Introduction
Colombia is a vast
country in northwestern South America.
The fourth largest country in South America and one of the continent's most populous nations, Colombia has substantial oil reserves and is a major producer of gold, silver, emeralds, platinum and coal. Colombia is the fourth largest economy in Latin America. However, the country's income and wealth are unevenly distributed.
Colombia was the first constitutional government in South America and the
Liberal and Conservative parties, founded in 1848 and 1849 respectively, are
two of the oldest surviving political parties in the Americas.
It has been ravaged by decades-long violent conflict involving outlawed armed groups, drug cartels and gross violations of human rights, although since 2002, the country has made some progress towards improving security.
Colombia is very
ethnically diverse, with interaction between descendants of the original
native inhabitants, the Spanish colonialists, Africans brought as slaves and
immigrants from Europe and the Middle East. Its territory was originally
inhabited by indigenous people including the Muisca and Tairona. The Spanish
arrived in 1499 and initiated a period of conquest and colonization.
The Colombian society is a highly stratified society and the traditionally rich families of Spanish descent have benefited from this wealth to a far greater degree than the majority of the mixed-race population. With few avenues for social mobility, this provided a natural constituency for left-wing insurgents. A vast percentage of its population is poor and socially emarginated. Yet, there is a sense in Colombian society of the need to garantee the rights of all its citizen to food security, health and education.
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