COLOMBIA 



1479 



COLOMBIA 



direct sai.ing route to the ports of the Pacific. 

 Since all the Colombian seaports are so near 

 to the Pa lama Canal, Buenaventura and pos- 

 sibly othtr Pacific ports may develop into 

 importance, from their new accessibility. 



Government. The present fourteen "Depart- 

 mentos," three "Intendencias" (intendencies) 

 and seven "Commissaries" of the republic of 

 Colombia are governed under a central consti- 

 tution. A President is elected for a term of 

 four years, by direct vote, and may not serve 

 two terms in succession. Congress elects two 

 substitutes for a term of one year, one of whom 

 would fill a vacancy during a Presidential term. 



Legislative power rests with a Congress com- 

 posed of a Senate and a House of Representa- 

 tives. The Senate has one Senator for each 

 120,000 inhabitants, elected indirectly by elec- 

 tors chosen for the purpose, and serve four 

 years. The members of the House of Repre- 

 sentatives, one for each 50,000 inhabitants, are 

 elected by direct vote of the people, for two 

 years. Governors of the "Departmentos" are 

 appointed by the President of the republic. A 

 Cabinet of eight Ministers, appointed by him, 

 assists the President. Every able-bodied man 

 in Colombia is liable to military service, but 

 service is not generally enforced. A Supreme 

 Court, with nine judges, four appointed by the 

 Senate and five by the House, district supreme 

 courts and provincial courts administer justice. 



History. From 1499 to 1536 the coasts of 

 Colombia were explored at various times by 

 Ojeda, Bastida, Columbus, Balboa, Pizarro, 

 Heredia and Almagro. Between 1536 and 1540, 

 united forces of Spaniards overcame the In- 

 dians occupying that region and Spanish settle- 

 ments rapidly grew. Until 1718 it was known 

 as the province of New Granada. It was then 

 made a vice-royalty. 



The great leader, Simon Bolivar, a native of 

 Caracas, having overthrown the Spanish power 

 in Venezuela, began the liberation of New 

 Granada, which was united with Venezuela 

 and' Quito, Ecuador, under the name of the 

 Republic of Colombia, by the constitution of 

 1819. General William Henry Harrison, after- 

 ward President of the United States, was sent 

 as American minister to the new republic, 

 which was welcomed with enthusiasm into the 

 family of nations. But dissensions arose. 

 Venezuela and Ecuador seceded in 1830, the 

 year of Bolivar's death, leaving only New 

 Granada to represent the republic on which 

 high hopes had been built (see BOLIVAR, SI- 

 MON). 



Outline and Questions on 

 Colombia 



I. Position and Size 



(1) Latitude, 3 south to 12 30' north 



(2) Longitude, 67 30' to 83 west 



(3) Actual area, 468,000 square miles 



(4) Comparative area 



II. Physical Features 



(1) Distribution of mountains and 



plains 



(2) Rivers 



(3) Vegetation 



(4) Climate 



III. Industries and Transportation 



(1) Agriculture 



(a) Distribution 



(b) Chief crops 



(2) Mining 



( 3 ) Manufacturing 



(4) Transportation and commerce 



IV. The People 



(1) Races 



(2) Numbers 



(3) Education and religion 



V. Government and Religion 



(1) Republican form of government 



( 2 ) Departments 



(3) Early conquest 



(4) The work of Bolivar 



(5) Civil struggles 



(6) The Panama question 



: 



Questions 



How great a variation in climate 

 may be experienced in one day's trav- 

 eling? 



How has one of the greatest engi- 

 neering projects ever undertaken by 

 the United States brought it into con- 

 flict with Colombia? 



What products of Colombian indus- 

 try are eagerly bought by Americans? 



Who was the hero of the struggle 

 for independence? What other South 

 American countries owe their liberty, 

 in whole or in part, to him? 



For whom was the country named? 

 Did he ever actually see this part of 

 the world? 



What tendencies of the people have 

 interfered with the development of 

 trade? 



Why has not agriculture become 

 more widespread and important? Of 

 what crop does the United States re- 

 ceive the poorer grades? 



What are the chief elements of the 

 population ? 



Where is the bulk of the population 

 located? 



How long a stretch of railway has 

 the country for each hundred square 

 miles of its territory? 



What city of the United States has 

 a population larger than that of this 

 entire country? 



Of what valuable mineral resource 

 does the government hold the monop- 

 oly? 



What effect Is the Panama Canal 

 likely to have on the trade of Colom- 

 bia? 



