jG4 The National Geographic Magazine 



Street'Scene in Bogota 



(5) Colombia is nearer than Panama 

 to the majority of Atlantic and Gulf ports 

 of the United States. 



THE AREA OF COLOMBIA 



The average North American does not 

 appreciate the size of Colombia. Inas- 

 much as there are eighteen Latin repub- 

 lics, there is a tendency to think that all 

 of them must be small. Nothing better 

 proves the material possibilities of Colom- 

 bia than to consider its great area. The 

 best estimates, based on the most recent 

 surveys, give Colombia an area of nearly 

 500,000 square miles. The following 

 comparisons may enable you to form a 

 clearer idea of her extent: 



(1) Colombia is larger than Germany, 

 France, and Belgium combined ; 



(2) Larger than all the coast States 

 of the United States from Maine to Flor- 

 ida united ; 



(3) Larger than Illinois, Indiana, 

 Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, 

 Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee 

 merged in one State; 



(4) As large as California, Oregon, 

 Washington, Idaho, and Nevada, to- 

 gether. 



THE CONFORMATION AND CLIMATE OF 

 COLOMBIA 



The land conformation of Colombia 

 provides it with a variety of climate that 

 adds immeasurably to its potentialities. 

 Notwithstanding the fact that Colombia 

 is all in the tropical zone and has a con- 

 siderable portion very near the Equator, 



