Semi-desert scrubland exists along the northern coast of South America in the countries of Venezuela and Colombia and throughout the Caribbean Islands. Shrublands exist up to 200 m (656 ft) above sea level and at higher elevations shrubland turns to thorn forest. These areas have become more widely developed along the coastlines of Columbia and Venezuela due to increasing populations and drilling for oil. Agriculture has also come to dominate much of the region due to the flat, low elevation topography upon which it exists.