1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 1,138,910 km2 land area: 1,038,700 km2 comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Montana note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank
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)
Environment
highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; deforestation; soil damage from overuse of pesticides; periodic droughts
International 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
Irrigated land
5,150 km2 (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
total 7,408 km, Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 2,900 km, Venezuela 2,050 km
Land use
arable land: 4% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 29% forest and woodland: 49% other: 16%
Location
Northern South America, between Panama and Venezuela
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
continental shelf: not specified exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
petroleum, 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
People and Society
Birth rate
23.4 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
4.82 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Indian 3%, Indian 1%
Infant mortality rate
29.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
12 million (1990) by occupation: services 46%, agriculture 30%, industry 24% (1990)
Languages
Spanish
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 71.72 years male: 68.99 years female: 74.53 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 87% male: 88% female: 86%
Nationality
noun: Colombian(s) adjective: Colombian
Net migration rate
-0.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
34,942,767 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
1.83% (1993 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%
Total fertility rate
2.54 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
23 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento), 5 commissariats*, (comisarias, singular - comisaria), 4 intendancies** (intendencias, singular, - intendencia), and 1 special district***, (distrito especial); Amazonas*,, Antioquia, Arauca**, Atlantico, 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*, note: 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)
Colombia local long form
Republica de Colombia local short form: Colombia
Constitution
5 July 1991
Digraph
CO
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Jaime GARCIA Parra chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 387-8338 consulates general: Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) consulates: Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Tampa
Executive branch
president, presidential designate, Cabinet
FAX
[57] (1) 288-5687 consulate: Barranquilla
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 Justical), Constitutional Court, Council of State
Legal system
based on Spanish law; judicial review of executive and legislative acts; 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)
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, ONUSAL, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Names
conventional long form: Republic of Colombia conventional short form:
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), Manuel MARULANDA and Alfonso CANO; National Liberation Army (ELN), Manuel PEREZ; and dissidents of the recently demobilized People's Liberation Army (EPL), 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, other 7
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Type
republic; executive branch dominates government structure
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Morris D. BUSBY embassy: Calle 38, No. 8-61, Bogota mailing address: P. O. Box A. A. 3831, Bogota or APO AA 34038 telephone: [57] (1) 285-1300 or 1688
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 $5.0 billion; current expenditures $5.1 billion, capital expenditures $964 million (1991 est.)
Currency
1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 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), $399 million
Electricity
10,193,000 kW capacity; 36,000 million kWh produced, 1,050 kWh per capita (1992)
Exchange rates
Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1 - 820.08 (January 1993), 759.28 (1992), 633.05 (1991), 502.26 (1990), 382.57 (1989), 299.17 (1988)
Exports
$7.4 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: petroleum, coffee, coal, bananas, fresh cut flowers partners: US 44%, EC 21%, Japan 5%, Netherlands 4%, Sweden 3% (1991)
External debt
$17 billion (1992)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Illicit drugs
illicit producer of cannabis, coca, and opium; about 37,500 hectares of coca under cultivation; the world's largest processor of coca derivatives into cocaine; supplier of cocaine to the US and other international drug markets
Imports
$5.5 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.) commodities: industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products partners: US 36%, EC 16%, Brazil 4%, Venezuela 3%, Japan 3% (1991)
Industrial production
growth rate -0.5% (1991); accounts for 20% 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)
25% (1992)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $51 billion (1992 est.)
National product per capita
$1,500 (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate
3.3% (1992 est.)
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 in recent 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, energy rationing, and drug-related violence have dampened growth. The level of violence, in Bogota in particular, surged to higher levels in the first quarter of 1993, further delaying the economic resurgence expected from government reforms. These reforms center on fiscal restraint, trade and investment liberalization, financial and labor reform, and privatization of state utilities and commercial banks.
Unemployment rate
10% (1992)
Communications
Airports
total: 1,233 usable: 1,059 with permanent-surface: 69 with runways over 3,659 m: 1 with runways 2,440-2,459 m: 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 200
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
27 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 227,719 GRT/356,665 DWT; includes 9 cargo, 3 oil tanker, 8 bulk, 7 container
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 Colombiana), National Police (Policia Nacional)
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $630 million, 1.3% of GDP (1993 est.)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 9,428,358; fit for military service 6,375,944; reach military age (18) annually 356,993 (1993 est.)