1997 Edition

Historical perspective

Comoros has had difficulty in achieving political stability, having endured 18 coups or attempted coups since receiving independence from France in 1975.

Area

total : 1,138,910 sq km land: 1,038,700 sq km water: 100,210 sq km note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank

Area - comparative

slightly less than three times the size of Montana

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)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Nevado del Huila 5,750 m

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - 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, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Geographic coordinates

4 00 N, 72 00 W

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

5,300 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total : 7,408 km border countries: 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: 1% permanent pastures : 39% forests and woodland: 48% other: 8% (1993 est.)

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 hazards

highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts

Natural resources

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

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years : 31% (male 5,959,141; female 5,816,751) 15-64 years: 64% (male 11,756,893; female 12,146,103) 65 years and over: 5% (male 769,724; female 969,678) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

20.78 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

4.62 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

Spanish

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.14 years male: 70.28 years female : 76.09 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition : age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91.3% male: 91.2% female: 91.4% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Colombian(s) adjective: Colombian

Net migration rate

-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

37,418,290 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

1.61% (1997 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%

Sex ratio

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: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.31 children born/woman (1997 est.)

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, Santa Fe de Bogota*, Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupes, Vichada

Constitution

5 July 1991

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Colombia conventional short form: Colombia local long form: Republica de Colombia local short form : Colombia

Data code

CO

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Juan Carlos ESGUERRA Portocarrero chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-8338

Executive branch

chief of state : President Ernesto SAMPER Pizano (since 7 August 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of

FAX

[1] (202) 232-8643 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Washington, DC consulate(s): Atlanta and Tampa

[57] (1) 315-2197

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

Government type

republic; executive branch dominates government structure

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, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, 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 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 (161 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held March 1998); House of Representatives - last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held March 1998) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal Party 59, conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and NDF) 31, other 12; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal Party 89, conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and NDF) 53, AD/M-19 2, other 17

National capital

Bogota

National holiday

Independence Day, 20 July (1810)

Political parties and leaders

Liberal Party or PL [Emilio LEBOLO Castellanos]; Conservative Party or PC [Fabio VALENCIA Cossio]; New Democratic Force or NDF [Andres PASTRANA Arango]; Democratic Alliance M-19 or 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); National Salvation Movement or MSN [Dr. Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado]

Political pressure groups and leaders

two largest insurgent groups active in Colombia - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC; and National Liberation Army or ELN

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $27 billion expenditures: $30 billion including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

Currency

1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos

Debt - external

$16.5 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $30 million (1993)

Economy - 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 Latin 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 rapid expansion of the oil sector, progress in the construction and financial service industries, and an influx of foreign capital. Direct foreign investment, especially in the oil industry, is rising at a rapid rate. In 1996, oil overtook coffee as Colombia's main export. Non-petroleum economic growth slowed, however, due mostly to high interest rates - the result of high government spending and a tight monetary policy - and a real appreciation of the exchange rate. Business confidence was also damaged by a political crisis stemming from allegations President SAMPER solicited contributions from drug traffickers during the 1994 campaign. The slowdown in the growth of labor-intensive industries such as manufacturing has caused unemployment to rise to 11.5% by the end of 1996 and interfered with President SAMPER'S plans to lower the country's poverty rate, which has remained at about 40% despite the expanding economy.

Electricity - capacity

10,583,700 kW (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita

963 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production

45.361 billion kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1 - 1,027.87 (January 1997), 1,036.69 (1996), 912.83 (1995), 844.84 (1994), 863.06 (1993), 759.28 (1992)

Exports

total value: $10.3 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: petroleum, coffee, coal, bananas, fresh cut flowers partners : US 39%, EC 25.7%, Japan 2.9%, Venezuela 8.5% (1992)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $201.4 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture : 20% industry: 27% services: 53% (1995 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $5,400 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.1% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value: $12.4 billion (c.i.f., 1996) 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

4.5% (1995 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index

21.6% (1996)

Labor force

total: 12 million (1990) by occupation: services 46%, agriculture 30%, industry 24% (1990)

Unemployment rate

11.5% (yearend 1996)

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.)

Airports

913 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 606 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m : 32 914 to 1,523 m: 36 under 914 m: 527 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 307 2,438 to 3,047 m : 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 272 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 106,600 km paved: 12,685 km unpaved : 93,915 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 72,388 GRT/97,576 DWT ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 6, container 1, multi-function large load carrier 2, oil tanker 3 (1996 est.)

Pipelines

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

Ports and harbors

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

Railways

total: 3,386 km standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge (connects Cerrejon coal mines to maritime port at Bahia Portete) narrow gauge: 3,236 km 0.914-m gauge (1830 km in use) (1995)

Waterways

14,300 km, navigable by river boats

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$2 billion (1995)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.8% (1995)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 10,285,806 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males : 6,909,846 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 348,802 (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

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

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 ______________________________________________________________________ COMOROS