Figure 1.--Jorge Marín Vieco was a Colombian sculptor born in Medellin (1910). Here we have a family photo taken in 1914. Jorge is the boy in sailor suit sitting in the ground. Notice the European-style clothing. From the clothing it would be impossible to tell where the photograph was taken.

We have very little information on Colombia. It is one of the largest countries in Latin America in area and the second largest population of Spanish speakers in the world. Like other Andean countries, it is a very diverse country geographically. It is the only South American country with both a Caribbean and Pacific coasts. In addition to narrow coastal plains, there is both a large Andean Highland area and Amazonian basin interior. We have a page on Colombian history and economic development. The Spanish sailed along the coast of Colombia soon after Colunbus' First Voyage, but did not immediately move to conquer it. Ethnically the country is a mixture of the Native American people and Spanish setters as well as a small admixture of African people, all of who have played a role in the country's evolving culture. The Chibcha of Colombian were the only major Andean civilization not conquered by the Inca, probably because the Spanish arrived before the Inca could move north of Ecuador. There are also people of African ancestry, mostly along the tropical coasts. There were more than 80 Native American groups in the early-21st century.

Geography

Colombia has been called the 'gateway to South America' as a result of its location at the the northwestern corner of the South American continent. It sits on the connection between South America and Central America--this is a warm, wet, jungle area known as the Chocó. This is the northern border with Panama. To the east is Venezuela and to the south Brazil and Ecuador. Colombia is the fifth largest country in Latin America and the world's second largest population of Spanish-speaking people, just behind Mexico. The country has a sharply varied geography. At the heart of Colombia is the Sierra--the towering Andes with snow-covered volcanoes and mountains. The Magdalena River, the country's largest, flowing north into the Caribbean. Hemming in the Magdalena Basin is the Andes proper to the west and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to the east. Other rivers include the Cauca, Atrato, and Sinú. Tropical beaches are found along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts to the north and west of the Sierra. And there are areas of high rainfall as well as near deserts along the northern coast. And to the east of the Sierra is a vast grassland--the Llanos shared with Venezuela. South of the Llanos and east of the Sierra are the dense forests of the Amazon Basin. About half of southern Colombia is part of the northwestern Amazonian Basin.

History

Rodrigo de Bastidas was the first European to sail along the coast of Colombia (1500-01). He sailed along the Caribbean coast from the Cape of La Vela to Point Manzanilla in what is now Panama. The Spanish were at first drawn to Peru and the wealth of the Aztec Empire. Francisco Pizarro ventured south along the Pacific coast (1525). Bastidas founded Santa Marta along the on the northern (Caribbean) coast (1525), the first step in the actual conquest of Colombia itself. Pedro de Heredia founded Cartagena (1533). It became one of the most important naval bases in the Spanish Empire. Cartagena was the first of the fortified ports built along the Spanish Main. The Spanish Main developed as a string of trading ports running north from Caetagena through Central America to the Caribbean. These ports were designed to safely transporting the riches of Spain's new South American colonies back to Spain. Soon Colombian emeralds, Peruvian gold, and Bolivian silver would flow through Cartagena and the other ports of the Spanish Main. Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada moved into Colombia's Andean interior and founded Bogotá (1538) followed by several other interior cities as well as strong points securing routes to the coast. The Spanish completed the conquest (mid-16th century).

Economics

We have some information on economic development.

Chronology

Garments

As is the case throughout South America, Colombian children did not wear distinctive clothing styles. We see middle-class boys in the cities wearing European clothing styles. We see some sailor suits in the erly-20 century among affluent families. We note one boy doing his First Communion (1930s). Sailor suits were popular for First Communion in some European countries, especially Spain. This was not very common in the United States. Generally speaking, sailor suits were not as popular in Colombia and the rest of Latin America as in Europe and the United States. Bare feet were common unless the family was affluent, but this has largely disappeared as the country has made economic priogress. In more recent years, American styles became more important. More humble people, especially the Native Americans in the countryside, wore styles popular throughout the Andean region. Styles here were distinctive to the Andes and Meso-America, but not particularly to Colombia. We see garments like white campesino clothing and ponchos to keep warm. The ponchos was a rectangular garment that could be produced on back strap home looms and a major component of Andean clothing.

