Cool and funny facts about Colombia

#Colombia's drug trade is worth US$10 billion. That's one-quarter as much as the country's legal exports.

# Colombia is the second most biodiverse country in the world, after only Brazil which is 10 times its size. It is one of only 17 “megadiverse” countries in the world.
(Source: World Resources Institute, 2013)

#Cocaine can be purchased for about US$5 per gram in Colombia while in the U.S. it sells for at least US$100.

# The country’s name is pronounced Col-o-mbia, not Col-u-mbia. Many non-Spanish speakers get this wrong.

#More Colombians die every year from American tobacco than Americans die from Colombian cocaine

# Local government periodically imposes a ‘Dry Law’ during major events such as World Cup matches and elections, prohibiting alcohol consumption in order to stem public violence.
(Source: Colombia Report, 2014)

# A Colombian woman was raised by monkeys after being kidnaped and abandoned in the jungle as a child.

#Jamaica, Colombia and St Lucia are the only countries where a woman is more likely to be a boss than a man.

# Despite its reputation as a drug-peddling dangerous place, in reality, it’s one of the most beautiful countries in the world with a diverse nation that is helpful, hopeful and deeply endearing.

# Colombia is the only country in South America that has coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
(Source: Google Maps)

# Colombia is part of the Ring of Fire, a group of countries in the Pacific Ocean vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
(Source: National Geographic)

# Bolivia was named after Simon Bolivar, a military leader who led Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and Bolivia to independence.

# While most of the Amazon rainforest is in Brazil (60%), it's also in Peru (13%), Colombia (10%), Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and three countries.

# In 1973, Nixon gave Colombia a lunar rock collected during the Apollo 17 landing. The plaque reads "Presented to the People of the Republic of Columbia."

# Colombian women don’t hesitate to change their bodies if they’re dissatisfied. The country is currently the 5th most popular hub for cosmetic surgery.
(Source: Economist, 2013)

#  The South American revolutionary Simon Bolivar was, at various times, president of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.

# From July to November, the Caño Cristales River in Colombia gets 5 different colors: yellow, green, blue, black and red.

# Before the Columbian Exchange, there were no oranges in Florida, no bananas in Ecuador, no potatoes in Ireland, no coffee in Colombia, no pineapples in Hawaii, no rubber trees in Africa, no tomatoes in Italy, and no chocolate in Switzerland.

# Colombia’s ‘second city’ Medellin was once the murder capital of the world with 17 murders every day in 1991. It has since undergone a renaissance and is now one of the country’s main cultural hubs.

# Notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar reportedly 

offered to pay Colombia’s national debt of $10bn to improve his reputation and escape the crosshairs of justice.
(Source: Killing Pablo by Mark Bowden, 2001)

#Botero’s birds: A destroyed sculpture sits next to a newer, perfectly-formed counterpart, representing the two stories of Medellin

# Aracataca, the birthplace of author Gabriel García Márquez, once held a referendum to rename the town ‘Aracataca-Macondo’ after the fictional town of Macondo from his famous book One Hundred Years of Solitude. Unfortunately, the referendum failed due to low turnout.
(Source: BBC, 2006)

# Colombia was the inspiration behind our ebook Don’t Offer Papaya: 101 Tips for Your First Time Around the World. The phrase ‘don’t offer papaya’ is one of the rules of the street and warns that if you leave your valuables (‘papaya’) in a vulnerable position, someone will take it.
(Source: Atlas & Boots)

# Hardcore porn is sold on street stalls so don’t be surprised if you’re confronted with sensual donkey porn while waiting at the traffic lights.
(Source: Erm, first-hand experience)

# Following on from the above, store mannequins have enormous breasts as a reflection of the country’s preoccupation with curves.

#Mannequins often reflect the handiwork of Colombia’s plastic surgeons (Image: The Hungry Vegan)

# Bogota has South America’s largest network of bicycle routes: over 300km stretching from slum areas and suburbs to the city centre.
(Source: Danish Architecture Centre, 2014)

# Colombia is on the equator, so expect much heat and sun!
(Source: Google Maps)

# Speaking of the World Cup, the Colombians stole our hearts in the last tournament.

# Colombia is the happiest country in the world according to the 2013 and the 2014 Barometer of Happiness and Hope.
(Source: Colombia Reports, 2014)