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Colombia
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. While Bogota continues to try to negotiate a settlement, neighboring countries worry about the violence spilling over their borders.
Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama Geographic coordinates: 4 00 N, 72 00 W Map references: South America, Central America and the Caribbean Area:
Area - comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Montana Land boundaries:
Coastline: 3,208 km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km) Maritime claims:
Climate: tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands Terrain: flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower Land use:
Irrigated land: 5,300 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note: only South American country with coastlines on both North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea
Population: 39,685,655 (July 2000 est.) Age structure:
Population growth rate: 1.68% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 22.85 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 5.73 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: -0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate: 24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: 2.69 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality:
Ethnic groups: mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1% Religions: Roman Catholic 90% Languages: Spanish Literacy:
Country name:
Data code: CO 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:
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 (163 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Judicial branch: 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 Political parties and leaders: Democratic Alliance-April 19 Movement or AD/M-19 is a coalition of small leftist parties and dissident liberals and conservatives [Carlos Franco ECHAVARRIA, Antonio NAVARRO Wolff, Otty PATINO, Carlos Alonso LUCIO]; Liberal Party or PL [Jose Fernando BAUTISTA]; New Democratic Force or NDF [leader NA]; Patriotic Union or UP is a legal political party formed by Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC and Colombian Communist Party or PCC [Aida ABELLA]; Social Conservative Party or PSC [Dr. Eugenio MERLANO de la Ossa] Political pressure groups and leaders: two largest insurgent groups active in Colombia - National Liberation Army or ELN; and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC International organization participation: BCIE, CAN, Caricom (observer), CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G- 3, G-11, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US:
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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 is poised for moderate growth in the next several years, marking an end to the severe 1999 recession when GDP fell by about 5%. President PASTRANA's well-respected economic team is taking steps to keep the recovery on track, such as lowering interest rates and shoring up the financial system. In its loan agreement with the IMF, the administration has pledged to take additional steps to restore growth, reduce inflation, and improve the public sector's fiscal health. Many challenges to sustainable growth remain, however. Unemployment reached a record 20% in 1999 and may remain high, contributing to the extreme inequality in income distribution. Colombia's leading exports, oil and coffee, face an uncertain future: new exploration is needed to offset a pending decline in oil production, and the coffee harvest has dropped off because of aging plantations and natural disasters. The lack of public security is a key concern for investors, making progress in the government's peace negotiations with insurgent groups an important driver of economic performance. Colombia is looking for international financial assistance to boost economic recovery and peace prospects. GDP: purchasing power parity - $245.1 billion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate: -5% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,200 (1999 est.) GDP - composition by sector:
Population below poverty line: 17.7% (1992 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.2% (1999) Labor force: 16.8 million (1997 est.) Labor force - by occupation: services 46%, agriculture 30%, industry 24% (1990) Unemployment rate: 20% (1999 est.) Budget:
Industries: textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds Industrial production growth rate: -7% (1999 est.) Electricity - production: 45.02 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source:
Electricity - consumption: 41.963 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 94 million kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables; forest products; shrimp Exports: $11.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) Exports - commodities: petroleum, coffee, coal, gold, bananas, cut flowers Exports - partners: US 39%, EU 24%, Andean Community 15%, Japan 2% (1998) Imports: $10 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) Imports - commodities: industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products, fuels, electricity Imports - partners: US 35%, EU 20%, Andean Community 15%, Japan 7% (1998) Debt - external: $35 billion (1998 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $40.7 million (1995) Currency: 1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos Exchange rates: Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1 - 1,925.63 (January 2000), 1,756.23 (1999), 1,426.04 (1998), 1,140.96 (1997), 1,036.69 (1996), 912.83 (1995) Fiscal year: calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use: 5,433,565 (December 1997) Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,800,229 (December 1998) Telephone system:
modern system in many respects
Radio broadcast stations: AM 454, FM 34, shortwave 27 (1999) Radios: 21 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 60 (includes seven low-power stations) (1997) Televisions: 4.59 million (1997) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 13 (1999)
Railways:
Highways:
Waterways: 18,140 km, navigable by river boats (April 1996) Pipelines: crude oil 3,585 km; petroleum products 1,350 km; natural gas 830 km; natural gas liquids 125 km Ports and harbors: Bahia de Portete, Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Leticia, Puerto Bolivar, San Andres, Santa Marta, Tumaco, Turbo Merchant marine:
Airports: 1,101 (1999 est.) Airports - with paved runways:
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Military branches: Army (Ejercito Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional, includes Marines and Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Colombiana), National Police (Policia Nacional) Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age Military manpower - availability:
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $3.4 billion (FY99) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.7% (FY99)
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; world's leading coca cultivator (cultivation of coca in 1998 - 101,500 hectares, a 28% increase over 1997); cultivation of opium in 1998 remained steady at 6,600 hectares; 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, and an important supplier of heroin to the US market; active aerial eradication program Please click here for a guide to the country profiles Click here for all other countries
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