The yellow (twice the size of the blue and red) symbolizes Colombia's wealth and resources. The blue represents the two oceans and the many rivers that irrigate our territory. The red is a tribute to the blood shed by our patriots who fought against Spain and gave Colombia its independence on July 20, 1810.

BARRANQUILLA, COLOMBIA

A colorful, dynamic port city located where the Magdalena River spills into the Caribbean Sea, has been the setting for a number of suspense novels. It is that kind of city- a place of surprises, of easy-going character, of vivid Color, of action and movement It possesses something special for all visitors its port provides lively commerce for businessmen, there are palm-shaded plazas and after-dark excite ment for tourists, and a live-and-let-live attitude for those who are not certain what they are seeking. Barranquilla has been described as many things, but it has never been described as dull.


A city of over a million people, Barranquilla’s streets are filled with all the bustle and motion of a Middle Eastern marketplace. One hears a strange mixture of languages in the crowded bars and cafes, where Chinese, Arabs, Americans, Frenchmen and Italians speak to each other, and where the Spanish of the native Colombian is sometimes drowned Out altogether in the conversation of the streets. There are few cities in the world more cosmopolitan and worldly than Barranquilla,and there are few cities where pleasures are more robust and where life is lived more fully and enthusiastically.
Located not too far from the Equator, the city has a year-round tropical climate, averaging almost 90F yet the trade winds bring relief from heat, especially from December through March. The rainy season usually begins late in May and continues through October, when there are showers nearly every day, although the skies are mostly clear during the month of July when an odd season known as the San Juan Summer prevails. Barranquilla is a tropical city in every sense of the word, and it is this tropical character that gives it much of its exotic appeal, especially where its northern neighbors are concerned.
Port cities are all less formal, more boisterous, more given to pleasure than interior cities, and Barranquilla is no exception. An easy flight from Miami, it draws Americans to Colombia who sometimes find the easy-going port city more exciting than the more austere Bogota, while the commercial life that flows constantly around a large port adds to the general color and flavor ofthe city. A cheerful and totally uninhibited city, Barranquilla welcomes any visitor coming there in good will.
While the city is dominated by its port and the commerce that is generated by an important shipping center, there is another aspect to Barranquilla not generally known. It is also a lively cultural center and one possessing some of the country's major educational institutions. In Barranquilla are located the Universidad del Atlantico, The Universidad del Norte, the Universidad Metropolitana and Universidad Libre. Together these institutions of higher learning offer instruction in architecture, economy, engineering, medicine, law, and liberal arts. The Academy of Arts is located here, together with one of the finest libraries in Colombia. Giving additional weight to the city's cultural life is the famous hall of the Banco de la Republica where permanent exhibitions of fine paintings and sculpture are held. There is also a first-rate Botanical and Zoological park in the city. The universities. as they do all over the world, add another interesting thread to the cultural fabric of the city, bringing in great numbers of young people from all over the country.

Sightseeing Tourists travel thousands of miles searching for uncrowded beaches. The small town of Puerto Colombia is located only 15 kilometers from Barranquila, and here are the most beautiful beaches of the area, the most popular of which are Pradomar, Salgar, and Sabanilla. These are as fine as any beaches in the Caribbean, and all have whatever beach facilities are needed such as food stands and seafood restaurants. None are crowed, and the water one swims in is clear and unpolluted. Another fine beach is that at Puerto Caiman, somewhat further from Barranquilla than Puerto Colombia. Here, surrounded by a secluded bay lies Barro Azul, a glistening strip of white sand ringed by palm trees. It is one of the outstanding beaches in the Caribbean Sea.
Only five minutes from Barranquilla, across the Pumarejo Bridge over the Magdalena River, is the National Park on the Island of Salamanca where there is abundant and strange fauna. This bird sanctuary is believed to be a stop over for the migrant birds during the change of seasons in the south and north hemispheres. The beauty of the mangrove swamps and the channels of Cuatrobocas, Atascoso and Cienaga Grande, can be seen by boat or small canoes.