSS: (Ambulances, Emergencies) 132
TRANSIT AND ACCIDENTS: 127

SCHOOLS
Primary education is free and mandatory for two years for children between 6 and 12 years of age. Secondary education is divided into two groups, basic secondary which is from grades 6th to 9th and mid secondary which is from grades 10th to 11th. In order to attend college or a technical school, high school students must take a state test or "pruebas de estado" provided by Instituto Colombiano para el Fomento de la Educación Superior - ICFES. Santander Square and Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá are 2 of the most popular universities. College education is divided into two groups, under-graduate degrees and post-graduate degrees, and is regulated by the 30th law of 1992. Most university degrees take about 5 years to be completed. Technical schools usually take 3 years to be completed. Post-graduate education includes master’s degrees and PhD’s.

IMMIGRATION PROCESS
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Visas Division, the Cultural and Diplomatic Agents of the Republic and the General Direction of Protocol, according to the case, are in charge of granting, denying or canceling visas. A visa is understood as the authorization of entry and is required to stay in the country.

Visa Application
The visa application must be directly submitted by the foreigner or his/her duly authorized representative.

The visa applicant must:
· Present his/her passport and a photocopy
· Correctly fill the application form
· Enclose the requirements for the requested visa
· Submit a medical certificate when required by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs due to sanitary reasons.

Visa Beneficiaries
The beneficiary visas can be granted to spouse, permanent partner, parents and children, or economic dependents of the foreigner to whom the visa was granted.

Important Immigration Links:

• American Consulate: http://bogota.usembassy.gov/
• Colombian-American Chamber of Commerce: www.amchamcolombia.com.co
• DAS: www.das.gov.co

HOUSING
The monthly housing cost in Colombia can range anywhere from $1.000 (USD) for a one or two bedroom apartment to $12,000 (USD) for a 4 bedroom house or apartment.

HOLIDAYS
In Colombia, according to the Emiliani Law, the majority of the holidays are celebrated the following Monday.*

New Year’s Day: January 01
Epiphany: January 12
Saint Joseph: March 23
Holy Thursday and Friday: April
Labor Day: May 01
Ascension: May 25
Corpus Christi: June 15
Sacred Heart: June 22
Saint Peter and Saint Paul: June 29
Independence Day: July 20
Battle of Boyacá: August 07
La Asunción: August 17
America’s Discovery: October 12
All Saints Day: November 02
Independence of Cartagena: November 16
Immaculate Conception: December 08
Christmas: December 25

Technical Information:
Voltage: 110 V
Plugs: American plug type, (two entry flat pins).
Television Systems: NTSC