2006 Edition

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 30.3% (male 6,683,079/female 6,528,563) 15-64 years: 64.5% (male 13,689,384/female 14,416,439) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 996,022/female 1,279,548) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

984 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 38 914 to 1,523 m: 40

total

101

under 914 m

12 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

over 3,047 m

1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 35 914 to 1,523 m: 275

total

883

under 914 m

572 (2006)

Area

land

1,038,700 sq km

note

includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, and Serrana Bank

total

1,138,910 sq km

water

100,210 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Background

Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). A 40-year conflict between government forces and anti-government insurgent groups and illegal paramilitary groups - both heavily funded by the drug trade - escalated during the 1990s. The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government, and violence has been decreasing since about 2002, but insurgents continue attacks against civilians and large swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence. Paramilitary groups challenge the insurgents for control of territory and the drug trade. Most paramilitary members have demobilized since 2002 in an ongoing peace process, although their commitment to ceasing illicit activity is unclear. The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its municipalities. However, neighboring countries worry about the violence spilling over their borders. Geography Colombia

Birth rate

20.48 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$48.77 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)

revenues

$46.82 billion

Capital

geographic coordinates

4 36 N, 74 05 W

name

Bogota

time difference

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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)

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

Currency (code)

Colombian peso (COP)

Currency code

COP

Current account balance

$-1.931 billion (2005 est.)

Death rate

5.58 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$32.35 billion (2005 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador William B. WOOD

embassy

Calle 22D-BIS, numbers 47-51, Apartado Aereo 3831

mailing address

Carrera 45 #22D-45, Bogota, D.C., APO AA 34038

telephone

[57] (1) 315-0811

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Carolina BARCO Isakson

telephone

[1] (202) 387-8338

Disputes - international

Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in 1999 and against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over disputed maritime boundary involving 50,000 sq km in the Caribbean Sea, including the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; dispute with Venezuela over maritime boundary and Los Monjes Islands near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics, guerrilla, and paramilitary activities penetrate all of its neighbors' borders and have created a serious refugee crisis with over 300,000 persons having fled the country, mostly into neighboring states

Distribution of family income - Gini index

53.8 (2005)

Economic aid - recipient

$NA

Economy - overview

Colombia's economy has been on a recovery trend during the past two years despite a serious armed conflict. The economy continues to improve thanks to austere government budgets, focused efforts to reduce public debt levels, an export-oriented growth strategy, and an improved security situation in the country. Ongoing economic problems facing President URIBE range from reforming the pension system to reducing high unemployment. New exploration is needed to offset declining oil production. On the positive side, several international financial institutions have praised the economic reforms introduced by URIBE, which succeeded in reducing the public-sector deficit below 1.5% of GDP. The government's economic policy and democratic security strategy have engendered a growing sense of confidence in the economy, particularly within the business sector. Coffee prices have recovered from previous lows as the Colombian coffee industry pursues greater market shares in developed countries such as the United States.

Electricity - consumption

48.83 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

1.082 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports

48.4 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - production

50.43 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

26%

hydro

72.7%

nuclear

0%

other

1.3% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Pico Cristobal Colon 5,775 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

note

nearby Pico Simon Bolivar also has the same elevation

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to

Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Law of the Sea

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

Colombian pesos per US dollar - 2,320.75 (2005), 2,628.61 (2004), 2,877.65 (2003), 2,504.24 (2002), 2,299.63 (2001)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet consists of a coalition of the two dominant parties - the PL and PSC - and independents

chief of state

President Alvaro URIBE Velez (since 7 August 2002); Vice President Francisco SANTOS (since 7 August 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

election results

President Alvaro URIBE Velez reelected president; percent of vote - Alvaro URIBE Velez 62%, Carlos GAVIRIA Diaz 22%, Horacio SERPA Uribe 12%, other 4%

elections

president and vice president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 28 May 2006 (next to be held in May 2010)

head of government

President Alvaro URIBE Velez (since 7 August 2002); Vice President Francisco SANTOS (since 7 August 2002)

Exports

$19.3 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum, coffee, coal, apparel, bananas, cut flowers

Exports - partners

US 41.8%, Venezuela 9.9%, Ecuador 6.3% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 232-8643

[57] (1) 315-2197

consulate(s) general

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

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Colombia

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 Economy Colombia

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

12.5%

industry

34.2%

services

53.3% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$7,900 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.2% (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$97.73 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$341.1 billion (2005 est.)

Geographic coordinates

4 00 N, 72 00 W

Geography - note

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

Government type

republic; executive branch dominates government structure

Heliports

2 (2006)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

3,600 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

190,000 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

34.3% (2004)

lowest 10%

7.9%

IDPs

2,900,000 - 3,400,000 (conflict between government and FARC; drug wars) (2004)

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis; world's leading coca cultivator (cultivation of coca in 2004 was 114,100 hectares, virtually unchanged from 2003, but down one-third from its peak of 169,800 ha); producing a potential of 430 mt of pure cocaine; the world's largest producer of coca derivatives; supplying most of the US market and the great majority of cocaine to other international drug markets; important supplier of heroin to the US market; opium poppy cultivation fell 50% between 2003 and 2004 to 2,100 hectares yielding a potential 3.8 metric tons of pure heroin, mostly for the US market; in 2004, aerial eradication treated over 130,000 hectares of coca but aggressive replanting on the part of growers means Colombia remains a key producer; a significant portion of non-US narcotics proceeds are either laundered or invested in Colombia through the black market peso exchange This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

Imports

$18 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

US 28.5%, Mexico 8.3%, China 7.6%, Brazil 6.5%, Venezuela 5.7% (2005)

Independence

20 July 1810 (from Spain)

Industrial production growth rate

3.7% (2005 est.)

