Bank of the Republic; Central Mortgage Bank (agency); Agricultural, Industrial, and Mining Credit Bank (agency); Colombian Savings Bank.

Hotel.-Americano.

Note.-Cartagena is the trade center for the Intendencia of Choco and the Sinu region, with which it has communication by river steamers. Much of the commercial business is handled by a few large firms, which are importing wholesalers as well as retailers. Foreign exporters often establish agencies here to cover the immediate territory. American consulate.

CUCUTA.-Capital of Department of Santander del Norte; population, 70,500 (estimated); altitude, 705 feet; average temperature, 81° F. Distances: 10 miles by highway from San Antonio (Venezuelan frontier), 377 miles by highway from Bogota, 170 miles by highway via Pomplona from Bucaramanga. Principal products: Coffee, cattle, and hides. Leading industries: Manufacture of candles, soap, chocolate, and brown sugar. How Reached.-From Maracaibo, Venezuela, by boat to Encontrados and thence by railway; from Caracas, Venezuela, by highway (time, 4 to 5 days); from Bucaramanga, by highway (1 day); from Bogota, by highway (11⁄2 days).

Hotels. Palace; Pension Inglesa; Central; Internacional. Banks. Bank of Colombia; Bank of Bogota; Bank of the Republic; Agricultural, Industrial, and Mining Credit Bank; Agricultural Mortgage Bank; Central Mortgage Bank (agency). Note. While politically a part of Colombia, Cucuta is dependent upon Venezuelan commercial facilities for ready access to foreign markets. A considerable over-the-border business is done. Several firms in Maracaibo, Venezuela, have branches in Cucuta, and there is a considerable amount of direct importing. American firms sometimes appoint agents or distributors to cover the immediate territory. The Catatumbo oil field is located near Cucuta.

GIRARDOT.-Department of Cundinamarca; altitude, 1,070 feet; population, 28,000 (estimated). On east bank of Magdalena River; distance from Bogota by highway, 88 miles; from Ibague by highway, 37 miles. Heavy rainfall; average temperature, 63° F. Principal products: Coffee, cattle, hides, and tropical produce. Industries: Tanning; coffee growing.

How Reached.-From Bogota, by rail or highway; from Ibague, by rail or highway; from Neiva, by railway.

Banks. Bank of Bogota; Bank of the Republic (agency); Agricultural Mortgage Bank; Central Mortgage Bank (agency). Hotels. Gran; Cecil; San German.

Note.-Girardot is a large coffee center, but the completion of the Cundinamarca Railway and other routes of communication has detracted from the importance of the city as a transfer point. The semiannual livestock fairs draw large numbers of visitors from adjacent territory and serve as a periodic stimu

lant to trade. Some Bogota importers maintain branches in the city, which is a distributing point for surrounding towns. HONDA.-Department of Tolima; altitude, 751 feet; population, 15,500 (estimated). On Guali River, at its junction with the Magdalena River; 1 mile from Caracoli, head of navigation on the lower Magdalena; 130 miles from Bogota by highway; 103 miles from Ibague by rail; 20 miles from La Dorada by rail. Average temperature, 84° F. Principal products: Coffee, tobacco, cattle, hides.

How Reached.-From Bogota, by highway and direct air line; from Ibague, by railway; and from La Dorada, by rail or highway.

Hotel.-America.

Banks. Bank of Bogota; Bank of the Republic (agency); Central Mortgage Bank (agency)

Note. Honda is an important coffee market and a merchandise-distributing point for a number of small adjacent towns, although it has lost much of its former transshipment trade. Travelers visiting Bogota occasionally make a side trip to Honda.

