UNITED STATES OF COLOMBIA.
A federal republic in the northwestern part of South America, composed of 9 States. Area, 504,773 square miles. The country is traversed by three ranges of the Andes Mountains. There are numerous large, navigable rivers, tributaries of the Orinoco and Amazon.
The constitution was adopted in 1863. Government in the hands of a President, elected for 2 years, a ministry of 7 members, and a Congress composed of a Senate and House of Representatives. Capital, Bogota; population, 100,000. Strength of the Federal Army determined by Congress. Peace footing for 1882-83, 4,000 men.
The climate varies according to the elevation: the coast lands are usually hot and sickly: but the high table lands, as a rule, possess a genial climate; that of Bogota is unusually fine.
The mineral wealth of Colombia is very great; one-sixth of the exports consist of precious metals. Agriculture and stock raising are the leading pursuits. Value of imports, 1883, $11,504,028; exports, $14,857,170. Two-thirds of the exports consist of cinchona and coffee. The transit trade through the ports of Panama and Aspinwall is of far greater importance than the direct commerce; its value is estimated as not less than $85,000,000 per annum.
There are many native products, among which are fine woods, cacao, India rubber, ipecac, calisaya bark, cochineal, sarsaparilla and logwood. These, and tobacco, cinchona, coffee, sugar, indigo, rice, cotton, hides, ores and Panama hats, form the chief exports.
In 1883, 1,513 vessels, of 709,175 tons, entered the ports of Colombia. Number of miles of railway in the republic, 140. It is expected that the ship canal across the Isthmus of Panama will be opened in 1888. The company have a subscribed capital of $125,000,000.
VENEZUELA.Vĕn´ez-wee´la.
A republic of South America, formed in 1830. The republic was, in 1881, subdivided into 8 States, 1 Federal District, 8 Territories and 2 national settlements. Area, according to an official statement of 1884, 632,695 square miles; population, 2,121,988. The Andes Mountains cross the northern part from west to east; the Orinoco and other important rivers pass through the southern part.