Colombia
Colombian Holidays and Festivals
These are Colombia’s national holidays. Those marked with an asterisk (*) are celebrated on the nearest Monday and known as a puente (a three-day holiday weekend). On most holidays, expect processions and other events. These are times when many Colombians take a break; hotel and transportation prices increase substantially and reservations should be made.
Colombia - Education
Education is free and compulsory for five years in Colombia. Illiteracy is declining, having dropped from an estimated 90% at the end of the 19th century to an estimated 8.2% in 2000 (males, 8.2%; females, 8.2%).
Geography of Colombia
The geography of Colombia is characterized by containing five main natural regions that present their own unique characteristics, from the Andes mountain range region shared with Ecuador and Venezuela; the Pacific Ocean coastal region shared with Panama and Ecuador; the Caribbean Sea coastal region shared with Venezuela and Panama; the Llanos (plains) shared with Venezuela; to the Amazon Rainforest region shared with Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador. Colombia is one of only two South American countries which border both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.