Colombia

Republic of ColombiaRepublica de Colombia

republicIndependence 20 July 1810 (from Spain)

Colombia as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 90 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBogota

Position4 00 N, 72 00 W

Area1,138,910 sq km

LocationNorthern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea,

Populationas each edition published it

36.81 million July 1996 est. · 33.08m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.66% 1996 est. · 1.83% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 25.6 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

72.81 years 1996 est. · 71.72 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.35 children per woman 1996 est. · 2.9 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

25.8 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 38 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$5,300 1995 est. · $1,500 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

5.3% 1995 est. · 3.3% in 1993

Geography

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

15 fields

Land useshare of 1,138,910 sq km

arable land 4%permanent crops 2%meadows and pastures 29%forest and woodland 49%other 16%irrigated 5,150 sq km (1989 est.)

Area

1,138,910sq km

land area: 1,038,700 sq kmcomparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Montananote: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank

Coastline

3,208km

(Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km)continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

7,408km

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

Location

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

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

Climate

tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands

Terrain

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

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

Natural resources

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

Environment

current issues:: deforestation;
soil damage from overuse of pesticides;
air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions
natural hazards:: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions;
occasional earthquakes;
periodic droughts
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

Geographic note

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

People

15 fields

Population

36,813,161

(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 1.66% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth

21.34Death

4.65Net migration

-0.13

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years72.81

69.97 · 75.73

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy91.3%

91.2% · 91.4%

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

Ethnic divisions

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

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.)

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:: 0.8 male(s)/female
all ages:: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

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

Nationality

noun:: Colombian(s)
adjective:: Colombian

Government

Republic

23 fields

Legislature, 102 seatsone dot, one seat

Liberal Party 59conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and NDF) 31other 12

Legislature, 161 seatsone dot, one seat

Liberal Party 89conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and NDF) 53AD/M-19 2other 17

Name of country

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

Type of government

republic; executive branch dominates government structure

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

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch

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
cabinet:: Cabinet

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

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

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

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

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)

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

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Carlos LLERAS de la Fuente
chancery:: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: [1] (202) 387-8338

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

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

FAX

[57] (1) 315-2197; consulate(s): 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

Economy

Boasting a diversified and stable economy, | Colombia has enjoyed Latin America's most consistent record of | growth over the last several decades.

21 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$5,300

(1995 est.)

Real growth rate

5.3%

(1995 est.)industrial production growth: 3.5% (1995 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

19.5%

(1995 est.)

Unemployment rate

9.5%

(1995)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture 21.5%industry 29%services 49.5%

Installed generating capacity, 10,220,000 kW

Electricity production

33 billionElectricity consumption per capita

890 (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.

GDP

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

Labor force

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

Budget

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

Industries

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

Agriculture

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

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

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)

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)

External debt

$14 billion (1995 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $30 million (1993)

Currency

1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos

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)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 989 in all

over 3 047 m

2 438 to 3 047 m

1 524 to 2 437 m

914 to 1 523 m

311

557

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

107,200Railways

3,386Waterways

14,300

Highways: paved: 12,600 km · unpaved: 94,600 km · Railways: 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: , navigable by river boats

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)

Highways

total:: 107,200 km
paved:: 12,600 km
unpaved:: 94,600 km

Waterways

14,300 km, navigable by river boats

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

Merchant marine

total:: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 97,037 GRT/129,404 DWT
ships by type:: bulk 5, cargo 8, container 3, oil tanker 3 (1995 est.)

Communications

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

9 fields

Fixed lines

1.89 million

(1986 est.)

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)

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.)

Defense expenditures

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Colombia.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/colombia/1996.

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