IBAGUE.-Capital of Department of Tolima; altitude, 4,101 feet; population, 76,000 (estimated). Situated in the Valley of the Combeima, 37 miles from Girardot and 68 miles from Armenia by highway; 125 miles from Bogota and 216 miles from Cali by highway. Average temperature, 71° F. Principal products: Coffee, garden produce, gold. Chief industry: Mining. How Reached.-From Bogota, by rail; from Girardot, by rail or highway from Armenia, over the Quindio Highway; from Cali, by rail and highway; from La Dorada, by the La Dorada and the Ambalema-Ibague Railways; from Manizales, by combined rail and highway route, or by highway.

Banks. Bank of Colombia; Bank of the Republic (agency); Agricultural, Industrial, and Mining Credit Bank; Central Mortgage Bank (agency); Agricultural Mortgage Bank.

Hotels. Lusitania; Colombia; Royal.

Note.-Ibague is the railhead of the Girardot-Tolima-Huila Railway. Here the traveler takes an automobile to cross the Quindio Highway to Armenia. The city has some importance as a commercial center and transfer point. Several of the larger merchants import direct.

MANIZALES.—Capital of Department of Caldas; altitude, 7,064 feet; population, 100,000 (estimated). Distance from Bogota, by combined rail and highway route, 303 miles; from Medellin, by air line and highway, 174 miles; from Cali, by rail, 178 miles; from Buenaventura, by rail, 286 miles. Climate, springlike and cool; average temperature, 63° F. Principal products: Coffee, cattle, gold. Industries: Mining; manufacture of cotton textiles, footwear, and chocolate.

How Reached.-From Bogota, combined rail and highway route, or by railway; by airplane via Medellin to Cartago, thence

by highway. From Cali, by rail or by airplane to Cartago, thence by highway. From Buenaventura, by rail.

Hotels. Splendid Suisse; Europa; Pension Latina.

Banks. Royal Bank of Canada; Bank of the Republic; Bank of Colombia; Agricultural, Industrial, and Mining Credit Bank; Central Mortgage Bank (agency).

Note. Manizales, one of the larger commercial centers, is often visited by traveling salesmen with good results. Many firms import for their own account, and trade is well organized. As the city is the wholesale center for a region that is very prosperous when coffee prices are good, it may well be selected as the headquarters of a resident agent.

MEDELLIN.-Capital of Department of Antioquia; altitude, 5,046 feet; population, 155,000 (estimated). Distance from Cristobal, C. Z., 436 miles; from Bogota, by airplane 162 miles, or by rail, river boat, and rail, 336 miles; from Barranquilla, by rail and river boat, 577 miles; from Manizales, by airplane and highway, 173 miles; from Cali, by airplane, 410 miles; from Bucaramanga, by airplane, 196 miles; from Puerto Berrio, by rail, 119 miles. Climate good, temperature averaging 70° F. Seasons of dry and wet weather alternate practically every 2 months. Principal products: Coffee, tobacco, hides, gold, cotton. Industries: mining; manufacture of cotton textiles, wearing apparel, leather goods, tobacco products, chinaware, beer, foodstuffs.

How Reached.-From Cristobal, C. Z., by airplane; from Bogota, by airplane, combined rail and highway, or combined rail and water route; from Barranquilla, by air or by river boat and railway; from Manizales, by highway to Cartago and thence by air; from Cali, by air; from Bucaramanga, by air or highway, or by combined rail, river, and highway route; from Puerto Berrio, by rail.

Hotels. Continental; Europa; Bristol.

Banks.-National City Bank of New York; Royal Bank of Canada; German Antioquian Bank; Bank of London and South America; French and Italian Bank for South America; Bank of the Republic; Bank of Bogota; Agricultural, Industrial, and Mining Credit Bank; Agricultural Mortgage Bank; Central Mortgage Bank (agency); Colombian Savings Bank.

Note. Medellin, one of the most prosperous cities in the Republic, is an important distributing point in an excellent coffeeproducing section. Being the hub of commercial activity for the entire Department of Antioquia, Medellin is a good location for a resident agent. From this point the mining country in the northern part of the Department can be reached.

