For a Good Education

Education in Colombia comprehends the formal and non-formal education. Formal education is composed of nursery school, elementary school, high school, and technical instruction and college education. The basic goal expected for the average citizen is of 11 grades (elementary school and mid highschool). The covering of basic education for the state institutions is about 50%. The private institutions cover the other 50% and most of the technical and university formation, due to the scarcity of public resources destined to education.

Elementary School

Elementary school last 5 years and is meant to provide the basic skills to achieve non-qualified jobs. Primary education is free and complulsory for two years for children between 6 and 12 years of age. The net primary enrollment (percentage of relevant age-group) in 2001 was 86.7 percent. The completion rate (percentage of age-group) for children attending elementary school (primaria) in 2001 totaled 89.5 percent. In many rural areas, teachers are poorly qualified, and only five years of primary school are offered.
Due to the insufficiency of the existing institutions to accomplish the full coverage of the children population, the public education system has adopted the "automatic promotion" as standard practice (Decreto 230 de 2002), meaning that the children are promoted to the next grade no matter the achievement of goals, with the purpose to avoid extra years of occupancy in the schools.

High School

Secondary education is divided in basic secondary (grades 6th to 9th) and mid secondary (grades 10th and 11th). Net secondary enrollment in 2001 was 53.5 percent. School life expectancy in 2001 was 11.1 years.
In order to access college or technical education, highschool students must take the statal test "pruebas de estado" provided by Instituto Colombiano Para El Fomento de la Educación Superior - ICFES.

College Education

Superior education is divided into under-graduate degrees and post-graduate degrees and is regulated by the 30th law of 1992. Most of the university degrees are 5 years long. Technical formation usually lasts 3 years. Post-graduate education includes masters degrees and PhD.

Shakira

Shakira is one of the most representative artists of the country, winning several international awards at the music.

hips don`t lie

Ladies up in here tonight

No fighting, no fighting

We got the refugees up in here

No fighting, no fighting

Shakira, Shakira

I never really knew that she could dance like this

She makes a man wants to speak Spanish

Como se llama, bonita, mi casa, su casa

Shakira, Shakira

Oh baby when you talk like that

You make a woman go mad

So be wise and keep on

Reading the signs of my body

And I'm on tonight

You know my hips don't lie

And I'm starting to feel it's right

All the attraction, the tension

Don't you see baby, this is perfection

Hey Girl, I can see your body moving

And it's driving me crazy

And I didn't have the slightest idea

Until I saw you dancing

And when you walk up on the dance floor

Nobody cannot ignore the way you move your body, girl

And everything so unexpected - the way you right and left it

So you can keep on taking it

I never really knew that she could dance like this

She makes a man want to speak Spanish

Como se llama, bonita, mi casa, su casa

Shakira, Shakira

Oh baby when you talk like that

You make a woman go mad

So be wise and keep on

Reading the signs of my body

And I'm on tonight

You know my hips don't lie

And I am starting to feel you boy

Come on lets go, real slow

Don't you see baby asi es perfecto

Oh I know I am on tonight my hips don't lie

And I am starting to feel it's right

All the attraction, the tension

Don't you see baby, this is perfection

Shakira, Shakira

Oh boy, I can see your body moving

Half animal, half man

I don't, don't really know what I'm doing

But you seem to have a plan

My will and self restraint

Have come to fail now, fail now

See, I am doing what I can, but I can't so you know

That's a bit too hard to explain

Baila en la calle de noche

Baila en la calle de día

Baila en la calle de noche

Baila en la calle de día

I never really knew that she could dance like this

She makes a man want to speak Spanish

Como se llama, bonita, mi casa, su casa

Shakira, Shakira

Oh baby when you talk like that

You know you got me hypnotized

So be wise and keep on

Reading the signs of my body

Senorita, feel the conga, let me see you move

like you come from Colombia

Mira en Barranquilla se baila así, say it!

Mira en Barranquilla se baila así

Yeah

She's so sexy every man's fantasy a refugee like me

back with the Fugees from a 3rd world country

I go back like when 'pac carried crates for Humpty Humpty

I need a whole club dizzy

Why the CIA wanna watch us?

