1996 Edition

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

Location

4 00 N, 72 00 W -- Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly less than three times the size of Montana

land area

1,038,700 sq km

note

includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank

total area

1,138,910 sq km

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

current issues

deforestation; soil damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions

international agreements

party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Tropical Timber 94

natural hazards

highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts

Geographic coordinates

4 00 N, 72 00 W

Geographic note

only South American country with coastlines on both North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea

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 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 2,900 km, Venezuela 2,050 km

total

7,408 km

Land use

arable land

4%

forest and woodland

49%

meadows and pastures

29%

other

16%

permanent crops

2%

Location

Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds

Terrain

flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains

highest point

Nevado del Huila 5,750 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 32% (male 5,948,599; female 5,806,450) 15-64 years: 64% (male 11,496,931; female 11,890,875) 65 years and over: 4% (male 741,788; female 928,518) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

21.34 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

4.65 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Indian 3%, Indian 1%

Infant mortality rate

25.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Spanish

Life expectancy at birth

female

75.73 years (1996 est.)

male

69.97 years

total population

72.81 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

female

91.4%

male

91.2%

total population

91.3%

Nationality

adjective

Colombian

noun

Colombian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

36,813,161 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.66% (1996 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%

Sex ratio

all ages

0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

2.35 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital district* (distrito capital); 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

Capital

Bogota

Constitution

5 July 1991

Data code

CO

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Carlos LLERAS de la Fuente

telephone

[1] (202) 387-8338

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet

chief of state and head of government

President Ernesto SAMPER Pizano (since 7 August 1994) elected for a four-year term by popular vote; election last held 29 May 1994 (next to be held NA May 1998) results - no candidate received more than 50% of the total vote; a run-off election to select a president from the two leading candidates was held 19 June 1994; results - Ernesto SAMPER Pizano (Liberal Party) 50.4%, Andres PASTRANA Arango (Conservative Party) 48.6%, blank votes 1%; Humberto de la CALLE Lombana elected vice president for a four-year term by popular vote in a new procedure that replaces the traditional designation of vice presidents by newly elected presidents

FAX

[1] (202) 232-8643

[57] (1) 315-2197

consulate(s)

Atlanta and Tampa

consulate(s)

Barranquilla

consulate(s) general

Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Washington, DC

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 (Camara de Representantes)

elections last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held NA March 1998); seats - (161 total) Liberal Party 89, conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and NDF) 53, AD/M-19 2, other 17

Independence

20 July 1810 (from Spain)

International organization participation

AG, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G- 3, G-11, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice (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

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

Legislative branch

bicameral Congress (Congreso)

Name of country

conventional long form

Republic of Colombia

conventional short form

Colombia

local long form

Republica de Colombia

local short form

Colombia

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); National Liberation Army (ELN); and dissidents of the recently demobilized People's Liberation Army (EPL/D)

Political parties and leaders

Liberal Party (PL), Luis Fernando JARAMILLO; Conservative Party (PC), Jaime ARIAS; New Democratic Force (NDF), Andres PASTRANA Arango; Democratic Alliance M-19 (AD/M-19) is a 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), Aida ABELLA; National Salvation Movement (MSN) Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado

Senate (Senado)

elections last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held NA March 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (102 total) Liberal Party 59, conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and NDF) 31, other 12

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Type of government

republic; executive branch dominates government structure

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Myles R. R. FRECHETTE

embassy

Calle 22D-BIS, No. 47-51, Apartado Aereo 3831

mailing address

APO AA 34038

telephone

[57] (1) 315-0811

Agriculture

coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables; forest products; shrimp farming

Budget

expenditures

$24 billion including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)

revenues

$NA

Currency

1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $30 million (1993)

