Map of Colombia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged after the dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). A decades-long conflict between government forces, paramilitaries, and antigovernment insurgent groups heavily funded by the drug trade, principally the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), escalated during the 1990s. More than 31,000 former United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) paramilitaries demobilized by the end of 2006, and the AUC as a formal organization ceased to operate. In the wake of the paramilitary demobilization, illegal armed groups arose, whose members include some former paramilitaries. After four years of formal peace negotiations, the Colombian Government signed a final peace accord with the FARC in November 2016, which was subsequently ratified by the Colombian Congress. The accord calls for members of the FARC to demobilize, disarm, and reincorporate into society and politics. The accord also committed the Colombian Government to create three new institutions to form a 'comprehensive system for truth, justice, reparation, and non-repetition,' to include a truth commission, a special unit to coordinate the search for those who disappeared during the conflict, and a 'Special Jurisdiction for Peace' to administer justice for conflict-related crimes. The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to expand its presence into every one of its administrative departments. Despite decades of internal conflict and drug-related security challenges, Colombia maintains relatively strong democratic institutions characterized by peaceful, transparent elections and the protection of civil liberties.


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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: 4 00 N, 72 00 W

Map reference: South America

Area
Total: note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, and Serrana Bank
Land: 1,038,700 km²
Water: 100,210 km²
Rank: 27
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 6,672 km
Border countries: (5) Brazil 1790 km; , Ecuador 708 km; , Panama 339 km; , Peru 1494 km; , Venezuela 2,341 km

Coastline: 3,208 km
Note: (Caribbean Sea 1760 km North Pacific Ocean 1448 km)

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

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

Elevation
Mean elevation: 593 m
Elevation extremes: 0 m
Note: lowest point: Pacific Ocean

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 37.5% (2011 est.)
Forest: 54.4% (2011 est.)
Other: 8.1% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 10,900 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughtsvolcanism: Galeras (4,276 m) is one of Colombia's most active volcanoes, having erupted in 2009 and 2010 causing major evacuations; it has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Nevado del Ruiz (5,321 m), 129 km (80 mi) west of Bogota, erupted in 1985 producing lahars (mudflows) that killed 23,000 people; the volcano last erupted in 1991; additionally, after 500 years of dormancy, Nevado del Huila reawakened in 2007 and has experienced frequent eruptions since then; other historically active volcanoes include Cumbal, Dona Juana, Nevado del Tolima, and Purace

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


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Population
Distribution: the majority of people live in the north and west where agricultural opportunities and natural resources are found; the vast grasslands of the llanos to the south and east, which make up approximately 60% of the country, are sparsely populated: 48,168,996 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 30
Growth rate: 0.97% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 112
Below poverty line: 28% (2017 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Colombian(s)
Adjective: Colombian

Ethnic groups: mestizo and white 84.2%, Afro-Colombian (includes mulatto, Raizal, and Palenquero) 10.4%, Amerindian 3.4%, Romani (2005 est.)

Languages: Spanish (official)

Religions: Roman Catholic 79%, Protestant 14% (includes Pentecostal 6%, mainline Protestant 2%, other 6%), other 2%, unspecified 5% (2014 est.)

Demographic profile: Colombia is in the midst of a demographic transition resulting from steady declines in its fertility, mortality, and population growth rates. The birth rate has fallen from more than 6 children per woman in the 1960s to just above replacement level today as a result of increased literacy, family planning services, and urbanization. However, income inequality is among the worst in the world, and more than a third of the population lives below the poverty line.Colombia experiences significant legal and illegal economic emigration and refugee outflows. Large-scale labor emigration dates to the 1960s; the United States and, until recently, Venezuela have been the main host countries. Emigration to Spain picked up in the 1990s because of its economic growth, but this flow has since diminished because of Spain’s ailing economy and high unemployment. Colombia has been the largest source of Latin American refugees in Latin America, nearly 400,000 of whom live primarily in Venezuela and Ecuador. Venezuela’s political and economic crisis since 2015, however, has created a reverse flow, consisting largely of Colombians returning home.Forced displacement continues to be prevalent because of violence among guerrillas, paramilitary groups, and Colombian security forces. Afro-Colombian and indigenous populations are disproportionately affected. Even with the Colombian Government’s December 2016 peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the risk of displacement remains as other rebel groups fill the void left by the FARC. Between 1985 and September 2017, nearly 7.6 million persons have been internally displaced, the highest total in the world. These estimates may undercount actual numbers because many internally displaced persons are not registered. Historically, Colombia also has one of the world’s highest levels of forced disappearances. About 30,000 cases have been recorded over the last four decades—although the number is likely to be much higher—including human rights activists, trade unionists, Afro-Colombians, indigenous people, and farmers in rural conflict zones.Because of political violence and economic problems, Colombia received limited numbers of immigrants during the 19th and 20th centuries, mostly from the Middle East, Europe, and Japan. More recently, growth in the oil, mining, and manufacturing sectors has attracted increased labor migration; the primary source countries are Venezuela, the US, Mexico, and Argentina. Colombia has also become a transit area for illegal migrants from Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean -- especially Haiti and Cuba -- who are en route to the US or Canada.

