CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Colombia


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!| Background:
 * Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and Venezuela). A 40-year insurgent campaign to overthrow the Colombian Government escalated during the 1990s, undergirded in part by funds from the drug trade. Although the violence is deadly and large swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence, the movement lacks the military strength or popular support necessary to overthrow the government. An anti-insurgent army of paramilitaries has grown to be several thousand strong in recent years, challenging the insurgents for control of territory and the drug trade, and also the government's ability to exert its dominion over rural areas. While Bogota steps up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, neighboring countries worry about the violence spilling over their borders.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: land: 1,038,700 sq km note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank water: 100,210 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: border countries: Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 1,496 km (est.), Venezuela 2,050 km !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Pico Cristobal Colon 5,775 m note: nearby Pico Simon Bolivar also has the same elevation !| Natural resources: !| Land use: other: 95.91% (2001) permanent crops: 1.67% !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Environment - international agreements: signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea !| Geography - note:
 * Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama
 * 4 00 N, 72 00 W
 * South America
 * total: 1,138,910 sq km
 * slightly less than three times the size of Montana
 * total: 6,004 km
 * 3,208 km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km)
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands
 * flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains
 * lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
 * petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower
 * arable land: 2.42%
 * 8,500 sq km (1998 est.)
 * 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
 * only South American country with coastlines on both North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea
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!| Population: !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 63.9% (male 13,171,416; female 13,879,115) 65 years and over: 5% (male 940,762; female 1,185,725) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 24.9 years female: 26.7 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 17.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 25.69 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 67.58 years female: 75.41 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: Colombian !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 92.5% male: 92.4% female: 92.6% (2003 est.)
 * 42,310,775 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: 31% (male 6,644,080; female 6,489,677)
 * total: 25.8 years
 * 1.53% (2004 est.)
 * 21.19 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 5.61 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * -0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
 * total: 21.72 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 71.43 years
 * 2.59 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * 0.7% (2003 est.)
 * 190,000 (2003 est.)
 * 3,600 (2003 est.)
 * noun: Colombian(s)
 * mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1%
 * Roman Catholic 90%
 * Spanish
 * definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Colombia local short form: Colombia local long form: Republica de Colombia !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: head of government: 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 cabinet: Cabinet consists of a coalition of the two dominant parties - the PL and PSC - and independents elections: president and vice president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 26 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2006) election results: President Alvaro URIBE Velez received 53% of the vote; Vice President Francisco SANTOS was elected on the same ticket !| Legislative branch: elections: Senate - last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2006); House of Representatives - last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2006) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PL 28, PSC 13, independents and smaller parties (many aligned with conservatives) 61; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PL 54, PSC 21, independents and other parties 91 !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: 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: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Washington, DC consulate(s): Atlanta FAX: [1] (202) 232-8643 telephone: [1] (202) 387-8338 !| Diplomatic representation from the US: 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 FAX: [57] (1) 315-2197 !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: Republic of Colombia
 * republic; executive branch dominates government structure
 * Bogota
 * 32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital district* (distrito capital); Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Atlantico, Distrito Capital de 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
 * 20 July 1810 (from Spain)
 * Independence Day, 20 July (1810)
 * 5 July 1991
 * 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
 * 18 years of age; universal
 * 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
 * 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)
 * 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)
 * Conservative Party or PSC [Carlos HOLGUIN Sardi]; Liberal Party or PL [Camilo SANCHEZ]; Colombian Communist Party or PCC [Jaime CAICEDO]; Democratic Pole or PDI [Antonio NAVARRO Wolff]
 * two largest insurgent groups active in Colombia - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC and National Liberation Army or ELN; largest anti-insurgent paramilitary group is United Self-Defense Groups of Colombia or AUC
 * BCIE, CAN, CDB, FAO, G-3, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, 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
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Luis Alberto MORENO Mejia
 * chief of mission: Ambassador William B. WOOD
 * 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
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 32.1% services: 54.2% (2003 est.) !| Investment (gross fixed): !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: 44% (1999) !| Distribution of family income - Gini index: !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $25.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2004 est.) !| Public debt: !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Oil - proved reserves: !| Natural gas - production: !| Natural gas - consumption: !| Natural gas - exports: !| Natural gas - imports: !| Natural gas - proved reserves: !| Current account balance: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * Colombia's economy suffers from weak domestic and foreign demand, austere government budgets, and serious internal armed conflict, but seems poised for recovery. Other economic problems facing President URIBE range from reforming the pension system to reducing high unemployment. Two of Colombia's leading exports, oil and coffee, face an uncertain future; new exploration is needed to offset declining oil production, while coffee harvests and prices are depressed. On the positive side, several international financial institutions have praised the economic reforms introduced by URIBE, which includes measures designed to reduce the public-sector deficit below 2.5% of GDP in 2004. The government's economic policy and democratic security strategy have engendered a growing sense of confidence in the economy, particularly within the business sector, and GDP growth in 2003 was among the highest in Latin America.
