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Colombia (continued) Colombian Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Consulates in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Ft. Lauderdale, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Tampa; US—Ambassador Thomas E. McNAMARA; Embassy at Calle 38, No.8-61, Bogotá (mailing address is APO Miami 34038); telephone [57](1) 285-1300 or 1688; there is a US Consulate in 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

Overview: Economic activity has slowed gradually since 1986, but growth rates remain high by Latin American standards. Conservative economic policies have encouraged investment and kept inflation and unemployment under 30% and 10%, respectively. The rapid development of oil, coal, and other nontraditional industries over the past four years has helped to offset the decline in coffee prices—Colombia's major export. The collapse of the International Coffee Agreement in the summer of 1989, a troublesome rural insurgency, and drug-related violence dampen prospects for future growth.

GDP: $35.4 billion, per capita $1,110; real growth rate 3.7% (1988)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 27% (1989 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9.0% (1989 est.)

Budget: revenues $4.39 billion; current expenditures $3.93 billion, capital expenditures $1.03 billion (1989 est.)

Exports: $5.76 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities—coffee 30%, petroleum 24%, coal, bananas, fresh cut flowers; partners—US 36%, EC 21%, Japan 5%, Netherlands 4%, Sweden 3%

Imports: $5.02 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities—industrial equipment, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, paper products; partners—US 34%, EC 16%, Brazil 4%, Venezuela 3%, Japan 3%

External debt: $17.5 billion (1989)

Industrial production: growth rate 2.0% (1989 est.)

Electricity: 9,250,000 kW capacity; 35,364 million kWh produced, 1,110 kWh per capita (1989)

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

Agriculture: accounts for 22% 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

Illicit drugs: major illicit producer of cannabis and coca for the international drug trade; key supplier of marijuana and cocaine to the US and other international drug markets; drug production and trafficking accounts for an estimated 4% of GDP and 28% of foreign exchange earnings

Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.6 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $2.9 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $399 million

Currency: Colombian peso (plural—pesos); 1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates: Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1—439.68 (January 1990), 382.57 (1989), 299.17 (1988), 242.61 (1987), 194.26 (1986), 142.31 (1985)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Railroads: 3,563 km, all 0.914-meter gauge, single track

Highways: 75,450 km total; 9,350 km paved, 66,100 km earth and gravel surfaces

Inland waterways: 14,300 km, navigable by river boats

Pipelines: crude oil, 3,585 km; refined products, 1,350 km; natural gas, 830 km; natural gas liquids, 125 km

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

Merchant marine: 34 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 334,854 GRT/487,438 DWT; includes 23 cargo, 1 chemical tanker, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 9 bulk

Civil air: 106 major transport aircraft

Airports: 673 total, 622 usable; 66 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 124 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

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

Defense Forces

Branches: armed forces include Police (Policia Nacional) and military—Army (Ejercito Nacional), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Colombia), Navy (Armada Nacional)

Military manpower: males 15-49, 8,768,072; 5,953,729 fit for military service; 354,742 reach military age (18) annually

Defense expenditures: 1.9% of GDP, or $700 million (1990 est.) 68