With dramatically beautiful rainforests, mountains and beaches, lovely cities and enchanting people, Colombia is one of the world's most attractive destinations.

Located in the northwestern part of South America, is the only country on that continent that borders both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is nearly equal in size to the combined areas of California and Texas. Colombia is bordered by Panama on the northwest, on the east by Venezuela and Brazil, and on the southwest by Peru and Ecuador.

Through the western half of the country, three Andean ranges run north and south, merging into one at the Ecuadorean border. The eastern half is a low, jungle-covered plain, drained by spurs of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers, inhabited mostly by isolated, tropical-forest Indian tribes. The fertile plateau and valley of the eastern range are the most densely populated parts of the country. It is the fourth largest country in South America and one of the continent's most populous nations, Colombia is endowed with substantial oil reserves and is a major producer of gold, silver, emeralds, platinum and coal.