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Transportation in Colombia

Transportation in Colombia | Transportation in Colombia Forum

Transportation in Colombia refers to the movement of people and goods from one place to another in the Republic of Colombia. The impact of transportion in Colombia interacts with its economy, tourism, culture, communications, demographics and politics. Transportation in Colombia is regulated by the Ministry of Transport.

History

Indigenous peoples influence

The indigenous peoples in Colombia used and some continue to use the water ways as the way of transportation using rafts and canoes.

Spanish influence

With the arrival of the Europeans the Spaniards brought the horses, mules and donkey (which developed into the Paso Fino) used by them in ranching duties later in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Horses contributed greatly to the transport of the Spanish conquerors and colonizers. They also introduced the wheel, and brought wooden carts and carriages to facilitate their transport. The Spaniards also developed the first roads, rudimentary and most of these in the Caribbean region. Due to the rough terrain of Colombia communications between regions was difficult and affected the effectiveness of the central government creating isolation in some regions. Maritime navigation developed locally after Spain lifted its restrictions on ports within the Spanish Empire inducing mercantilism. Spanish also transported African slaves and forcedly migrated many indigenous tribes throughout Colombia.

Post-independence

With the independence and the influences of the European Industrial Revolution the main way of transport in Colombia became the navigation mainly through the Magdalena River which connected the capital city Bogota in inland Colombia, with Barranquilla by the Caribbean sea to the trade with the United States and Europe. This also brought a large wave of immigrants from European and Middle Eastern countries. The industrialization process and transportation in Colombia were affected by the internal civil wars that surged after the independence from Spain and that continued throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

Standardization

During the late 19th century European and American companies introduced railways to carry to the ports the local production of raw materials intended for exports and also imports from Europe. Steam ships began carryin Colombians, immigrants and goods from Europe and the United States over the Magdalena River.

The Ministry of Transport was created in 1905 during the Presidency of Rafael Reyes under the name of Ministerio de Obras Publicas y Transporte or Ministry of Public Works and Transport with the main function of taking care of national assets issues, including mines, oil (fuel), patents and trade marks, railways, roads, bridges, national buildings and land without landowners.

In the early 20th Century roads and highways maintenance and construction regulations were established. Rivers were cleaned, dragged and channeled and the navigational industry was organized. The Public works districts were created, as well as the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Colombia (National Railways of Colombia). Among other major projects developed were the aqueduct of Bogota, La Regadera Dam and the Vitelma Water Treatment Plant. The Ministry also created the National Institute of Transit (from the Spanish Instituto Nacional de Transito), (INTRA) under the Transport and tariffs Directorate and was in charge of designing the first National roads plan with the support of many foreign multinational construction companies.

Aviation was born in Barranquilla with the creation of SCADTA in 1919 a joint venture between Colombians and Germans that delivered mail to the main cities of Colombia which later merged with SACO to form Avianca.

Infrastructure

Railways

Total 3,380 km

Standard gauge 150 km of gauge (connects Cerrejon coal mines to maritime port at Bahia de Portete)

Narrow gauge 3,230 km of gauge (1995)

Railway links with adjacent countries

Venezuela - yes, but inoperative (Railroad of Cucuta)

Brazil - no

Ecuador - no

Peru - no

Panama - no

Highways

Total 115,564 km

Paved 13,868 km

Unpaved 101,696 km (1997 est.)

Waterways

18,140 km, navigable by river boats (April 1996)

Seaports and harbors

Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea)

Barranquilla

Cartagena

Turbo

Santa Marta

Bahia de Portete

Puerto Bolivar

San Andres (El Cove Port)

Pacific Ocean

Buenaventura, Colombia

Tumaco

Amazon

Leticia

Merchant marine

total 17 ships (1000 GRT or over) totalling 42,413 GRT/

Ships by type (2006)

Cargo ships 13

gas carrying tankers 1

Petroleum tankers 3

Registered in other countries 7

Antigua and Barbuda 2

Panama 5

Air transportation

All public airports in Colombia are managed and controlled by the Aeronautica Civil de Colombia (Civil Aeronautics of Colombia AEROCIVIL). The customs/immigration issues are controlled by the Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad DAS (Administartive Department of Security).

Airports

1,101 (1999 est.)

;Airports - with paved runways

Total 100

10,000 ft and over: 2

8,000 to 9,999 ft: 9

5,000 to 7,999 ft: 37

3,000 to 4,999 ft: 35

under 3,000 ft: 7 (1999 est.)

;Airports - with unpaved runways

Total 1,011

8,000 to 9,999 ft: 1

5,000 to 7,999 ft: 62

3,000 to 4,999 ft: 330

Under 3,000 ft: 618 (1999 est.)

External links

Colombia Ministry of Transport

Invias - Colombian National Institute of Higways

Colombian Maritime and Fluvial Port Authority

COlombian Civil Aerospace Authority

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Transportation in Colombia