View source for Culture of Colombia

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is a legitimate description when the title is already adequate; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{See also|History of Colombia}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2013}}
[[File:04162012Bailes032.JPG|thumbnail|An example of folkloric dancing in Colombia]]
{{Culture of Colombia}}
Many aspects of '''Colombian culture''' can be traced back to the early [[culture of Spain]] of the 16th century and its collision with Colombia's native civilizations (see: [[Muisca people|Muisca]], [[Tayrona]]). The Spanish brought [[Catholicism]], the feudal [[encomienda]] system, and a [[Casta|caste]] system that favored European descendants. 
[[File:CapitolioNacionalColombia.JPG|thumb|left|[[Capitolio Nacional]] on [[Plaza de Bolívar, Bogotá]]]]
After independence from Spain, the ''[[Criollo (people)|criollos]]'' struggled to establish a pluralistic political system, between conservative and liberal ideals. The conservatives supported the involvement of the [[Catholic Church]] in the state, while liberals favored the separation of these. The conservatives managed to outsource public education to the Catholic Church, and for many years, the church controlled the country's education system. Both parties engaged in multiple civil wars resulting in a slow development of the country and the isolation of regions until the end of the 19th century. Ethno-racial groups maintained their ancestral heritage culture: whites tried to keep themselves, despite the growing number of illegitimate children of mixed African or indigenous ancestry. These people were labeled with any number of descriptive names, derived from the ''[[casta]]'' system, such as [[mestizo]], [[mulatto]] and [[pardo|moreno]]. Blacks and indigenous people of Colombia also mixed to form [[zambo]]s, creating a new ethno-racial group in society. This mix also created a fusion of cultures. [[Carnival in Colombia|Carnivals]] for example became an opportunity for all classes and colors to congregate without prejudice. The introduction of the bill of rights of men and the abolishment of slavery (1851) eased the segregationist tensions between the races.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Viveros Vigoya|first=Mara|date=26 October 2015|title=Social Mobility, Whiteness, and Whitening in Colombia|url=https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jlca.12176|journal=The Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology|volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=796–512|doi=10.1111/jlca.12176 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Vergara-Figueroa|first=Aurora|title=En la Sucursal del Cielo (In the Branch of Paradise)|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329823782|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901051848/https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jaime-Alves-2/publication/329823782_En_la_Sucursal_del_Cielo_In_the_Branch_of_Paradise_Geographies_of_Privilege_and_Black_Social_Suffering_in_Cali_Colombia/links/5eed6291a6fdcc73be8d81d2/En-la-Sucursal-del-Cielo-In-the-Branch-of-Paradise-Geographies-of-Privilege-and-Black-Social-Suffering-in-Cali-Colombia.pdf |archive-date=2021-09-01 }}</ref>

==Influences==
[[File:Villadeleyva04.jpg|thumb|[[Villa de Leyva]], a historical and cultural landmark of Colombia]]
[[File:CatedralPrimadaBogota2004-7.jpg|thumb|Cathedral in downtown Bogotá, heritage of [[Spanish architecture]]]]
[[File:Mochilasarhuacas.jpg|thumb|The [[arhuaca mochila]] is a popular Colombian artisan bag.]]

===Geography and climate===
{{See also|Geography of Colombia|Climate of Colombia}}
The hydrography of Colombia is one of the richest in the world. Its main rivers are [[Magdalena River|Magdalena]], [[Cauca River|Cauca]], [[Guaviare Department|Guaviare]], and [[Caquetá River|Caquetá]]. Colombia has four main drainage systems: the Pacific drain, the Caribbean drain, the Orinoco Basin and the Amazon Basin. The [[Orinoco]] and [[Amazon River|Amazon]] Rivers mark limits with Colombia to Venezuela and Peru respectively.<ref>[http://www.lablaa.org/blaavirtual/ayudadetareas/geografia/geo111.htm Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango]. Lablaa.org (13 July 2005). Retrieved on 14 May 2012.</ref>

The striking variety in temperature and precipitation results principally from differences in elevation. Temperatures range from very hot at sea level to relatively cold at higher elevations but vary little with the season. Temperatures generally decrease about 3.5°[[Fahrenheit|F]] (2°[[Celsius|C]]) for every 1,000-ft (300-m) increase in altitude above sea level, presenting perpetual snowy peaks to hot river valleys and basins. Rainfall is concentrated in two [[wet season]]s (roughly corresponding to the spring and autumn of temperate latitudes) but varies considerably by location. Colombia's Pacific coast has one of the highest levels of rainfall in the world, with the south east often drenched by more than 200 in (500&nbsp;cm) of rain per year. On the other hand, rainfall in parts of the [[Guajira Peninsula]] seldom exceeds 30 in (75&nbsp;cm) per year. Rainfall in the rest of the country runs between these two extremes.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

Colombians customarily describe their country in terms of the climatic zones. Below {{convert|900|m|ft|0|sp=us}} in elevation is the [[tierra caliente]] (hot land), where temperatures vary between {{convert|24|and|38|°C|°F|1}}. The most productive land and the majority of the population can be found in the [[tierra templada]] (temperate land, between {{convert|900|and|1980|m|ft|0|sp=us}}), which provide the best conditions for the country's [[Colombian coffee|coffee]] growers, and the [[tierra fría]] (cold land, {{convert|1980|and|3500|m|ft|0|sp=us}}), where wheat and potatoes dominate. In the tierra fría mean temperatures range between {{convert|10|and|19|°C|°F|1}}. Beyond the tierra fría lie the alpine conditions of the [[Zona Forestal|zona forestada]] (forested zone) and then the treeless grasslands of the [[páramo]]s. Above {{convert|4500|m|ft|0|sp=us}}, where temperatures are below freezing, is the [[tierra helada]], a zone of permanent snow and ice.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

