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The beautiful colonial city of Cartagena on the Caribbean coast of Colombia
Cartagena was founded in 1533. It was built as a Spanish base for the conquest of the South American continent. Throughout its early history, Cartagena had its share of pirate attacks. The privateer Sir Francis Drake pillaged the port in 1586. He decided not to burn the city to the ground when he was presented with a ransom of ten million pesos, which he sent home to Queen Elizabeth. By the late seventeenth century, the Spaniards built thick walls around the city. Today, Cartagena has expanded in all directions and is home to some one million inhabitants. In spite of much growth, the walled citadel has changed very little. Cartagena has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
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Cartagena is a colonial city. What characteristics of a city give it a colonial look or atmosphere? Find images of Cartagena online that display its colonial roots.