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

16.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

24.25 deaths/1,000 live births

total

20.35 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5% (2005 est.)

International organization participation

BCIE, CAN, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Internet country code

.co

Internet hosts

581,877 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

18 (2000)

Internet users

4.739 million (2005) Transportation Colombia

Investment (gross fixed)

18.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Irrigated land

9,000 sq km (2003)

Judicial branch

four roughly coequal, supreme judicial organs; Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (highest court of criminal law; judges are selected by their peers from the nominees of the Superior Judicial Council for eight-year terms); Council of State (highest court of administrative law; judges are selected from the nominees of the Superior Judicial Council 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); Superior Judicial Council (administers and disciplines the civilian judiciary; resolves jurisdictional conflicts arising between other courts; members are elected by three sister courts and Congress for eight-year terms)

Labor force

20.52 million (2005)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

22.7%

industry

18.7%

services

58.5% (2000 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 1,496 km (est.), Venezuela 2,050 km

total

6,004 km

Land use

arable land

2.01%

other

96.62% (2005)

permanent crops

1.37%

Languages

Spanish

Legal system

based on Spanish law; a new criminal code modeled after US procedures was enacted into law in 2004 and is gradually being implemented; judicial review of executive and legislative acts

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 (166 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PSUN 20, PC 18, PL 17, CR 15, PDI 11, other parties 21; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PL 36, PSUN 30, PC 29, CR 20, PDA 42, other parties 42

elections

Senate - last held 12 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2010); House of Representatives - last held 12 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2010)

Life expectancy at birth

female

75.96 years (2006 est.)

male

68.15 years

total population

71.99 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

92.6% (2003 est.) Government Colombia

male

92.4%

total population

92.5%

Location

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

Manpower available for military service

females age 18-49

10,561,562 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

10,212,456

Manpower fit for military service

females age 18-49

8,794,465 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

6,986,228

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 18-49

383,146 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

389,735

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

Median age

female

27.2 years (2006 est.)

male

25.4 years

total

26.3 years

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 13, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 3

registered in other countries

7 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Panama 5) (2006)

total

17 ships (1000 GRT or over) 42,413 GRT/58,737 DWT

Military branches

Army (Ejercito Nacional), National Navy (Armada Nacional, includes naval aviation, marines, and coast guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Colombiana) (2006)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$3.3 billion (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

3.4% (FY01) Transnational Issues Colombia

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 24 months (2004)

National holiday

Independence Day, 20 July (1810)

Nationality

adjective

Colombian

noun

Colombian(s)

Natural gas - consumption

6.08 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

6.08 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

127.6 billion cu m (2005)

Natural hazards

highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

270,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

512,400 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

1.492 billion bbl (2005 est.)

Pipelines

gas 4,360 km; oil 6,140 km; refined products 3,158 km (2006)

Political parties and leaders

Clandestine Communist Party of Colombia or PCC [Jaime CAICEDO]; Colombian Conservative Party or PC [Carlos HOLGUIN Sardi]; Alternative Democratic Pole or PDA [Samuel MORENO Rojas]; Liberal Party or PL [Cesar GAVIRIA]; Social National Unity Party or PSUN [Juan Manuel SANTOS]

note

Colombia has about 60 formally recognized political parties, most of which do not have a presence in either house of Congress

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; largest illegal paramilitary group, a roughly organized umbrella group of disparate paramilitary forces, is United Self-Defense Groups of Colombia or AUC

Population

43,593,035 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

49.2% (2005)

Population growth rate

1.46% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Muelles El Bosque, Puerto Bolivar, Santa Marta, Turbo Military Colombia

Public debt

49.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 454, FM 34, shortwave 27 (1999)

Radios

21 million (1997)

Railways

narrow gauge

3,154 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)

standard gauge

150 km 1.435-m gauge

total

3,304 km

Religions

Roman Catholic 90%, other 10%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$14.96 billion (2005 est.)

Roadways

paved

26,000 km

total

110,000 km

unpaved

84,000 km (2000)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic satellite system with 41 earth stations; fiber-optic network linking 50 cities

general assessment

modern system in many respects

international

country code - 57; satellite earth stations - 6 Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat; 3 fully digitalized international switching centers; 8 submarine cables

Telephones - main lines in use

7,678,800 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

21.85 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

60 (includes seven low-power stations) (1997)

Televisions

4.59 million (1997)

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

2.54 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

11.8% (2005 est.)

Waterways

18,000 km (2005)