About 86% of the country's total area lies in the tierra caliente. Included in this, and interrupting the temperate area of the Andean highlands, are the long and narrow extension of the Magdalena Valley and a small extension in the Cauca Valley. The tierra fría constitutes just 6% of the total area, but supports about a quarter of the country's population.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

====Natural regions====
{{Main|Natural regions of Colombia}}
[[File:Mapa de Colombia (regiones naturales).svg|thumb|left|Natural regions of Colombia.
{{Legend|#44cc88|Amazon Region}}
{{Legend|#cc8844|Andean Region}}
{{Legend|#ffcc44|Caribbean Region}}
{{Legend|#ff88cc|Insular Region}}
{{Legend|#ccff88|Orinoquía Region}}
{{Legend|#0088ff|Pacific Region}}]]

Because of its natural structure, Colombia can be divided into six very distinct [[natural region]]s.

* [[Amazon Region, Colombia|Amazon Region]]: Comprises the part South of the eastern region of Colombia, flat low-lying region. It is the region of the Amazon jungle of Colombia.
* [[Andean Region, Colombia|Andean Region]]: The Colombian part of the [[Andes]], including the inter-Andean valleys of the rivers [[Cauca River|Cauca]] and [[Magdalena River|Magdalena]].
* [[Caribbean Region, Colombia|Caribbean Region]]: The region of the Colombian Caribbean coastal plains and mountainous groups which do not belong to the Andes as the [[Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta]].
* [[Insular Region (Colombia)|Insular Region]]: comprises the areas outside the continental territories of Colombia in the Caribbean region as the islands of San Andrés and Providencia and the islands of Gorgona and Malpelo in the Pacific Ocean.
* [[Orinoquía Region, Colombia|Orinoquía Region]]: North of the eastern region of Colombia that belongs to the Orinoco River watershed, flat low-lying region. Also known colloquially as the Eastern Plains.
* [[Pacific Region, Colombia|Pacific Region]]: It includes the coastal plains of the pacific coast and the mountainous groups which do not belong to the Andes, in particular the [[Serranía del Baudó]].

===Cultural influences===
====Indigenous influences====
{{See also|Muisca people|Tairona|Pre-Columbian cultures of Colombia|Indigenous peoples in Colombia}}
The culture of Colombia has vibrant indigenous influences within its culture. Indigenous peoples of Colombia are estimated to be around 4–10% of the country’s population,<ref name=iwgia>[http://www.iwgia.org/regions/latin-america/colombia "Indigenous peoples in Colombia"]. ''International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs''. Retrieved 10 Jan 2024.</ref><ref name="Latinobarómetro">{{cite web |title=Informe Latinobarómetro 2018 |url= https://ibb.co/Rb7mFqX |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210610232522/https://ibb.co/Rb7mFqX |url-status= usurped |archive-date= June 10, 2021 |publisher=Latinobarometro |date= |access-date=October 3, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Latinobarómetrocol">{{cite web |title=Latinobarómetro 2018 Colombia |url= https://www.latinobarometro.org/LATDC/DC00638/F00008804-Latinobarometro_2018_Resultados_por_Sexo_y_Edad_Colombia_2018.pdf |publisher=Latinobarometro |date= |access-date=January 7, 2024}}</ref> and most still hold on to indigenous traditions and folklore. {{Citation needed|date=October 2025}} Indigenous influences in Colombian culture include cuisine, music, architecture, language, folklore, clothing, etymology, and artisan crafts. The national hat of Colombia, the [[Sombrero Vueltiao]], comes from the [[Zenú]], and has been worn since pre-hispanic times. Food like the [[Arepa]] has been consumed in Colombia for around 3,000 years,<ref name="DNA">{{Cite web|last=Rivera|first=Marcela|title=The DNA Of: Arepas|date=23 August 2018 |url=https://www.amexessentials.com/how-to-make-arepas/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-17|archive-date=2021-07-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717211248/https://www.amexessentials.com/how-to-make-arepas/}}</ref> and were made by the many indigenous peoples within the Colombian coast. Each Region of Colombia has their own indigenous culture that influenced the local culture, such as the [[Quechua people|Quechua]] in the Southwest, the [[Quimbaya]] in the [[Paisa (region)|Paisa Region]], the Zenú and [[Tairona]] in the [[Caribbean natural region|Caribbean]], the [[Calima culture|Calima]] in [[Valle del Cauca]], and the largest indigenous influence in Colombia, the [[Muisca people|Muisca]] in the [[Altiplano Cundiboyacense]]. Artisanship remains popular among indigenous peoples in Colombia to this day, one of the most popular being the [[Arhuaca mochila]].<ref name="artesanía">{{Cite web |date= |title=Comunidad Arhuaca - Arhuaco people - Pueblo Iku - La mochila arhuaca |url=http://www.lamochilaarhuaca.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120110323/http://www.lamochilaarhuaca.com/ |archive-date=2021-01-20 |access-date= |website=La mochila arhuaca}}</ref> [[File:Sombrero vueltiao.jpg|thumb|A sombrero vueltiao]]

====Multicultural elements====
{{See also|Criollo (people)|Afro-Colombians}}

====Immigration and foreign influences====
<div style="float:right">
{|
|-style="vertical-align:top"
|[[File:Barranquilla - Buena Vista, centro comercial - 200507.jpg|thumb|Shopping mall in [[Barranquilla]]]]
|[[File:Andino Mall in Bogota, Colombia 2.jpg|thumb|Modern mall in [[Bogotá]]]]
|-
|}
</div>
{{See also|Globalization|Immigration to Colombia}}

