Available lithostratigraphic, tectonothermal, geochronological and paleomagnetic data from 2.1&
ndash;1.8 Ga collisional orogens and related cratonic blocks around the world have established connections between South America and West Africa; Western Australia and South Africa; Laurentia and Baltica; Siberia and Laurentia; Laurentia and Central Australia; East Antarctica and Laurentia, and North China and India. These links are interpreted to indicate the presence of a supercontinent existing before Rodinia, referred to herein as Columbia, a name recently proposed by Rogers and Santosh [Gondwana Res. 5 (2002) 5] for a Paleo-Mesoproterozoic supercontinent. In this supercontinent, the Archean to Paleoproterozoic cratonic blocks were welded by the global 2.1&
ndash;1.8 Ga collisional belts. The cratonic blocks in South America and West Africa were welded by the 2.1&
ndash;2.0 Ga Transamazonian and Eburnean Orogens; the Kaapvaal and Zimbabwe Cratons in southern Africa were collided along the
2.0 Ga Limpopo Belt; the cratonic blocks of Laurentia were sutured along the 1.9&
ndash;1.8 Ga Trans-Hudson, Penokean, Taltson&
ndash;Thelon, Wopmay, Ungava, Torngat and Nagssugtoqidian Orogens; the Kola, Karelia, Volgo&
ndash;Uralia and Sarmatia (Ukrainian) Cratons in Baltica (Eastern Europe) were joined by the 1.9&
ndash;1.8 Ga Kola&
ndash;Karelia, Svecofennian, Volhyn&
ndash;Central Russian and Pachelma Orogens; the
Anabar and Aldan Cratons in Siberia were connected by the 1.9&
ndash;1.8 Ga Akitkan and Central Aldan Orogens; the East Antarctica and an unknown continental block were joined by the Transantarctic Mountains Orogen; the South and North Indian Blocks were amalgamated along the Central Indian Tectonic Zone; and the Eastern and Western Blocks of the North China Craton were welded together by the
1.85 Ga Trans-North China Orogen.