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Colombian Culture Resources:
http://www.colombia.travel/en/international-tourist/colombia/culture
The above link has a lot of useful information about Colombian culture. It talks about all of the diverse and unique things that they do in their culture.
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/colombia.html
The above link is interesting because it lists a bunch of customs and etiquette in Colombia. It is a fascinating to read them because it's fun to see the things that are different from American culture.
http://www.colombia.travel/en/international-tourist/colombia/culture
The above link has a lot of useful information about Colombian culture. It talks about all of the diverse and unique things that they do in their culture.
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/colombia.html
The above link is interesting because it lists a bunch of customs and etiquette in Colombia. It is a fascinating to read them because it's fun to see the things that are different from American culture.
![Picture](/uploads/2/3/8/1/23812591/7462361.jpg)
This map shows the coffee growing regions around the world. Coffee is one of the main exports of Colombia and on this map, you can see that the whole country of Colombia is shaded in indicating that it a region with high coffee growth. I think that this map is interesting because you can see the worlds growth with coffee compared to Colombia.
Interesting Statistics and Facts:
- The official language of Colombia is Spanish.
- 90% of the population is of Roman Catholic faith.
- There are 16.98 births for every 1,000 people.
- There are roughly 14,000 people living with HIV/AID in Colombia.
- The literacy is at 93.6% for people over the age of 15.
- The obesity rate is at 17.3% among adults.
The three above screenshots are all related to Colombia. The first one shows the growth of Colombia's population over the course of nearly two centuries. I think that it is interesting to look at this because you can see that in the 1800's, the growth of the population is at an even rate and then the growth rate became a lot faster. The second image shows the growth of the epidemic of HIV/AID since 1984. I think that this is important because it could really show how good a countries healthcare is. I think that there is a correlation between the amount of people with HIV/AID and the wealth of the country. The final picture shows the growth of literacy of adults in Colombia. I think that this graph is interesting because there really wasn't any change in the number of adults that are literate. I think that this is an important piece of information because I think that the more literate that a country is, the higher the wealth because they have a strong work force.
Religion in Colombia
When the Spaniards came over to Colombia, they brought a lot of the of their countries traditions with them. One of the main things that they brought over was their religion of Roman Catholicism. The Roman Catholic Church began to have a large influence of the early development of Colombia. According to a blog by Allenrd, The religious influence was seen in a lot of the architecture. There weren’t only a lot of churches, but there were also a lot of plaza and buildings that have influences of from the Catholic Church. Even today, the Catholic Church is still making an impact on the life of the Colombian people.
The impact of religion in Colombia was great. According to the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, the church is felt everywhere you go. The attendance at mass in the country of Colombia is always very high, but it is women tend to be more serious about their religious practices than men. The Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress also talks about how a lot of the middle-high class people often have good relationships with the religious leaders because of the money that they possessed. The people that were in more of the rural places and were considered low class were the ones that didn’t have churches nearby and prayed on their own to still have a connection with God.
Around Colombia, there are a lot of sacred sites that are major attractions for the people of Colombia and for the visitors. To name a few, there is the Church of Our Lady of Chiquinquira, Las Lajas Church, and numerous places were there are stone remains of sculptures of humans and animals. According to Colombia Travel, there are over 200 churches and parishes that are a major attraction point. The Colombia Travel site has a very extensive list of sites that a big tourist attractions for visitors.
Religion has a high influence in Colombia when it comes to government. A lot of the things written in their Constitution have similarities with ours. There say, “Thou shalt not kill” or “Thou shalt not steal.” A lot of these things translate over from the 10 Commandments in Christian beliefs and are now part of a lot of countries laws. Colombia’s Constitution states, “Freedom of worship is granted. Everyone have the right to profess freely their religion and to disseminate it individually and collectively. All faiths and churches are equally free before the Law.” (Prieto, 238) Prieto also states that the 1991 Constitution is different from the 1886 Constitution because the 1886 Constitution was in involvement with the Catholic Church and the newest version isn’t. So in the beginning of the country they were tied closely with the Catholic Church and now in more recent years, they have moved away from that.
Sources
Bogota tourist attractions: A Historical and Religious tour. (n.d.). Colombia Travel. Retrieved October 30, 2013, from http://www.colombia.travel /en/international-tourist/sightseeing-what-to-do/recommended-tourist-attractions-special-reports/bogota-and-its-churches
Colombia - SOCIETY. (n.d.). Colombia - SOCIETY. Retrieved October 31, 2013, from http://www.mongabay.com/reference/country_studies/colombia/SOCIETY.html
Colombia 2009. (2009, April 5). The Spaniards Also Brought Their Religion. Retrieved October 31, 2013, from http://community.muohio.edu/colombia2009/node/30
PRIETO, V. (2013). Religion and the Secular State in Colombia. National Report, 1, 237-249.
