The city of Cartagena, after which the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is named, is located in which country?

Introduction / Context:
International environmental agreements are often named after the cities where they are negotiated or adopted. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is an important agreement under the Convention on Biological Diversity, dealing with the safe handling and transfer of living modified organisms. Knowing where Cartagena is located helps you link the protocol to its geographical context, which is a common exam theme that connects environment and world geography. This question asks you to identify the country in which the city of Cartagena is found.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The protocol mentioned is the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
• The relevant city is Cartagena.
• The options list Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana.
• You must choose the correct country where Cartagena is located.

Concept / Approach:
Cartagena is a major port city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia in South America. It is known historically for its colonial architecture and modern significance in tourism and trade. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, adopted in 2000, takes its name from this Colombian city where important negotiations took place. The approach is to recall this association and distinguish it from cities with similar sounding names in other countries. By knowing that Cartagena is in Colombia, you can confidently select the correct option.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the question refers to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the city of Cartagena that hosted the negotiations. Step 2: Recall from environmental studies that Cartagena is a coastal city in South America. Step 3: Remember more specifically that Cartagena lies on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Step 4: Check the options given, which include Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana. Step 5: Select Colombia as the correct answer because it is the country that contains the city of Cartagena associated with the protocol.

Verification / Alternative Check:
Many environmental science textbooks state that the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety was adopted in Cartagena, Colombia, in the year 2000. Maps of South America show Cartagena labelled as a Colombian port city. Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana have their own important cities, but none of them is named Cartagena in common international references. By cross checking these geographic facts and the naming pattern of environmental treaties (such as the Montreal Protocol or Kyoto Protocol), you can be confident that the protocol's Cartagena refers to the Colombian city.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Venezuela is a neighbouring country with coastal cities like Caracas and Maracaibo, but it does not have Cartagena as a major internationally known city. Brazil, the largest country in South America, has cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Brasilia, not Cartagena. Guyana is a smaller country on the northern coast of South America with cities like Georgetown as its capital. Since none of these countries is associated with Cartagena in the context of the protocol, options B, C and D are incorrect.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to assume that any Latin American sounding city might belong to Brazil, simply because it is the largest country in the region. Others may confuse Cartagena with cities in Spain due to historical ties, even though the protocol specifically references the city in Colombia. To avoid such errors, it helps to maintain a small list of key environmental treaties and their host cities with corresponding countries, such as Montreal in Canada, Kyoto in Japan and Cartagena in Colombia. Regular revision of these linkages will improve accuracy in environment and geography questions.

Final Answer:
The city of Cartagena associated with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is located in Colombia, so Colombia is the correct option.