1,038,700 km²; includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay,
Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank

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

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

23 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento), 5 commissariats* (comisarias, singular - comisaria), and 4 intendancies** (intendencias, singular - intendencia); Amazonas*, Antioquia,
Arauca**, Atlantico, 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*; note - there may be a new special district (distrito especial) named Bogota; the Constitution of 5 July 1991 states that the commissariats and intendancies are to become full departments and a capital district (distrito capital) of Santa Fe de Bogota is to be established by 1997

last held 27 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results -
Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo (Liberal) 47%, Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado (National
Salvation Movement) 24%, Antonio NAVARRO Wolff (M-19) 13%, Rodrigo LLOREDA (Conservative) 12%

last held 27 October 1991 (next to be held
March 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (161 total)
Liberal 87, Conservative 31, AD/M-19 13, MSN 10, UP 3, other 17

18,000 members (est.), including Communist Party Youth
Organization (JUCO)

AG, CDB, CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-11, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL,
PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO

Ambassador Jaime GARCIA Parra; Chancery at 2,118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20,008; telephone (202) 387-8,338; there are Colombian Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans,
New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Consulates in
Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Tampa

Ambassador Morris D. BUSBY; Embassy at Calle 38, No. 8-61, Bogota (mailing address is P. O. Box A. A. 3,831, Bogota or APO AA 34,038); telephone 57 (1) 285-1300 or 1688; FAX 571 288-5,687; there is a US Consulate in
Barranquilla

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

Economic development has slowed gradually since 1986, but growth rates remain high by Latin American standards. Conservative economic policies have kept inflation and unemployment near 30% and 10%, respectively. The rapid development of oil, coal, and other nontraditional industries over the past four years has helped to offset the decline in coffee prices - Colombia's major export. The collapse of the International
Coffee Agreement in the summer of 1989, a troublesome rural insurgency, and drug-related violence have dampened growth, but significant economic reforms are likely to facilitate a resurgent economy in the medium term. These reforms center on fiscal restraint, trade liberalization, and privatization of state utilities and commercial banks.

growth rate 1% (1991 est.); accounts for 21% of
GDP

984,000 members (1989), about 8.2% of labor force; the
Communist-backed Unitary Workers Central or CUT is the largest labor organization, with about 725,000 members (including all affiliate unions)

exchange rate conversion - $624 million, 1.4% of
GDP (1991)

1,167 total, 1,023 usable; 70 with permanent-surface runways; 1
with runways over 3,659 m; 8
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 191
with runways 1,220-2,439 m

31 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 289,794
GRT/443,369 DWT; includes 9 cargo, 1 chemical tanker, 3 petroleum tanker, 8 bulk, 10 container; note - in addition, 2 naval tankers are sometimes used commercially

illicit producer of cannabis, coca, and opium; about 37,500 hectares of coca under cultivation; major supplier of cocaine to the
US and other international drug markets