Colombia :: essays research papers

ColombiaClimateThe climate, however, varies with the elevation. The low regions along the coastand the deep Pata and Magdalena river valleys atomic number 18 torrid, with mean annualtemperatures of 75 to 80 F. From intimately 1500 to 7500 ft the climate issubtropical, and from about 7500 to 10,000 ft it is temperate. Above about10,000 ft is the cold-climate zone, where temperatures range from 0 to 55 F.The amount January and July temperatures in Bogot are 58 F and 57 F,respectively. The averages for the same months in Barranquilla are 80 F and 82F. Throughout the course of study, three-month periods of rain and prohibitionist weather alternate.Along the Pacific coast precipitation is heavy. At Bogot the annual rainfallaverages about 40 in, and in Barranquilla it averages about 32 in. ironic weatherprevails on the slopes of the Eastern Cordillera.GovernmentColombia has a Republican mold of government. Colombia has a chair who iselected by popular vote. He is chosen by any man or woman 18 geezerhood or older.The president can serve one four year term. He appoints a cabinet which has tobe approved by congress. sexual intercourse is composed of a House of Representatives(199 members) and a Senate (112 members).Land AreaThe entire land area of the country is 440,831 sq. mi. The capital and largestcity is Bogota.Population Characteristics, Religion, and languageThe population of Colombia (1993 estimate) was 34,942,767, giving the country anoverall population density of about 79 per sq. mi. About 95 share of thepeople are papist Catholics. Small Protestant and Jewish minorities exist. Theofficial language of Colombia is Spanish. The racial composition of the Colombianpopulation is diversified. About half the people are ladino (of mixed Spanishand Native American ancestry), about 20 percent are of unmixed European ancestry,and about 14 percent are mulatto (of mixed black and white ancestry). Theremaining 8 percent is do up of blacks, Native Americans , and people of mixedrace.HistoryIn 1538 Spanish conquistadors founded New Granada. In 1717 Bogota became thecapital of the Viceroyalty of New Granada which consisted of present-dayColombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. In 1819 Simon Bolivar defeatedSpanish troops near Bogota and became the first president of the new republic ofGran Colombia.CurrencyThe basic unit of property is the Colombian peso (829 pesos equal U.S.$1 1994).