Diario las Américas., 1958-04-01
Know thy
Nei9h-bori
By ANTONIO RUIZ

has been a major problem in Co.
lombia because of the country,s
very mountainous terrain, which
makes railroad and highway con-
struction both very difficult and
very costly For that reason, Co.
lombia has to depend a great deal
on water and air transportation.
Fourteen navigable rivers, serving
almost one hundred river ports,
have provided the chief means OF
transportation since early times,
and still are the backbone for the
country'S inter-related system OF
waterways, roads and railroads. In
its attempts to surmount the trans
port problems created by geogra-
phical barriers, Colombia became
one of the first countries in the
Western Hemisphere to put ser
ious efforts in the developing OF
commercial aviation, The oldest
commercial air line in the West
ern Hemisphere, Aerovias Nacio-
males de Colombia (Avianca), was
founded in 1919 as Sociedad Co
lombian and German capital.
Colombia is outstanding among
the Latin American countries for
her rapid progress in commercial
aviation, her extensive airwayS
system, and the high standards OF
equipment, operation and safety.
In addition to Avianca, there are
other important airlines, privately
owned and operated, but subject
to government regulations. Rough
ly half of The passenger traffic in
Colombia is carried by the air
lines, which have also steadily in
creased their volume of air cargo.
An idea of this progress is given
by the fact that Avianca claimed
to be the worlds leading cargo
carrier in 1851, with a freight vol
ume of 240 million pounds, an in
crease of As per cent over 1850
and the increase has continued
since then.
Colombia has about 200 landing
fields, the largest airports being
those of Bogota and Barranquilla.
Avianca flies international routes
to serveral Latin American cOun-
tries, as we'll as Europe and the
United States, and has connec-
tions with all other international
routes. Colombia is also served by
a good number of international
airlines including Pan America,
Panagra, kim or Royal Dutch,
British Overseas Always, and 9th
erS.
The Magdalena River, with its
principal tributary, the Cauca Riv-
err form the main artery of the
waterway system of inland trans
p~ortation connecting the Carib-
bean seaports Of Barranquilla, Car
tagena and Santa Marta and the
coastal lowlands with the principal
cities in the Colombian mountain
Gus region of the interior. Cross
ing the country from south to
north, the Magdalena touches nine
of the sixteen departments of the
country Along its 1000 mile
course, more than a million tons
Of cargo and over 100000 passeng-
ers are transported every year.
Highway and railroad connections
form an important part of the Mag
dalena's communications system,
and the Dique Canal affords a ma,
vigable connection between the riv-
err at Calamar and the seaport OF
Cartagena.
Roads and highways of all classes
in Colombia total approximately
20 900 miles. Despite natural OBJ.
stacles to bodybuilding and main.
tainance, the highway construction
program of Colombia has made i'm.
pressive progress during the last
few decades. National Highways,
as distinct from Department
roads, account for more than one
half of the total mileage of the
country The railroad system OF
Colombia OF IA lines, totals APP
proximately 5000 miles OF track
Ten national lines r operated
by the Administrative Council, ar
agency created by the National
Government in 1882. There are
four departmental lines and sever
al short, private lines.
Spanish Version Page 3