1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands
Coastline
3,208 km total (1,448 km North Pacific Ocean; 1,760 Caribbean Sea)
Comparative area
slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Disputes
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
Environment
highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; deforestation; soil damage from overuse of pesticides; periodic droughts
Land boundaries
7,408 km total; Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 2,900, Venezuela 2,050 km
Land use
arable land 4%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 29%; forest and woodland 49%; other 16%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Maritime claims
Continental shelf: not specified; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
crude oil, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds
Note
only South American country with coastlines on both North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea
Terrain
mixture of flat coastal lowlands, plains in east, central highlands, some high mountains
Total area
1,138,910 km2; land area: 1,038,700 km2; includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank
People and Society
Birth rate
26 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Indian 3%, Indian 1%
Infant mortality rate
37 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
11,000,000 (1986); services 53%, agriculture 26%, industry 21% (1981)
Language
Spanish
Life expectancy at birth
68 years male, 74 years female (1991)
Literacy
87% (male 88%, female 86%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun--Colombian(s); adjective--Colombian
Net migration rate
NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
1,400,000 members (1987), about 12% of labor force; the Communist-backed Unitary Workers Central or CUT is the largest labor organization, with about 725,000 members (including all affiliate unions)
Population
33,777,550 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)
Religion
Roman Catholic 95%
Total fertility rate
2.8 children born/woman (1991)
Government
Administrative divisions
23 departments (departamentos, singular--departamento), 5 commissariats* (comisarias, singular--comisaria), and 4 intendancies** (intendencias, singular--intendencia); 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**, Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupes*, Vichada*; note--there may be a new special district (distrito especial) named Bogota; the Constitution of 5 July 1991 states that the commissariats and intendancies are to become full departments and a capital district (distrito capital) of Santa Fe de Bogota is to be established by 1997
Capital
Bogota
Communists
18,000 members (est.), including Communist Party Youth Organization (JUCO)
Constitution
5 July 1991
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Jaime GARCIA Parra; Chancery at 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 387-8338; there are Colombian Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Consulates in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Ft. Lauderdale, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Tampa; US--Ambassador-designate Morris D. BUSBY; Embassy at Calle 38, No.8-61, Bogota (mailing address is P. O. Box A. A. 3831, Bogota or APO Miami 34038); telephone [57] (1) 285-1300 or 1688; there is a US Consulate in Barranquilla
Elections
President--last held 27 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results--Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo (Liberal) 47%, Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado (National Salvation Movement) 24%, Antonio NAVARRO Wolff (M-19) 13%, Rodrigo LLOREDA (Conservative) 12%; Senate--last held 11 March 1990 (next to be held 27 October 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(114 total) Liberal 72, Conservative 40, UP 1, vacant 1; Chamber of Representatives last held 11 March 1990 (next to be held 27 October 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(199 total) Liberal 122, Conservative 68, UP 3, M-19 1, other 5; note--on 5 July 1991 the new Constitution dissolved Congress and replaced it with a multiparty 36-member legislative commission until a new congress, to be elected on 27 October 1991, takes office on 1 December 1991
Executive branch
president, presidential designate, Cabinet
Flag
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
Independence
20 July 1810 (from Spain)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica)
Leaders
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo (since 7 August 1990)
Legal system
based on Spanish law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch
bicameral Congress (Congreso) consists of a nationally elected upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a regionally elected lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives (Camara de Representantes)
Long-form name
Republic of Colombia
Member of
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, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 20 July (1810)
Other political or pressure groups
three insurgent groups are active in Colombia--Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), led by Manuel MARULANDA and Alfonso CANO; National Liberation Army (ELN), led by Manuel PEREZ; and dissidents of the recently demobilized People's Liberation Army (EPL) led by Francisco CARABALLO
Political parties and leaders
Liberal Party (PL), Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo, president, and Alfonso LOPEZ Michelsen, party head; Social Conservative Party (PCS), Misael PASTRANA Borrero; National Salvation Movement (MSN), Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado; Democratic Alliance (AD) is headed by 19th of April Movement (M-19) leader Antonio NAVARRO Wolf, coalition of small leftist parties and dissident liberals and conservatives; Patriotic Union (UP), is a legal political party formed by Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and Colombian Communist Party (PCC), Carlos ROMERO
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
republic; executive branch dominates government structure
Economy
Agriculture
growth rate 4.9% (1990); accounts for 22% 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
Budget
revenues $4.39 billion; current expenditures $3.93 billion, capital expenditures $1.03 billion (1989 est.)
Currency
Colombian peso (plural--pesos); 1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.6 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $399 million
Electricity
9,435,000 kW capacity; 36,071 million kWh produced, 1,090 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1--574.09 (January 1991), 502.24 (1990), 382.57 (1989), 299.17 (1988), 242.61 (1987), 194.26 (1986), 142.31 (1985)
Exports
$6.9 billion (f.o.b., 1990); commodities--coffee 24%, petroleum, coal, bananas, fresh cut flowers; partners--US 36%, EC 21%, Japan 5%, Netherlands 4%, Sweden 3%
External debt
$16.7 billion (1990)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$43.0 billion, per capita $1,300; real growth rate 3.7% (1990 est.)
Illicit drugs
major illicit producer of cannabis and coca; key supplier of marijuana and cocaine to the US and other international drug markets; drug production and trafficking accounts for an estimated 4% of GDP and 28% of foreign exchange earnings
Imports
$5.0 billion (c.i.f., 1990); commodities--industrial equipment, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, paper products; partners--US 34%, EC 16%, Brazil 4%, Venezuela 3%, Japan 3%
Industrial production
growth rate 5.0% (1990 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP
Industries
textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, metal products, cement; mining--gold, coal, emeralds, iron, nickel, silver, salt
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
32.4% (1990)
Overview
Economic development has slowed gradually since 1986, but growth rates remain high by Latin American standards. Conservative economic policies have kept inflation and unemployment near 30% and 10%, respectively. The rapid development of oil, coal, and other nontraditional industries over the past four years has helped to offset the decline in coffee prices--Colombia's major export. The collapse of the International Coffee Agreement in the summer of 1989, a troublesome rural insurgency, and drug-related violence dampen prospects for future growth.
Unemployment rate
10.4% (urban areas 1990) (1990)
Communications
Airports
1,165 total, 1,045 usable; 69 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 192 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
106 major transport aircraft
Highways
75,450 km total; 9,350 km paved, 66,100 km earth and gravel surfaces
Inland waterways
14,300 km, navigable by river boats
Merchant marine
35 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 330,316 GRT/484,351 DWT; includes 23 cargo, 1 chemical tanker, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 8 bulk; note--2 naval tankers are sometimes used commercially
Pipelines
crude oil, 3,585 km; refined products, 1,350 km; natural gas, 830 km; natural gas liquids, 125 km
Ports
Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Covenas, San Andres, Santa Marta, Tumaco
Railroads
3,386 km; 3,236 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track (2,611 km in use), 150 km 1.435-meter gauge
Telecommunications
nationwide radio relay system; 1,890,000 telephones; stations--413 AM, no FM, 33 TV, 28 shortwave 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations with 2 antennas and 11 domestic satellite stations
Military and Security
Branches
Army (Ejercito Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Colombia), National Police (Policia Nacional)
Defense expenditures
$892 million, 2.2% of GDP (1990) _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 8,998,759; 6,102,745 fit for military service; 353,122 reach military age (18) annually