Major Cities: Bogotá (4,300,000; Greater Bogotá, 6,080,000), Medellín (3,290,000), Cali (1,870,000), Barranquilla (1,358,800 population), and Cartagena (925,600). Major Cities: Bogotá (4,300,000; Greater Bogotá, 6,080,000), Medellín (3,290,000), Cali (1,870,000), Barranquilla (1,358,800 population), and Cartagena (925,600).

Independence: July 20, 1810, from Spain. Independence: July 20, 1810, from Spain.

Public Holidays: Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day) (January 1), Día de los Reyes Magos (Epiphany) (January 6*), Día de San José (St. Joseph’s Day) (March 19), Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday) and Viernes Santo (Holy Friday) (variable dates in March or April), Primero de Mayo (Labor Day) (May 1), Ascension (May 20*), Corpus Christi (June 10*), Sagrado Corazón (Sacred Heart) (June 18*), San Pedro y San Pablo (Saint Peter and Saint Paul) (June 29*), Independence Day (July 20), Battle of Boyacá (August 7), La Asunción (Assumption) (August 15*), Día de la Raza (Columbus Day) (October 12), All Saints’ Day (November 1*), Independence of Cartagena City (November 11*), La Inmaculada Concepción (Immaculate Conception) (December 8), and Navidad (Christmas Day) (December 25). Note: * Movable holiday: when they do not fall on a Monday, these holidays are observed the following Monday.Note: * Movable holiday: when they do not fall on a Monday, these holidays are observed the following Monday.Public Holidays: Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day) (January 1), Día de los Reyes Magos (Epiphany) (January 6*), Día de San José (St. Joseph’s Day) (March 19), Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday) and Viernes Santo (Holy Friday) (variable dates in March or April), Primero de Mayo (Labor Day) (May 1), Ascension (May 20*), Corpus Christi (June 10*), Sagrado Corazón (Sacred Heart) (June 18*), San Pedro y San Pablo (Saint Peter and Saint Paul) (June 29*), Independence Day (July 20), Battle of Boyacá (August 7), La Asunción (Assumption) (August 15*), Día de la Raza (Columbus Day) (October 12), All Saints’ Day (November 1*), Independence of Cartagena City (November 11*), La Inmaculada Concepción (Immaculate Conception) (December 8), and Navidad (Christmas Day) (December 25).

Flag: Flag:

Three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double-width), blue, and red. Three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double-width), blue, and red.

-- The U'wa nation has rejected a call from the Colombian government to participate in a ...

Coalcorp Announces Commencement of Normal Course Issuer Bid  -  24 Oct 2006
Canada NewsWire (press release),...interests in the La Francia and La Caypa coal mines and related infrastructure projects and a number of coal exploration properties, all located in Colombia. ...

Colombia increases police presence in zone formerly intended for ...  -  Oct 22, 2006
International Herald Tribune,AP. BOGOTA, Colombia A remote zone in southwest Colombia, once a proposed safe haven for negotiations with rebels, was teaming with police Sunday after the ...

Microsoft to Offer Training in Colombia  -  Oct 22, 2006
Bismarck Tribune,By JOSHUA GOODMAN. BOGOTA, Colombia - Microsoft Corp. has agreed to donate more than $300,000 to open computer centers where former ...

Interlink Global to alter IP Metro purchase deal in Colombia  -  Oct 23, 2006
Telecom Paper (subscription),US firm Interlink Global aims to alter the deal whereby it will acquire Colombia-based IP Metro, reports Portafolio. The deal will ...

Microsoft trains Colombia ex-paramilitaries  -  Oct 22, 2006
PC Advisor,Former paramilitary fighters in Colombia may be able to shoot a gun far better than they can fire off an email. But that could soon ...

Ecuador rejects harboring Colombia's rebel chief  -  Oct 20, 2006
People's Daily Online,Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Francisco Carrion on Friday denied that the chief of Colombia's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia ...

Microsoft to offer training in Colombia  -  Oct 20, 2006
BusinessWeek..."The fact an American company is willing to support Colombia's peace process in such an enduring way sends a powerful message to Colombia's business community ...

Colombia's Uribe orders rescue of rebel hostages  -  Oct 20, 2006
Washington Post,BOGOTA, Colombia (Reuters) - Colombia's president, upset over a bombing he blamed on leftist rebels, broke off efforts on Friday to organize a prisoner swap ...