Colombia did not receive substantial immigration after the period of Spanish rule. Some exceptions are the capital city of [[Bogotá]], the second largest city [[Medellín]] and the Atlantic port city of [[Barranquilla]]. Groups of French, Swiss, Dutch, Belgian, German, Italian, Lebanese and Syrian-Palestinian immigrants settled in the city and played a large role in its development. [[Shakira]], a native of Barranquilla, is of partial Lebanese [[ancestry]]. Bogotá received some immigrants from Europe in the period following World War II; the eccentric former mayor of Bogotá and [[semiotics]] professor [[Antanas Mockus]] is the son of [[Lithuania]]n immigrants. Most [[Overseas Chinese|Chinese]] in Colombia originally came from [[Panama]], where they helped in the building of the railways of the [[Panama Canal]], to help in building the train and road routes between the Pacific port of [[Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca|Buenaventura]] and the interior city of [[Cali]]. Today, in the surrounding area of the [[Valle del Cauca|Cauca Valley]], virtually every town has a [[Chinese cuisine|Chinese restaurant]].<ref name="colarte.arts.co">{{cite web |url=http://www.colarte.arts.co/colarte/conspintores.asp?idartista=7236 |title=ColArte &#124; el Arte en Colombia &#124; ETNIAS Grupo |access-date=2007-08-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927092009/http://www.colarte.arts.co/colarte/conspintores.asp?idartista=7236 |archive-date=2007-09-27 }}</ref>

A few [[Japanese people|Japanese]] families settled in Colombia, inspired by the bucolic description of the Cauca Valley in [[Jorge Isaacs]]' novel ''[[María (novel)|María]]''. The heads-of-household of Japanese descent would be interred in prisons near [[Zipaquirá]], during World War II.<ref name="colarte.arts.co"/>
{{clear}}

Colombian politicians, intellectuals, and members of elite society turned to England and France for inspiration in the period, following independence from Spain. Colombian's civil code (adopted in 1887) is based on the [[Napoleonic Code]]. French architect Gastón Lelarge (1861–1934) designed many of the public edifices in [[Bogotá]], as well as the cupola of the church of Saint Peter Claver in [[Cartagena, Colombia|Cartagena]].[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927092009/http://www.colarte.arts.co/colarte/conspintores.asp?idartista=7236]

Starting in the 20th century, [[American culture|North American culture]] had increasing influence on the culture of Colombia. [[Shopping mall]]s and [[tract housing]] in the style of North American [[suburbs]] are very popular. [[Hollywood (film industry)|Hollywood]] films, American fashions, and English-language popular music are also popular.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

==Regional identities==
[[File:Dialectos Colombia.png|thumb|left|Dialects of [[Colombian Spanish]]]]
Due to existence of geographical and climatic barriers, regions in Colombia remained isolated for much of their history, boosting strong local identities. This is attributed to the fact that Colombia was not a unified nation during the [[Pre-Columbian cultures of Colombia|Pre-Columbian Era]] and different regions had different indigenous civilizations inhabiting it, such as the [[Quimbaya]] in the [[Paisa (region)|Paisa region]], the [[Muisca Confederation|Muisca]] in the [[Altiplano Cundiboyacense]], the [[Zenú]] and the [[Tairona]] in the [[Caribbean natural region|Caribbean]], the [[:es:Pubenenses|Pubenenses]] in [[Popayán]], the [[Inca]]s in [[Nariño department|Nariño]], and the [[Calima culture|Calima]] in [[Valle del Cauca]]. These strong indigenous identities in each region led to the regions developing their own distinct dialects of Spanish influenced by the indigenous languages and distinct and unique cultures.<ref name="Precolombina">{{cite web | url=https://cristiastudillo.wixsite.com/campesinofjdc/post/6-colombia-precolombina | title=Entrada | date=23 March 2020 }}</ref>

Despite the [[Colombian Constitution of 1886|constitution of 1886]] tried to establish an unified national identity around [[Spanish language]] and [[Catholicism|Catholic faith]], [[Panama]] successfully seceded from Colombia in 1903. Even today, national consciousness remains low in much of the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dejusticia.org/el-nuevo-nacionalismo-colombiano/|title=El nuevo nacionalismo colombiano|date=2013-01-05|publisher=Dejusticia|author=María Paula Saffon Sanín|language=es}}</ref>

During 20th century, government encouraged migration from inner regions to [[Amazon natural region|Amazon basin]] and [[San Andrés (island)|San Andrés island]], fostering a process of ''colombianization'' (''see: [[Colombianization of Leticia, Putumayo and Caquetá]]'').

However, [[separatism]] is a significant political force in [[San Andrés and Providencia]], where [[raizal]]s (Protestant Afro Caribbean group) are up one-third of population.

