Colombia
... population of 6.1 million, Medellin and Cali, having two million people each, and Barranquilla, with a population of one million. Colombia is a democratic republic with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Their government is very similar to ours. The presidents are elected into office by direct vote for a four year term. Colombia is mainly an agricultural nation which mostly depends on coffee. A fourth of the land is used for agricultural purposes. They are the world’s second largest producers of coffee. Other contributors to the Colombian economy are cattle, fishing, mining, and the exporting of bananas, sugarcane, and fresh cut flowers. Colombia is also a huge drug capital in the world. There are many drug wars in Bogotá and Medellin. They are a main supplier to many countries. Because of Colombia’s uneven landscape, ships are an important mode of transportation. Other ways to get around are the National Railway System network, which is 2,100 miles long, air travel, or by driving the nearly 68,000 miles of road. Colombia’s population descends from three main racial groups: Indian, African, and Spanish - European. According to the national census bureau the estimated ethnic population is almost forty million: 58% mestizo (Indian - Spanish), 20% Caucasian, 14% mulatto, 75% African, and 1% Indian. Many ethnic groups are found in scattered clusters, isolated from other ethnic groups, in remote areas. The indigenous Indian groups west of the Magdalena River were nearly wiped out by the Spaniards in the sixteenth century. Those that survived live in small groups and keep to themselves. The indigenous Indian culture in modern Colombia evolved from the Quimbaya, Chibcha, and Carib groups. Colombian society uses the class system - upper, middle, and lower class. Caucasians hold the highest positions in government and business in Colombian society because during colonial times, fair skin was associated with being Spanish and was considered high status. In the streets of many Colombian towns you can see all kinds of people, from dressed up office workers to street vendors. Colombia doesn’t spend a whole lot of money on education, but the education is free, and is available...