Colombia has been home to many indigenous peoples and cultures since at least 12,000 BCE. The Spanish first landed in La Guajira in 1499, and by the mid-16th century, they had colonized much of present-day Colombia, and established the New Kingdom of Granada, with Santa Fé de Bogotá as its capital. Independence from the Spanish Empire was achieved in 1819, with what is now Colombia emerging as the United Provinces of New Granada. The new polity experimented with federalism as the Granadine Confederation (1858) and then the United States of Colombia (1863), before becoming a republic—the current Republic of Colombia—in 1886. With the backing of the United States and France, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903, resulting in Colombia's present borders. Beginning in the 1960s, the country has suffered from an asymmetric low-intensity armed conflict and political violence, both of which escalated in the 1990s. Since 2005, there has been significant improvement in security, stability, and rule of law, as well as unprecedented economic growth and development. Colombia is recognized for its healthcare system, being the best healthcare in Latin America according to the World Health Organization and 22nd in the world. Its diversified economy is the third-largest in South America, with macroeconomic stability and favorable long-term growth prospects.
The Eastern Hills (Spanish: Cerros Orientales) are a chain of hills forming the eastern natural boundary of the Colombian capital Bogotá. They are part of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, the high plateau of the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The Eastern Hills are bordered by the Chingaza National Natural Park to the east, the Bogotá savanna to the west and north, and the Sumapaz Páramo to the south. The north-northeast to south-southwest trending mountain chain is 52 kilometres (32 mi) long and its width varies from 0.4 to 8 kilometres (0.25 to 4.97 mi). The highest hilltops rise to 3,600 metres (11,800 ft) over the western flatlands at 2,600 metres (8,500 ft). The Torca River at the border with Chía in the north, the boquerón (wide opening) Chipaque to the south and the valley of the Teusacá River to the east are the hydrographic limits of the Eastern Hills.
Geologically, the Eastern Hills are the result of the westward compression along the Bogotá Fault, that thrusted the lower Upper Cretaceous rocks of the Chipaque Formation and Guadalupe Group onto the latest Cretaceous to Eocene sequence of the Guaduas, Bogotá, Cacho and Regadera Formations. The fold and thrust belt of the Eastern Hills was produced by the Andean orogeny with the main phase of tectonic compression and uplift taking place in the Pliocene. During the Pleistocene, the Eastern Hills were covered by glaciers feeding a large paleolake (Lake Humboldt) that existed on the Bogotá savanna and is represented today by the many wetlands of Bogotá. (Full article...)
"Volví a Nacer" ("I Was Born Again") is a song written and performed by Colombian recording artist Carlos Vives and co-produced by Andrés Castro. Following an international hiatus, it was released as the lead single from his thirteenth studio album Corazón Profundo (2013) on September 24, 2012. The song's lyrics are in Spanish and were inspired by the events of his music career as well as his wife Claudia Elena Vásquez. It is described by Vives as a romantic song with elements of Colombian vallenato and pop music.
"Volví a Nacer" was both a critical and commercial success where it peaked at number one in Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, and on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in the United States. The song was well received by critics who described it as the best track on the album. The success of the song led to Vives winning six Nuestra Tierra awards in his home country and two Latin Grammys for Song of the Year and Best Tropical Song. The music video for the song was directed by Carlos Pérez and filmed in Mexico. (Full article...)
... that Colombian singer Juanita Lascarro became a soprano at the Oper Frankfurt, where she appeared as both Calypso and Penelope in a new production of Dallapiccola's Ulisse?
... that Colombian-born Susan Bernal is developing new cements that can reduce the substantial CO2 emissions currently caused by concrete?
... that Encanto character Bruno Madrigal was originally named Oscar, but his name was changed due to the number of real-life Oscar Madrigals in Colombia?
... that in local Afro-Colombian and Catholic tradition, residents of Guapi sing and dance while sailing the Virgin Mary down their coconut-candlelit river to church every Christmas Eve?
... that none of the actors in Poppy Garden, a film depicting a father and son's struggle for survival during the Colombian conflict, had previously acted in a film?
General images
The following are images from various Colombia-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 2Cutlet "Valluna", a typical dish of the Valle del Cauca region of Colombia and the Afro-Colombian culture of the area near the Pacífic Ocean. It includes a milanesa, usually prepared with a lean pork loin beef or chicken can also be used. Traditional accompaniments include rice, sliced tomatoes, onions, chopped fried plantains or fries and a drink called "Lulada" made with lulo fruit, water and sugar (from Culture of Colombia)
Image 3The Teatro de Cristóbal Colón (The Christopher Columbus Theatre), also known as the "Teatro Colón", is located in Bogotá, Colombia and it is the nation's National Theatre. (from Culture of Colombia)
Image 28The PastoLacquer is a decorative handicraft of precolumbian origin, that uses a type of natural rubber (the resin of the Mopa-mopa tree, Elavagia pastoensis Mora) which is colored and then stretched over woodwork pieces. (from Colombian handicrafts)
Image 30The main leader of the Muisca on the Bogotá savanna at the time of conquest was Tisquesusa. He led numerous efforts to resist Spanish invasion but was eventually killed in battle. His nephew. Sagipa. succeeded him and soon submitted to the conquistadors. (from History of Colombia)
Source: Wills, Fernando; et al. (2001). Nuestro patrimonio – 100 tesoros de Colombia [Our heritage – 100 treasures of Colombia] (in Spanish). El Tiempo. pp. 1–311. ISBN958-8089-16-6.
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List of Colombian departments by elevation - A comprehensive list, like the equivalent article for the U.S., should include each department's high point, low point, the elevation range between the highest point and lowest point, and the average elevation.