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INTRODUCTION
Named after Christopher Colombus, Colombia was
discovered by Alonso de Ojeda in 1499. Today, Colombia, is the largest producer and exporter of mild coffee.
Location of Colombia
Colombia is situated in the northwest of South America and has coasts on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The country is bound on the
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east by Venezuela and Brazil; on the south by Ecuador and Peru; and to the northwest by Panama.
Physical Map of Colombia
The central and western parts of the country are mainly dominated by the Andes mountains. Towards the west, two-fifths of the country lie in the highlands of the Andes, characterized by towering mountain ranges which are separated by high plateaus and fertile valleys. These valleys have the main rivers of the country passing through them. East of the Andes, three-fifths of the country consists of portions of the llanos (grasslands) and selva (rain forest.) Along the shore of the Caribbean Sea lies a strip of lowland. The principal river of Colombia, the Magdalena, flows north between the Cordillera Oriental and the Cordillera Central.
Climate of Colombia
The climate of Colombia varies with elevation. The low regions along the coast and the deep Patía and Magdalena river valleys are hot, with average annual temperatures fluctuating between 24° to 27°C. From about 1,500 to 7,500 ft, the climate is subtropical, and from 7,500 to 10,000 ft, the climate is temperate. Above 10,000 ft, the climate is cold where the temperatures ranges from -18° to 13°C.
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Flora And Fauna of Colombia
Colombia is home to one of the world's greatest varieties of birds, as well as hundreds of different kinds of
mammals and thousands of types of insects and plants. The flora of the country consists of mangroves and coconut palms, which grow along the Caribbean coast. The forests cover about one-half of the country and include commercially useful trees such as mahogany, lignum vitae, oak, walnut, cedar, pine, and several varieties of balsam. Tropical plants also yield rubber, chicle, cinchona, vanilla, sarsaparilla, ginger, gum copal, ipecac, tonka beans, and castor beans.
The wildlife is made up of jaguars, pumas, tapirs, peccaries, anteaters, sloths, armadillos, and several species of monkey and red deer. Alligators, once numerous along the principal rivers, have become scarce due to intensive hunting. Many varieties of snakes inhabit the tropical regions of Colombia. Birds include condors, vultures, toucans, parrots, cockatoos, cranes, storks, and hummingbirds.
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