COLOMBIA 
117 
white, black and Indian in varying propor 
tion, over 300,000 of whom are negroes and 
mulattoes. Little can be hoped for from the 
majority of these people owing to their poor 
source of origin and the climatic conditions 
which surround them. 
The Government recognizes the doctrine of 
states rights, and is republican in form with 
the usual branches, judicial, legislative and ex 
ecutive. A President with two Vice-Presi 
dents represent the executive control, and the 
legislative body is composed of a Senate and 
House of Representatives. 
The mountainous topography of Colombia 
has had much to do with the scarcity of rail 
ways, rendering them expensive in construc 
tion and owing to the great distance between 
possible termini, likely to make them profit 
less ventures. There are about 630 miles of 
railroads in Colombia, many of them supple 
mental to river transportation, or connecting 
ports with interior towns. It is doubtful if 
this condition will ever alter materially. 
The trade of Colombia is carried chiefly on