740
COLOMBIA
Area sq. miles
Popula- tion (1912)
Per
sq.
mile
32
Area sq. miles
Popula- tion (1912)
Per sq. mile
Ant.ioquia
22,752
740,937
Caqueta with
Atlaiitico .
1,008
114,887
114
Comisarias .
—
99,576
—
Bolivar
22,320
425,975
19
Chocu
—
60,653
—
Boyaca
16,400
586,499
35
Goagira .
—
53,018
—
Oaldas
7,380
341,498
46
Meta
—
29,299
—
Cauca Oundinamarca .
20,403 8,04(5
211,756 715,610
10
Total Intendencies
88
258,840
242,546
0-9
Huila
8,100
158,191
19
Magdaleua
19,080
140,106
7
Panama .
29,760
400,000
13
Narino
9,3(i0
293,918
31
Santandei"
17,865
400,084
22
Norte Santauder
6,255
204,381
32
Tolima
10,080
282,426
28
Valle Total Departments
3,Sfi7 202,766
217,147
55 25
Grand Total
5,233,415
461,606
5,475,961
11
This excludes about 30,000 uncivilised Indians. On December 4, 1903, Panama asserted its independence and was formed into a separate Republic, but Colombia has not yet recognised the independence of Panama.
The capital, Bogota (pop. 121,257), lies 8,600 feet above the sea. The chief commercial towns are Barranquilla (48,907), connected with the coast by 17 miles of railway ; Cartagena (34,889) ; Medellin (70,547) a mining centre ; Call, 26,425 ; Bucaramanga (19,735) ; Cucuta (20,364), the last two being coffee centres.
The boundary line with Brazil is still undefined, and there are difficulties with Peru and Ecuador which have been submitted to the decision of the King of Spain under the convention of September 12, 1905.
Religion and Instruction.
The religion of the nation is Roman Catholicism. There are 4 Catholic archbishops, viz. of Bogota, Cartagena, Medellin, and Popayan, the first having 4 suffragans and the other three 2 a-piece. One of the suffragan sees is Panama, belonging to ecclesiastical province of Cartagena, and now also to the Republic of Panama. Other forms of religion beiug permitted, so long as their exercise is ' not contrary to Christian morals nor to the law.' There is a Ministry of Public Instruction which has the supreme direction or education throughout the Republic, and is divided into 5 sections : primary, secondary, professional, artistic and industrial. Education is stated to be in a satisfactory condition, there being 4,371 schools with 272,873 pupils in 1912. Nearly all the schools for secondary education, maintained or assisted by the nation, are entrusted to religious corporations of the Catholic Church. There are in the capital Faculties of letters and philosophy ; of juris- prudence and political sciences ; of medicine and natural sciences ; and of mathematics and errgiueering. For the working class there are many schools of arts and trades directed by the Salesian Fathers. There are other schools or colleges open, under religious orders, and the school of fine arts has been reopened. 21 normal schools have been established in 13 departments, and schools of mining at Medellin and Pasto. Primary education is gratuitous but not compulsory. Total spent on education (1912), 341,4 89Z.
The Republic possesses a national library, museum, and observatory.