Age structure
0-14 years: 23.89% (male 5,895,637 /female 5,611,298)
15-24 years: 16.96% (male 4,161,661 /female 4,006,875)
25-54 years: 41.98% (male 10,043,080 /female 10,177,042)
55-64 years: 9.44% (male 2,145,031 /female 2,404,090)
65 years and over: 7.73% (male 1,555,848 /female 2,168,434) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 45.6 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 35.4 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 10.2 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 9.8 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 30.4 years
Male: 29.4 years
Female: 31.4 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 117

Population growth rate: 0.97% (2018 est.)
Rank: 112

Birth rate: 15.8 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 114

Death rate: 5.5 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 177

Net migration rate: -0.6 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 129

Population distribution: the majority of people live in the north and west where agricultural opportunities and natural resources are found; the vast grasslands of the llanos to the south and east, which make up approximately 60% of the country, are sparsely populated

Urbanization
Urban population: 80.8% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 1.22% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 10.574 million BOGOTA (capital), 3.934 million Medellin, 2.726 million Cali, 2.218 million Barranquilla, 1.295 million Bucaramanga, 1.047 million Cartagena (2018)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation resulting from timber exploitation in the jungles of the Amazon and the region of Chocó; illicit drug crops grown by peasants in the national parks; soil erosion; soil and water quality damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions
International agreements party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth:

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 13.2 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 16 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 10.2 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 105

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.2 years (2018 est.)
Male: 73 years (2018 est.)
Female: 79.5 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 90

Total fertility rate: 1.98 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 121

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 81% (2015/16)

Drinking water source
Urban: 3.2% of population
Rural: 26.2% of population
Total: 8.6% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 1.82 physicians/1000 population (2014)

Hospital bed density: 1.5 beds/1000 population (2014)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 14.8% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 32.1% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 18.9% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.5% (2017 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 65
People living with hivaids: 150,000 (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 31
Deaths: 4,400 (2017 est.)
Deaths rank: 32

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2016)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever (2016): note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 22.3% (2016)
Rank: 78

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 3.4% (2010)
Rank: 94

Education expenditures: 4.5% of GDP (2016)
Rank: 92

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
Total population: 94.2% (2015 est.)
Male: 94.1% (2015 est.)
Female: 94.4% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years (2015)
Male: 14 years (2015)
Female: 15 years (2015)

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
Etymology: the country is named after explorer Christopher COLUMBUS

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Bogota
Geographic coordinates: 4 36 N, 74 05 W
Time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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, Archipielago de San Andres, Providencia y Santa Catalina (colloquially 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
History: several previous; latest promulgated 5 July 1991 (2018)
Amendments: proposed by the government, by Congress, by a constituent assembly, or by public petition; passage requires a majority vote by Congress in each of two consecutive sessions; passage of amendments to constitutional articles on citizen rights, guarantees, and duties also require approval in a referendum by over one-half of voters and participation of over one-fourth of citizens registered to vote; amended many times, last in 2018 (2018)

Legal system: civil law system influenced by the Spanish and French civil codes

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: least one parent must be a citizen or permanent resident of Colombia
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Ivan DUQUE Marquez (since 7 August 2018); Vice President Marta Lucia RAMIREZ Blanco (since 7 August 2018); the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Ivan DUQUE Marquez (since 7 August 2018); Vice President Marta Lucia RAMIREZ Blanco (since 7 August 2018)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single 4-year term (beginning in 2018); election last held on 27 May 2018 with a runoff held on 17 June 2018 (next to be held in 2022); note - political reform in 2015 eliminated presidential reelection
Election results: Ivan DUQUE Marquez elected president in second round; percent of vote - Ivan DUQUE Marquez (CD) 54%, Gustavo PETRO (Humane Colombia) 41.8%, other/blank/invalid 4.2%

Legislative branch
Description:
Elections:
Election results:

