Colombia

total:

10.71 cu km/yr (50%/4%/46%)

per capita:

235 cu m/yr (2000)

• highlands subject to volcanic eruptions;
• occasional earthquakes;
• periodic droughts

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

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

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.75 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

degree of risk:

high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases:

dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever

water contact disease:

leptospirosis (2009)

noun:

Colombian(s)

adjective:

Colombian

conventional long form:

Republic of Colombia

conventional short form:

Colombia

local long form:

Republica de Colombia

local short form:

Colombia

name:

Bogota

geographic coordinates:

4 36 N, 74 05 W

time difference:

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

• 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

• based on Spanish law;
• a new criminal code modeled after US procedures was enacted into law in 2004 and reached full implementation in January 2008;
• judicial review of executive and legislative acts;
• has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

chief of state:

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

head of government:

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

cabinet:

Cabinet consists of a coalition of the three largest parties that supported President URIBE's reelection - the PSUN, PC, and CR - and independents

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)

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%

• 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)

• Colombian Conservative Party or PC [Efrain Jose CEPEDA Sarabia];
• Alternative Democratic Pole or PDA [Carlos GAVIRIA Diaz];
• Liberal Party or PL [Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo];
• Radical Change or CR [German VARGAS Lleras];
• Social National Unity Party or U Party [Carlos FERRO Solanilla]

note: Colombia has 15 formally recognized political parties, and numerous unofficial parties that did not meet the vote threshold in the March 2006 legislative elections required for recognition

chief of mission:

Ambassador Carolina BARCO Isakson

chancery:

2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 387-8338

FAX:

[1] (202) 232-8643

consulate(s) general:

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador William R. BROWNFIELD

embassy:

Calle 24 Bis No. 48-50, Bogota, D.C.

mailing address:

Carrera 45 No. 24B-27, Bogota, D.C.

telephone:

[57] (1) 315-0811

FAX:

[57] (1) 315-2197

agriculture:

22.4%

industry:

18.8%

services:

58.8% (2005 est.)

lowest 10%:

0.8%

highest 10%:

45.9% (2006)

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

general assessment:

• modern system in many respects;
• telecommunications sector liberalized during the 1990s;
• multiple providers of both fixed-line and mobile-cellular services;
• fixed-line connections stand at about 15 per 100 persons;
• mobile cellular telephone subscribership is about 90 per 100 persons;
• competition among cellular service providers is resulting in falling local and international calling rates and contributing to the steep decline in the market share of fixed line services

domestic:

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

international:

• country code - 57;
• submarine cables provide links to the US, parts of the Caribbean, and Central and South America;
• satellite earth stations - 10 (6 Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 3 fully digitalized international switching centers) (2008)

total:

3,802 km

country comparison to the world: 45

standard gauge:

150 km 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge:

3,652 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)

total:

17

country comparison to the world: 100

by type:

cargo 13, petroleum tanker 3, specialized tanker 1

registered in other countries:

6 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Panama 4) (2008)

males age 16-49:

11,478,109

females age 16-49:

11,809,279 (2008 est.)

males age 16-49:

8,212,944

females age 16-49:

10,045,435 (2009 est.)

male:

446,432

female:

437,164 (2009 est.)

• in December 2007, ICJ allocates San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina islands to Colombia under 1928 Treaty but does not rule on 82 degrees W meridian as maritime boundary with Nicaragua;
• managed dispute with Venezuela over maritime boundary and Venezuelan-administered Los Monjes Islands near the Gulf of Venezuela;
• Colombian-organized illegal narcotics, guerrilla, and paramilitary activities penetrate all neighboring borders and have caused Colombian citizens to flee mostly into neighboring countries;
• Colombia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Jamaica, and the US assert various claims to Bajo Nuevo and Serranilla Bank

• illicit producer of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis;
• world's leading coca cultivator with 167,000 hectares in coca cultivation in 2007, a 6% increase over 2006, producing a potential of 535 mt of pure cocaine;
• the world's largest producer of coca derivatives;
• supplies cocaine to nearly all of the US market and the great majority of other international drug markets;
• in 2005, aerial eradication dispensed herbicide to treat over 130,000 hectares but aggressive replanting on the part of coca growers means Colombia remains a key producer;
• a significant portion of narcotics proceeds are either laundered or invested in Colombia through the black market peso exchange;
• important supplier of heroin to the US market;
• opium poppy cultivation is estimated to have fallen 25% between 2006 and 2007;
• most Colombian heroin is destined for the US market (2008)