There are various factors as to why Colombia has historically been a violent place. One key factor is the inability of the state to assert effective control over the entire national territory. Much of this is due to geography. Colombia straddles three ranges of the Andes, vast swathes of rainforest, and massive empty plains. This contributes to the long history of civil wars in the country. Conservatives and Liberals fought many conflicts for control of the country. The last of these, known simply as "La Violencia", claimed about 200,000 lives in the 1940s and 1950s. Warfare between Marxist guerrillas, right wing paramilitaries and the state has claimed even more lives since. The difficult terrain has long made it a perfect place for guerrilla warfare. Another related factor is the illegal drug trade, which, despite what many believe, is not the sole factor, but it is nevertheless important. Colombia's geographical position and climate made it into a key location for the cultivation and production of marijuana and then cocaine to the US. Lastly, Colombia, like most other countries with high crime rates, is extremely unequal, a situation that undermines social cohesion and the rule of law. However, it's worth nothing that while Colombia was often regarded as exceptionally violent, it's now far from the most dangerous country in the region, with Venezuela, Jamaican and Central American countries having long surpassed it in terms of homicide rates, and Mexico and Brazil seeing similar rates.