The port city of Cartagena de Indias—found on the northern coast of Colombia facing the Caribbean Sea—is home to the most extensive military fortification in South America. The colorful colonial city stands as an eminent example of Spanish military architecture in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Its strategic location made it an essential link in the trade routes of the West Indies and a site for confrontations among European powers vying for control of the New World. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
—Prepared by the World Tribune staff
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