por The astronomical position of Colombia is the location of this Latin American country on the earth’s surface. To determine said location it is necessary to use coordinates, meridians and parallels that place it at a specific point on planet Earth.
Colombia extends from 12°27’46” north latitude (that is, from Punta de Gallina, on the Guajira peninsula) to 4°13’30” south latitude (up to the Quebrada de San Antonio).
It extends from 66°50’54” to the west of the Greenwich meridian, to the east (that is, from San José Island, in the Guainía River), to 79°0’23” of the aforementioned meridian, for the west (where Cape Manglares is located).
It should be noted that Colombia also has the islands of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, which are located at 13°24’03» north latitude, 81°22’14» west of the Greenwich meridian. It also owns the island of Malpelo, which is located in the Pacific Ocean.
It can be said that Colombia has a land area of 1,141,748 km², which places it in fourth place among the largest countries in South America, after Brazil, Argentina and Peru.
Likewise, it is considered the seventh largest country in the American continent and number twenty-five in the world.
Limits of the Republic of Colombia
The astronomical position of the Republic of Colombia locates it geographically to the northwest of South America, on the equatorial zone, bordering to the north with Panama and the Caribbean Sea, to the east with Venezuela and Brazil, to the south with Peru and Ecuador, and on the west with the Pacific Ocean.
However, its limits extend a bit further, thanks to its island regions. Therefore, it has maritime borders with the following countries: the Republic of Costa Rica, the Republic of Honduras, Jamaica, the Republic of Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and the Republic of Haiti.
According to the aforementioned, it can be said that the Republic of Colombia represents a meeting point between the entire American continent.
Advantages and disadvantages of the astronomical position of Colombia
Advantages
It represents a link between the countries of the north and south of the American continent, as well as with Europe and the countries of the Pacific basin.
Its geographical location allows it access to the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, which gives it an advantage both in trade and in the military field.
Its insular regions allowed the establishment of the following ports: Santa Marta, Cartagena (located in the Caribbean Sea) and Buenaventura (located in the Pacific Ocean), which represent a strategic point for trade.
The islands allow the development of the fishing industry. The islands of San Andrés and Providencia receive a large number of tourists every year, since they have a natural attraction that others do not have.
It has fluvial trade through the Amazon basins (shared with Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Guyana and Suriname) and the Orinoco basin (shared with Venezuela).
Due to its location, it represents a confluence point for sea and air routes. On many occasions it serves as a stopover for planes and ships, which favors trade and transit tourism.
It has possibilities for the construction of new interoceanic canals, as long as they take advantage of rivers such as the Atrato, belonging to the Department of Chocó.
It has great potential for the development of agriculture, since the geography of this country has made it possessor of different thermal floors in different territories, which makes possible the development of all types of crops.
It has the Pacific and Amazon regions, also known as Amazonia. For its part, the Amazon region is shared with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Republic of Peru, the Federative Republic of Brazil and the Republic of Ecuador.
It is important to note that the Amazon region is considered the lungs of the world, because it is the largest tropical jungle on the planet and has millions of trees and plants.
Trees and plants, through the process of photosynthesis, help extract carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere, leaving it fixed in their leaves, trunk and roots in the form of carbon.
Disadvantages
It has the Pacific region (made up of Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Nariño and Antioquía), which is considered of great importance due to its strategic value, since world trade is transported from there to the People’s Republic of China. However, Colombia only has one port (the Buenaventura) located there. Therefore, trade is limited and is not a competition for the Republic of Chile, which has 9 ports of great influence in world trade.
The Pacific and Amazon regions, due to their composition, make it somewhat difficult to transfer resources to the ports. They are mostly made up of jungles and lands that to this day have not been explored.
The existing border conflict between the Republic of Colombia and the Republic of Nicaragua causes constant legal disputes. Nicaragua demands that the maritime limits be reestablished, since it considers that part of the jurisdiction that Colombia has in the Caribbean Sea belongs to that country. It is important to note that in a ruling issued by the International Court of Justice in 2012, the maritime border was redefined, with which Nicaragua gained more territory in the Caribbean Sea. This situation generated discontent in the Republic of Colombia, which led to its withdrawal from the Pact of Bogotá, which recognizes the jurisdiction of that Court in that specific matter. This situation continues to this day, which means that Colombia has to resolve legal disputes, in order to maintain its border limits.
References
Amazon Region of Colombia. Retrieved from wikipedia.org
Colombia: Lands of Contrast. Recovered from discovercolombia.com
Caribbean Region of Colombia. Retrieved from wikipedia.org