Map of Colombia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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: 1,138,910 km²
Land: 1,038,700 km²
Water: 100,210 km²
Note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, and Serrana Bank
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 (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km)

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

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

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

Elevation
Highest point: Pico Cristobal Colon 5,730 m
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 593 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 37.5% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 1.4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 1.6% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 34.5% (2018 est.)
Forest: 54.4% (2018 est.)
Other: 8.1% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 10,900 km² (2012)

Major rivers
By length in km: Rio Negro river source (shared with Venezuela and Brazil [m]) - 2,250 km; Orinoco (shared with Venezuela [s]) - 2,101 km


Major watersheds area km²: Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 km²), Orinoco (953,675 km²)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 3.49 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Industrial: 3.73 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 6.391 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 2.36 trillion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Natural hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts

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: 50,355,650 (July 2021 est.)
Growth rate: 1.04% (2021 est.)
Below poverty line: 35.7% (2019 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Colombian(s)
Adjective: Colombian

Ethnic groups: Mestizo and White 87.6%, Afro-Colombian (includes Mulatto, Raizal, and Palenquero) 6.8%, Amerindian 4.3%, unspecified 1.4% (2018 est.)

Languages: Spanish (official)
Major language samples:

Religions: Christian 92.3% (predominantly Roman Catholic), other 1%, unspecified 6.7% (2020 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.

Age structure
0-14 years: 23.27% (male 5,853,351/female 5,567,196)
15-24 years: 16.38% (male 4,098,421/female 3,939,870)
25-54 years: 42.04% (male 10,270,516/female 10,365,423)
55-64 years: 9.93% (male 2,307,705/female 2,566,173)
65 years and over: 8.39% (male 1,725,461/female 2,390,725) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 45.4
Youth dependency ratio: 32.3
Elderly dependency ratio: 13.2
Potential support ratio: 7.6 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 31.2 years
Male: 30.2 years
Female: 32.2 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.04% (2021 est.)

Birth rate: 16.51 births/1000 population (2021 est.)

Death rate: 5.53 deaths/1000 population (2021 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.6 migrant(s)/1000 population (2021 est.)

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: 81.7% of total population (2021)
Rate of urbanization: 1.01% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 11.167 million BOGOTA (capital), 4.034 million Medellin, 2.810 million Cali, 2.299 million Barranquilla, 1.349 million Bucaramanga, 1.071 million Cartagena (2021)

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-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 15.24 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 97.81 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 81.52 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 21.7 years (2015 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-49

Maternal mortality ratio: 83 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 12.88 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 15.73 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 9.86 deaths/1000 live births (2021 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.91 years
Male: 73.77 years
Female: 80.23 years (2021 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.14 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 81% (2015/16)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: 86.4% of population
Improved total: 97.3% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: 13.6% of population
Unimproved total: 2.7% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 7.6% (2018)

Physicians density: 2.19 physicians/1000 population (2018)

Hospital bed density: 1.7 beds/1000 population (2018)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 98.3% of population
Improved rural: 80.1% of population
Improved total: 94.7% of population
Unimproved urban: 1.7% of population
Unimproved rural: 19.9% of population
Unimproved total: 5.3% of population (2017 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2020 est.)
People living with hivaids: 180,000 (2020 est.)
Deaths: 3,000 (2020 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2020)
Food or water borne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
Vector borne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever
Note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout Colombia; as of 6 October 2021, Columbia has reported a total of 4,963,243 cases of COVID-19 or 9,754.25 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with 248.46 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 1 October 2021, 33.56% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 22.3% (2016)

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 3.7% (2015/16)

Education expenditures: 4.5% of GDP (2019)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 95.6%
Male: 95.4%
Female: 95.9% (2020)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 15 years (2019)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 25.8%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 20.7%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 33% (2020 est.)


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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)
Etymology: originally referred to as 'Bacata,' meaning 'enclosure outside of the farm fields,' by the indigenous Muisca

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 4 July 1991
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 2020

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 descentonly: 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
Elections and appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single 4-year term; election last held on 27 May 2018 with a runoff held on 17 June 2018 (next to be held on 29 May 2022); note - political reform in 2015 eliminated presidential reelection
Election results:

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of:
Senate or Senado (108 seats; 100 members elected in a single nationwide constituency by party-list proportional representation vote, 2 members elected in a special nationwide constituency for indigenous communities, 5 members of the People's Alternative Revolutionary Force (FARC) political party for the 2018 and 2022 elections only as per the 2016 peace accord, and 1 seat reserved for the runner-up presidential candidate in the recent election; all members serve 4-year terms)
Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (172 seats; 165 members elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote, 5 members of the FARC for the 2018 and 2022 elections only as per the 2016 peace accord, and 1 seat reserved for the runner-up vice presidential candidate in the recent election; all members serve 4-year terms)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CD 19, CR 16, PC 15, PL 14, U Party 14, Green Alliance 10, PDA 5, other 9; composition - men 77, women 31, percent of women 28.7%
Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PL 35, CD 32, CR 30, U Party 25, PC 21, Green Alliance 9, other 13; composition - men 147, women 25, percent of women 14.5%; total Congress percent of women 20%

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 27 judges); 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: Alternative Democratic Pole or PDA [Jorge Enrique ROBLEDO]
Citizens Option (Opcion Ciudadana) or OC [Angel ALIRIO Moreno] (formerly known as the National Integration Party or PIN)
Conservative Party or PC [Hernan ANDRADE]
Democratic Center Party or CD [Alvaro URIBE Velez]
Green Alliance [Claudia LOPEZ Hernandez]
Humane Colombia [Gustavo PETRO]
Liberal Party or PL [Cesar GAVIRIA]
People's Alternative Revolutionary Force or FARC [Rodrigo LONDONO Echeverry]
Radical Change or CR [Rodrigo LARA Restrepo]
Social National Unity Party or U Party [Roy BARRERAS]
Note: Colombia has numerous smaller political movements