 * purchasing power parity - $263.2 billion (2003 est.)
 * 3.7% (2003 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $6,300 (2003 est.)
 * agriculture: 13.7%
 * 15.9% of GDP (2003)
 * 55% (2001)
 * lowest 10%: 1%
 * 57.1 (1996)
 * 7.1% (2003 est.)
 * 20.34 million (2003 est.)
 * agriculture 30%, industry 24%, services 46% (1990)
 * 14.2% (2003 est.)
 * revenues: $24 billion
 * 51.9% of GDP (2003)
 * coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables; forest products; shrimp
 * textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds
 * 3.5% (2003 est.)
 * 42.99 billion kWh (2001)
 * 39.81 billion kWh (2001)
 * 210 million kWh (2001)
 * 40 million kWh (2001)
 * 614,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 252,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * 1.8 billion bbl (1 January 2002)
 * 5.7 billion cu m (2001 est.)
 * 5.7 billion cu m (2001 est.)
 * 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 * 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 * 132 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
 * $-1.417 billion (2003)
 * $12.96 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * petroleum, coffee, coal, apparel, bananas, cut flowers
 * US 47.1%, Ecuador 6%, Venezuela 5.3% (2003)
 * $13.06 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products, fuels, electricity
 * US 29.6%, Brazil 5.5%, Mexico 5.4%, Venezuela 5.2%, China 5%, Japan 4.6%, Germany 4.4% (2003)
 * $10.92 billion (2003)
 * $38.26 billion (2003 est.)
 * NA
 * Colombian peso (COP)
 * COP
 * Colombian pesos per US dollar - 2,877.65 (2003), 2,504.24 (2002), 2,299.63 (2001), 2,087.9 (2000), 1,756.23 (1999)
 * calendar year
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic satellite system with 41 earth stations; fiber-optic network linking 50 cities international: country code - 57; satellite earth stations - 6 Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat; 3 fully digitalized international switching centers; 8 submarine cables !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet hosts: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 8,768,100 (2003)
 * 6,186,200 (2003)
 * general assessment: modern system in many respects
 * AM 454, FM 34, shortwave 27 (1999)
 * 21 million (1997)
 * 60 (includes seven low-power stations) (1997)
 * 4.59 million (1997)
 * .co
 * 115,158 (2003)
 * 18 (2000)
 * 2,732,200 (2003)
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!| Railways: standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 3,154 km 0.914-m gauge (2003) !| Highways: paved: 26,000 km unpaved: 84,000 km (2000) !| Waterways: !| Pipelines: !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: by type: bulk 4, cargo 5, container 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 2 registered in other countries: 16 (2004 est.) !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m: 12 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 39 !| Airports - with unpaved runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 under 914 m: 572 (2004 est.) 914 to 1,523 m: 272 !| Heliports:
 * total: 3,304 km
 * total: 110,000 km
 * 9,187 km (2004)
 * gas 4,360 km; oil 6,134 km; refined products 3,140 km (2004)
 * Bahia de Portete, Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Leticia, Puerto Bolivar, San Andres, Santa Marta, Tumaco, Turbo
 * total: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 35,427 GRT/46,301 DWT
 * 980 (2003 est.)
 * total: 101
 * total: 879
 * 1 (2003 est.)
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!| Military branches: !| Military manpower - military age and obligation: !| Military manpower - availability: !| Military manpower - fit for military service: !| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: !| Military expenditures - dollar figure: !| Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 * Army (Ejercito Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional, including Naval Aviation, Marines, and Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Colombiana)
 * 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 24 months (2004)
 * males age 15-49: 11,252,027 (2004 est.)
 * males age 15-49: 7,495,462 (2004 est.)
 * males: 392,656 (2004 est.)
 * $3.3 billion (FY01)
 * 3.4% (FY01)
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