PEREIRA.-Department of Caldas; population, 66,500 (estimated); altitude, 4,843 feet. Distances: From Armenia, by railway, 41 miles; from Manizales, by rail, 39 miles; from Cali, 128 miles. Average temperature, 70° F. Principal product, coffee; leading industry, general agriculture.

How Reached.-From Armenia, Manizales, or Cali, by railway or highway.

Hotels. Savoy; Espana; Francia.

Banks. Bank of Colombia; Bank of the Republic (agency); Central Mortgage Bank (agency); Agricultural, Industrial, and Mining Credit Bank (agency); Agricultural Mortgage Bank; German Antioquian Bank.

Note.-Pereira is a large coffee center and is rapidly growing in importance as a distributing point for nearby towns. A number of houses import for their own account; others supply themselves through Cali or Manizales.

SANTA MARTA.-Capital of Department of Magdalena; altitude, 13 feet; population, 43,000 (estimated). Seaport on Santa Marta Bay, at mouth of Manzanares River; landing from steamer to wharf. Distances: From Puerto Colombia, 59 miles by ocean steamer; from Barranquilla, 50 miles by air; from Cartagena, 121 miles by ocean steamer and 125 miles by air. Average annual rainfall, 18 inches; average temperature, 86° F. Principal products: Bananas, coffee, livestock, hides.

How Reached.-From Barranquilla, by air or by river boat, and thence by rail; from Puerto Colombia, by ocean steamer; from Cartagena, by air or ocean steamer, or by train to Calamar, thence by river boat and rail via Barranquilla.

Banks.-Bank of Colombia; Central Mortgage Bank (agency); Agricultural, Industrial, and Mining Credit Bank; Bank of the Republic (agency).

Hotels.-Park, International, Frances.

Note.-Santa Marta owes its importance to the development of banana plantations in the surrounding country. The city deserves the attention of most travelers, as considerable business is done and merchants are active and progressive. The hinterland is connected with the seaport by the Magdalena National Railway.

VENEZUELA

AREA, TOPOGRAPHY, AND CLIMATE

Venezuela, sixth country in South America in size, has an area estimated at 352,143 square miles, divided into 20 States, two Federal Territories, and a Federal District.

Topography. There are four distinct geographic regions in Venezuela: (1) The Guiana Highlands, covering the southeastern portion of the country south and east of the Orinoco River toward Brazil; (2) the great central area of the llanos, or plains; (3) the Maracaibo Basin, or the low-lying region surrounding Lake Maracaibo; and (4) the Andean highlands, which extend up from Colombia, surround the Maracaibo Basin, and continue along the northern coast separating the llanos from the sea.

Climate.-Elevation is the principal factor in climatic conditions in Venezuela. At an elevation of about 2,000 feet or less, the mean annual temperature is around 75° to 95° F. The cities of Maracaibo, La Guaira, Puerto Cabello, Valencia, Maracay, Ciudad Bolivar, and others less important are in this zone. From about 2,000 to 6,500 feet the temperature ranges between 50° to 77° F. Caracas is within this zone. The cold zone, above 6,500 feet, has temperatures ranging from 40° to 50° F. The mean annual temperature (degrees Fahrenheit) in some of the principal cities is as follows: Caracas, 69°; Ciudad Bolivar, 81°; Valencia, 78°; Merida, 67°. Temperatures of 95° and over have been recorded only at cities located similarly to Maracaibo.

Being situated within the Tropics, Venezuela has only two seasons-winter (or rainy season) and summer (or dry season). The rainy season is from April through November; the dry season lasts from December through May.

POPULATION AND PURCHASING POWER

POPULATION

The population of Venezuela, according to the 1936 census, was 3,491,159, principally persons of mixed Spanish and Indian blood. There are a few full-blood whites and a considerable number of uncivilized Indians in the interior. There is a large amount of Negro blood in the population adjacent to the coast.

PURCHASING POWER

Among 80 percent of the population, including principally the agricultural and pastoral groups, incomes are small and purchases are confined to bare necessities. However, in Caracas,