Colombia is the fourth-largest country in South America and the only one with coasts on both the Pacific and Caribbean. It shares borders with Panama (to the northwest), Venezuela (east), Brazil (southeast), Peru (south) and Ecuador (southwest). Colombian territory also includes the San Andrés and Providencia island groups, 700km (435mi) northwest of the mainland, in the Caribbean Sea. The archipelagoes are 230km (140mi) east of Nicaragua.

The western part of the country is mostly mountainous: the 8000km (5000mi) Cordillera de los Andes runs the length of South America and, on reaching Colombia, splits into three ranges (Cordillera Occidental, Cordillera Central and Cordillera Oriental). Two valleys - Valle del Cauca and Valle del Magdalena - are sandwiched between the three cordilleras; their rivers flow northwards, more or less parallel, until the Cauca River joins the Magdalena River and flows into the Caribbean. Apart from the three Andean chains, Colombia boasts the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the highest coastal mountain range in the world. Over 50% of the territory east of the Andes is lowland or covered by thick rainforest crisscrossed by rivers and their tributaries.

Among Colombia's geographical curiosities are deserts in the northeast; the jungle of the Pacific coast (which holds a record for highest rainfall); and the Serranía de la Macarena, an isolated mountain formation rising 1000m (3000ft) from the eastern plains.

Colombia claims to have the highest number of species of plants and animals per unit area of any country in the world. Its animals include jaguars, ocelots, peccaries, tapirs, deer, armadillo, numerous species of monkey and the rare spectacled bear. There are more than 1550 recorded species of birds (more than in the whole of Europe and North America combined), ranging from the huge Andean condor to the tiny hummingbird. Equally abundant marine life includes the predacious piranha and the electric eel. Colombia's herbariums have classified over 130,000 plants, including Victoria Amazonica, which is similar to a water lily and has leaves large and strong enough to support a child.

The country's network of reserves includes 33 national parks, six small areas called

As the country lies close to the equator, the average temperature varies little throughout the year. Temperatures do, however, vary with altitude; as a general rule, the temperature falls about 6 degrees centigrade with every 1000m (3280ft) increase in altitude. Colombia's equatorial climate features two seasons:

Colombia is not an expensive country. Budget travelers can get by on around US$10 per day; while those staying in more comfortable hotels and eating at restaurants will spend around US$20-30 per day. Splurgers should budget on US$50-70 a day.

Some banks change cash and/or travelers' checks, but others don't. Some branches of a bank will change your money while other branches of the same bank will refuse. This seems to vary constantly from bank to bank, city to city, day to day, and can be further complicated by a myriad of local factors, eg the bank may have reached its daily limit of foreign exchange. On top of that, the banks usually offer foreign exchange services within limited hours, which may mean only one or two hours daily; your best chances are in the morning.

You can change cash dollars on the street, but it's not recommended. The only street money markets worth considering are those at the borders, where there may be simply no alternative. You can use credit cards (Visa is the most widely accepted) for car rental, air tickets and in most top-end hotels and restaurants. Plastic money is also becoming popular for purchasing goods and payment for services in many other commercial establishments. There are an increasing number of

The most pleasant time to visit Colombia is in the dry season, but there are no major obstacles to general sightseeing in the wet period. Most Colombians take their vacations between late December and mid-January, so transport is more crowded and hotels tend to fill up faster at this time.