Other groups with a strong regional identities include:<ref>{{Citation |publication-date=2002 |editor-last=Minahan |editor-first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: Ethnic and National Groups Around the World |location=Westport |publisher=Greenwood Press |url=http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/GR1617.aspx |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |year=2002 |access-date=2008-07-30 |archive-date=2010-08-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100803004638/http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/GR1617.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>
*'''Paisas''' from [[Paisa region]] ([[Antioquia department]] and [[Colombian coffee growing axis|Coffee Axis]]), influenced by [[Basque Colombians|Basque]] and [[Quimbaya]]n culture, they speak [[Colombian Spanish#Dialects|Paisa Spanish]];
*'''Costeños''' from [[Caribbean natural region|Caribbean region]], influenced by [[Afro-Colombians|African]], [[Tairona]], and [[Zenú]] culture and related to other [[Caribbean|Spanish speaking Caribbean nations]], they speak [[Colombian Spanish#Dialects|Costeño Spanish]];
*'''Pastusos''' from Southern Andean region, influenced by [[Inca Empire|Inca culture]] and related to [[Ecuador#Geography|Ecuadorian Highlands]], they speak [[Colombian Spanish#Dialects|Pastuso Spanish]];
*'''Chocoanos''' from [[Pacific/Chocó natural region|Pacific region]], influenced mostly by African and [[Emberá people|Emberá]] culture, they speak [[Colombian Spanish#Dialects|Chocoano Spanish]];
*'''Llaneros''' from [[Orinoquia natural region|Orinoquia region]], influenced by the various [[Indigenous peoples of Colombia|indigenous groups]] and related to border populations from [[Venezuela]], they speak [[Colombian Spanish#Dialects|Llanero Spanish]].<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://publicaciones.banrepcultural.org/index.php/boletin_cultural/article/view/2625/2702 |title=Rebelión en los llanos colombianos: "el affaire Arauca" de 1917 |journal=Boletín Cultural y Bibliográfico |date=15 July 1989 |volume=26 |issue=20 |pages=33–60 |publisher=[[Bank of the Republic (Colombia)|Bank of the Republic]] |language=Spanish |last1=Rausch |first1=Jane M. }}</ref>

==Education==
{{Main|Education in Colombia}}
The educational experience of many Colombian children begins with attendance at a preschool academy until age five ({{Lang|es|Educación preescolar}}). Basic education (''{{Lang|es|Educación básica}}'') is compulsory by law.<ref>Colombian Constitution of 1991 (Title II - Concerning rights, guarantees, and duties - Chapter 2 - Concerning social, economic and cultural rights - Article 67)</ref> It has two stages: Primary basic education (''{{Lang|es|Educación básica primaria}}'') which goes from first to fifth grade – children from six to ten years old, and Secondary basic education (''{{Lang|es|Educación básica secundaria}}''), which goes from sixth to ninth grade. Basic education is followed by Middle vocational education (''{{Lang|es|Educación media vocacional}}'') that comprises the tenth and eleventh grades. It may have different vocational training modalities or specialties (academic, technical, business, and so on.) according to the curriculum adopted by each school.

After the successful completion of all the basic and middle education years, a high-school diploma is awarded. The high-school graduate is known as a ''bachiller'', because secondary basic school and middle education are traditionally considered together as a unit called ''bachillerato'' (sixth to eleventh grade). Students in their final year of middle education take the [[ICFES Examination|ICFES test]] (now renamed Saber 11) in order to gain access to higher education (''{{Lang|es|Educación superior}}''). This higher education includes undergraduate professional studies, technical, technological and intermediate professional education, and post-graduate studies.

''Bachilleres'' (high-school graduates) may enter into a professional undergraduate career program offered by a university; these programs last up to five years (or less for technical, technological and intermediate professional education, and post-graduate studies), even as much to six to seven years for some careers, such as medicine. In Colombia, there is not an institution such as college; students go directly into a career program at a university or any other educational institution to obtain a professional, technical or technological title. Once graduated from the university, people are granted a (professional, technical or technological) diploma and licensed (if required) to practice the career they have chosen. For some professional career programs, students are required to take the Saber-Pro test, in their final year of undergraduate academic education.<ref name="sistema educativo">{{cite web|url=http://menweb.mineducacion.gov.co/nnormas/normas_basicas_4.swf |title=Ministerio de Educación de Colombia, Estructura del sistema educativo |date=29 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629194012/http://menweb.mineducacion.gov.co/nnormas/normas_basicas_4.swf |archive-date=June 29, 2007 }}</ref>

Public spending on education as a proportion of gross domestic product in 2012 was 4.4%. This represented 15.8% of total government expenditure. In 2012, the primary and secondary gross enrolment ratios stood at 106.9% and 92.8% respectively. School-life expectancy was 13.2 years. A total of 93.6% of the population aged 15 and older were recorded as literate, including 98.2% of those aged 15–24.<ref name="UNESCO">{{cite web|url= http://www.uis.unesco.org/DataCentre/Pages/country-profile.aspx?regioncode=40520&code=COL|title=UNESCO Institute for Statistics Colombia Profile|website=Uis.unesco.org|access-date= 27 June 2014}}</ref>

==Family==
The family is a highly important institution to Colombians as engraved by the traditional Roman Catholic church teachings. Members of the [[extended family]] are close and children rarely move far away from their parents. There is a deep sense of familial responsibility that stretches through many generations.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

Traditionally, men were usually the head of the household, in charge of earning most of the family's income, while women were responsible for [[cooking]], [[Homemaking|housework]], and raising children. However, as in most cultures around the world, the dawn of the 20th century brought forth a great empowerment for women who were given a right to vote during the 1950s rule of dictator [[Gustavo Rojas Pinilla]]. The [[Colombian Constitution|Constitution of 1991]] gave a wider opportunity for women, and today, the majority of families (regardless of economic class) have two working parents due to the need of an income to sustain a family.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

At a child's [[baptism]], the parents of the child will choose [[godparent]]s, ''padrinos''. A child's ''padrinos'' will play an important role in their life, giving advice.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

