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Children
Colombia
 Capital and largest city - Bogota
Official languages - Spanish
Ethnic groups - 58% Mestizo
20% White
14% Mulatto
4% Black
3% Zambo
1% Amerindian
Demonym - Colombian
Population - April 2009 estimate 44,928,970
Currency - Peso (COP)
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Bogota -
Capital and the largest city in Colombia |
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in
northwestern South America. Colombia is bordered to the East by
Venezuela and Brazil to the South by Ecuador and Peru; to the North by
the Caribbean Sea; to the northwest by Panama; and to the West by the
Pacific Ocean.
Colombia also shares maritime borders with Jamaica, Haiti, the
Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Colombia is the
26th largest nation in the world and the fourth largest in South
America. It has the 29th largest population in the world and the second
largest in South America, after Brazil. Colombia has the third largest
Spanish-speaking population in the world after Mexico and Spain.
The territory of what is now Colombia was originally inhabited by
indigenous nations including the Muisca, Quimbaya and Tairona.
The Spanish arrived in 1499 and initiated a period of conquest and
colonization which ultimately led to the creation of the Viceroyalty of
New Granada with its capital at Bogota. Independence from Spain was won
in 1819.The new nation experimented with federalism as the Granadine
Confederation (1858) and then the United States of Colombia (1863),
before the Republic of Colombia was finally declared in 1886.
Colombia is a standing middle power with the fourth largest economy
in South America. It is ethnically diverse and the interaction between
descendants of the original native inhabitants, Spanish colonists,
Africans and twentieth-century immigrants from Europe and the Middle
East has produced a rich cultural heritage. This has also been
influenced by Colombia's varied geography.
The majority of the urban centres are located in the highlands of the
Andes mountains, but Colombian territory also encompasses the Amazon
rainforest, tropical grassland and both Caribbean and Pacific
coastlines. Ecologically, Colombia is one of the world's 18 megadiverse
countries.
Courtesy: Wikipedia
Over 6 billion people
 The world population is growing rapidly. Since births outnumber
deaths, the world's population is expected to reach about 9 billion by
the year 2040. World Population Day falls on July 11.
The term world population commonly refers to the total number of
living humans on Earth at a given time.
That is including you and me. As of July 3, 2009, the Earth's
population is estimated by the United States Census Bureau to be 6.7686
billion. The booming population in the world has caused negative
environmental impact and an unbalanced situation.
There were also short term falls at other times due to plague in the
mid 17th Century.
The fastest rates of world population growth (above 1.8 percent) were
seen briefly during the 1950s then for a longer period during the 1960s
and 1970s. According to population projections, world population will
continue to grow until around 2050. The 2008 rate of growth has almost
halved since its peak of 2.2 percent per year, which was reached in
1963.
World births have levelled off at about 134-million-per-year, since
their peak at 163-million in the late 1990s, and are expected to remain
constant.
Global population must be controlled and countries like China has
successfully implemented the One Child policy.
According to the latest estimates Sri Lanka has a population of about
20 million. Population density of Sri Lanka is 792 per square miles. Bye
for now.
Aunt Anji
Hot on their heels
The story so far...
 Pramodaka, Nalaka, Champika and Chinthaka go on a trip to the woods
with their parents for their school holidays. In the middle of the night
the children are awakened by a strange noise. On following their dog,
Scooby, Chinthaka is snared by the age old spell of the 'luring stones'.
 Pramodaka departs with Ruwi, a pixie, to recall a book of spell to
cast off the spell while Nalaka, Champika and the dog remain behind with
Sachi, a gnome who updates them on the life of mythical creatures.
Shamilka, a friend of the mythical creatures joins in and they begin
hunting for Pramodaka and Ruwi as there is no sign of their return.
Just as they were coming to terms with the fact that they were lost,
six rabbits scamper along the way. The rabbits take pity upon the
children and agree to guide them part of the way. Meanwhile Sulo, the
goblin who is always trying to make trouble for the mythical creatures,
grabs a basket of goodies from a gnome named Russell and makes off.
Scooby scents her and attacks. Ruwi senses that Russell is in danger
but she also gets the strange feeling that there is a mysterious link
between Pramodaka. Suddenly a storm breaks out and Pramodaka, Nalaka and
Champika are blown away with the wind. As they make their way back to
their friends Sulo notices them and comes up with a nasty plan. She
rushes off gang up the rest of her pack. There she reveals a secret that
could hold the key to all the goblin's troubles...
Pramodaka nearly jumped out his skin. He turned around, his heart
beating wildly.
Did the Policemen spot him? He scanned the background trying to catch
a glimpse of a figure dressed in dark green attire and bearing a gun.
"It's all right, Sam... It's just a squirrel who had come out to
gather a nut fallen from the tree," gasped the voice and he could duck
just in the nick of time as footsteps scurried by and two more Police
officers ran to their companion's aid.
"We thought you have come across something. Ravi is checking on the
other side with Sudam and Marvin. Rukshan and Tilvin are by the stream.
Any news from Marlo and Teddy?" asked a rather gruff voice which seemed
to have sprung from the other side of the lane.
"None, sir. They are planning to get some divers in. You know... to
see if the kids have gone for a swim..."
"Well, what's keeping them?"
"Detective S. Malalasena is not sure of the facts but he believes it
is a waste of time. He thinks the kids have headed for the woods," was
the reply.
"Huh, he thinks he knows best! Why I have been working in the
department for over ten years and if anyone thinks I cannot track down a
few naughty kids..."
The voices faded away at last and all was still. Pramodaka gave his
brother and sister a worried glance. The Policemen were everywhere! How
on earth are they supposed to give them the slip?
"He said some of them are by the stream. Let's keep our distance from
that side. We can get back on track once we have put some distance
between us and this area," he whispered to Nalaka.
"Better crawl for a while. It's safer," Nalaka whispered back.
Champika made a face. She wasn't enjoying the episode at all.
It took quite a while but finally Pramodaka was able to discard the
uncomfortable feeling of being caught.
"Just a few feet more and we can get on our feet," Nalaka muttered as
he kicked a sharp stone out of his path. There a squeal from Champika.
"Chee... I nearly squashed this thing," she said, wrinkling her nose
in disgust as she studied a snail which was slowly making its way along
a wet patch on the ground. Suddenly she gave a gasp of wonder. "Gosh...
Look at this!"
To be continued
Penpal corner
Name: Irfana Hameed
Gender: Female
Age: 14
Hobbies: Playing computer games and Badminton
Penpals preferred: Sri Lanka or any other country
Age group: 12 and above
Address: No. 144/1, Dikkumbura Road,
Polgolla, Kandy, Sri Lanka
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| The
Primary Section students of Musaeus College Colombo held a
Bakthi Gee recital recently to mark Poson Poya. The event
was organized by the Primary Section School Principal and
the staff. |
A nutritious food
distribution program was inaugurated at the Madina Central
College Primary Section on June 6. Here, students of Grade 1
and 2 are taking their mid-day meal. Teacher-in-charge and
the parents of the students were also present. H. A. Shakoor,
Pathadumbara Special Correspondent |
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