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.

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 1,138,910 km²
Land: 1,038,700 km²

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: not specified
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

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.)

Natural hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; periodic droughts

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

Population: 35,577,556 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 1.77% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Colombian(s)

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

Languages: Spanish

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%

Population growth rate: 1.77% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 22.64 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 4.75 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.21 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil damage from overuse of pesticides

Infant mortality rate: 28.3 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.1 years
Male: 69.33 years
Female: 74.95 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.47 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 87%
Male: 88%
Female: 86%

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Colombia
Conventional short form:

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

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch: chief of state and head of government:President Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo (since 7 August 1990); President-designate Juan Manuel SANTOS (since NA 1993); election last held 27 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results - Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo (Liberal Party) 47%, Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado (National Salvation Movement) 24%, Antonio NAVARRO Wolff (AD/M-19) 13%, Rodrigo LLOREDA (Conservative Party) 12%
Note: a new government will be inaugurated on 7 August 1994; the presidential election of 29 May 1994 resulted in no candidate receiving more than 50% of the total vote and 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; electing a vice president is a new proceedure that replaces the traditional appointment of president-designates by newly elected presidents

Legislative branch: Army (Ejercito Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional, including Marines), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Colombiana), National Police (Policia Nacional)
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

International organization participation: 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, ONUSAL, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Morris D. BUSBY
From the us chancery: 2,118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us telephone: [57] (1) 320-1300
From the us fax: (202) 232-8,643
From the us consulates general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Washington
From the us consulates: Barranquilla
From the us embassy: Calle 38, No. 8-61, Bogota
From the us mailing address: Apartado Aereo 3,831, Bogota or APO AA 34,038
From the us FAX: [57] (1) 288-5,687

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

Economy overview: Colombia's economic growth has recovered steadily since 1991 as President GAVIRIA'S sweeping economic reform measures have taken hold. Market reforms have included trade and investment liberalization, labor and tax overhauls and bureaucratic streamlining, among other things. Furthermore, conservative fiscal and monetary policies have helped to steadily reduce inflation to 23% and unemployment to about 7% in 1993. The rapid development of oil, coal, and other nontraditional industries has helped offset the decline in coffee prices. A major oil find in 1993 in eastern Colombia may provide an extra $3 billion annually to the economy by 1997. Increased foreign investment and even greater domestic activity have been hampered, however, by a troublesome rural insurgency, a decrepit energy and transportation infrastructure, and drug-related violence. Agriculture also has encountered problems in adjusting to fewer subsidies, greater competition, and the collapse of the international coffee agreement, which has kept world coffee prices at near-record lows in 1991-93. Business construction was a leading sector in 1993. The substantial trade deficit in 1993 was the result of a strong peso that inhibited exports and a liberalized government policy that spurred imports.

Real gdp growth rate: 5.1% (1993 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $5,500 (1993 est.)

Agriculture products: growth rate 2.7% (1993 est.) accounts for 21% 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: 2% (1993 est.), accounts for 21% of GDP

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

Unemployment rate: 7.9% (1993 est.)

Budget: revenues:$11 billion

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $6.9 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodities: petroleum, coffee, coal, bananas, fresh cut flowers
Partners: US 39%, EC 25.7%, Japan 2.9%, Venezuela 8.5% (1992)

Imports: $6.7 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
Commodities: industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products
Partners: US 36%, EC 18%, Brazil 4%, Venezuela 6.5%, Japan 8.7% (1992)

Debt external: $17 billion (1992)

Exchange rates: Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1 - 921.20 (January 1994), 863.06 (1993), 759.28 (1992), 633.05 (1991), 502.26 (1990), 382.57 (1989)

Electricity
Capacity: 10,193,000 kW
Production: 36 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 1,050 kWh (1992)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: exchange rate conversion - $1.2 billion (1992 est.)

Airports: 1,369
Usable: 1,156
With permanentsurface runways: 73
With runways over 3659 m: 1
With runways 24402659 m: 9
With runways 1220-2439 m: 205

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

Waterways: 14,300 km, navigable by river boats

Merchant marine: 27 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 211,777 GRT/335,763 DWT, bulk 7, cargo 11, container 6, oil tanker 3

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

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of coca, opium, and cannabis; about 37,100 hectares of coca under cultivation; the world's largest processor of coca derivatives into cocaine in 1992; supplier of cocaine to the US and other international drug markets