Colombia

A

• Area: Equivalent to Spain, France and Portugal together.
• Amphibians #1 in the world with 583 species
• Air Security: Advises five countries in aerial security matters. Among the top ten in air security in the world.

B

• Banana: #3 producer in the world
• Best Spanish: Colombians speak the best Spanish in all Latin America.
• Biodiversity #3 in the world, #1 per square meter.
• Butterflies #2 in number of species in the world, 3,000 families and 14,000 species.
• Birds #1 in number of species in the world, holds 20% of bird species in the world- 1,815 species.
• Biking Trails: Largest network of urban, paved biking trails in Latin America.
• Botero: One of the most prestigious artists in the world.

C

• Cannes: Golden Cannes award in publicity.
• Carlos Vives: #1 in Latin Billboard.
• Carnations #1 in the world
• Creativity - one of our secret weapons
• Coal Fourth largest producer
• Coffee- Third largest producer and one of the most recognized brands in the world.
• Conflict resolution: A Colombian solved the largest dispute in the history of the International Chamber of Commerce (between Arthur Andersen and Andersen Consulting) a dispute of over 1 billion USD.
• Clothing: 70-85% of Children Polo Shirts are made in Colombia. Colombia is the largest producer of Adidas Sports Clothing in the World. 100% of Children stockings in Macy´s, Burdines and Bloomingdales are Colombian.

D

• Democracy: Oldest democracy in Latin America
• Design: Sylvia Tcherassi, Best "New Generation" Latin American Fashion designers (2001).

E

• Emeralds #1 in the world
• Export of agricultural products to the US (#2 in Latin America)
• Economic growth - 70 years, except in 1999.

F

• Flowers #1 in the world
• Frogs #1 in the world
• Fresh water fish - #2 in the world

G

• Guadua: First producer (Bambusa Angustifolia variety).
• Gold museum and mining, most important gold museum in the world.
• Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Nobel Prize Laureate – World record in sales of a book (32 copies in 50 languages)

H

• Health: Fourth country in the world in terms of investments in health as a percentage of GDP
• Human bones #1 exporter in the world.

I

• Impeccable debt payment record
• Inventions - Hakim valve, contact lenses for babies, pacemaker, gas-powered Iron.
• Indian Tribes - 80 - cultural diversity

J

• Juan Pablo Montoya: World Champion Formula CART / Formula One racer.
• Jungle in the Amazons, the lung of the world.

K

• Kogis - oldest Indian tribe in the planet.

L

• Largest gold deposits in South America.
• Largest open pit coal mine in the world
• Largest peace march in the history of humanity (11 million people)
• Leadership: Colombians hold leadership positions in multinationals worldwide (Microsoft, NASA, Pepsi, Motorola, etc).
• Longest coast on the Caribbean
• Loyal work force - one of our secret weapons
• Lingerie: Third manufacturer in the world.

M

• María Isabel Urrutía: Only South American to win Olympic Gold in Weightlifting.
• Machetes: Largest exporter of laminated machetes.
• Medicine: First caesarian surgery in Latin America.
• Midpoint between North and South America
• Maloka: seven countries have asked for assistance in setting up Malokas.
• Mammals: Fouth in species - 456 species.
• Museum of Antioquia: 300,000 visitors in the first four months, 80% of which had never been to a museum.

N

• NASA´s Neurociences director: Rodolfo Llinas
• Nanotechnology: Andrés Jaramillo Botero a pioneer in research on this field and one of 2,000 most influential scientists of the 20th Century.
• Nickel Fourth producer in the world.

O

• Oil estimated 37 billion barrels potential reserves
• Orchids - largest number of species – 3500 types (Priciest Exotic Flower in the World)
• Orbit: Strategically located in a geostationary orbit making telecommunications cheaper.

P

• Palm oil: 4th largest production and #1 in variety.
• Plants: #2 in the world
• Population: #2 in South America (44 million) .
• Potatoes: #1 in Latin America
• Poultry - largest open ventilation incubator in the world
• Publishing: # 1 publishing house in Spanish in Latin America.

Q

• Quality manufacturing: 70-85% of Children Polo Shirts are made in Colombia and the largest producer of Adidas Sportswear in the World.

R

• Raspberries: Second largest producer in the world.
• Reforestation powerhouse potential: A tree in Colombia grows three times faster than in Chile, a leader in the industry.
• Reptiles: #3 in species
• Refractive Surgery: #1 in the world.
• Resilience: One of our secret weapons.
• Roses: #1 in the world

S

• Shakira: #1 in Latin Billboard (#6 in US).
• Skating: World leader, Cecilia Baena five-time World Champion.
• Snow-capped mountain by the ocean- Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
• Smarts - highest grades in doctoral candidates in the US
• Seventy years of positive economic growth
• Soccer: America's Cup Champions, First woman to be a referee in an Olympic soccer game.
• Stamp Collection: Only country to earn two Olympic medals.
• Sugar: world leader in productivity.

T

• Trade agreements (50% of Colombia´s exports enter its markets duty-free

U

• Unesco - Cartagena World Heritage
• Universities of the highest caliber in Latin America. 88% Literacy rate.
• Urban population - 22 cities with > 100k; 8 with > 500k

V

• Vaccine against malaria discovered by Manuel Elkin Patarroyo.
• Vehicles and spare parts: major global supplier for GM twice.
• Volatility: lowest in Latin America
• Visits to a public library #1 in the world, Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango, Bogotá.
• Vibrant people- one of our secret weapons

W

• Water – Fourth producer in the world, 4,500 basins; 1,200 rives; 1,600 lakes and 1,900 swamps.
• Women's underwear: #3 in the world.
• Work ethic - one of our secret weapons.

X

• Xport promotion - #3 in exports promotion in the top 59 economies in the world. # 17 in exports growth worldwide.

Y

• Young, hard-working population
• Yucca - 70 species, world leaders in research and development.

Z

• Zeal: a passionate and strong-willed people: one of our secret weapons.

About colombia

• ABC's of Colombia