Map of Colombia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: Colombia gained its independence from Spain in 1819. Earlier than most countries in the area, it established traditions of civilian government with regular, free elections. In recent years, however, assassinations, widespread guerrilla activities, and drug trafficking have severely disrupted normal public and private activities.


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Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: South America

Area
Total area total: 1,138,910 km²
Land: 1,038,700 km²
Comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank

Land boundaries: total 7,408 km, Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 2,900 km, Venezuela 2,050 km

Coastline: 3,208 km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km)

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands

Terrain: flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains

Elevation

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds

Land use
Arable land: 4%
Permanent crops: 2%
Meadows and pastures: 29%
Forest and woodland: 49%
Other: 16%

Irrigated land: 5,150 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: only South American country with coastlines on both North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea


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Population: 36,200,251 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 1.7% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Colombian(s)
Adjective: Colombian

Ethnic groups: mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Indian 3%, Indian 1%

Languages: Spanish

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 32% (female 5,784,010; male 5,925,600)
15-64 years: 63% (female 11,642,870; male 11,245,235)
65 years and over: 5% (female 888,358; male 714,178) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.7% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 21.89 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 4.69 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.17 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions
Current issues natural hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts
Current issues international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 26.9 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.48 years
Male: 69.68 years
Female: 75.38 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
Total population: 88%
Male: 88%
Female: 88%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Colombia
Conventional short form: Colombia
Local long form: Republica de Colombia
Local short form: Colombia

Government type: republic; executive branch dominates government structure

Capital: Bogota

Administrative divisions: 32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital district* (distrito capital; Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Atlantico, Bogota*, Bolivar, Boyaca, Caldas, Caqueta, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, Choco, Cordoba, Cundinamarca, Guainia, Guaviare, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Narino, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Quindio, Risaralda, San Andres y Providencia, Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupes, Vichada

Dependent areas

Independence: 20 July 1810 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 20 July (1810)

Constitution: 5 July 1991

Legal system: based on Spanish law; a new criminal code modeled after US procedures was enacted in 1992-93; judicial review of executive and legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Chief of state and head of government: President Ernesto SAMPER Pizano (since 7 August 1994); election last held 29 May 1994 (next to be held May 1998) and resulted in no candidate receiving more than 50% of the total vote; a run-off election to select a president from the two leading candidates was held on 19 June 1994; results - Ernesto SAMPER Pizano (Liberal Party) 50.4%, Andres PASTRANA Arango (Conservative Party) 48.6%, blank votes 1%; Humberto de la CALLE was elected vice president in a new proceedure that replaces the traditional designation of vice presidents by newly elected presidents.
Cabinet: Cabinet

Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso)
Senate Senado: elections last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held NA March 1998); preliminary results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (102 total) Liberal Party 59, conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and NDF) 31, other 12
House of Representatives Camara de Representantes: elections last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held NA March 1998); preliminary results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (161 total) Liberal Party 89, conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and NDF) 53, AD/M-19 2, other 17

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justical), Constitutional Court, Council of State

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: AG, CCC, CDB, CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos LLERAS de la Fuente
In the us chancery: 2,118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 387-8,338
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 232-8,643
In the us consulates general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Washington, DC
In the us consulates: Atlanta and Tampa
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Myles R. R. FRECHETTE
From the us embassy: Calle 38, No. 8-61, Bogota
From the us mailing address: Apartado Aereo 3,831, Bogota; APO AA 34,038
From the us telephone: [57] (1) 320-1300
From the us FAX: [57] (1) 288-5,687
From the us consulates: Barranquilla

Flag description: three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double-width), blue, and red; similar to the flag of Ecuador, which is longer and bears the Ecuadorian coat of arms superimposed in the center

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Colombia's economy has grown steadily since 1991, when the government implemented sweeping economic reform measures. President SAMPER, who took office in August 1994, has pledged to maintain those reforms while expanding government assistance for poor Colombians, who continue to make up about 40% of the population. In an effort to bring down inflation, SAMPER has arranged a "social pact" with business and labor to curtail price hikes and trim inflation to 18%. The rapid development of oil, coal, and other nontraditional industries, along with copious inflows of capital and strengthening of prices for coffee, have helped keep growth at 5%-6%. Development of the massive Cusiana oilfield provides the means to sustain this level over the next several years. Exporters say, however, that their sales have been hampered by the appreciation of the Colombian peso, and farmers have sought government help in adjusting to greater foreign competition. Moreover, increased foreign investment and even greater domestic growth have been hindered by an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure and by violence stemming from drug trafficking and persistent rural insurgency.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5.7% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $4,850 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: growth rate 3.8% (1994 est.), accounts for about 15% of GDP; crops make up two-thirds and livestock one-third of agricultural output; climate and soils permit a wide variety of crops, such as coffee, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseeds, vegetables; forest products and shrimp farming are becoming more important

Industries: textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, metal products, cement; mining - gold, coal, emeralds, iron, nickel, silver, salt

Industrial production growth rate: 5% (1994 est.), accounts for about 20% of GDP

Labor force: 12 million (1990)
By occupation services: 46%
By occupation agriculture: 30%
By occupation industry: 24% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 7.9% (1994 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $16 billion (1995 est.)
Expenditures: $21 billion (1995 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $8.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
Commodoties: petroleum, coffee, coal, bananas, fresh cut flowers
Partners: US 39%, EC 25.7%, Japan 2.9%, Venezuela 8.5% (1992)

Imports: $10.6 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
Commodoties: industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products
Partners: US 36%, EC 18%, Brazil 4%, Venezuela 6.5%, Japan 8.7% (1992)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $12.6 billion (1994 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1 - 846.67 (January 1995), 844.84 (1994), 863.06 (1993), 759.28 (1992), 633.05 (1991), 502.26 (1990)


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Electricity
Capacity: 10,220,000 kW
Production: 33 billion kWh
Production consumption per capita: 890 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: 1,890,000 telephones; modern system in many respects
Local: NA
Intercity: nationwide microwave radio relay system; 11 domestic earth stations
International: 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.2 billion (1992 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1,307
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 34
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 31
With paved runways under 914 m: 734
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 80
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 419

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 3,585 km; petroleum products 1,350 km; natural gas 830 km; natural gas liquids 125 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 14,300 km, navigable by river boats

Merchant marine
Total: 22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 104,577 GRT/142,617 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 9, container 4, oil tanker 3

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: maritime boundary dispute with Venezuela in the Gulf of Venezuela; territorial dispute with Nicaragua over Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of coca, opium poppies, and cannabis; about 45,000 hectares of coca under cultivation; the world's largest processor of coca derivatives into cocaine; supplier of cocaine to the US and other international drug markets; active eradication program against narcotics crop