Colombians and Haitians

I ain't guilty, it's a musical transaction

No more do we snatch ropes

Refugees run the seas 'cause we own our own boats

I'm on tonight, my hips don't lie

And I'm starting to feel you boy

Come on let's go, real slow

Baby, like this is perfecto

Oh, you know I am on tonight and my hips don't lie

And I am starting to feel it's right

The attraction, the tension

Baby, like this is perfection

No fighting

No fighting

Tourism in Colombia

Tourism in Colombia is regulated within the functions of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of the Government of Colombia, sometimes in association with the implementation of politics of the Ministries of Culture and Finance to promote the country's economy and employment generation Colombian society.

One of the most desired places to go on a trip are:

Cartagena de Indias

It was declared "World Heritage", and here are just a few sights of the many castles and churches have. The main entrance to the stone yard, as they call the Colombian people, and historical center is the Clock Tower or Boca Bridge, built over the wall in the nineteenth century out of the tower wall overlooks the Gethsemane and neighborhood Muelle de los Pegasos; to within this is the Plaza de los Coches. The square is surrounded by houses with wooden balconies and is presided over by a statue of Pedro de Heredia. Amurrallada Within the city there are many buildings that were important during the colonial era and the Casa del Marquez Real Prize, Customs House, Church and Convent of San Pedro, built in the seventeenth century by the Jesuits and where the remains of Peter Claver, one of the advocates of the black population. There are also the current Mayor building and the Museum of Modern Art, where exhibitions of Colombian artists.

Santa Marta

The features of Santa Marta named the Pearl of America, named Father Antonio Julián on eighteenth century. Its beaches are white sand and calm waters are many.In Santa Marta, the tourist apart from its historic center, including what is properly the village, the town of El Rodadero, national parks, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the area south through Colorado to get Wells a swamp. The massif of the Sierra Nevada creates a number of rivers and natural environments ranging from dry forest to tropical rain forests that allow ecotourism. The Tourism Promotion Fund of Santa Marta in line, uses the slogan The magic of it all. It also has places like Reef, Playa Blanca, Punta de Betín, Quebrada Valencia, Ciudad Perdida, Parque Nacional Tayrona, Taganga, Neguange Concha Bay.

San Andres y Providencia

The Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina is one of the most beautiful destinations in the Caribbean. The Department's main attractions are: Hole blower. La Loma Baptist Church Islets of Johnny Cay, Cay Aquarium, Haynes Cay Crab Cay Cayo Bolivar. Barrio de San Luis, where most of the native islander population lives, Morgan Cave, Big Lagoon Pond, Port of The Cove, National Natural Park Old Providence, McBean Lagoon, The Pick a place that offers a superview of the Caribbean Sea, Morgan's Head on Santa Catalina Island.

San Andrés offers a charming night, famous for calypso music, reggae and socca and cocktails of rum and coconut, this means that visitors can enjoy an excellent night life style of the island, which also gives you choice of places to have an unforgettable night.

Sports..

Colombia is a country very sporting teams and has representatives in every one of the most played sports in the world, though the sport is most widely practiced and is more common in this country is football, this is done through a cup called so far the mustang and a second glass cup called the cup Colombia.
in Colombia involves 18 professional teams and each semester there is a champion.

The Colombian team in the category of 17 years has reached the 4 spot in the world that have been made while other categories have not suffered the same fate.

Colombia has been a champion of the Copa America, being local in this tournament for that year

In international tournaments Atletico Nacional of Medellin and Once Caldas de Manizales have become champions of the Libertadores Cup in 1989 and 2004 respectively thus giving joy to Colombian futbol

Holidays and Festivals

Colombia has many festivals, is held nearly all, every city has a major celebration, colombians are very happy.

The celebrations more foreigners are known to the Carnival of Barranquilla and the Feria de las Flores.

Other important festivals are Carnival of White and Black, the Cali Fair, the Feria de Manizales, corralejas the holidays, celebrations of the sea and the national beauty reign.