Sacred Sites Map of Colombia. (n.d.). Sacred Sites Map of Colombia. Retrieved October 31, 2013, from http://sacredsites.com/americas/colombia/colombia_map.html
Sacred Sites Map of Colombia. (n.d.). Sacred Sites Map of Colombia. Retrieved October 31, 2013, from http://sacredsites.com/americas/colombia/colombia_map.html
The impact of religion in Colombia was great. According to the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, the church is felt everywhere you go. The attendance at mass in the country of Colombia is always very high, but it is women tend to be more serious about their religious practices than men. The Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress also talks about how a lot of the middle-high class people often have good relationships with the religious leaders because of the money that they possessed. The people that were in more of the rural places and were considered low class were the ones that didn’t have churches nearby and prayed on their own to still have a connection with God.
Around Colombia, there are a lot of sacred sites that are major attractions for the people of Colombia and for the visitors. To name a few, there is the Church of Our Lady of Chiquinquira, Las Lajas Church, and numerous places were there are stone remains of sculptures of humans and animals. According to Colombia Travel, there are over 200 churches and parishes that are a major attraction point. The Colombia Travel site has a very extensive list of sites that a big tourist attractions for visitors.
Religion has a high influence in Colombia when it comes to government. A lot of the things written in their Constitution have similarities with ours. There say, “Thou shalt not kill” or “Thou shalt not steal.” A lot of these things translate over from the 10 Commandments in Christian beliefs and are now part of a lot of countries laws. Colombia’s Constitution states, “Freedom of worship is granted. Everyone have the right to profess freely their religion and to disseminate it individually and collectively. All faiths and churches are equally free before the Law.” (Prieto, 238) Prieto also states that the 1991 Constitution is different from the 1886 Constitution because the 1886 Constitution was in involvement with the Catholic Church and the newest version isn’t. So in the beginning of the country they were tied closely with the Catholic Church and now in more recent years, they have moved away from that.
Sources
Bogota tourist attractions: A Historical and Religious tour. (n.d.). Colombia Travel. Retrieved October 30, 2013, from http://www.colombia.travel /en/international-tourist/sightseeing-what-to-do/recommended-tourist-attractions-special-reports/bogota-and-its-churches
Colombia - SOCIETY. (n.d.). Colombia - SOCIETY. Retrieved October 31, 2013, from http://www.mongabay.com/reference/country_studies/colombia/SOCIETY.html
Colombia 2009. (2009, April 5). The Spaniards Also Brought Their Religion. Retrieved October 31, 2013, from http://community.muohio.edu/colombia2009/node/30
PRIETO, V. (2013). Religion and the Secular State in Colombia. National Report, 1, 237-249.
Sacred Sites Map of Colombia. (n.d.). Sacred Sites Map of Colombia. Retrieved October 31, 2013, from http://sacredsites.com/americas/colombia/colombia_map.html
Sacred Sites Map of Colombia. (n.d.). Sacred Sites Map of Colombia. Retrieved October 31, 2013, from http://sacredsites.com/americas/colombia/colombia_map.html
Loss of Cultural Diversity
According the New York Times, the world has more than 7,000 known languages. However, within the next 50 years, it is predicted that half of these languages will vanish. This is an example of cultural diversity vanishing before our eyes. This very thing is happening in the country of Colombia today. Also according the New York Times, the Wayuu, who have lived in the arid southwest of Colombia for many years depend on the Rancheria River as well as the two rainy seasons to support their culture which was rich in fishing and animal husbandry. But then the river started to experience lower levels and the rain was scares and unpredictable. This is an example of how the climate changes that are happening all around the world are having an effect on the cultural of many different countries.
According to the Scientific American, the Barasana people of the Northwest Amazon of Colombia believe that man and nature are one. In 1991 the Colombian government granted the Indian people of the Northwest Amazon legal land rights to as area the size of the U.K. The Barasana have experienced a powerful rebirth since then and they are considered to be one of the lucky ones. The Nukak Maku community wasn’t so lucky. According to The Guardian, they were driven out of the normal territory that they were able to be hunters and gathers on and were forced to go to an area that didn’t have the resources that they needed to survive. The government eventually came into help and organized and developed rations for them. However, these weren’t sufficient. They often forget to bring the rations and sometimes they weren’t enough. Also according to The Guardian, since the Nukak Maku community left the jungle, they have almost lost their traditional ways. The Missionaries have taught them to wear clothes and ear modern food. “It is very sad to see our people change their ways so much,” says Fellipe. “Now I’m not sure we could even survive in the jungle, it feels like we are doomed to the modern world.” (George, 2012)
The loss of cultural diversity is something that a lot of the people of Colombia are concerned about. They think that they are slowly being changed into the way the rest of the modern world has become. I think that it is almost inevitable that the traditional cultures in Colombia will one day cease to exist.