Ethnicity

Ethnically the country is a mixture of the Native American people and Spanish setters. There are also people of African ancestry, mostly along the tropical coasts. There were more than 80 Native American groups in the early 21st century. Each of the groups have their own distinctive history. They varies as to the degree of assimilation into the wider Colombian national population. We note one study which focused on indigenous people. The Molitones Bari [singular Molitón Bari] live in the region of Catatumbo (Northern department of Santander. Catatumbo is a strategic region. It is near of the boundary with Venezuela. In the region there is also a lot of oil and coal. T Over time the exploitation of oil and coal caused land expropriations. Today the Molitones Bari's culture could disappear. This is the reason of the protest marches with exhibition of pride about their culture.

Demographics

Colombia is the second most populace country in South America and third in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico. The demographics of Colombia have undergone massive changes. After World War II at mid century, Colombia was still a very rural country Some 60 percent of Colombians lived in rural areas (1955). Much of the rural population was campesinos, landless or or small proprietors -- a rural peasantry. And unlike the Andean countries to the south, Amerindians make up only a small part of the campesinos. They are moistly Mestizo and European. We are not sure why the Amerindian population is so much lower than the other Andean countries. Inequities in Colombian society fed into La Violencia -- a 10-year civil war (1948-58). It was by the Colombian Conservative Party and the Colombian Liberal Party, mostly in the country side. Than a Communist insurgency fought by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and Drug Lords, violent men like Pedro Escobar, destabilized the country. The two groups often cooperated. Again much of this was fought out in the countryside. Through all of this something amazing happened--the economy continued to grow, in large measure because of free market capitalism. Once much of rural Colombia was covered by cultivated plots of corn, beans, coffee, sugar cane, and yuca as well as some coca. The country has been transformed by a movement to the city. Here they have found decent paying jobs. Substantial areas of rural Colombia have lost population. The economics are inescapably irrefutable. A campesino family with a small plot, simply can not eke out a decent life. Today the country is heavily urbanized--(80 percent). And reports all kinds of basic statistics of a successful country (birth rates, infant mortality, deaths under 5 year, life expectancy, fertility rates, etc.) have reached First World standards.

Activities

We do not yet have much information on boyhood activities in Colombia. As best e can tell, they are much like those in the rest of South America. We do not yet know much about the arts in Colombia. We do note an image of Colombian sculptor Jorge Marín Vieco (1910-76). He is Colombia's greatest sculptor (figure 1). Both music and dance are very popular in Colombia. There are numerous popular and vibrant styles. The most popular local musical styles are Bambuco, Cumbia, Merengue, Salsa, and Vallenato. Cumbia seems particularly important throughout the Andes. Traditional dance seems more strongly connected with Spanish styles and very limited Native American influences. The girls commonly wear swirling, very Spanish-looking dances and surely are the centerpiece of the dance. You do not see this in Native American dance. The boys tend to wear very basic white campesino outfits, often with neckerchiefs. We note children in Cali performing a traditional dance, wearing white clothing and in bare feet. We see similar dance in other Latin American countries. The Colombian Sierra (Andean region) is home to more than 100 indigenous groups whose native music was used in rituals for healing and magic. One source insists that they have influenced many of Colombia's traditional styles of music and dance. The traditional dance we have noted seems, especially the dances performed by women and girls, show little connection with Native American culture. Native American influences seem more important in music. African influences are clear in drums and Native American influences in flutes. Cumbia is a music and associated dance that is commonly viewed as a national tradition in Colombia, believed to have originated as a courtship dance during the Spanish colonial era. [Mauleon] The drums and flutes used in Cumbian music are largely non-Spanish influences. We have some limited information on Colombian schools. Sports are now important throughout Latin America Futbbol (soccer) is the principal sport and as is the case thouughout mist of Latin America dominates sport. There is some limited interest in baseball in Caribbean areas. Some Colombians have made the major leagues in the United States. We also have some information on youth groups.

Religion

Colombia like the rest of Latin America is a predominantly Catholic country. Thanks to the Inquisition, Catholicism until independence in the early 19th century was the only religion permitted. And Catholicism continued to dominate throughout the 19th century, although a major issue in the political arena was the role of the Catholic Church in government and society. This separated liberal and conservative political parties. In the 20th century, especially after World War II, there has been some growth of Protestantism, but the country is still strongly Catholic. And First Communion continues to be an important event in the lives of many Colombian children. Girls wear junior wedding dresses. Boys from affluent families might get special suits like sailor suits. We see a Cartagena boy in the 1930s wearing a classic white sailor suit for his First Commjunion. We do not yet have much information on religion in Colombia. We do have a page on Colombian weddings.

Sources

Mauleon

Created: 3:15 AM 1/21/2009
Last updated: 7:31 AM 9/8/2015