The purpose of this research is to provide an overview of the country of Colombia and an analysis of how the culture of its prevalent traditions, values, and practices might affect the provision of health care in the country.
Location. Colombia is the northernmost of any of the countries of South America. It has been described as about twice the size of France (Kline) and about the same size as the state of Texas (Embassy). It is the only South American Country to front two major bodies of water; the southern Caribbean Sea meets its north shore, and it fronts the middle Pacific Ocean to its west. The isthmus of Panama divides Colombia's north and west shorelines (Kline).
Population. According to Colombian statistical sources, the population of the country as of 1999 was 39.3 million, growing at the rate of 1.85% per year. A number of ethnic groups make up the population: mestizo, consisting of persons of European and native Indian extraction (58%), white (20%), mulatto (14%), black (4%), mixed black-Amerindian (3%), and Amerindian (1%). The Colombian government reports a literacy rate of 91.4% of the population over age 15 (Embassy). Some 70% of Colombia's population is concentrated chiefly in the western part of the country, in the Andes region, where most of the cities are. The rest of the population is distributed through the central and eastern regions of the country. The capital city, Bogotá, is located near the eastern edge of the Andes in the central part of the country. Spanish is the official language of the country (Kline), and while Roman Catholicism is (no longer) the official religion of the country, 95% of the people identify as Catholics.
Climate. Colombia is tropical, Andean, and equatorial (Kline), but not particularly seasonal (Embassy). The equator crosses Colombia to divide its southern fifth from the rest of the country. The Andes Mountains run north to south across most of the western third of the countr...