High-rise building in Cartagena, Colombia
About this photograph
- Creator
- Margery H. Freeman
- Date created
- 1991
- Location
- Cartagena, Colombia
- License
- This photograph copyright ©2006. Terms of use
Related media
Learn more
In the classroom
- See our collection of articles on visual literacy for ideas on using photographs meaningfully in the classroom.
A palm tree stands in front of a large steel and concrete high-rise building.
Cartagena is a large seaport town on Colombia’s northern coast. It was settled in 1533 by Spanish conquistadors and was an important seaport during the colonial period. Because of its colonial wealth, the city of Cartagena was forced to defend itself from several incursions by the English and French navies, as well as pirates.
More recently Cartagena has become increasingly industrialized, though its tropical climate and extremely high humidity ensures that the city will retain its lush vegetation. This photo shows the contrast between urbanization and natural wonder that is present in many areas of Colombia.
