Think Colombia is all about drugs and guerrilla warfare? Think again! Here’s ten surprising facts about this wonderfully diverse country:
- There are 80 different indigenous nations in Colombia, speaking 180 languages
- Colombia has the world’s greatest diversity of orchid species (3,500) and birds (1,754 species)
- Tourism in Colombia rose 48 percent between 2005 and 2006; in the first six months of 2011, it increased 14.3 percent from 2010
- Colombia has 3,208 km (1,993 miles) of Pacific and Caribbean coastline – home to some of the most gorgeous beaches on the continent
- Colombia has one of the highest rates of economic growth in Latin America
Colombia has the world's largest species of birds (Buff-tailed Coronet 101204 by Langham Birder)
- Colombia is the second biggest producer of coffee in the world (after Brazil), providing 12 percent of the world’s coffee.
- Ninety-five percent of the world’s emeralds come from Colombia
- Colombia’s Pacific coast is home to the golden dart frog; one gram of its poison is enough to kill about 15,000 humans
- Football is Colombia’s most popular sport; the national football team has been to the FIFA World Cup playoffs four times.
- Ants, worms, cows udder and guinea pig are all part of the Colombian cuisine
Colombia is the second biggest producer of coffee in the world (Reserve coffee farm in Colombia by Katie Fallon Virgina Tech University)
Find out more about Colombia in VIVA’s new Colombia Adventure Guide, available in a variety of e-book applications directly from VIVA, as well as in print format from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.