Economic overview

Boasting a diversified and stable economy, Colombia has enjoyed Latin America's most consistent record of growth over the last several decades. Gross domestic product (GDP) has expanded every year for more than 25 years, and unlike many other South American countries, Colombia did not default on any of its official debts during the "lost decade" of the 1980s. Since 1990, when Bogota introduced a comprehensive reform program that opened the economy to foreign trade and investment, GDP growth has averaged more than 4% annually. Growth has been fueled in recent years by the expansion of the construction and financial service industries and an influx of foreign capital. Some foreign investors have been deterred by an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure and the violence stemming from drug trafficking and persistent rural guerrilla warfare, but direct foreign investment, especially in the oil industry, is still rising at a rapid rate. Although oil consequently is overtaking coffee as the main legal export, earnings from illicit drugs probably exceed those from any other export. Non-petroleum economic growth has been slowing, however, in part because the tight monetary policies adopted to offset the inflationary impact of high capital inflows and rising government spending have slowed local sales and investment. Business confidence also has been damaged by a political crisis stemming from allegations that senior government officials, including President SAMPER, solicited contributions from drug traffickers during the 1994 election campaign. The slowdown in the growth of labor-intensive industries such as manufacturing has caused a small rise in unemployment and interfered with President SAMPER'S plans to lower the country's poverty rate, which has remained at about 40% despite the expanding economy. Nevertheless, the booming oil sector, growing foreign investment, and the fundamental stability of the economy promise to keep growth positive for the foreseeable future, barring severe, unpredictable shocks from developments in the political or international arenas.

Electricity

capacity

10,220,000 kW

consumption per capita

890 kWh (1993)

production

33 billion kWh

Exchange rates

Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1 - 1,011.11 (January 1996), 912.83 (1995), 844.84 (1994), 863.06 (1993), 759.28 (1992), 633.05 (1991)

Exports

$10.5 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)

commodities

petroleum, coffee, coal, bananas, fresh cut flowers

partners

US 39%, EC 25.7%, Japan 2.9%, Venezuela 8.5% (1992)

External debt

$14 billion (1995 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $192.5 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

21.5%

industry

29%

services

49.5%

GDP per capita

$5,300 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

5.3% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of coca, opium poppies, and cannabis; about 50,900 hectares of coca under cultivation in 1995; the world's largest processor of coca derivatives into cocaine; supplier of cocaine to the US and other international drug markets; active aerial eradication program seeks to virtually eliminate coca and opium crops by 1997

Imports

$13.5 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)

commodities

industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products

partners

US 36%, EC 18%, Brazil 4%, Venezuela 6.5%, Japan 8.7% (1992)

Industrial production growth rate

3.5% (1995 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

19.5% (1995 est.)

Labor force

12 million (1990)

by occupation

services 46%, agriculture 30%, industry 24% (1990)

Unemployment rate

9.5% (1995)

Branches

Army (Ejercito Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional, includes Marines and Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Colombiana), National Police (Policia Nacional)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $2 billion, 2.8% of GDP (1995)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

10,067,538

males fit for military service

6,774,105

males reach military age (18) annually

346,372 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 413 (licensed), FM 217 (licensed), shortwave 28

Radios

NA

Telephone system

modern system in many respects

domestic

nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic satellite system with 11 earth stations

international

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones

1.89 million (1986 est.)

Television broadcast stations

33

Televisions

5.5 million (1993 est.) Defense

Airports

total

989

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

33

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

9

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

35

with paved runways over 3 047 m

2

with paved runways under 914 m

557

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

41

with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

1

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

311 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

12,600 km

total

107,200 km

unpaved

94,600 km

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 5, cargo 8, container 3, oil tanker 3 (1995 est.)

total

19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 97,037 GRT/129,404 DWT

Pipelines

crude oil 3,585 km; petroleum products 1,350 km; natural gas 830 km; natural gas liquids 125 km

Ports

Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Leticia, Puerto Bolivar, San Andres, Santa Marta, Tumaco, Turbo

Railways

narrow gauge

3,236 km 0.914-m gauge (1830 km in use) (1995)

standard gauge

150 km 1.435-m gauge (connects Cerrejon coal mines to maritime port at Bahia Portete)

total

3,386 km

Waterways

14,300 km, navigable by river boats