Before the Spanish conquest, Chibcha, sub-Andean, and Caribbean peoples inhabited Colombia, all of whom lived in organized agriculturally based communities. Cattle raising and mixed agriculture are the traditional economic activities among these group. These groups were found in one of the most favorable locations for the growth of civilization which was the high plateau in the Cordillera Oriental of the Colombian Andes Large-scale commercial farming, especially of rice, cotton, and bananas, has been very successful in the area of Colombia. The Chibcha, sub-Andean, and Caribbean people were all characterized by intensive agriculture, fairly dense populations living in villages, organized religion, class divisions, and some form of a political system.
One of the reasons that people settled in Colombia is because there is such a wide variety in climates and topography in such a small area that it offers a bunch of different soil types. Colombia has the Andes Mountains in the north as well as a rainforest. Colombia also has a desert like region that doesn't get more than 30 inches of rain fall annually. With all of the different climates, it brings different types of soils. With all of the different types of soils, it brings a lot of different types of plants. The crops that are produced range from bananas and sugarcane to wheat, barley, and potatoes. With Colombia being a coastal country, early settlers were able to use the Caribbean as an excellent fishing resource.
The diverse terrain of Colombia is something that for sure draw the early settlers to the area. This terrain, however, could be very challenging. Two of the main types of climates that are present in Colombia is the rainforest and the Andes mountains. These two areas couldn't be more different not only in the way that they look, but also by the types of weather that they receive. Obviously the rainforest, receives a lot of rain. This makes the soil of the rainforests very rich in nutrients and makes it a desirable place to grow crops. In the mountains, there is also some soil that is good for certain crops. The mountains, however, make it hard to farm large quantities there. The rugged terrain of the mountains can also make it difficult for people to live there because of the risk of rock and mud slides.
One of the reasons that people settled in Colombia is because there is such a wide variety in climates and topography in such a small area that it offers a bunch of different soil types. Colombia has the Andes Mountains in the north as well as a rainforest. Colombia also has a desert like region that doesn't get more than 30 inches of rain fall annually. With all of the different climates, it brings different types of soils. With all of the different types of soils, it brings a lot of different types of plants. The crops that are produced range from bananas and sugarcane to wheat, barley, and potatoes. With Colombia being a coastal country, early settlers were able to use the Caribbean as an excellent fishing resource.
The diverse terrain of Colombia is something that for sure draw the early settlers to the area. This terrain, however, could be very challenging. Two of the main types of climates that are present in Colombia is the rainforest and the Andes mountains. These two areas couldn't be more different not only in the way that they look, but also by the types of weather that they receive. Obviously the rainforest, receives a lot of rain. This makes the soil of the rainforests very rich in nutrients and makes it a desirable place to grow crops. In the mountains, there is also some soil that is good for certain crops. The mountains, however, make it hard to farm large quantities there. The rugged terrain of the mountains can also make it difficult for people to live there because of the risk of rock and mud slides.
Here are so additional resources about Colombia's early settlement:
Colombia History
Princeton- Colombia's History
Colombia History
Princeton- Colombia's History
The map to the left is a map of the land use in the country of Columbia.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Colombia
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Colombia
The picture to the left is of all the different products that they produce and the locations where they are produced.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Colombia_econ_1970.jpg
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Colombia_econ_1970.jpg
Population:
Today the population of Columbia today is 47.7 million people. With this population 75.3% live in urban areas and the remaining 24.7% live in the rural areas.
Today the population of Columbia today is 47.7 million people. With this population 75.3% live in urban areas and the remaining 24.7% live in the rural areas.
Colombia on Dipity.
The graph to the right is of the population in Colombia in the 1950's. This map also shows a slope of the ages of the people in the country. You can see the the peak of the slope is at the ages of 80-84 years old.
This is a graph of the population in 2010 for Colombia. You can see that the people of Colombia are living longer than they did in 1950. You can also see that the population has nearly quadrupled since 1950.