1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands
Coastline
3,208 km; Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km
Comparative area
slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Continental shelf
not specified
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
Exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Land area
1,038,700 km2; includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank
Land boundaries
7,408 km; 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%
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
flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes mountains, eastern lowland plains
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
1,138,910 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
24 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Indian 3%, Indian 1%
Infant mortality rate
31 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
12,000,000 (1990); services 46%, agriculture 30%, industry 24% (1990)
Languages
Spanish
Life expectancy at birth
69 years male, 74 years female (1992)
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 (1992)
Organized labor
984,000 members (1989), about 8.2% 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
34,296,941 (July 1992), growth rate 1.9% (1992)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%
Total fertility rate
2.6 children born/woman (1992)
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
Chief of State and Head of Government
President Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo (since 7 August 1990)
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, Los Angeles, and Tampa US: Ambassador Morris D. BUSBY; Embassy at Calle 38, No. 8-61, Bogota (mailing address is P. O. Box A. A. 3831, Bogota or APO AA 34038); telephone [57] (1) 285-1300 or 1688; FAX [571] 288-5687; there is a US Consulate in Barranquilla
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
House of Representatives
last held 27 October 1991 (next to be held March 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (161 total) Liberal 87, Conservative 31, AD/M-19 13, MSN 10, UP 3, other 17
Independence
20 July 1810 (from Spain)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica)
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 nationally elected lower chamber or House 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, WFTU, 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; Social Conservative Party (PCS), Misael PASTRANA Borrero; National Salvation Movement (MSN), Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado; Democratic Alliance M-19 (AD/M-19) 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
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 27 October 1991 (next to be held March 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (102 total) Liberal 58, Conservative 22, AD/M-19 9, MSN 5, UP 1, others 7
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
republic; executive branch dominates government structure
Economy
Agriculture
growth rate 3% (1991 est.) 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 (1970-89), $3.3 billion, Communist countries (1970-89), $399 million
Electricity
9,624,000 kW capacity; 38,856 million kWh produced, 1,150 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1 - 711.88 (January 1992), 633.08 (1991), 550.00 (1990), 435.00 (1989), 336.00 (1988), 242.61 (1987)
Exports
$7.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: petroleum (19%), coffee, coal, bananas, fresh cut flowers partners: US 40%, EC 21%, Japan 5%, Netherlands 4%, Sweden 3%
External debt
$17.0 billion (1991)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
exchange rate conversion - $45 billion, per capita $1,300; real growth rate 3.7% (1990 est.)
Illicit drugs
illicit producer of cannabis, coca, and opium; about 37,500 hectares of coca under cultivation; major supplier of cocaine to the US and other international drug markets
Imports
$6.1 billion (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: industrial equipment, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, paper products partners: US 36%, EC 16%, Brazil 4%, Venezuela 3%, Japan 3%
Industrial production
growth rate 1% (1991 est.); accounts for 21% 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)
26.8% (1991)
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 have dampened growth, but significant economic reforms are likely to facilitate a resurgent economy in the medium term. These reforms center on fiscal restraint, trade liberalization, and privatization of state utilities and commercial banks.
Unemployment rate
10.5% (1991)
Communications
Airports
1,167 total, 1,023 usable; 70 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 191 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
83 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
31 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 289,794 GRT/443,369 DWT; includes 9 cargo, 1 chemical tanker, 3 petroleum tanker, 8 bulk, 10 container; note - in addition, 2 naval tankers are sometimes used commercially
Pipelines
crude oil 3,585 km; petroleum 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; broadcast stations - 413 AM, no FM, 33 TV, 28 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations and 11 domestic satellite earth stations
Military and Security
Branches
Army (Ejercito Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional, including Marines), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Colombia), National Police (Policia Nacional)
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $624 million, 1.4% of GDP (1991)
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 9,214,691; 6,240,601 fit for military service; 353,691 reach military age (18) annually