Colombia

Airports

total: 1,369 usable: 1,156 with permanent-surface runways: 73 with runways over 3,659 m: 1 with runways 2,440-2,659 m: 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 205

Highways

total: 128,717 km (1989) paved: 10,330 km unpaved: gravel/earth 118,387 km

Inland waterways

14,300 km, navigable by river boats

Merchant marine

27 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 211,777 GRT/335,763 DWT, bulk 7, cargo 11, container 6, oil tanker 3

Pipelines

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

Ports

Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Covenas, San Andres, Santa Marta, Tumaco

Railroads

3,386 km; 3,236 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track (2,611 km in use), 150 km 1.435-meter gauge

Telecommunications

nationwide radio relay system; 1,890,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 413 AM, no FM, 33 TV, 28 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations and 11 domestic satellite earth stations

Branches

Army (Ejercito Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional, including Marines), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Colombiana), National Police (Policia Nacional)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $1.2 billion (1992 est.)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 9,639,080; fit for military service 6,507,935; reach military age (18) annually 354,944 (1994 est.)

Agriculture

growth rate 2.7% (1993 est.) accounts for 21% of GDP; crops make up two-thirds and livestock one-third of agricultural output; climate and soils permit a wide variety of crops, such as coffee, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseeds, vegetables; forest products and shrimp farming are becoming more important

Budget

revenues: $11 billion expenditures: $12 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.2 billion (1993 est.)

Currency

1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.6 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.3 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $399 million

Electricity

capacity: 10,193,000 kW production: 36 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,050 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates

Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1 - 921.20 (January 1994), 863.06 (1993), 759.28 (1992), 633.05 (1991), 502.26 (1990), 382.57 (1989)

Exports

$6.9 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: petroleum, coffee, coal, bananas, fresh cut flowers partners: US 39%, EC 25.7%, Japan 2.9%, Venezuela 8.5% (1992)

External debt

$17 billion (1992)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of coca, opium, and cannabis; about 37,100 hectares of coca under cultivation; the world's largest processor of coca derivatives into cocaine in 1992; supplier of cocaine to the US and other international drug markets

Imports

$6.7 billion (c.i.f., 1992 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 2% (1993 est.); accounts for 21% of GDP

Industries

textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, metal products, cement; mining - gold, coal, emeralds, iron, nickel, silver, salt

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

22.6% (1993 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $192 billion (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$5,500 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

5.1% (1993 est.)

Overview

Colombia's economic growth has recovered steadily since 1991 as President GAVIRIA'S sweeping economic reform measures have taken hold. Market reforms have included trade and investment liberalization, labor and tax overhauls and bureaucratic streamlining, among other things. Furthermore, conservative fiscal and monetary policies have helped to steadily reduce inflation to 23% and unemployment to about 7% in 1993. The rapid development of oil, coal, and other nontraditional industries has helped offset the decline in coffee prices. A major oil find in 1993 in eastern Colombia may provide an extra $3 billion annually to the economy by 1997. Increased foreign investment and even greater domestic activity have been hampered, however, by a troublesome rural insurgency, a decrepit energy and transportation infrastructure, and drug-related violence. Agriculture also has encountered problems in adjusting to fewer subsidies, greater competition, and the collapse of the international coffee agreement, which has kept world coffee prices at near-record lows in 1991-93. Business construction was a leading sector in 1993. The substantial trade deficit in 1993 was the result of a strong peso that inhibited exports and a liberalized government policy that spurred imports.

Unemployment rate

7.9% (1993 est.)

Area

total area: 1,138,910 sq km land area: 1,038,700 sq km comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Montana note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank

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 natural hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; periodic droughts international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

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

total 7,408 km, 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: 2% meadows and pastures: 29% forest and woodland: 49% other: 16%

Location

Northern South America, between Panama and Venezuela

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

continental shelf: not specified exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

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

Note

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

Terrain

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

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

Digraph

CO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Gabriel SILVA chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 387-8338

Executive branch

chief of state and head of government: President Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo (since 7 August 1990); President-designate Juan Manuel SANTOS (since NA 1993); election last held 27 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results - Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo (Liberal Party) 47%, Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado (National Salvation Movement) 24%, Antonio NAVARRO Wolff (AD/M-19) 13%, Rodrigo LLOREDA (Conservative Party) 12% note: a new government will be inaugurated on 7 August 1994; the presidential election of 29 May 1994 resulted in no candidate receiving more than 50% of the total vote and a run-off election to select a president from the two leading candidates was held on 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 was elected vice president; electing a vice president is a new proceedure that replaces the traditional appointment of president-designates by newly elected presidents cabinet: Cabinet

FAX

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

FAX

[57] (1) 288-5687 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

House of Representatives (Camara de Representantes)

elections last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held NA March 1998); preliminary results - percent of vote by party NA; 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)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justical), Constitutional Court, Council of State

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)

Member of

AG, CDB, CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-11, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Names

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), Manuel MARULANDA and Alfonso CANO; National Liberation Army (ELN), Manuel PEREZ; and dissidents of the recently demobilized People's Liberation Army (EPL), Francisco CARABALLO; Francisco CARABALLO was captured by the government in June 1994

Political parties and leaders

Liberal Party (PL), Ernesto SAMPER Pizano, president; Conservative Party (PC), Misael PASTRANA Borrero; National Salvation Movement (MSN), Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado; 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), Carlos ROMERO

Senate (Senado)

elections last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held NA March 1998); preliminary 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

republic; executive branch dominates government structure

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Morris D. BUSBY embassy: Calle 38, No. 8-61, Bogota mailing address: Apartado Aereo 3831, Bogota or APO AA 34038 telephone: [57] (1) 320-1300

Birth rate

22.64 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

4.75 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

28.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

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

Languages

Spanish

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.1 years male: 69.33 years female: 74.95 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 87% male: 88% female: 86%

Nationality

noun: Colombian(s) adjective: Colombian

Net migration rate

-0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

35,577,556 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

1.77% (1994 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%

Total fertility rate

2.47 children born/woman (1994 est.)