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of the Civil-Agrarian and Labor Chambers each with 7 judges, and the Penal Chamber with 9 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 magistrates); Council of State (consists of 31 members); Superior Judiciary Council (consists of 13 magistrates)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the Supreme Court members from candidates submitted by the Superior Judiciary Council; judges elected for individual 8-year terms; Constitutional Court magistrates - nominated by the president, by the Supreme Court, and elected by the Senate; judges elected for individual 8-year terms; Council of State members appointed by the State Council plenary from lists nominated by the Superior Judiciary Council
Subordinate courts: Superior Tribunals (appellate courts for each of the judicial districts); regional courts; civil municipal courts; Superior Military Tribunal; first instance administrative courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: BCIE, BIS, CAN, Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CELAC, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-3, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, PCA, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Francisco SANTOS Calderon (since 17 September 2018)
In the us chancery: 1724 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 387-8,338
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 232-8,643
In the us consulate:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Kevin WHITAKER (since 11 June 2014)
From the us embassy: Calle 24 Bis No. 48-50, Bogota, D.C.
From the us mailing address: Carrera 45 No. 24B-27, Bogota, D.C.
From the us telephone: [57] (1) 275-2000
From the us FAX: [57] (1) 275-4,600

Flag description:

National symbols: Andean condor; national colors: yellow, blue, red

National anthem
Name: Himno Nacional de la Republica de Colombia (National Anthem of the Republic of Colombia)
Lyricsmusic: Rafael NUNEZ/Oreste SINDICI: note: adopted 1920; the anthem was created from an inspirational poem written by President Rafael NUNEZ

National heritage


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Economy overview: Colombia heavily depends on energy and mining exports, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in commodity prices. Colombia is Latin America’s fourth largest oil producer and the world’s fourth largest coal producer, third largest coffee exporter, and second largest cut flowers exporter. Colombia’s economic development is hampered by inadequate infrastructure, poverty, narcotrafficking, and an uncertain security situation, in addition to dependence on primary commodities (goods that have little value-added from processing or labor inputs).Colombia’s economy slowed in 2017 because of falling world market prices for oil and lower domestic oil production due to insurgent attacks on pipeline infrastructure. Although real GDP growth averaged 4.7% during the past decade, it fell to an estimated 1.8% in 2017. Declining oil prices also have contributed to reduced government revenues. In 2016, oil revenue dropped below 4% of the federal budget and likely remained below 4% in 2017. A Western credit rating agency in December 2017 downgraded Colombia’s sovereign credit rating to BBB-, because of weaker-than-expected growth and increasing external debt. Colombia has struggled to address local referendums against foreign investment, which have slowed its expansion, especially in the oil and mining sectors. Colombia’s FDI declined by 3% to $10.2 billion between January and September 2017.Colombia has signed or is negotiating Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with more than a dozen countries; the US-Colombia FTA went into effect in May 2012. Colombia is a founding member of the Pacific Alliance—a regional trade block formed in 2012 by Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru to promote regional trade and economic integration. The Colombian government took steps in 2017 to address several bilateral trade irritants with the US, including those on truck scrappage, distilled spirits, pharmaceuticals, ethanol imports, and labor rights. Colombia hopes to accede to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 31

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 160

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 116

Gross national saving:
Rank: 104

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 68.2% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 14.8% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 22.2% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.2% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 14.6% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -19.7% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 7.2% (2017 est.)
Industry: 30.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 62.1% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables; shrimp; forest products

Industries: textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds

Industrial production growth rate: -2.2% (2017 est.)
Rank: 185

Labor force: 25.76 million (2017 est.)
Rank: 25
By occupation agriculture: 17%
By occupation industry: 21%
By occupation services: 62% (2011 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 134

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 28% (2017 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 39.6% (2015 est.)
Highest 10: 39.6% (2015 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 12

Budget
Revenues: 83.35 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 91.73 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 119

Taxes and other revenues: 26.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 109

Public debt:
Rank: 102

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 163

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 84

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 52

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 57

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 57

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 47

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 43

Current account balance:
Rank: 191

Exports:
Rank: 56
Partners: US 28.5%, Panama 8.6%, China 5.1% (2017)
Commodities: petroleum, coal, emeralds, coffee, nickel, cut flowers, bananas, apparel

Imports:
Rank: 57
Commodities: industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products, fuels, electricity
Partners: US 26.3%, China 19.3%, Mexico 7.5%, Brazil 5%, Germany 4.1% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 42

Debt external:
Rank: 46

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 36

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 42

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 1.2 million (2013)
Access electrification total population: 97% (2013)
Access electrification urban areas: 100% (2013)
Access electrification rural areas: 88% (2013)
Production: 74.92 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 41
Consumption: 68.25 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 40
Exports: 460 million kWh (2015 est.)
Exports rank: 69
Imports: 378 million kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 82
Installed generating capacity: 16.89 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 49
Generation sources fossil fuels: 29% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 184
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 67
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 69% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 17
Generation sources other renewable sources: 2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 137

