Colombia
| Republic of Colombia República de Colombia Northern South America AREA 440K mi²; 1.1M km² ARABLE 2.3% POP 49.8M (113/mi²; 45/km²) GOV’T Presidential republic CAPITAL Bogota (11.8M) GDP/CAPITA $18,500 UNEMPLOYMENT 10% IN POVERTY 33% % WEALTH HELD BY TOP 10% 43% LIFE EXP 75 years MEDIAN AGE 33 yrs INFANT MORT 12/1K live births LITERACY 95% INTERNET USERS 77% LANGUAGES Spanish (official) and 65 Amerindian languages RELIGIONS Roman Catholic 64%, Protestant (Evangelical, Adventist, other Prot.) 17%, agnostic/atheist 1% each, Jehovah’s Witness, Church of Jesus Christ <1% each, none/unspecified 16% HEALTH 9% of GDP EDUCATION 5% of GDP MILITARY 3% of GDP GDP BY SECTOR Agriculture 10%, industry 25%, services 64% PCVs 1961–1981, 2010–present CURRENT: 0, TTD: >5,200 |  Colombia Our captain, Jhonathan Mozombite, expertly navigated our canoe through the waters of Amazonas Department, near Puerto Nariño, Colombia. This magical flooded forest opening onto Laguna Tarapoto is a lake system managed by multiple local indigenous groups, who together have exclusive fishing and recreational rights. Jhonathan’s comfort on the water and respect for the environment was obvious. The ability to read the river and move through it with minimal disruption is crucial to protecting the fragile ecosystem’s flora and fauna for future generations, including his own Paucara clan of Ticuna Indians. |
Adult Books
Fruit of the Drunken Tree
By Ingrid Rojas Contreras
Genre: Novel
Publisher: Doubleday, 2018
Language: English
Print length: 320 pages
ISBN-10: 0385542720
ISBN-13: 978-0385542722
Goodreads Ratings: 4/5 | Amazon Ratings: 4.3/5
Summary:
Rojas Contreras draws on her own life experience to craft this debut novel about a privileged family and their nanny Petrona. Seven-year-old Chula is fascinated by the secretive nanny, who is living on a knife’s edge between drudgery and those forces sweeping her toward a life of crime. Set against the backdrop of 1990s Colombia.
“A thought-provoking read with which to begin reflecting on the traumatic pervasiveness of war.” —Gloria Morales, Latin American Literature Today
A New York Times Editors’ Choice selection.
Kids' Books
I Am La Chiva! The Colorful Bus of the Andes
By Karol Hernández, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez Gómez
Publisher: New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2024
Format: unpaged, col. illus.
ISBN-10: 0593529200
ISBN-13: 978-0-59532-920-1
Age Range: 2–5 yrs.
Summary:
This rhyming picture book follows a bus, or chiva, as it travels through the rugged Andes Mountains, celebrating the rich culture and landscape of Colombia.
Awards: Chicago Public Library Best Books of the Year • Kirkus Best Books of the Year • New York Public Library Best Books of the Year • Amazon Editors’ pick of Best Children’s Books of 2024
“A bright and welcoming addition to books about vehicles, with a huge bonus of centering contemporary Colombian culture.” —School Library Journal, starred review
Films
Film: Barrio Triste
Director: Stillz
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: 2025
Language: Spanish with English subtitles
Run Time: 84 minutes
Synopsis: Set in Medellín, 1987, a group of teen outcasts steals a news camera to document every detail of their dangerous lives. The first feature from acclaimed photographer and Bad Bunny music video director Stillz redefines the found-footage genre as a haunting, poignant coming-of-age story with a disturbing twist.
Reviews: “Exhilarating, tense, personal, and enigmatic… among this year’s best first features.” —C.J. Prince, Film Stage
Available: Not available on streaming platforms as of January 2026; watch for it.
Music
J Balvin: Mi Gente