==Political attitudes==
{{See also|Politics of Colombia}}
The '''Politics of Colombia''' take place in a framework of a [[Presidential system|presidential]] [[Representative democracy|representative democratic]] [[republic]], whereby the [[President of Colombia]] is both [[head of state]] and [[head of government]], and of a [[multi-party system]]. [[Executive power]] is exercised by the government. [[Legislative power]] is vested in both the government and the two chambers of [[Congress of Colombia|Congress]], the [[Senate of Colombia|Senate]], and the [[House of Representatives of Colombia]]. The [[Judiciary]] is independent of the executive and the legislature.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}
<!-- == Economic Outlook == -->

==Food==
{{Main|Colombian cuisine}}
[[File:Chuleta Valluna - Colombiana.jpg|thumb|Cutlet "[[Valluna]]", a typical dish of the [[Valle del Cauca]] region of Colombia and the Afro-Colombian culture of the area near the Pacífic Ocean. It includes a [[milanesa]], usually prepared with a lean pork loin beef or chicken can also be used. Traditional accompaniments include rice, sliced tomatoes, onions, chopped fried plantains or fries and a drink called "[[Lulada]]" made with [[lulo]] fruit, water and sugar{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}]]
There is a large variety of dishes that take into account the difference in regional climates. For example:
* In the city of [[Medellín]], the typical dish is the [[bandeja paisa]]. It includes [[bean]]s, [[rice]], [[ground meat]] or [[carne asada]], [[chorizo]], [[fried egg]], [[arepa]], and [[chicharrón]]. It is usually accompanied by [[avocado]], [[tomato]], and special sauces.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Traditional Colombian Dish: The Filling Bandeja Paisa|url=https://www.uncovercolombia.com/blog/colombian-dish-bandeja-paisa/|access-date=2021-07-11|website=Uncover Colombia|language=en-US}}</ref>
* In the city of [[Cali, Colombia|Cali]], the most traditional dish is "[[Sancocho|sancocho de gallina]]" – a soup composed mostly of [[Chicken (food)|chicken]], [[Plantain (cooking)|plantain]], [[Maize|corn]], [[coriander]], yuca root, and other seasonings.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}
* In Bogotá and the Andean region, [[ajiaco]] is the traditional dish. It is also a type of soup made of chicken, [[potato]]es, and flavoured with a locally grown herb called "[[galinsoga parviflora|guasca]]". Traditionally, [[cream]] and [[caper]]s are added just before eating. Both soups are served with white rice, salads with a hint of [[lemon]], avocado, or plantain chips, sweet or salty. For breakfast people often eat [[changua]], a [[milk]], [[scallion]], and [[Egg (food)|egg]] soup.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}
* In the Caribbean coast, seafood is popular, including [[Fish (food)|fish]] and [[lobster]]. [[Coconut rice]] is a common dish along the coastal cities, as are patacones, or fried plantain patties.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=July 3|last2=Comments|first2=2011 {{!}} Carolina Restrepo {{!}}|title=Arroz Con Coco: Colombian Speciality|url=https://festival.si.edu/blog/2011/colombia-recipe-4-arroz-con-coco/|access-date=2021-07-11|website=Smithsonian Folklife Festival|language=en-US}}</ref>
* In the Llanos, meat from the [[barbecue]], such as the "ternera llanera" is common, and also typical river fishes like the "amarillo".{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}
* In the Amazonas, the cuisine is influenced by Brazilian and Peruvian traditions.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}
Inland, the dishes reflect the mix of cultures, inherited mainly from [[Amerindian cuisine|Amerindian]] and [[European cuisine]], and the produce of the land mainly agriculture, cattle, river fishing, and other animals' raising. Such is the case of the [[sancocho]] soup in [[Valledupar]], the [[arepa]]s (a corn based bread-like patty). Local species of animals like the [[guartinaja]], part of the [[wayuu]] Amerindian culture.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}
* In the [[Tolima Department|Tolima]] region, the [[Tamale|Tamales Tolimenses]] are a delicacy. These tamales are made of a corn dough and feature [[peas]], [[carrots]], potatoes, rice, chicken, [[pork]], and various [[spices]]. They are wrapped in plantain leaves and boiled for three to four hours. It also typical to have Pandebono for breakfast, with hot chocolate.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pan de bono {{!}} Traditional Bread From Colombia {{!}} TasteAtlas|url=https://www.tasteatlas.com/pan-de-bono|access-date=2021-07-11|website=www.tasteatlas.com}}</ref>
* On the Islands of San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina, the main dish is ''rondon'', a [[seafood]] dish made of [[coconut milk]], fish, conch, [[cassava root]] (yuca), [[sweet potato]], white yams, and [[pumpkin]] seasoned with [[chili pepper]]s and [[herb]]s. They also have a crab soup which is considered a delicacy. It is made with the same ingredients as ''rondon'', without the fish.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}
* Ají picante, a spicy, cilantro-based sauce, is used as a condiment for many dishes and sides, including empanadas, patacones, and soups. This traditional sauce is from the city of Antioquia.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

==Festivals in Colombia==
{{Main|Festivals in Colombia}}
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
File:Pasto 20060106 001.jpg|[[Blacks and Whites' Carnival]]
File:Baile de la Cumbia - Barranquilla.jpg|[[Barranquilla's Carnival]]
File:Proseción Semana Santa en Popayán..jpg|[[Holy Week in Popayán]]
</gallery>

==Folklore==
{{Main|Colombian folklore}}
[[Colombia]] has many traditional [[Folklore|folk tales]] and stories about [[legendary creatures]], which are transmitted orally and kept for next [[generation]]s to come. Some of them are common with other [[Latin American]] countries. The Colombian folklore has strong influences from [[Spanish culture]], with elements of [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] and [[African culture|African]] cultures.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}
[[File:Sombrero vueltiao.jpg|thumb|center|The ''[[Sombrero vueltiao|vueltiao hat]]'', a handicraft of the Zenú people, is a national symbol.]]