Colombia's president blames rebels for car bombing  -  Oct 20, 2006
CNN InternationalBOGOTA, Colombia (AP) -- President Alvaro Uribe on Friday withdrew his offer to negotiate a humanitarian prisoner exchange with leftist rebels after blaming ...

Colombia's Uribe orders rescue of rebel hostages  -  Oct 20, 2006
Reuters AlertNet,BOGOTA, Colombia, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Colombia's president, upset over a bombing he blamed on leftist rebels, on Friday broke off efforts to organize a prisoner ...

Colombia prisoner swap off after blast  -  Oct 20, 2006
Aljazeera.net,Colombia's president has called off a planned prisoner exchange with guerrilla fighters and ordered the military to rescue hostages held in the jungle after a ...

Colombia Blames Rebels for Car Bombing  -  Oct 20, 2006
Forbes,...on Friday withdrew his offer to negotiate a humanitarian prisoner exchange with leftist rebels after blaming the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia for a ...

Microsoft Trains Colombia Ex-aramilitaries ... in IT  -  Oct 20, 2006
CIO,Former paramilitary fighters in Colombia may be able to shoot a gun far better than they can fire off an e-mail, but that could soon change thanks to a new ...

More countries line up for Obudu Mountain Race  -  Oct 22, 2006
AND,We have athletes from New Zealand, USA, Colombia, Australia, Czech Republic, South Africa, Austria and Kenya among others are confirmed for the race.The ...

Microsoft to offer training in Colombia  -  Oct 20, 2006
Hemscott,BOGOTA, Colombia (AFX) - Microsoft Corp. has agreed to donate more than $300,000 to open computer centers where former paramilitary ...

Colombia orders military rescue of hostages  -  Oct 20, 2006
ABC Regional Online,Colombia's president has broken off efforts to organise a prisoner swap and ordered the military to rescue hostages held by guerrillas in secret jungle camps. ...

Uribe blames FARC for Colombia bombing  -  Oct 20, 2006
Market-Day.net,BOGOTA, Colombia, Oct. ... Thursday's blast was blamed on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, the country's largest rebel group. ...

Colombia's President Uribe blames rebels for car bombing  -  Oct 20, 2006
China Post,BOGOTA, Colombia, AP. President Alvaro Uribe on Friday withdrew his offer to negotiate a humanitarian prisoner exchange with leftist ...

Colombia blames rebels for car bombing  -  Oct 20, 2006
Jordan Falls News,BOGOTA, Colombia - President Alvaro Uribe on Friday withdrew his offer to negotiate a humanitarian prisoner exchange with leftist rebels after blaming the ...

Cuba Hosts Colombia Govt-Army Talk  -  Oct 21, 2006
Prensa Latina,Granma added that the civil society and the commission of guarantors sent an entourage of figures who always attend the talks in Colombia.

A Military Rescue of Hostages in Colombia  -  Oct 21, 2006
Diario las AmÃ©ricas,Many decades ago, perhaps more than many might remember, violence began making inroads into the noble Colombian nation which have seriously interrupted the ...

Colombia Prez Bilks Peace Talks  -  Oct 20, 2006
Prensa Latina,In his speech at the Superior Military Academy, where a car bomb on Thursday left 23 wounded, Uribe held FARC responsible and rescinded his authorization to ...

Colombia Flower Industry Faces Shocks  -  Oct 18, 2006
Guardian Unlimited,FACATATIVA, Colombia (AP) - When workers at Colombia's largest flower grower organized themselves into a union a few years ago, they won protections against ...

In Colombia, a Dubious Disarmament  -  Oct 16, 2006
Washington Post,BARRANCABERMEJA, Colombia -- In the midst of a relentless conflict, Colombia's government and its ally, the Bush administration, are hailing the demobilization ...

This series of profiles of foreign nations is part of the Country Studies Program, formerly the Army Area Handbook Program. The profiles offer brief, summarized information on a country’s historical background, geography, society, economy, transportation and telecommunications, government and politics, and national security. In addition to being featured in the front matter of published Country Studies, they are now being prepared as stand-alone reference aides for all countries in the series, as well as for a number of additional countries of interest. The profiles offer reasonably current country information independent of the existence of a recently published Country Study and will be updated annually or more frequently as events warrant.

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