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 Colombia



Geography

Total area: 1,138,910 km²; land area: 1,038,700 km²; includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank

Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Land boundaries: 7,408 km total; Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 2,900, Venezuela 2,050 km

Coastline: 3,208 km total (1,448 km North Pacific Ocean; 1,760 Caribbean Sea)

Maritime claims:
 * Continental shelf: not specified
 * Extended economic zone: 200 nm
 * Territorial sea: 12 nm

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: mixture of flat coastal lowlands, plains in east, central highlands, some high mountains

Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds

Land use: 4% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 29% meadows and pastures; 49% forest and woodland; 16% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Environment: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; deforestation; soil damage from overuse of pesticides; periodic droughts

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

People

Population: 33,076,188 (July 1990), growth rate 2.1% (1990)

Birth rate: 27 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 38 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 73 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun—Colombian(s); adjective—Colombian

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

Religion: 95% Roman Catholic

Language: Spanish

Literacy: 88% (1987 est.), Indians about 40%

Labor force: 11,000,000 (1986); 53% services, 26% agriculture, 21% industry (1981)

Organized labor: 1,400,000 members (1987), about 12% of labor force; the Communist-backed Unitary Workers Central or CUT is the largest labor organization, with about 725,000 members (including all affiliate unions)

Government

Long-form name: Republic of Colombia

Type: republic; executive branch dominates government structure

Capital: Bogotá Administrative divisions: 23 departments (départamentos, singular—départamento), 5 commissariats* (comisarías, singular—comisaría), and 4 intendancies** (intendencias, singular intendencia); Amazonas*, Antioquia, Arauca**, Atlántico, Bolívar, Boyacá, Caldas, Caquetá, Casanare**, Cauca, Cesar, Chocó, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Guainía*, Guaviare*, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo**, Quindío, Risaralda, San Andrés y Providencia**, Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupés*, Vichada*; note—there may be a new special district (distrito especial) named Bogotá

Independence: 20 July 1810 (from Spain)

Constitution: 4 August 1886, with amendments codified in 1946 and 1968

Legal system: based on Spanish law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

National holiday: Independence Day, 20 July (1810)

Executive branch: president, presidential designate, cabinet

Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives (Cámara de Representantes)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica)

Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government—President Virgilio BARCO Vargas (since 7 August 1986; term ends August 1990); Presidential Designate Víctor MOSQUERA Chaux (since 13 October 1986)

Political parties and leaders: Liberal Party—Virgilio Barco Vargas, Alfonso Lopez Michelson, Julio Cesar Turbay; Cesar Gaviria is the Liberal Party presidential candidate; Conservative Party—Misael Pastrana Borrero, Alvaro Gómez Hurtado; Rodrigo Lloredo, Conservative Party presidential candidate; Patriotic Union (UP), is a legal political party formed by Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and Colombian Communist Party (PCC), Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa is the UP presidential candidate

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections: President—last held 25 May 1986 (next to be held 27 May 1990); results—Virgilio Barco Vargas 59%, Alvaro Gomez Hurtado 36%, Jaime Pardo Leal 4% (assassinated in October 1987), others 1%;

Senate—last held 11 March 1990 (next to be held March 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(114 total) Liberal 68, Conservative 45, UP 1;

House of Representatives—last held 11 March 1990 (next to be held March 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(199 total) Liberal 107, Conservative 82, UP 10

Communists: 18,000 members (est.), including Communist Party Youth Organization (JUCO)

Other political or pressure groups: Colombian Communist Party (PCC), Gilberto Vieira White; Communist Party/Marxist-Leninist (PCC/ML), Chinese-line Communist Party; Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC); National Liberation Army (ELN); People's Liberation Army (EPL); 19th of April Movement (M-19)

Member of: FAO, G-77, GATT, Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, LAIA, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Victor MOSQUERA; Chancery at 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 387-8338; there are 67