THIS IS COLOMBIA - A WONDERFUL COUNTRY

Colombia - a republic in northwestern South America with a coastline on the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea; achieved independence from Spain in 1821 under the leadership of Simon Bolivar; Spanish is the official language.

It has many important places and cities.

Bogota, capital of Colombia - capital and largest city of Colombia; located in central Colombia on a high fertile plain.

 Barranquilla - a port city of northern Colombia near the Caribbean on the Magdalena River

Caldas - with an active volcano, Nevado del Ruiz.

Cali - city in southwestern Colombia in a rich agricultural area

Medellin - city in western Colombia; important coffee center

Cartagena - a port city in northwestern Colombia on the Caribbean

Soledad - a city in northern Colombia; a suburb of Barranquilla

Galeras, Pasto - an active volcano in southeastern Colombia in the Andes

Purace - an inactive volcano in the Andes in southern Colombia; last erupted in 1950

Andes - a mountain range in South America running 5000 miles along the Pacific coast

Arauca - a river that rises in northern Colombia and flows generally eastward to the Orinoco in central Venezuela

Magdalena, Magdalena River - a river that rises in the Andes mountains in southwestern Colombia and flows generally northward to empty into the Caribbean Sea at Barranquilla

Orinoco, Orinoco River - a South American river 1,500 miles long; flows into the South Atlantic

South America - a continent in the western hemisphere connected to North America by the Isthmus of Panama

Colombian - a native or inhabitant of Colombia