Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/862

 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.