==Painting==
{{Main|Colombian art|Colombian handicrafts}}
[[File:'Man on Horse', bronze sculpture by Fernando Botero (Colombian), 1992, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel.JPG|thumb|A sculpture by Colombian painter and sculptor [[Fernando Botero]] in [[Jerusalem]]]]

Colombians have been producing [[art]] for thousands of years. Ornate [[gold]]en figures, and [[jewelry]] from millennia ago have been discovered by both ruthless [[conquistadors]] and careful [[Archaeology|archaeological]] digs.<ref name="Precolumbian">{{Cite journal |last1=Perea |first1=Alicia |last2=Gutiérrez Neira |first2=Carolina |last3=Climent-Font |first3=Aurelio |last4=Fernández-Esquivel |first4=P. |last5=Rovira Llorens |first5=Salvador |last6=Ruvalcaba |first6=Jose Luis |last7=Dos Santos Reinaldo Verde |first7=Ana Paula |last8=Zucchiatti |first8=A. |date=2013 |title=Pre-hispanic goldwork technology. The Quimbaya Treasure, Colombia |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257154752 |journal=Journal of Archaeological Science |volume=40 |issue=5 |pages=2326–2334 |doi=10.1016/j.jas.2012.12.033|hdl=10261/196200 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

In the colonial time, the painting was characterized by the works of the three Figueroa, pioneers of this art: Baltasar de Figueroa, the old; Gaspar the Figueroa, his son and Baltazar de Figueroa, the young. Gaspar was the teacher of important artists, lie Gregorio Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos. José María Espinoza Prieto, painter and engraver, also is important for his portraits, landscapes and caricatures. Epifanio Garay is highlighted, especially by his portraits.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

After the war of independence, in 1819, the Colombian art still was dependent of the figurative. Some people explain that delay in the evolution of the Colombian artistic style is due to the geography of the country, that make difficult a contact and dialogue between the different creative tendencies{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

In the decades between 1920 and 1940, [[Marco Tobón Mejía]], José Horacio Betancur, [[Pedro Nel Gómez]], [[Ignacio Gómez Jaramillo]], Santiago Martínez Delgado, and Alipio Jaramillo created some dynamics in the elaboration of murals. They were influenced by the [[Mexican art]], although with neoclassic and Art Nouveau characteristics. At the beginning of the 1940 decade, are created works that was new in Colombia, inspired in the post-impressionism and the academic French style.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

Many historians of art believe that the Colombian art only began to have a distinctive character in the second half of the 20th century, with a new point of view, integrating the cultural and artistic traditional elements, with the concepts of the art in the 20th century. Ignacio Gómez Jaramillo, for example, combine the new techniques with cultural elements, in his Portrait to the Greiff Brothers. Pedro Nel Gómez, highlighted in the drawing, the water color, the fresco, the oil painting, and the sculpture in wood, stone, and bronze, shows, for example in "Autorretrato con sombrero" (1941), his familiarity with the works of Gauguin and Van Gogh. In other works, he reveal the influence of Cézanne. Alejandro Obregon, considered by many as the father of the Colombian art (most by his originality), has been acclaimed by critics and the public, because of his painting of national landscapes characterized by violent strokes and the symbolic and expressionist use of animals (specially birds, like the [[condor]]). His work is influenced by Picasso and Graham Sutherland.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

In last years, some Colombian artists, such as [[Fernando Botero]], [[Enrique Grau]], [[David Manzur]], [[Luis Caballero (painter)|Luis Caballero]], [[Santiago Martinez Delgado]], [[Ignacio Gomez Jaramillo]], [[Débora Arango]], [[Kajuma]] and have received international fame, awards and wide public acclaim.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

==Religion==
 {{multiple image
 | align = right
 | direction = horizontal
 | image1 = Santuario de Las Lajas, Ipiales, Colombia, 2015-07-21, DD 31-33 HDR.JPG
 | caption1 = [[Las Lajas Cathedral]] in [[Nariño Department|Nariño]]
 | width1 = 175
 | image2 = The creation of man - Zipaquira.JPG
 | caption2 = Sculpture of the creation of man in the central nave of the [[Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá]]
 | width2 = 197
 }}
{{Main|Religion in Colombia}}
{{See also|Status of religious freedom in Colombia|Christianity in Colombia|Roman Catholicism in Colombia|Protestantism in Colombia|Islam in Colombia}}
Studies suggest that about 70.9% of Colombians are [[Roman Catholic]]. However, Colombians are notable for their acceptance of other creeds and faith.

