Learning Spanish ? Give Colombia a thought, it is awesome .
Linguistic highlights
Spanish, known in Colombia as castellano, is spoken by nearly the entire population and is the only national official language. However, numerous indigenous languages are granted official status locally. The most significant of then is Wayuu, an Amerindian language used mostly in northeastern Colombia and neighboring Venezuela. It is spoken by more than 100,000 Colombians. (Source: Ethnologue Database)
Spanish grammar in Colombia
Probably the biggest difference from standard Latin American Spanish is that it is common, especially in Bogotá, the capital and largest city, for close friends and family members to address each other as usted rather than tú, the former being considered formal nearly everywhere else in the Spanish-speaking world. In parts of Colombia, the personal pronoun vos is sometimes used among close friends. The diminutive suffix -ico also is used often.
Spanish pronunciation in Colombia
Bogotá usually is viewed as the area of Colombia where the Spanish is easiest for foreigners to understand, as it has close to what is considered standard Latin American pronunciation. The main regional variation is that coastal areas are dominated by yeísmo, where the y and the ll are pronounced the same. In Bogotá and the highlands, where lleísmo dominates, the ll has a more fricative sound than the y, something like the "s" in "measure."
Studying Spanish
Partly because Colombia has not been a major tourist destination (it once had a reputation for drug-related violence, although that has become less of an issue in recent years), there isn't an abundance of Spanish-language immersion schools, perhaps fewer than a dozen reputable ones, in the country. Most of them are in Bogotá and environs, although there are some in Medellín (the country's second largest city) and coastal Cartagena. Costs generally run from $200 to $300 U.S. per week for tuition. The U.S. State Department reported in 2013 that the safety situation in Colombia has improved considerably in recent years, although travelers should become aware of political conditions.
Geography
Colombia is bordered by Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Its 1.1 million square kilometers make it nearly twice the size of Texas. Its topography includes 3,200 kilometers of coastline, Andes mountains as high as 5,775 meters, Amazon jungle, Caribbean islands, and lowland plains known as llanos.
History
Colombia's modern history began with the arrival of Spanish explorers in 1499, and the Spanish began settling the region in the early 16th century. By the early 1700s, Bogotá became one of the leading centers of Spanish rule. Colombia as a separate country, originally called New Granada, was formed in 1830. Although Colombia usually has been ruled by civilian governments, its history has been marked by violent internal conflict. Beginning in the 1980s, the violence was intensified by a growing illegal drug trade. As of 2013, large areas of the country are under guerrilla influence, although peace talks continue between the government and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia.
5 Answers
I spent most of my time in Colombia in a small town north of Bogotá, named Guachetá. It seemed like all the cities (having indigenous native names) were accented on the last syllable: Ubaté, Zipaquirá, Chiquinquirá. Of course there were many more that are not: Chía, Susa, Tierra Negra.
I learned recently that one of the principle reasons Panamá is not part of Colombia anymore is because Teddy Roosevelt wanted to build a canal through it - but Colombia did not. We all know how that turned out.
Thanks, Ray, for posting this.
Tengo una amiga de Bogotá, y algún día espero que pueda visitarla.
Thanks mate, this was very informational and interesting. I cannot wait to hear about your visit to Cambodia.
If I remember correctly, Cartagena was one of Marijke's favourite places.
Wait, is Ray traveling in Cambodia, but writing to us about Colombia? Very creative.
