page_title: Geography of Colombia
section_title: Main
hierarchical_section_title: Geography of Colombia / Main
caption_attribution_description: Español: Vista lejana del Santuario de las Lajas y sus alrededores, una basílica situada en el sureño departamento colombiano de Nariño, concretamente en el municipio de Ipiales, Colombia. El sitio es un popular lugar de peregrinaje desde la aparación de la Virgen María en 1754. El primer templo se construyó alrededor de 1750 y fue reemplazado por uno más grande en 1802, junto con un puente sobre el cañón del río Guáitara. La apariencia actual, de estilo neogótico, fue construido entre 1916 y 1949. English: Far view of Las Lajas Sanctuary and its surroundings, a basilica church located in the southern Department of Nariño, municipality of Ipiales, Colombia. The place is a popular pilgrimage location since the apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1754. The first shrine was built by 1750 and was replaced by a bigger one in 1802 including a bridge over the canyon of the Guáitara River. The present temple, of Gothic Revival style, was built between 1916 and 1949. Deutsch: Das Santuario de Nuestra Señora de las Lajas („Heiligtum unserer Frau von las Lajas“) ist eine Basilika im südlichen Departement Nariño in der Gemeinde Ipiales in Kolumbien. Der Ort ist ein beliebter Wallfahrtsort, seitdem dort im Jahr 1754 die Jungfrau Maria erschienen sein soll. Ein erster Schrein wurde im Jahr 1750 erbaut und 1802 durch einen größeren ersetzt, einschließlich einer Brücke über den Río Guáitara. Der jetzige Kirchenbau im Stil der Neugotik wurde zwischen 1916 und 1949 errichtet. Français&#160;: Basilique néogothique colombienne du sanctuaire de Las Lajas, à Ipiales (département de Nariño). Polski: Widok na&#160;sanktuarium Las Lajas i&#160;jego okolicę położone koło miasta Ipiales w&#160;departamencie Nariño, w&#160;Kolumbii. Jest to popularny cel pielgrzymek od&#160;czasu objawienia Matki Boskiej, które miało tutaj miejsce w&#160;1754 roku. Pierwszą kaplicę zbudowano w&#160;1750 roku, a&#160;w&#160;1802 zastąpiono ją większą oraz zbudowano most nad&#160;kanionem rzeki Guáitara. Obecną świątynię w&#160;stylu neogotyckim zbudowano w&#160;latach 1916–1949. Português: Santuário de Las Lajas, basílica situada no sul do departamento colombiano de Nariño, município de Ipiales. É um popular lugar de peregrinação desde a aparição da Virgem Maria em 1754. O primeiro santuário foi construído por volta de 1750 e substituído por um maior em 1802, juntamente com uma ponte sobre o desfiladeiro do rio Guáitara. O templo atual, em estilo neogótico, foi construído entre 1916 e 1949. Українська: Церква Лас-Лахас є базилікою розташованою біля міста Іпьялес, Наріньйо, Колумбія. Ця церква є популярним місцем для паломництва після явлення Діви Марії в 1754 році. Перша святиня була побудована в 1750 році і була замінена більшою в 1802 році, включаючи міст через каньйон річки Гуаїтара. Сьогоднішня будівля церкви була побудована в неоготичному стилі між 1916 та 1949 роками. Čeština: Pohled na svatyni Las Lajas a její okolí, poutní místo a baziliku na jihu Kolumbie u hranic s Ekvádorem.. Magyar: A Las Lajas bazilika és környékének látképe (Nariño megye, Kolumbia) Italiano: Panorama con il Santuario di Las Lajas nel territorio del comune di Ipiales in Colombia. Il luogo è diventato un popolare luogo di pellegrinaggio dopo un apparizione mariana nel 1754. Македонски: Далечен поглед на неоготското христијанско светилиште „Лас Лахас“ и неговата околина во департманот Нарињо, Колумбија. Эрзянь: Лас-Лахас церкуванть лангс верде ванмось лембе-чивалгомасо Департамент Нарино (Nariño), Импеалэс муниципалитетесь Колумбиясо. Nederlands: De Las Lajas-basiliek en omgeving in de Colombinaanse gemeente Ipiales
context_page_description: The Republic of Colombia is situated largely in the northwest of South America, with some territories falling within the boundaries of Central America. It is bordered to the northwest by Panama; to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; and it shares maritime limits with Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.
  Colombia has a land size of 1,138,910 km² and it is the 25th largest nation in the world and the fourth-largest country in South America. Colombia's population is not evenly distributed, and most of the people live in the mountainous western portion of the country as well as along the northern coastline; the highest number live in or near the capital city of Bogotá. The southern and eastern portions of the country are sparsely inhabited, consisting of tropical rainforest, and inland tropical plains that contain large estates or large livestock farms, oil and gas production facilities, small farming communities, and indigenous tribes with their territories. Colombia has the 35th largest Exclusive Economic Zone of 808,158 km².
context_section_description: Colombia usually classifies its geography into five natural regions, from the Andes mountain range, a region shared with Ecuador, Venezuela; the Pacific Ocean coastal region, shared with Panama and Ecuador; the Caribbean Sea coastal region, shared with Venezuela and Panama; the Llanos (plains), shared with Venezuela; to the Amazon Rainforest region shared with Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador. Colombia is the only South American country that has coastline on both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
  The World Factbook does not differentiate between Amazon region of Colombia (predominantly jungle) and the Orinoquia region of Colombia (predominantly plains). It suggests dividing the country into four geographic regions: the Andean highlands, consisting of the three Andean ranges and intervening valley lowlands; the Caribbean lowlands coastal region; the Pacific lowlands coastal region, separated from the Caribbean lowlands by swamps at the base of the Isthmus of Panama; and eastern Colombia, the great plain that lies to the east of the Andes Mountains.
  The chief western mountain range, the Cordillera Occidental, is a moderately high range with peaks reaching up to about 15,000 ft (4,572 m) (4,670 m). The Cauca River Valley, an important agricultural region with several large cities on its borders, separates the Cordillera Occidental from the massive Cordillera Central. Several snow-clad volcanoes in the Cordillera Central have summits that rise above 17,000 ft (5,182 m). The valley of the slow-flowing and muddy Magdalena River, a major transportation artery, separates the Cordillera Central from the main eastern range, the Cordillera Oriental. The peaks of the Cordillera Oriental are moderately high. This range differs from Colombia's other mountain ranges in that it contains several large basins. In the east, the sparsely populated, flat to gently rolling eastern lowlands called llanos cover almost 60 percent of the country's total land area.
  This cross section of the republic does not include two of Colombia's regions: the Caribbean coastal lowlands and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, both in the northern part of the country. The lowlands in the west are mostly swampy; the reed-filled marshes of the area are called ciénagas by the people of Colombia. The Guajira Peninsula in the east is semiarid and is occupied primarily by indigenous peoples. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is a spectacular triangular snowcapped block of rock that towers over the eastern part of this lowland. Here can be found the highest peak of the country, named Pico Cristobal Colon (5775 m).
caption: Nariño Department
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