Colombia And Venezuela (1944)

south of the Caribbean Sea is the portion of South America which includes the republics of Colombia and Venezuela and the colonies of British Dutch and French Guiana bordering these countries on the south our Ecuador Peru and Brazil in Colombia the great Andean Mountain system divides into three ranges the Western this central and the eastern Cordillera is the latter continues across Venezuela eastward are the Guiana Highlands a low plateau in the center are the Janos or plains of the Orinoco River system and to the north the Caribbean lowlands hot and humid the plateau lands of the interior have a more pleasant climate and it was upon the plateaus that most of the Aboriginal people of the region lived today the descendants of these Indians cultivate crops in settled farm areas and dispose of their surplus in local village markets the Indians were conquered by the Spanish during the 16th century Columbus explored the Caribbean coasts in 15-2 Balboa and Pizarro followed and in 1511 colonies were established at Darien and Cologne from Panama Pizarro began the conquest of Peru to the south shortly afterward the northern coast was settled command aw founded in 1520 was the first of many permanent settlements Indian legends of treasure led explorers into the interior in 1536 casada traveled up the Magdalena River and founded Bogota Spain ruled the lands for three centuries and then led by Simon Bolivar the dissatisfied colonists set up the republics of Venezuela and Colombia Britain France and Holland consolidated their kin all over Guiana intermingling of Indians and Spaniards has resulted in descendants of mixed blood called mestizos Negros first important for labor three centuries ago lived principally in coastal areas Gold only sought by Spanish conquerors yesterday mined in the rugged Andes particularly in the coca and Atrato valleys gold is third in value among exports most of the labor in these operations is furnished by Negros agriculture is first in importance on the plateau coffee flourishes especially well and today is the most valuable single farm product a leading factor in the economy of both Colombia and Venezuela coffee is produced throughout the mountains sometimes on small farms such as this one but for the most part on large plantations operated by tenants and hired laborers mostly mestizos or Europeans coffee production and marketing engage a large percentage of the people in export value of coffee ranks second only to petroleum in lower valleys a cacao is a leading crop particularly in the Kalka belly of Colombia most of it is processed in industrial cities nearby sugarcane is grown in the tropical valleys below the coffee and cacao cane products rank high in economic value in the same humid tropical areas banana culture has been introduced successfully as in the West Indies and in Central America modern methods have greatly increased the value of the banana some cotton is grown in these same low valleys the land is well-suited to raising tobacco and corn and other food crops the narrow wooded magdalena river valley is less productive it sustains some inhabitants mostly negroes on small farms down to the magdalena however NGO products from the interior for transshipment to outlet ports and it is by way of the magdalena that import products are received thus the magdalena river highway is vital to inner valley trade among cities otherwise isolated seaports on the caribbean handle the commerce of these inland cities so to northeastward in venezuela our principal inland cities with sea ports of entry and exit to the south and east of the productive mountain areas lie the jános or plains of the Orinoco River Basin and the Guiana Highlands the state of Bulevar is the most favoured part of the jános for stock raising herds of cattle thrive on the long wild grasses the cattle industry has been important here since Spanish colonial days cattlemen drive their herds to cities where they are sold for meat and for hides which supply tanneries and shoe factories with raw leather sometimes the cattle are taken by Orinoco River boat the coastal cities for slaughter the lower jános inhabited mostly by Indians are unfavorable because of the tropical climate with torrential rains and floods followed by droughts that destroyed pasturage south of the Orinoco extending to the great amazon basin are the wooded Guiana Highlands they are as yet virtually undeveloped here are to be had some of the finest tropical timber in the Caribbean region cabinet woods such as mahogany are plentiful among other products is ballot ah a gummy substance used extensively in making wire insulation gold is the most important mineral of the Highlands there are also iron bauxite and diamonds these products go too soon at Bulevar principal port on the or alcohol many scattered parts of the coast are low and tropical most sugarcane as well as cotton is grown in the lowlands at the mouth of the Magdalena and Kalka rivers some has grown also in the coastal regions of the three Gianna's petroleum is by far the richest product of the lowlands it is found in abundant deposits mainly around Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela in Trinidad and in Colombia thousands of wells along the northern and northwestern coast give Venezuela third place among oil-producing nations of the world the crude oil is sent through pipelines to loading ports from whence most of it goes to coração and Aruba in the Dutch West Indies to be refined thus this region produces a wide variety of materials coffee cacao and mixed farm crops cattle and hides forest products sugarcane bananas and cotton petroleum and asphalt gold platinum and gems products from the interior go to bogota medellin and many solace in colombia Valencia and Caracas in Venezuela these inland cities are important not only as jobbing centers but as manufacturing points where raw materials such as cotton are processed these products supply chiefly local needs such as dresses and hosiery hides from the hinterland here are transformed into saddles and other leather goods connecting these widely separated cities are lines of transportation rivers the earliest mode of travel here then modern trails some now made over to truck highways railway ones most of them short collecting some centers and finally air transportation which in recent years has contributed more than any other factor to the development of the region by these transportation links the inland centers are joined to the seaport cities out from these coastal cities go exports of the region destined mostly for the United States and Europe through these ports and over the same interior routes are received mainly from the United States machinery automobiles instruments foodstuffs texels and chemicals for distribution throughout the region in inland cities such as Bogota capital of Colombia modern economic growth is combined with cultural heritage handed down from the early Spanish conquerors Caracas the Venezuelan capital although modern and progressive likewise retains much of the old Spanish culture in the Seaport cities of the Caribbean such as Barranquilla and Cartagena there too is an atmosphere reminiscent of the Spanish mane amid modern business activities commerce typical of a progressive South American region sharing in a program of cooperation with other regions of a modern world