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.

Geographic coordinates: 4 00 N, 72 00 W

Map reference: South America, Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 1,138,910 km²
Land: 1,038,700 km²
Water: 100,210 km²
Note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank
Comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Land boundaries
Total: 7,408 km
Border countries: (5) 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
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Nevado del Huila 5,750 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 4%
Permanent crops: 1%
Permanent pastures: 39%
Forests and woodland: 48%
Other: 8% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 5,300 km² (1993 est.)

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

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

Population: 38,580,949 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 1.89% (1998 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Colombian(s)
Adjective: Colombian

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

Languages: Spanish

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%

Age structure
0-14 years: 33% (male 6,474,927; female 6,321,404)
15-64 years: 62% (male 11,725,078; female 12,333,982)
65 years and over: 5% (male 780,486; female 945,072) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.89% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 24.93 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 5.69 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.34 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions
International agreements party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
International agreements signed but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 25.44 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.06 years
Male: 66.15 years
Female: 74.11 years (1998 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 91.3%
Male: 91.2%
Female: 91.4% (1995 est.)

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, 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, Distrito Capital de Santa Fe de Bogota*, 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

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Ernesto SAMPER Pizano (since 7 August 1994); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government: ead of
Government: President Ernesto SAMPER Pizano (since 7 August 1994); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Cabinet
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 29 May 1994 (next to be held May 1998); vice president elected by popular vote for a four-year term in a new procedure that replaces the traditional designation of vice presidents by newly elected presidents
Election results: Ernesto SAMPER Pizano elected president; percent of vote_no candidate received more than 50% of the total vote, therefore, a run-off election to select a president from the two leading candidates was held 19 June 1994; percent of vote_Ernesto SAMPER Pizano (Liberal Party) 50.4%, Andres PASTRANA Arango (Conservative Party) 48.6%, blank votes 1%; Humberto de la CALLE Lombana elected vice president; percent of vote_NA

Legislative branch: bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Senate or Senado (102 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (161 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: Senate_last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held March 1998); House of Representatives_last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held March 1998)
Election results: Senate_percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_Liberal Party 59, conservatives (includes PC and NDF) 31, other 12; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_Liberal Party 89, conservatives (includes PC and NDF) 53, AD/M-19 2, other 17

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justical), highest court of criminal law, judges are selected from the nominees of the Higher Council of Justice for eight-year terms; Council of State, highest court of administrative law, judges are selected from the nominees of the Higher Council of Justice for eight-year terms; Constitutional Court, guards integrity and supremacy of the constitution, rules on constitutionality of laws, amendments to the constitution, and international treaties

International organization participation: AG, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G- 3, G-11, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, MINUGUA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Juan Carlos ESGUERRA Portocarrero
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 Curtis Warren KAMMAN
From the us embassy: Calle 22D-BIS, No. 47-51, Apartado Aereo 3,831
From the us mailing address: APO AA 34,038
From the us telephone: [57] (1) 315-0811
From the us fax: [57] (1) 315-2,197

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: Columbia is recovering from a short recession that began in late 1996 - resulting from tight monetary policy to drive down inflation, declining business confidence related to President SAMPER's political difficulties, and a slowdown in exports stemming from an appreciation of the peso and a recession in neighboring Venezuela. Although 1997's 3.1% GDP growth rate represented an improvement over 1996, it ranked among the lowest in Latin America and was substantially lower than the average annual growth rate exceeding 4% that Colombia posted for several decades prior to SAMPER's election. Colombia's next president will inherit a variety of economic problems. Most notably, the unemployment rate is at its highest level this decade, risks for the export sector and foreign investors are rising as a result of increasing guerrilla violence and a volatile exchange rate, and the fiscal deficit has more than tripled since 1994.

Real gdp growth rate: 3.1% (1997 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $6,200 (1997 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 19%
Industry: 26%
Services: 55% (1996)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: -1.2% (1996)

Labor force
Total: 16.8 million (1997 est.)
By occupation services: 46%
By occupation agriculture: 30%
By occupation industry: 24% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 12.2% (1997 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $26 billion (1996 est.)
Expenditures: $30 billion including capital expenditures of $N/A (1996 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: total value:$11.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
Commodoties: petroleum, coffee, coal, bananas, fresh cut flowers
Partners: US 39%, EC 25.7%, Japan 2.9%, Venezuela 8.5% (1992)

Imports: total value:$13.5 billion (c.i.f., 1997 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)

Debt external: $17.1 billion (1997 est.)

Exchange rates: Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1_1345.0 (February 1998), 1,140.96 (1997), 1,036.69 (1996), 912.83 (1995), 844.84 (1994), 863.06 (1993)

Electricity
Capacity: 10.781 million kW (1995)
Production: 47 billion kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 1,307 kWh (1995)

Telephones: 1.89 million (1986 est.)

Telephone system: modern system in many respects
Domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic satellite system with 11 earth stations
International: satellite earth stations_2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $2 billion (1995)
Percent of gdp: 2.8% (1995)

Airports: 1,136 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 86
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 10
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 36
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 31
With paved runways under 914 m: 7 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 1,050
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 65
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 348
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 636 (1997 est.)

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

Railways
Total: 3,386 km
Standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge (connects Cerrejon coal mines to maritime port at Bahia Portete)
Narrow gauge: 3,236 km 0.914-m gauge (1,830 km in use) (1995)

Waterways: 14,300 km, navigable by river boats

Merchant marine
Total: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 70,775 GRT/94,677 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 8, container 1, multi-function large load carrier 2, oil tanker 3 (1997 est.)

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

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of coca, opium poppies, and cannabis; cultivation of coca in 1997_79,500 hectares, an 18% increase over 1996; potential production of cocaine in 1997_125 metric tons, a 14% increase over 1996; cultivation of opium in 1997_6,600 hectares, a 5% increase over 1996; potential production of opium in 1997_66 metric tons, a 5% increase over 1996; the world's largest processor of coca derivatives into cocaine; supplier of cocaine to the US and other international drug markets; active aerial eradication program seeks to virtually eliminate coca and opium crops