BOGOTA, or SantaFé de Bogota, the capital of the United States of Colombia, in South America, is situated in the state of Cundinamarca, in 4° 6' N. lat. and 78° 30' W. long. It occupies a fine position at the base of the mountains La Guadalupe and Montserrato, on a table-land that forms part of the eastern ridge of the Andes, between the extensive valley of the Magdalena and the plains that are watered by part of the Orinoco system. The surrounding country is exceedingly fertile, and produces abundant crops of wheat and barley and the leguminous plants cultivated in Europe. The city of Bogota is the finest in the republic; its streets are well built, and run at right angles to each other; and within recent years most of them have been supplied with side pavements. The private houses are built of sun-dried bricks, and whitewashed; and owing to the prevalence of earthquakes they are mostly of one story in height. Of the streets the largest and finest is the Calle-Real or Calle de la Republica, which ends in a large square or plaza containing some of the chief buildings in the city. The cathedral, rebuilt in 1814, possesses very little external beauty; but its interior is fitted up with considerable elegance, its ornaments are rich and valuable, and the image of the Virgin, the patron saint, is covered with a profusion of precious stones. There are about thirty other churches in the city, but many of them are in a state of decay, while several of the monastic buildings are appropriated to secular uses,—the religious communities having been dissolved by Mosquera, and their revenues devoted in great measure to educational purposes. The convent of San Francisco is of great extent, and contains some of the productions of Vasquez, a native artist of merit. A large and ...