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How Colombians are
Colombians are very proud of their country, even if there are political and social conflicts nowadays. If you want to share strong points of view about Colombia, it is better you get objective information or face a long discussion. Colombians can be nationalists and regionalists and many of them have good sources to prove what they state. They are also sensitive and friendly and most of them like people.
Cultural background The main cultural background of Colombians is the Hispanic culture, but it is mixed with the Afro-Colombian and Aborigine traditions. The best way to prove it is through their music and dance. For example, Cumbia, a dance, is the best mixture of the three Colombian origins (Europe, Africa and South America).
Picture of an aboriginal girl by the official site of ONIC. Some observers think that the Colombian territory was a part of the ancient Inca Empire before the Spaniards. Actually only a part of nowadays Colombian was a part of such Empire: the south-west of what is today the Nariño State. Most of the Colombian territory was inhabited by different groups of Aborigines connected especially to the Chibcha and Caribbean linguistic families. The Muisca People inhabited what is today Bogotá and they had the biggest tribe confederation of the Americas.
The Aboriginal peoples, according with the ONIC list, everyone with its own language: Achagua, Andoque, Baniva, Barasana, Kabiyarí, Kurripaco, Piapoko, Tarino, Yukuna, Awa pit, Bora, Miraña, Muinane, Barí, Cofán, Chimila, Damana, Ika, Kogui, Tule, Uwa, Embera, Guayabero, Guahibo, Jitnu, Pisamira, Kumba, Sikuani, Karijona, Yuko, Yabuda, Inga, Jupde, Kakua, Nukak, Yujup, Puinave, Yagua, Piaroa, Sáliba, Coreguaju, Makaguaje, Siona, Bará, Barasana, Desano, Karapana, Kantza, Kubeo, Makuna, Muruy, Nunuka, Piratapuyo, Pisamira, Ocaina, Siriano, Tanimuka, Tatuyo, Ticuna, Tukano, Tuyuka, Banano, Yurutí, Kokama, Guambiano, Kogán, Nasayuwe, Siapidara, Tikuna, Tinigua, Totoró, Uitoto, Wiwa (dumuna), Wuayuunaiki, Wipibi, Waunana.
Afro-Colombian children from Chocó State, picture by Alejandra Quintero Sinisterra
Architecture is the other aspect: temples, the traditional plaza, the big houses with its patio, zaguán and garden. Foto de carolaiton. Festivities, most of them within the Catholic cultural background with its Fiestas patronales (the feast of the patron saint of each town), toros and several carnivals. The Colombian food with rich dishes so delicious to enjoy in any traditional meson (traditional Colombian restaurants). Its music with lovely instruments like guitar, cuatro, tiple and many others to become the companions of the romantic Colombian veladas.
What they like Colombians like dancing, singing and meet people, specially during weekends, the time of rumba. They use to plan tours in their free days. Colombians like to talk. Colombians like discussions about sport, politics, religion and ideas. Colombians talk very loudly, as it is usual in Hispanic countries. Persons from other cultures use to think that Colombians are shouting, but it is not real, at least from the Colombian point of view. Colombians are in general hard workers and good students. Colombians inside the country are in general not good for learn languages, but it is also due to a bad national plan of foreign languages studies. Colombians shake hands when they meet each other even among women. When you have more confidence you can greet ladies with a slight kiss in their cheek and that does not mean other thing than friendship. To do so, you must learn what other people around you use to do. In Colombian men do not kiss each other when they meet. To do so can cause social embarrassment. Men are greeted only by shaking hands. When you meet somebody for the first time, Colombians are very formal using words as Señor, Señorita, Señora, Usted, Por favor, con su permiso. After a time and when the relation is more confident, rules of informality can be established, but after it is seen as impolite. When you visit a house for the first time, you must stay in the parlor. It is not good to go elsewhere if you are not asked to do so. People with official jobs and intellectuals are addressed in Colombia as doctor or doctora. That title has not to see with their profession, but it is only a title of respect to a learnt or important person. Family is very important in Colombia. Families are traditionally big. Even if parents have one or two children, you have to count also that they have many uncles, aunts, cousins, grand parents and the friends of the family. All of those persons are very much important for any Colombian. If you have a Colombian friend or if you want to marry a Colombian lady (or gentleman), you have to see with a very big group of people. If you do not accept them, you will not be successful with the Colombian you like. A Colombian boss is often strict, but in workplaces people try to make a family atmosphere. Colombians can even resign if they find that their job is so much rude. Workers wait that the boss has any detail of appreciation even if he or she is very strict. Many Colombian men are used to say sweet words to ladies they consider beautiful. That is called piropo. That can happen in the street or in work places, universities, etc. Most of those words are actually kind at least they come from very rude men. If you are a foreign lady and you are object of a piropo, you just are expected to do nothing. Sometimes it can come from men that are your friend, your companions or others. The piropo does not mean in that case a compromise and you just smile. Women are not expected to say piropos to men in the street. Women can admire the elegance of their male friends and that is okay. Colombians like sport very much. There are many fanatics to soccer. In every city there is a local team and cities can be paralized when there is a game of the local team. Food can be different from region to region but nationally it can have things like potatoes, rice, beans, maize and meat. Most Colombians do not eat food with chili. They like beer very much. The most known Colombian dishes:
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As
a huge country and many origins, it is difficult to talk
about a Colombian people as a single group. However,
there are many things in common that distinguish
Colombians: kindness, passion for sport, love for their
country and people, sense of humor, outspoken way to
share their opinions, love for music, poetry and art,
sense of work, hope and optimism and many other things
you will discover when you get in touch with this
people. We can describe the many amazing places of a
huge and beautiful country, but one thing is certain: 
Out
of these three main groups at the origin of the
Colombian culture (Spaniards, Aborigines and Africans),
other minorities came to Colombia since the end of the
19th century giving their own characteristics to the
nation: Arabs, Jews, Chinese, Italians, Americans,
Argentineans, Spaniards (those who came after the
Independence), Antilleans, Ecuadorians and Chileans.
Those groups were integrated in the Colombian society.
The
origin of the Africans in Colombia is not yet established.
Some observers find similarities between the
Colombian-Africans communities of the Pacific region
with Congo (their music, traditions and dialects). The Palenque
de San Basilio, a town of Colombian-Africans near 
The
Spaniard roots of Colombia are very strong. The
first thing is its Spanish language, considered by many
observers as the most neutral Spanish of the
world. 