Population: 48.65 million (According to the last census)
Capital City: Bogotá (population: 8 million)
Religion: Catholic (95%), remained a mix of traditional, Episcopal and Jewish faiths
President: Ivan Duque (2018-2022)
Official Language: the official language is Spanish; but there are other spoken languages such as Chibcha, Guajiro, and approximately 90 other native languages. Further, there are some
communities that speak English and German.
Currency: Colombian Peso (COP). The currency symbol is the “$”, just like in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Remember that the meaning of periods and commas in numbers is reverse of that in the US. So $ 15.000, means fifteen-thousand Colombian pesos (about $5,25 USD). To find how much something costs in dollars just divide the amount (the price in pesos) by ($2.900 COP or the Current exchange, remember this changes daily) NOTE: This can change according to the exchange rate. We recommend that you exchange some money at the airport when you arrive. But also we want to provide you with some options near the Hotels.
Giros y Finanzas
Centro
Avenida Venezuela No. 8A-87
Edificio CITIBANK L-3
Phone: 01800 0111999
Casa de Cambio América
Centro
La Matuna Avenida Venezuela No. 9-48
Phones: 664 8181 – 664 5430
Also keep in mind that ATMs are a available and that your credit cards should work in Colombia once you’ve notified your bank that you’ll be traveling there.
Flying in: There are direct flights to Cartagena from New York City, Atlanta, and Miami. Google Flights and Hopper (app) are great resource for watching flights. AIRPORT IN CARTAGENA: International Airport Rafael Nuñez Phone Number: +57 (5) 656.92.00
THE CONSULAR AGENCY IN BARRANQUILLA
The Consular Agency is located at Calle 77B No. 57-141, suite 511.
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Monday through Friday.
No appointment is necessary. Phone: (5)
353-2001 or (5) 353-2182.
From the United States the number is 011-57-5-353-2001 or 011-57-5-353-2182.
UNITED STATES EMBASSY IN BOGOTA
In case of an emergency, please contact the Consular Section at the Embassy in Bogota
Carrera 45, # 24B-27, Bogota, D.C., Colombia.
Emergency telephone contact (571) 315-0811. 24 hours a day.