The Flag
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In 1810, rebellion against the Spanish spread throughout Colombia, specifically reaching Bogotá, Cartagena, the Cauca Valley, and Antioquia. Each area declared independence under a separate flag– horizontal stripes of yellow over red, a tricolor of blue-yellow-red, blue and white stripes within a silver border, and others. When “The Liberator”, Simón Bolívar, was victorious at the Battle of Boyacá (1819), Colombia’s independence was inevitable. In December 1819, Colombia adopted the tricolor of yellow, blue, and red as its national flag, the flag Bolívar fought under. The meanings of the colors on the flag remain to be freely interpreted. These interpretations include: yellow for the gold in Colombia’s land, blue for the seas on its shores, and red for the blood spilled to gain its independence; sovereignty and justice (yellow), loyalty and vigilance (blue), and valor and generosity (red); liberty (yellow), equality (blue), and fraternity (red).
My hand drawn flag VS. the actual flag of Colombia
The Facts
Colombia has a volatile economy, originally being one of the most stable economies in South America. Around half of Colombia’s population lived below the poverty line, with a very uneven distribution of wealth around the country. However, in recent years, the government has taken action, and the percentage of people in poverty has decreased from 50% to 28%. Colombia’s economy has always been based on agriculture, with coffee and sugar being Colombia’s biggest export in the 1900s. The oil and coal industry has been taking shape recently, being the largest contributor to Colombia’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the 2000s (54% of the GDP). Colombia’s other major industries are textiles, mining, agriculture (besides coffee and sugar, Colombia also exports bananas and cut flowers), beverages, chemicals (primarily pharmaceuticals), and cement. Colombia’s GDP per capita was $18,700, ranking third highest compared to the countries that border it. It was only behind Panama and Brazil, with GDP per capita of $35,900 and $19,000 respectively. Venezuela has the lowest GDP per capita of all the countries bordering Colombia, with a measly $3,737 per capita. This would explain why many Venezuelans are moving to Colombia, considering the better economic conditions. Colombia’s economy has gone through rough points, but seeing a transformation in recent years, it has turned into a stable economy.