The [[National Administrative Department of Statistics]] (DANE) does not collect religious statistics, and accurate reports are difficult to obtain. However, based on various studies and a survey, about 90% of the population adheres to [[Christianity]], the majority of which (70.9%) are [[Roman Catholic]], while a significant minority (16.7%) adhere to [[Protestantism]] (primarily [[Evangelicalism]]). Some 4.7% of the population is [[atheist]] or [[agnostic]], while 3.5% claim to believe in God but do not follow a specific religion. 1.8% of Colombians adhere to [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] and [[Adventism]] and less than 1% adhere to other religions, such as [[Islam]], [[Judaism]], [[Buddhism]], [[Mormonism]], [[Hinduism]], [[animism|Indigenous religions]], [[Hare Krishna movement]], [[Rastafari movement]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], and spiritual studies. The remaining people either did not respond or replied that they did not know. In addition to the above statistics, 35.9% of Colombians reported that they did not practice their faith actively.<ref name="Religion">{{cite book |url=http://www.bdigital.unal.edu.co/10780/1/Del%20monopolio%20cat%C3%B3lico%20a%20la%20explosi%C3%B3n%20pentecostal.pdf |title=Del monopolio católico a la explosión pentecostal' |author1=Beltrán Cely |author2=William Mauricio (2013) |year=2013 |publisher=Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Ciencias Humanas, Centro de Estudios Sociales (CES), Maestría en Sociología |language=es |isbn=978-958-761-465-7 |access-date=2016-03-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327173229/http://www.bdigital.unal.edu.co/10780/1/Del%20monopolio%20cat%C3%B3lico%20a%20la%20explosi%C3%B3n%20pentecostal.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Religion2">{{cite web |url=http://www.bdigital.unal.edu.co/8486/1/williammauriciobeltran.2011.pdf |title=Descripción cuantitativa de la pluralización religiosa en Colombia |author1=Beltrán Cely |author2=William Mauricio |author-link=William Mauricio Beltrán Cely |publisher=Universitas humanística 73 (2012): 201–238. – bdigital.unal.edu.co |access-date=2015-02-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329185722/http://www.bdigital.unal.edu.co/8486/1/williammauriciobeltran.2011.pdf |archive-date=2014-03-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Religion in Latin America">{{cite web |title=Religion in Latin America, Widespread Change in a Historically Catholic Region |url=http://www.pewforum.org/2014/11/13/religion-in-latin-america/# |website=Pewforum.org |publisher=Pew Research Center |date=13 November 2014}}</ref>

While Colombia remains a mostly Roman Catholic country by [[baptism]] numbers, the 1991 Colombian constitution guarantees freedom of religion and all religious faiths and churches are equally free before the law.<ref>Colombian Constitution of 1991 (Title II – Concerning rights, guarantees, and duties – Chapter I – Concerning fundamental rights – Article 19)</ref>

==Literature==
{{Main|Literature of Colombia}}

[[Gabriel García Márquez]], winner of the [[Nobel Prize]] for Literature in 1982, is from Aracataca, Colombia. His novel ''[[One Hundred Years of Solitude]]'' is recognized as a landmark of the literary movement known as "[[magical realism]] (realismo mágico)".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Martin |first=Gerald |date=1984 |title=Boom, Yes; 'New' Novel, No: Further Reflections on the Optical Illusions of the 1960s in Latin America |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/3338252?origin=crossref |journal=Bulletin of Latin American Research |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=53 |doi=10.2307/3338252|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Other important writers are Álvaro Mutis, winner of the Cervantes Prize, Jorge Isaacs, who wrote "María", Gonzalo Arango, founder of the [[Nadaismo]] movement, Fernando Vallejo, winner of the Rómulo Gallegos prize, José Asunción Silva, precursor of Latin American romanticism, Raúl Gómez Jattin, Efraím Medina, Andrés Caicedo, the poets Piedad Bonnet and María Mercedes Carranza, Aurelio Arturo, the novelist Germán Espinosa, Augusto Pinilla, and [[Rafael Chaparro Madiedo]]. The most important literary magazines are [[El Malpensante]], Arcadia, Número, La Movida Literaria, Universidad de Antioquia, and Puesto de Combate.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

==Colombian theatre==
[[File:Interior Teatro Colon Bogota.jpg|thumb|The [[Teatro de Cristóbal Colón]] (The Christopher Columbus Theatre), also known as the "Teatro Colón", is located in Bogotá, Colombia and it is the nation's National Theatre.]]
{{main|Theater of Colombia}}<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order ♦♦♦--->
*[[Cali Festival Theater]]
*[[Cali Performance Festival]]
*[[Carnavalada - Theater to the Streets - Open Air Theater Festival of Barranquilla]]
*[[Colombian Theater Festival of Medellín - Medellín en Escena]]
*Festival de teatro Gitanos en Macondo - first week of September in Aracataca, Madalena.
*[[Iberoamerican Theater Festival of Bogotá]]
*[[International Theater Festival and Storytellers Encounter of Popayan]]
*[[International Theater Festival of Barrancabermeja - Theater for the Peace]]
*[[International Theater Festival of Manizales]]

==Film and television==
{{See also|Cinema of Colombia|Television in Colombia}}
[[File:Festival01.jpg|thumb|The [[Cartagena Film Festival]] is the oldest cinema event in Latin America. The central focus is on films from Ibero-America.<ref name="fiapf">{{cite web |url=http://www.fiapf.org/intfilmfestivals_2016_sites02.asp |publisher=fiapf.org |title=Competitive specialised film festivals |access-date=23 May 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20161111113646/http://www.fiapf.org/intfilmfestivals_2016_sites02.asp |archive-date=11 November 2016 }}</ref>]]

The interest for the film production came late to Colombia. Vicenzo and Francesco Di Doménico, of Italian origin, were the pioneers in the films production. In 1912, it is inaugurated the first movie theater in Colombia: the Salón Olympia, with a capacity of three thousand people.
The most outstanding directors of the film production are Sergio Cabrera, Felipe Aljure, [[Luis Ospina]], Víctor Gaviria, and [[Carlos Mayolo]]. Between the most recent proposals, we find to Andy Baíz and Juan Felipe Orozco, director of "Al final del espectro". The work of Dago García and Rodrigo Triana is in a commercial line.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

==Sports==
[[File:Torcida colombia10.jpg|thumb|Colombian fans at the 2014 FIFA World Cup]]
{{Main|Sports in Colombia}}

