Cultural Patterns in Colombia

Traits

Many of the widespread Colombian culture traits can be traced back to the aspects of the Spanish, who were the first European settlers of the region.  The Spanish culture collided and mixed with the cultures of the native people of the area, the Muisca and the Tayrona.  Catholicism, African slaves, and the feudal system were brought into the country by the Spanish, and the culture of their African-born slaves also influenced the individual Colombian culture.  There  was also a certain amount of influence by France when Colombia turned to them for help after getting independence from Spain.  It was influenced by many regional cultures which diffused and mixed to form the Colombian identity.

The Andes region of Colombia has a larger population than any of the other regions.  It has settlements for the native people where they conserve their own individual cultures.  

Language

Spanish is the official language of Colombia, but many of the languages of the indigenous people are still spoken within their regions.  There are more than 60 of these, which are constitutionally recognized as official languages in their territories,  including Bora, Guahibo, and Ticuna.  The sign language is Colombian Sign Language, which is different from other sign languages, such as the American and British Sign Languages.  

Religion 

Colombia's various religions reflect on its many cultural influences, including the Spanish, African, and Indigenous peoples.  In 1891, the new Colombian Constitution abolished Roman Catholicism as the state sponsored church.  In article 13 it states that people will not be discriminated against because of "sex, race, national or familial origin, language, religion, politic or philosophic opinion".  Catholicism was the official religion until 1991, when the National Constituent Assembly granted equal treatment by the government to practitioners of all religions.  However, it is still the main religion of Colombia, with an estimate of 90% of the population defining themselves as Catholic, according to the CIA World Factbook.  Of the two other notable religions, Islam accounts for only about 10,000 people, or 0.02% of the population.    

Gender Roles

Overall, the roles of each sex are clearly and rigidly defined.  Few men will take over housekeeping or the raising of children, which are women's tasks.  The most common arrangement is one where men occupy the more dominant roles, acting as the breadwinner, disciplinarian, and public head of the family.  In more urban centers women also are beginning to have high-paying jobs, but the male dominance is still much in evidence in rural regions.  

 Colombia is a destination for birdwatchers everywhere.  There are approximately 1,870 species of birds at the last count and more are sure to be discovered.  This beats out Peru and Brazil, which have, respectively,  1,817 and 1,767 species.  The Amazon rainforest is home to almost half of the planet's documented species, even though it only accounts for only about 4.7% of the land mass.  

Producing 20% of the world's oxygen, and home to half of the world's unique species, the Amazon rainforest is a beautiful and precious resource, and protecting and preserving it should be one of humanities goals, not only for itself, but for all of life on Earth.