<P> Many aspects of Colombian culture can be traced back to the culture of Spain of the 16th century and its collision with Colombia's native civilizations (see: Muisca, Tayrona). The Spanish brought Catholicism, African slaves, the feudal encomienda system, and a caste system that favored European - born whites . After independence from Spain, the criollos struggled to establish a pluralistic political system between conservative and liberal ideals . </P> <P> Ethno - racial groups maintained their ancestral heritage culture: whites tried to keep themselves, despite the growing number of illegitimate children of mixed African or indigenous ancestry . These people were labeled with any number of descriptive names, derived from the casta system, such as mulato and moreno . Blacks and indigenous people of Colombia also mixed to form zambos creating a new ethno - racial group in society . This mix also created a fusion of cultures . Carnivals for example became an opportunity for all classes and colors to congregate without prejudice . The introduction of the bill of rights of men and the abolishment of slavery (1850) eased the segregationist tensions between the races, but the dominance of the whites prevailed and prevails to some extent to this day . </P> <P> The industrial revolution arrived relatively late at the beginning of the 20th century with the establishment of the Republic of Colombia . Colombians had a period of almost 50 years of relative peace interrupted only by a short armed conflict with Peru over the town of Leticia in 1932 . </P> <P> Bogotá, the principal city, was the World Book Capital in 2007, in 2008 by the Iberoamerican Theatrum Festival Bogotá has been proclaimed as the world capital of theatre . </P>

How does city life differ from country life in mexico