Background: Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and Venezuela). A 40-year insurgent campaign to overthrow the Colombian Government escalated during the 1990s undergirded in part by funds from the drug trade. Although the violence is deadly and large swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence the movement lacks the military strength or popular support necessary to overthrow the government. An anti-insurgent army of paramilitaries has grown to be several thousand strong in recent years challenging the insurgents for control of territory and illicit industries such as the drug trade and the government's ability to exert its dominion over rural areas. While Bogota steps up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country neighboring countries worry about the violence spilling over their borders.

Geographic coordinates: 4 00 N 72 00 W

Map reference: South America

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

Land boundaries
Total: 6,004 km
Border countries: (4) Brazil 1,643 km; , Ecuador 590 km; , Panama 225 km; , Peru 1,496 km; (est.), Venezuela 2,050 km

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

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Pico Cristobal Colon 5,775 m
Extremes note: nearby Pico Simon Bolivar also has the same elevation

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

Land use
Arable land: 1.9%
Other: 96.14% (1998 est.)
Permanent crops: 1.96%

Irrigated land: 8,500 km² (1998 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: 41,662,073 (July 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 1.56% (2003 est.)
Below poverty line: 55% (2001)

Nationality
Noun: Colombian
Adjective: Colombian

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

Languages: Spanish

Religions: Roman Catholic 90%

Age structure
0-14 years: 31.3% (male 6,601,581; female 6,447,679)
15-64 years: 63.7% (male 12,931,093; female 13,626,333)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 913,798; female 1,141,589) (2003 est.)

Median age
Total: 25.6 years
Male: 24.8 years
Female: 26.4 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 1.56% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 21.59 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 5.63 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.32 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; 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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male/female
Total population: 0.96 male/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 22.47 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 18.34 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 26.46 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.14 years
Male: 67.29 years
Female: 75.12 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.61 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 140,000 (2001 est.)
Deaths: 5,600 (2001 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 92.5%
Male: 92.4%
Female: 92.6% (2003 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Colombia
Conventional short form: Colombia
Local short form: Colombia
Local long form: Republica de 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 Distrito Capital de 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

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Alvaro URIBE Velez (since 7 August 2002); Vice President Francisco SANTOS (since 7 August 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Alvaro URIBE Velez (since 7 August 2002); Vice President Francisco SANTOS (since 7 August 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Cabinet consists of a coalition of the two dominant parties - the PL and PSC - and independents
Elections: president and vice president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 26 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2006)
Election results: President Alvaro URIBE Velez received 53% of the vote; Vice President Francisco SANTOS was elected on the same ticket

Legislative branch
Elections: Senate - last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2006); House of Representatives - last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2006)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PL 28, PSC 13, independents and smaller parties (many aligned with conservatives) 61; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PL 54, PSC 21, independents and other parties 91

Judicial branch: four coequal supreme judicial organs; Supreme Court of Justice or 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); Higher Council of Justice (administers and disciplines the civilian judiciary; members of the disciplinary chamber resolve jurisdictional conflicts arising between other courts; members are elected by three sister courts and Congress for eight-year terms)

Political parties and leaders
Note: Colombia has about 60 formally recognized political parties, most of which do not have a presence in either house of Congress

International organization participation: BCIE CAN Caricom (observer) CDB ECLAC FAO G-15 G-3 G-24 G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU LAES LAIA NAM OAS OPANAL OPCW PCA RG UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNU UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Luis Alberto MORENO Mejia
In the us chancery: 2,118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20,008
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
In the us fax: [1] (202) 232-8,643
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 387-8,338
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Anne W. PATTERSON
From the us embassy: Calle 22D-BIS, numbers 47-51, Apartado Aereo 3,831
From the us mailing address: Carrera 45 #22D-45, Bogota, D.C., 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: Colombia's economy suffers from weak domestic and foreign demand austere government budgets and serious internal armed conflict. Other economic problems facing the new president URIBE range from reforming the pension system to reducing high unemployment. Two of Colombia's leading exports oil and coffee face an uncertain future; new exploration is needed to offset declining oil production while coffee harvests and prices are depressed. Colombian business leaders are calling for greater progress in solving the conflict with insurgent groups. On the positive side several international financial institutions have praised the economic reforms introduced by President URIBE and have pledged enough funding to cover Colombia's debt servicing costs in 2003.

Real gdp growth rate: 1.5% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,100 (2002 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 13%
Industry: 30%
Services: 57% (2001 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 4% (2001 est.)

Labor force: 18.3 million (1999 est.)
By occupation services: 46%
By occupation agriculture: 30%
By occupation industry: 24% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 17.4% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line: 55% (2001)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1%
Highest 10: 44% (1999)

Distribution of family income gini index: 57.1 (1996)

Budget
Revenues: $24 billion
Expenditures: $25.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 6.2% (2002 est.)

Exports: $12.9 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: petroleum coffee coal apparel bananas cut flowers
Partners: US 44.8% Venezuela 9.4% Ecuador 6.8% (2002)

Imports: $12.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: industrial equipment transportation equipment consumer goods chemicals paper products fuels electricity
Partners: US 32.6% Venezuela 7% Mexico 5.3% Japan 5.3% Brazil 5.2% Germany 4.2% (2002)

Debt external: $38.4 billion (2002 est.)

Exchange rates: Colombian pesos per US dollar - 2,504 (2002) 2,300 (2001) 2,088 (2000) 1756.23 (1999) 1426.04 (1998)

Electricity
Production: 42.99 billion kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 26%
Production by source hydro: 72.7%
Production by source other: 1.3% (2001)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 39.81 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 210 million kWh (2001)
Imports: 40 million kWh (2001)

Natural gas
Production: 5.7 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 5.7 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 132 billion m³ (37,257)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 5,433,565 (December 1997)
Mobile cellular: 1,800,229 (December 1998)

Telephone system
General assessment: modern system in many respects
Domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic satellite system with 41 earth stations; fiber-optic network linking 50 cities
International: satellite earth stations - 6 Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat; 3 fully digitalized international switching centers; 8 submarine cables

Internet
Country code: .co
Service providers isps: 18 (2000)
Users: 1.15 million (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $3.3 billion (FY01)
Percent of gdp: 3.4% (FY01)

Airports: 1050 (2002)
With paved runways total: 96
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 36
With paved runways under 914 m: 11 (2002)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 38
With unpaved runways total: 954
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 51
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 587 (2002)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 315

Heliports: 1 (2002)

Pipelines: gas 4,360 km; oil 6,134 km; refined products 3,140 km (2003)

Railways
Total: 3,304 km
Standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 3,154 km 0.914-m gauge (2002)

Waterways: 18,140 km (navigable by river boats) (April 1996)

Merchant marine
Total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 51,445 GRT/55,930 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 6, container 1, petroleum tanker 3
Note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 1 (2002 est.)

Disputes international: Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in 1999 and against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over disputed maritime boundary involving 50,000 km² in the Caribbean Sea including the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; maritime boundary dispute with Venezuela in the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian drug activities penetrate Peruvian border area

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of coca opium poppy and cannabis; world's leading coca cultivator (cultivation of coca in 2002 was 144,450 hectares a 15% decline since 2001); potential production of opium between 2001 and 2002 declined by 25% to 91 metric tons; potential production of heroin declined to 11.3 metric tons; the world's largest processor of coca derivatives into cocaine; supplier of about 90% of the cocaine to the US market and the great majority of cocaine to other international drug markets; important supplier of heroin to the US market; active aerial eradication program; a significant portion of non-US narcotics proceeds are either laundered or invested in Colombia through the black market peso exchange