According to the Scientific American, the Barasana people of the Northwest Amazon of Colombia believe that man and nature are one. In 1991 the Colombian government granted the Indian people of the Northwest Amazon legal land rights to as area the size of the U.K. The Barasana have experienced a powerful rebirth since then and they are considered to be one of the lucky ones. The Nukak Maku community wasn’t so lucky. According to The Guardian, they were driven out of the normal territory that they were able to be hunters and gathers on and were forced to go to an area that didn’t have the resources that they needed to survive. The government eventually came into help and organized and developed rations for them. However, these weren’t sufficient. They often forget to bring the rations and sometimes they weren’t enough. Also according to The Guardian, since the Nukak Maku community left the jungle, they have almost lost their traditional ways. The Missionaries have taught them to wear clothes and ear modern food. “It is very sad to see our people change their ways so much,” says Fellipe. “Now I’m not sure we could even survive in the jungle, it feels like we are doomed to the modern world.” (George, 2012)
The loss of cultural diversity is something that a lot of the people of Colombia are concerned about. They think that they are slowly being changed into the way the rest of the modern world has become. I think that it is almost inevitable that the traditional cultures in Colombia will one day cease to exist.
![Picture](/uploads/2/3/8/1/23812591/2021406.png)
Boy in the Barasana community.
![Picture](/uploads/2/3/8/1/23812591/5887094.png)
Boy of the Nakak Maku community.
Colombian Food
In Colombia, there is wide diversity in the food due to the wide diversity in the people. There are exotic dishes like roasted ants (homiga culona), guinea pig, and fried intestines (chunchillos), as well as comfort foods like arepas and chicken soup (sancocho de gallina). The Colombian food can be related to the Mexican cuisine. They are a lot of similarities in the ways that they cook the foods.
Colombian Natilla
![Picture](/uploads/2/3/8/1/23812591/5933927.png)
Ingredients:
1/2 gallon milk
1 pound panela
2 Mexican cinnamon sticks
1/2 pound corn starch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup shredded coconut
Ground cinnamon, for garnish
Directions:
1. In a medium to large size pot pour in 4 cups of milk, the panela, and cinnamon sticks.
2. Bring heat to medium low and melt the panela. When foam forms on the top, removes and discard with a spoon,
3. While panela melts, in a seperate bowl whisk together remainder of milk and cornstarch until smooth.
4. Remove the cinnamon sticks and discard. Pour the cornstarch mixture in with the panela mixture and stir continuously for 20-25 minutes or until the mixture is very thick (it will be hard to stir).
5. Turn heat to low and stir in the unsalted butter, raisins, and shredded coconut. Cook for 5 minutes while stirring.
6. Pour mixture into a pre-greased baking dish and top with a thin layer of ground cinnamon. Let cool completely.
7. Once cooled, place in the refrigerator and let chill at least 1 hour before serving.
Source:
http://www.thelatinkitchen.com/recipe/colombian-natilla
1/2 gallon milk
1 pound panela
2 Mexican cinnamon sticks
1/2 pound corn starch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup shredded coconut
Ground cinnamon, for garnish
Directions:
1. In a medium to large size pot pour in 4 cups of milk, the panela, and cinnamon sticks.
2. Bring heat to medium low and melt the panela. When foam forms on the top, removes and discard with a spoon,
3. While panela melts, in a seperate bowl whisk together remainder of milk and cornstarch until smooth.
4. Remove the cinnamon sticks and discard. Pour the cornstarch mixture in with the panela mixture and stir continuously for 20-25 minutes or until the mixture is very thick (it will be hard to stir).
5. Turn heat to low and stir in the unsalted butter, raisins, and shredded coconut. Cook for 5 minutes while stirring.
6. Pour mixture into a pre-greased baking dish and top with a thin layer of ground cinnamon. Let cool completely.
7. Once cooled, place in the refrigerator and let chill at least 1 hour before serving.
Source:
http://www.thelatinkitchen.com/recipe/colombian-natilla