Cologne

a city of Rhenish Prusbia, on the left bank of the Rhine, forming, in connection with Deutz, which serves as a tete-du-pont on the opposite side of, the river ‘(acro which are several bridges), a fortre of the first rank. The old fortifications, dating from the Middle Ages have been swept away, new works bejng constructed in accordance with the principles of modern fortification. _. The most ——— edifice of all is the cathedral, begun in 1248, one of the finest _and in Gothie structures in Europe. It was only completed in the 19th century, there being expended on it in 1828-1884 over $5,000,000. Pop. (1900) 372,229, Colombia, a South American Republic extending along the _ Pacific Coast from the Isthmus of _ Panama’! to Ecuador, and along the Caribbean Sea, east to Venezula. It comprises eight departments, with an area estimated at 473,202 square miles; pop. 3,593,600. Chief towns: Bogota (the capital), Me dell in, Bucaramanga, Cart a gena, Popayan, Ibagué, Tunja, Santa Marta. Panama a former department seceded in 1903 (see PAnaMa). The surface of the country is varied, lofty mountains occupying the west, and vast low-lying plains the east. The climate ranges from mountain cold with snow and ice, to southern tropical conditions.