Background: Colombia was one of three countries that emerged after the dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1830 -- the others are Ecuador and Venezuela. A decades-long conflict among 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. In the wake of the paramilitary demobilization in the 2000s, new criminal groups arose that included some former paramilitaries. After four years of formal peace negotiations, the Colombian Government signed a final accord with the FARC in 2016 that called for its members 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,' including 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. Despite decades of internal conflict and drug-trade-related security challenges, Colombia maintains relatively strong and independent democratic institutions characterized by peaceful, transparent elections and the protection of civil liberties.

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): (5) Brazil 1,790 km; Ecuador 708 km; Panama 339 km; Peru 1,494 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

Land use
Agricultural land: 36.5% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 2.3% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 2.2% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 32% (2023 est.)
Forest: 53.8% (2023 est.)
Other: 9.7% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 6,506 km² (2013)

Major rivers: Rio Negro river source (shared with Venezuela and Brazil [m]) - 2,250 km; Orinoco (shared with Venezuela [s]) - 2,101 km
Note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Natural hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts
Volcanism: Galeras (4,276 m) is one of Colombia's most active volcanoes; it has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Nevado del Ruiz (5,321 m), 129 km (80 mi) west of Bogota, erupted in 1985, producing lahars (mudflows) that killed 23,000 people; the volcano last erupted in 1991; after 500 years of dormancy, Nevado del Huila reawakened in 2007 and has experienced frequent eruptions since then; other historically active volcanoes include Cumbal, Dona Juana, Nevado del Tolima, and Purace

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

Population
Total: 49,588,357 (2024 est.)
Male: 24,206,371
Female: 25,381,986
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
Growth rate: 0.48% (2024 est.)

Languages: Spanish (official) 98.9%, indigenous 1%, Portuguese 0.1%; 65 indigenous languages exist (2023 est.)
Major-language sample(s): ; La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Roman Catholic 63.6%, Protestant 17.2% (Evangelical 16.7%, Adventist 0.3%, other Protestant 0.2%), Jehovah's Witness 0.6%, Church of Jesus Christ 0.1%, other 0.3%, believer, 0.2%. agnostic 1%, atheist 1%, none 14.2%, unspecified 1.8% (2023 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 22.3% (male 5,643,995/female 5,394,147)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 16,127,377/female 16,859,161)
65 years and over: 11.2% (2024 est.) (male 2,434,999/female 3,128,678)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 50.3 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 33.5 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 16.9 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 5.9 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 32.7 years (2024 est.)
Male: 31.5 years
Female: 34 years

Population growth rate: 0.48% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 14.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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: 82.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.01% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 11.508 million BOGOTA (capital), 4.102 million Medellin, 2.864 million Cali, 2.349 million Barranquilla, 1.381 million Bucaramanga, 1.088 million Cartagena (2023)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 59 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 13.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 10.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.9 years (2024 est.)
Male: 71.3 years
Female: 78.7 years

Total fertility rate: 1.94 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 13.3% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 2.5% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 1.1% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 11.8% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 3% of population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 3.7% (2016 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 9.7% (2024 est.); 9.6% (2023 est.); 10.6% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Bogotá
Geographic coordinates: 4 36 N, 74 05 W
Time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: originally named Santa Fe de Bacatá in 1538, after the Chibcha people's nearby settlement of Bacatá; the name was later corrupted to Bogotá

Administrative divisions: 32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital district* (distrito capital); Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Atlántico, Bogota*, Bolivar, Boyacá, Caldas, Caquetá, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, Choco, Cordoba, Cundinamarca, Guainía, Guaviare, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Quindío, Risaralda, Archipiélago de San Andres, Providencia y Santa Catalina (colloquially San Andres y Providencia), Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupes, Vichada

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

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Gustavo Francisco PETRO Urrego (since 7 August 2022)
Head of government: President Gustavo Francisco PETRO Urrego (since 7 August 2022)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a single 4-year term
Most recent election date: 29 May 2022, with a runoff held on 19 June 2022
2022: Gustavo Francisco PETRO Urrego elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Gustavo Francisco PETRO Urrego (PHxC) 40.3%, Rodolfo HERNÁNDEZ Suárez (LIGA) 28.2%, Federico GUTIÉRREZ Zuluaga (Team for Colombia / CREEMOS) 23.9%, other 7.6%; percent of vote in second round - Gustavo Francisco PETRO Urrego 50.4%, Rodolfo HERNÁNDEZ Suarez 47.3%, blank 2.3%
2018: Iván DUQUE Márquez elected president in second round; percent of vote - Iván DUQUE Márquez (CD) 54%, Gustavo Francisco PETRO Urrego (Humane Colombia) 41.8%, other/blank/invalid 4.2%
Expected date of next election: 31 May 2026
Note 1: the president is both chief of state and head of government
Note 2: reforms in 2015 eliminated presidential reelection

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Congress (Congreso)
Legislative structure: bicameral

Flag description: three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double-width), blue, and red

National anthem
Title: 'Himno Nacional de la Republica de Colombia' (National Anthem of the Republic of Colombia)
Lyrics/music: Rafael NUNEZ/Oreste SINDICI
History: adopted 1920; the anthem comes from an inspirational poem written by President Rafael NUNEZ; the anthem always starts with the chorus

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 9 (6 cultural, 2 natural, 1 mixed)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: 1.7% (2024 est.); 0.7% (2023 est.); 7.3% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 1.7% (2024 est.); 0.7% (2023 est.); 7.3% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 73.1% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 14.7% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 16.5% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.6% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 16% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -20.9% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 9.3% (2024 est.)
Industry: 23.1% (2024 est.)
Services: 58.2% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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

Industrial production growth rate: -1.3% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 26.822 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 9.7% (2024 est.); 9.6% (2023 est.); 10.6% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 9.7% (2024 est.); 9.6% (2023 est.); 10.6% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $116.49 billion (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $123.966 billion (2023 est.)
Note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 17.6% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $68.866 billion (2024 est.); $68.674 billion (2023 est.); $73.514 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: crude petroleum, coal, gold, coffee, refined petroleum (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $78.633 billion (2024 est.); $76.449 billion (2023 est.); $89.608 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, cars, broadcasting equipment, aircraft, packaged medicine (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 21.053 million kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 82.309 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Exports: 1.293 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 407.788 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 7.232 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 34% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 62.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 2.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Production: 52.376 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 9.72 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 46.425 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 1,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 4.554 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 800,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 374,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 2.036 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 10.927 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 11.885 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 958.724 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 87.782 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 85.878 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 15.463 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 49.727 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 20.688 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 29.305 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 7.277 million (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 87.4 million (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 156 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 77% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 8.91 million (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (2023 est.)

Military expenditures: 3.4% of GDP (2024 est.); 3% of GDP (2023 est.); 3% of GDP (2022 est.); 3.2% of GDP (2021 est.); 3.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Airports: 661 (2025)

Heliports: 57 (2025)

Railways
Total: 2,141 km (2019)
Standard gauge: 150 km (2019) 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 1,991 km (2019) 0.914-m gauge

Merchant marine
Total: 153 (2023)
By type: general cargo 28, oil tanker 13, other 112