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 853,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 22
Crude oil exports: 726,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 18
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 110
Crude oil proven reserves: 1.665 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 36

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 303,600 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 41
Products consumption: 333,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 40
Products exports: 56,900 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 52
Products imports: 57,170 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 74

Natural gas
Production: 10.02 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 41
Consumption: 10.08 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 48
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 83
Imports: 48.14 million m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 76
Proven reserves: 113.9 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 49

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 95.59 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 45

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 6,987,654 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 23
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 62,222,011 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 130 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 25

Telephone system
General assessment: modern system in many respects with a nationwide microwave radio relay system, a domestic satellite system with 41 earth stations, and a fiber-optic network linking 50 cities; the cable sector commands about half of the market by subscribers, with DSL having a declining share and with fibre-based broadband developing strongly; competion among the MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) sector has promoted 2.9 million subscribers as of mid-2018; though most infrastructure as yet is primarily in high-density urban areas (2017)
Domestic: fixed-line connections stand at about 15 per 100 persons; mobile cellular telephone subscribership is about 130 per 100 persons; competition among cellular service providers is resulting in falling local and international calling rates and contributing to the steep decline in the market share of fixed-line services (2017)
International: country code - 57; multiple submarine cable systems provide links to the US, parts of the Caribbean, and Central and South America; satellite earth stations - 10 (6 Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 3 fully digitalized international switching centers) (2016)

Broadcast media: combination of state-owned and privately owned broadcast media provide service; more than 500 radio stations and many national, regional, and local TV stations (2007)

Internet
Country code: .co
Users total: 27,452,550 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 58.1% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 28

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 6,318,936 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2017 est.)
Rank: 24


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 20

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-24 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; service obligation is 18 months (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups
Home based National Liberation Army:
Home based Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia:


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 12 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 157 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 30,742,928 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1,317,562,271
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: HJ, HK (2016)

Airports: 836 (2013)
Rank: 8
With paved runways total: 121 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 9 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 39 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 53 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 18 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 715 (2013)
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 25 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 201 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 488 (2013)

Heliports: 3 (2013)

Pipelines: 4,991 km gas, 6,796 km oil, 3,429 km refined products (2013)

Railways
Total: 2,141 km (2015)
Standard gauge: 150 km
Note: 0.914-m gauge (2015)
Narrow gauge: 1991 km
Rank: 73

Roadways
Total: 206,500 km (2016)
Rank: 25

Waterways: 24,725 km
Note: (18,300 km navigable; the most important waterway the River Magdalena of which 1488 km is navigable is dredged regularly to ensure safe passage of cargo vessels and container barges) (2012)
Rank: 6

Merchant marine
Total: 103 (2017)
By type: general cargo 17, oil tanker 9, other 77 (2017)
Rank: 84

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean) - Cartagena, Santa Marta, Turbo
Oil terminal: Covenas offshore terminal
Container port: Cartagena (2,510,093) (2016)
River port: Barranquilla (Rio Magdalena)
Dry bulk cargo port: Puerto Bolivar (coal): Pacific Ocean - Buenaventura


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Disputes international: in December 2007, ICJ allocated San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina islands to Colombia under 1928 Treaty but did not rule on 82 degrees W meridian as maritime boundary with Nicaraguamanaged dispute with Venezuela over maritime boundary and Venezuelan-administered Los Monjes Islands near the Gulf of VenezuelaColombian-organized illegal narcotics, guerrilla, and paramilitary activities penetrate all neighboring borders and have caused Colombian citizens to flee mostly into neighboring countriesColombia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Jamaica, and the US assert various claims to Bajo Nuevo and Serranilla Bank

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 417,355 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2018)
IDPs: 7,708,465 (conflict between government and illegal armed groups and drug traffickers since 1985; about 300,000 new IDPs each year since 2000) (2018)
Stateless persons: 11 (2016)

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis; world's leading coca cultivator with 188,000 hectares in coca cultivation in 2016, a 18% increase over 2015, producing a potential of 710 mt of pure cocaine; the world's largest producer of coca derivatives; supplies cocaine to nearly all of the US market and the great majority of other international drug markets; in 2016, the Colombian government reported manual eradication of 17,642 hectares; Colombia suspended aerial eradication in October 2015 making 2016 the first full year without aerial eradication; a significant portion of narcotics proceeds are either laundered or invested in Colombia through the black market peso exchange; Colombia probably remains the second largest supplier of heroin to the US market; opium poppy cultivation was estimated to be 1,100 hectares in 2015, sufficient to potentially produce three metric tons of pure heroin