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 Avenue 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 email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Philip S. GOLDBERG (since 19 September 2019)
From the us embassy: Carrera 45, No. 24B-27, Bogota
From the us mailing address: 3,030 Bogota Place, Washington DC  20,521-3,030
From the us telephone: [57] (1) 275-2000
From the us FAX: [57] (1) 275-4,600
From the us email address and website:

Flag description: three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double-width), blue, and red; the flag retains the three main colors of the banner of Gran Colombia, the short-lived South American republic that broke up in 1830; various interpretations of the colors exist and include: yellow for the gold in Colombia's land, blue for the seas on its shores, and red for the blood spilled in attaining freedom; alternatively, the colors have been described as representing more elemental concepts such as sovereignty and justice (yellow), loyalty and vigilance (blue), and valor and generosity (red); or simply the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity
Note: similar to the flag of Ecuador, which is longer and bears the Ecuadorian coat of arms superimposed in the center

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)
Lyrics and music: 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

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 3.26% (2019 est.)

2.51% (2018 est.)

1.36% (2017 est.)

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2010 dollars

Gross national saving

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: sugar cane, milk, oil palm fruit, potatoes, rice, bananas, cassava leaves, plantains, poultry, maize

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

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

Labor force: 19.309 million (2020 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 17%
By occupation industry: 21%
By occupation services: 62% (2011 est.)

Unemployment rate: 10.5% (2019 est.)

9.68% (2018 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 25.8%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 20.7%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 33% (2020 est.)

Population below poverty line: 35.7% (2019 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 50.4 (2018 est.)

53.5 (2014)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.2%
Highest 10: 39.6% (2015 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index

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

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

Public debt: 49.4% of GDP (2017 est.)
Note: data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities

Revenue
From forest resources forest revenues: 0.1% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal coal revenues: 0.75% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.5% (2019 est.)

3.2% (2018 est.)

4.3% (2017 est.)

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: -$13.748 billion (2019 est.)

-$13.118 billion (2018 est.)

Exports: $39.14 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

$52.96 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$55.06 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Partners: United States 31%, China 11%, Panama 6%, Ecuador 5% (2019)
Commodities: crude petroleum, coal, refined petroleum, coffee, gold (2019)

Imports: $51.56 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

$65.83 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$64.56 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Partners: United States 27%, China 20%, Mexico 7%, Brazil 6% (2019)
Commodities: refined petroleum, cars, broadcasting equipment, packaged medicines, corn (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $47.13 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$46.18 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt external: $135.644 billion (2019 est.)

$128.238 billion (2018 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 97% (2019)
Access electrification urban areas: 100% (2019)
Access electrification rural areas: 86% (2019)
Production: 74.92 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption: 68.25 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Exports: 460 million kWh (2015 est.)
Imports: 378 million kWh (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 16.89 million kW (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 29% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 69% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources: 2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 863,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil exports: 726,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves: 1.665 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Crude oil

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

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

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 7,248,026 (2020)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14.24 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 67,672,570 (2020)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 133 (2020 est.)

Telephone system

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 (2019)

Internet
Country code: .co
Users total: 34.73 million (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 65.01% (2019 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 7,764,772 (2020)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15.26 (2020 est.)


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Military expenditures: 3% of GDP (2020 est.)

3.2% of GDP (2019)

3.1% of GDP (2018)

3.2% of GDP (2017)

3.1% of GDP (2016)

Military and security forces: Military Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Militares de Colombia)

Military service age and obligation: 18-24 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 18 months (2021)

Space program

Terrorist groups: National Liberation Army (ELN); Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix T


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 12 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 157
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 33,704,037 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1,349,450,000 mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: HJ, HK

Airports
Total: 836 (2013)
With paved runways total: 121
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 39
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 53
With paved runways under 914 m: 18 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 715
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 25
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 201
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 1.435-m gauge (2015)
Narrowgauge: 1,991 km 0.914-m gauge (2015)

Roadways
Total: 206,500 km (2016)

Waterways: 24,725 km (18,300 km navigable; the most important waterway, the River Magdalena, of which 1,488 km is navigable, is dredged regularly to ensure safe passage of cargo vessels and container barges) (2012)

Merchant marine
Total: 122
By type: general cargo 23, oil tanker 7, other 92 (2021)

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean) - Cartagena, Santa Marta, Turbo
Pacific Ocean - Buenaventura
Oil terminals: Covenas offshore terminal
Container ports teus: Buenaventura (1,121,267), Cartagena (2,995,031) (2019)
River ports: Barranquilla (Rio Magdalena)
Drybulkcargoport(s): Puerto Bolivar (coal)


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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 Nicaragua; managed dispute with Venezuela over maritime boundary and Venezuelan-administered Los Monjes Islands near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics, guerrilla, and paramilitary activities penetrate all neighboring borders and have caused Colombian citizens to flee mostly into neighboring countries; Colombia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Jamaica, and the US assert various claims to Bajo Nuevo and Serranilla Bank

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 1,742,927 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or received alternative legal stay) (2021)
IDPs: 8,176,460 (conflict between government and illegal armed groups and drug traffickers since 1985) (2021)
Stateless persons: 11 (2020)

Illicit drugs: Colombia is the world’s top cocaine producer; exports and is a source of heroin and marijuana; coca cultivation was estimated at 245,000 hectares (ha) in 2020; potential pure cocaine production reached 1,010 metric tons in 2020