[[Association football|Soccer, or association football]] ({{Langx|es|fútbol}}), is the most popular sport in Colombia. Soccer games are popular social events in Colombia. [[Baseball]] has become popular in recent years; it is especially popular along the coast, and is strongly promoted all around the country. [[Édgar Rentería]] is an example of a famous Colombian baseball player, but football is still the main sport in the country. [[Boxing]] and [[martial arts]] are also very popular amongst the male population, and all of these are practiced avidly by the youth.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

An ancient game called ''[[Tejo (sport)|Tejo]]'', inherited from the Muisca, is also played. The object of ''tejo'' is to throw a small metal disk at a [[gunpowder]] [[detonator]] in a small circular area. The winner is calculated by the number of explosions compared to number of throws.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

==Comedy==
{{Main|Colombian comedy}}
Colombian comedy's original birthplace is the radio, since this was the first original mass media with wide coverage of the national territory rendering radio a very important medium for the promotion of comedy. A distinctive representative of [[Colombian comedy]] on the radio and who was praised by generations, even before television became popular was Colombian comedian Gullermo Zuluaga, better known by his stage name Montecristo. Since then, many other comedians and storytellers have shaped Colombian's concept of what is humorous in many cases at the expense of the tragedies of [[Colombian armed conflict (1964–present)|war]], economic distress, and misbehaved politicians.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

==Music==
{{Main|Music of Colombia}}
<gallery>
File:Shakira - Rock in Rio 2008 02.jpg|[[Shakira]], Colombian singer
Juanes en New Orleans.JPG|[[Juanes]], artist from [[Medellín]]
Festival vallenato.jpg|[[Vallenato Legend Festival|Vallenato Festival]] in [[Valledupar]]
Tiple.jpg|[[Colombian tiple]]
Rock al Parque.jpg|Rock Al Parque, one of Latin America's most important rock events
Forom des langues - Danses colombiennes 4084.JPG|Dance of Colombia
</gallery>
Modern Colombian music is a mixture of Native Indigenous, European, and African influences, as well as more modern [[Music of the United States|American]], [[Puerto Rico]] and other [[Caribbean music]] forms, such as [[Music of Trinidad and Tobago|Trinidadian]], [[Music of Cuba|Cuban]], and [[Music of Jamaica|Jamaican]]. The music varies greatly between regions but [[cumbia]] is widely accepted as the national musical genre.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

Cumbia is a mixture of Spanish, Native Indigenous, and African music, the latter brought by slaves. The style of dance is designed to recall the shackles worn around the ankles of the slaves. In the 19th century, [[slavery]] was abolished and Africans, Indians, and other [[ethnic groups]] mixed more fully. Styles like [[bambuco]], [[vallenato]], and [[porro]] were especially influential. When the [[waltz]] became popular in the 19th century, a Colombian version called [[pasillo]] was invented. [[International Latin]], a type of [[Pop music|pop]], [[ballad]], and [[salsa music]] are best-represented by [[Charlie Zaa]] and [[Joe Arroyo]], respectively.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

Music and dancing are very popular in Colombia, with dozens of popular vibrant styles. The most popular local musical styles are [[Vallenato]], [[Salsa (music)|salsa]], ''[[Merengue (music)|Merengue]]'', [[Cumbia]] and ''[[Bambuco]]''. The latter is a very complicated dance with many differently named steps.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

[[Colombian rock]] developed after an influence of [[Rock en español]] generating fusion of Rock Music with traditional Colombian music and other musical styles.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

The musical genre of Colombian [[pop music]] has been growing recently with artists like [[Juan Fernando Fonseca|Fonseca]], San Alejo, [[Lucas Arnau]] or Mauricio y Palo de Agua. Pop with strong traces of traditional Colombian music is also currently rising. Los De Adentro and [[Maía]] represent this trend. Many Colombian artists are recognized internationally including among others, [[Shakira]], who is the most recognized Colombian artist in the world.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}}

==Symbols==
{{See also|National symbols of Colombia}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Colombia}}<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order ♦♦♦--->
* [[Architecture of Colombia]]
* [[Carnival in Colombia]]
* [[Colombia in popular culture]]
* [[Hispanic culture]]
* [[Latin American culture]]
* [[List of Colombians]]
* [[List of festivals in Colombia]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball players from Colombia]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |last= Londoño Vélez |first= Santiago |title= Colombian Art: 3,500 Years of History |publisher= Villegas Editores |location=[[Bogotá]] |year= 2001 |isbn= 958-96982-7-1 }}
* {{cite book |last=Safford |first=Frank |author2=Mauricio Palacios |title=Colombia: Fragmented Land, Divided Society (Latin American Histories) |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=[[Oxford, England|Oxford]] |year=2002 |isbn=0-19-504617-X |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/colombia00fran }}
* {{cite book|last1=United States Air Force Culture and Language Center|title=Expeditionary Culture Field Guide. Colombia|date=2015|publisher=Air Force Culture & Language Center|location=Maxwell Air Force Base, AL|url=http://culture.af.mil/library/ECFG/ecfg_colombia.pdf|access-date=9 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160516131212/http://culture.af.mil/library/ECFG/ecfg_colombia.pdf|archive-date=16 May 2016|url-status=dead}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.lablaa.org Digital collection] at [[Luis Ángel Arango Library]] {{in lang|es}}, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100923150217/http://lablaa.org/ |date=2010-09-23 }}
* [http://www.llanera.com/musica Music Llanera]
* [http://www.jansochor.com/photo-essay/dancing-devils.html Dancing Devils] in Corpus Christi Festival, Sierra Nevada
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20140415191821/http://latintravelguide.com/colombia/culture Overview of Colombian Culture]}}

{{Latin America and the Caribbean topic|Culture of|Latin American culture}}{{Colombia topics}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Colombian Culture}}
[[Category:Culture of Colombia| ]]