TOEFL Test Centers in Colombia

EDU February 16, 2019

Columbia Overview

Colombia is a republic in northwestern South America with the capital Bogotá. The president occupies a strong position in parliamentary democracy. In the west the country is crossed by the Andes, in the east and south-east there are wet savannahs and rainforest on. The climate is tropical. Over half of the population are descendants of Spanish conquerors and Indians, one fifth are white (mostly of Spanish origin), and 14% are descendants of Europeans and Africans. There are also the minorities of blacks, zambos (descendants of Indians and blacks) and Indians. The rural exodus has been increasing for decades. The causes are the unequal distribution of land and bloody clashes between the state power and guerrilla organizations and drug trafficking cartels. Today around 80% of the population live in cities. There are not enough jobs and living space for these immigrants; the slums are growing there. Most Colombians are Catholic, followed by Protestants. Spanish language and literature, The architecture and art of the Spanish colonizers dominate the country’s culture. The area was discovered and settled by Spaniards in 1499. After fighting against the Spanish colonial rulers, Colombia gained independence in 1819. During the 19th and 20th Century there were clashes between conservatives and liberals, which culminated in a civil war 1938-58. Since the 1980s, the fight against drug-related crime, rebel groups and human rights violations has dominated political life.In 2016, between the government and the rebel group » FARC «concluded a peace agreement. Colombia is one of the most important coffee producers in the world. The Andean state is also the largest producer of the drug cocaine extracted from the cocoa bush. The country has a close relationship with the USA. Relations with neighboring Venezuela are tense.

Country facts

• Official name: Republic of Colombia
• License plate: CO
• ISO-3166: CO, COL (170)
• Internet domain:.co
• Currency: 1 Colombian peso (kol $) = 100 centavos
• Area: 1,141,749 km²
• Population (2018): 49.6 million
• Capital: Bogotá
• Official language (s): Spanish
• Form of government: Presidential Republic
• Administrative division: 32 departments and capital district
• Head of State: President Iván Duque (since August 7, 2018)
• Religion (s): Christians (Catholics; Protestants)
• Time zone: Central European Time –6 hours
• National holiday: July 20th

Location and infrastructure

• Location (geographical): South America
• Position (coordinates): between 12 ° 31 ‘north and 4 ° 13’ south latitude and 66 ° 51 ‘and 79 ° 21’ west longitude
• Climate: On the Pacific coast and in the eastern lowlands, a tropical rainforest climate, in the north a savanna climate, in the high valleys of the Cordilleras a winter-dry subtropical climate
• Highest mountain: Pico Cristóbal Colón (5,775 m)
• Road network (2016): 206,500 km
• Railway network (2015): 2,141 km

Population

• Annual population growth (2018): 1.6%
• Birth rate (2018): 25.3 per 1000 residents.
• Death rate (2018): 7.1 per 1,000 residents.
• Average age (2018): 20.2 years
• Average life expectancy (2018): 64.9 years (men 62.6; women 67.4)
• Age structure (2018): 38.5% younger than 15 years, 4% older than 65 years
• Literacy rate (15 year olds and older) (2016): 95%
• Mobile phone contracts (pre-paid and post-paid) (2017): 114 per 100 residents
• Internet users (2017): 50 per 100 residents

Economy

• GDP per capita (2017): US $ 6,273
• Total GDP (2017): US $ 309 billion
• GNI per capita (2017): US $ 14,400
• Education expenditure (2014): 4.7% of GDP
• Military expenditure (2018): 3.5% of GDP
• Unemployment rate (15 years and older) (2016): 8.5%