Poder Joven
Medellin, Colombia

Contact: Juan Camilo Zapata

Email address: jczapatab@yahoo.com

Programs Coordinator: Jhon Paul Smith

Email address: jhonpaul.smith@gmail.com

Website: PODER JOVEN

Contact Adam Clevenger for more information on becoming a Godparent.

Colombia

Picture courtesy of CIA World Factbook

Background:  Colombia is located in South America, the capital is Bogotá and Spanish is the native language.  Before it dissolved in 1830, Colombia was part of Gran Colombia which also included Ecuador and Venezuela.  Two civil wars in the early and mid 1900’s between the Conservative and Liberal parties were contributors to the country’s history of violence.  For more than 40 years the country has experienced excessive violence from insurgent groups attempting to overthrow the government.  Illegal drug trade eventually became a large part of the conflict as well as violence between guerillas, paramilitaries, and the government.  Violence has been on the decline since 2002 due to lack of support for the insurgents and the efforts brought forth by the Colombian government. 

Although serious conflict has continued, the Colombian economy has been improving the last few years.  Major industries in Colombia include textiles, food processing, and oil.  Agricultural products include coffee, cut flowers, bananas, and tobacco.  The currency is the Colombian peso. 

Socio-economic Statistics (USA comparison in parenthesis):
Population:  43,593,035 (USA 298,444,215)
GDP per capita (Intl $, 2004):  7,319 (USA 39,901)
Unemployment rate:  11.8% (USA 5.1%)
Population below poverty line:  49.2% (USA 12%)
Average economic aid per year (recipient):  130 million received (USA 6.9 billion donated worldwide)

Health Statistics:
Infant mortality rate:  20.35 deaths/1,000 live births (USA 6.43/1,000)
Life expectancy at birth (m/f):  68/77 years (USA 75/80)
Total fertility rate:  3.54 children born/woman (USA 2.09/woman)
HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate:  0.7% (USA 0.6%)
HIV/AIDS – people living with:  190,000 (USA 950,000)
Total health expenditure per capita (Intl $, 2003):  522 (USA 5,711)
Physicians:  1 physician/740 people (USA 1/380)

Government:
Type:  Republic; executive branch dominates government structure
Head of Government and Chief of State:  President Alvaro Uribe Velez (since 7 August 2002)
Elections:  President elected by popular vote for four-year term (eligible for second term)
Military:  Army, Navy and Air Force

Climate:  Due to close proximity to the equator, the climate in Colombia is tropical and temperature does not vary much throughout the year.  Most rain occurs from May to October and average temperature varies between 74 degrees F and 81 degrees F depending on location.

Recommended Vaccinations:
Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Malaria, Rabies, Typhoid, and Yellow Fever.  For more information regarding travel to Colombia visit the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website. 

Recommended Reading: 
Bananas and Business: The United Fruit Company in Colombia, 1899-2000,by Marcelo Bucheli.

Evil Hour in Colombia, by Forrest Hylton.

Lonely Planet Colombia,by Michael Kohn, Thomas Kohnstamm, Robert Landon.

Law in Lawless Land: Diary of a Limpieza in Colombia, by Michael Taussig.

References and Links to More Information on Colombia:
USAID Website
CIA World Factbook
World Health Organization
Embassy of Colombia in USA
US Embassy in Colombia:

Colombian News:
In English:
Bogota Daily
Yahoo News
In Spanish:
Colombia.com
El Colombiano
El Espectador
La Republica

Background and History of Colombia:
U.S. Department of State
British Broadcasting Corporation
Wikipedia Encyclopedia
The World Bank
Colombia's Civil War and Drug War