Colombia General Information

Colombia is located in northern South America and due to its location in the tropics has great rivers, forests, lakes and mountains, Colombia has a total population of 44,614,946 inhabitants, these are in different regions, which possess beautiful fairs, festivals and also have beautiful landscapes and coastlines in the Pacific and Atlantic which attract large numbers of tourists.

Colombia has beautiful landscapes such as beaches in the Caribbean, the Pacific Coast, Andean landscape, forests, plains sunset, valleys and mountains Glacier ped.

Columbian image abroad is not very good, but who have come to enjoy the warmth of this beautiful country can tell the truth about this wonderful place. They know that most Colombians are fighting for a country getting better and know that Colombia's image abroad is actually false.

Colombians demonstrate their patriotism every time they sing their beautiful song

Colombia has wonderful delicacies and between your meals are typical Ajiaco, Tray Paisa, piglets, Seafood Casserole, tripe, Pandebono, Veal llanera Sancocho, rice with chicken, beans with pork skin, the rib soup and fritters

The official language spoken in this country and Spanish is the official currency is the Colombian peso.

The main export crops are coffee, flowers, cotton, cocoa, petroleum and precious stones. Major industries include tourism, textiles and food.

I conclude with an invitation to learn about this wonderful country and dare to discover the variety of this hidden treasure, and I can not dismiss without thanking him for giving me this land all to be a proud Colombian.

Some Aspects of Colombia

Population

In Colombia there are about 45 million people, and the bulk are located in four major cities: Bogotá ( Capital), Medellín, Cali and Barranquilla. The inhabitants of these cities live very busy working, studying or doing businesses. People from other parts of the country travel to the capital or major cities in search of better opportunities.
Foreigners travel to Colombia to do great business in important world fairs that take place in the country, an example is COLOMBIAMODA, a fair that brings together many textile companies.

Location

Colombia is fortunate to have coasts on the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, this is a great attraction for tourists who every year travel to visit the beaches in Colombia.
The country is located in the northwest corner of South America, and has as neighbors the countries of Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador.

Landscape

Its territory is comprised of many mountains, where many hikers live different experiences with diversity mountains, flora and fauna. The main and best known is the Nevado del Ruiz, the Andes and part of the Amazon rainforest that belongs to Colombia. Apart from the mountains and jungles, one of the tourist attractions of country are the beaches, in vacation seasons which are visited by Foreigners and residents of different cities. The main beach destinations are San Andres and Providencia, Santa Marta, Cartagena, Las Islas del Rosario, Tolu and Coveñas.

Weather

Colombians have a wonderful climate, because in this country are not known stations. The temperature is relatively uniform for most of the year, but varies from extreme cold on the snow mountain, up to the warmer sea level. One of the best cities considered country's climate is Medellin, known as the City of Eternal Spring.

Public Transport

Public transport is of great importance in the mobility of people in major cities.

Today most cities have coordinated systems of transport as Transmilenio

in Bogota or Mio in Cali. The most fortunate are the Antioqueños that have a train system

called Metro, which is integrated with public transport and reaches places of difficult access through

cable cars known as MetroCable, so go all the "Villa de Aburra".

History

Always be present in the history of any country on Independence Day. For Colombia, this day is July 20, 1810, the day on which he launches a campaign led by Simon Bolivar liberator and Francisco de Paula Santander that final shot in the Battle of Boyaca on August 7, 1819. In the current story can highlight the intense fighting in the country to attain peace, marked by the assassinations of important leaders like Jorge Eliecer Gaitan, Luis Carlos Galan. And the constant struggle against the drug for which many people have died, among these the slain drug lord Pablo Escobar.

Tourist Attractions

Every city in the country has many places of interest, some are more representative than others.

Cartagena is the city most visited by tourists and is declared a world heritage site, there are the walls, the Clock Tower, the Pegasos Wharf, Plaza de los Coches and the entire architecture of the city is beautiful.

In Medellin, tourists can go to learn the Pueblito Paisa, Jardin Botanico, Explore Park and the Antioquia Museum showcasing the Botero Collection.

The Hill of Monserrate, the Plaza Bolivar and the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira are all tourist sites of Bogota.

In cali the main place to visit is the Cerro de las Tres Cruces.

"Colombia live. Travel through her".