| | World Fact Book | Mark H. Solsman | Documentation Training and Publications, Center for Academic Computing | mhs108@psu.edu 10/19/93 I _@_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; Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 2,900, Venezuela 2,050 km Coastline: 3,208 km; Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km Maritime claims: Continental shelf: not specified Exclusive 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: flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes mountains, eastern lowland plains Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds Land use: arable land 4%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 29%; forest and woodland 49%; other 16%; includes irrigated NEGL% 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 :Colombia People Population: 34,296,941 (July 1992), growth rate 1.9% (1992) Birth rate: 24 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992) Infant mortality rate: 31 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 74 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born/woman (1992) Nationality: noun - Colombian(s); adjective - Colombian Ethnic divisions: mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Indian 3%, Indian 1% Religions: Roman Catholic 95% Languages: Spanish Literacy: 87% (male 88%, female 86%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) Labor force: 12,000,000 (1990); services 46%, agriculture 30%, industry 24% (1990) Organized labor: 984,000 members (1989), about 8.2% 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) :Colombia Government Long-form name: Republic of Colombia Type: republic; executive branch dominates government structure Capital: Bogota Administrative divisions: 23 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento), 5 commissariats* (comisarias, singular - comisaria), and 4 intendancies** (intendencias, singular - intendencia); Amazonas*, Antioquia, Arauca**, Atlantico, 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*; note - there may be a new special district (distrito especial) named Bogota; the Constitution of 5 July 1991 states that the commissariats and intendancies are to become full departments and a capital district (distrito capital) of Santa Fe de Bogota is to be established by 1997 Independence: 20 July 1810 (from Spain) Constitution: 5 July 1991 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 a nationally elected upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a nationally elected lower chamber or House of Representatives (Camara de Representantes) Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica) Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government: President Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo (since 7 August 1990) Political parties and leaders: Liberal Party (PL), Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo, president; Social Conservative Party (PCS), Misael PASTRANA Borrero; National Salvation Movement (MSN), Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado; Democratic Alliance M-19 (AD/M-19) is headed by 19th of April Movement (M-19) leader Antonio NAVARRO Wolf, 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 Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: President: last held 27 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results - Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo (Liberal) 47%, Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado (National Salvation Movement) 24%, Antonio NAVARRO Wolff (M-19) 13%, Rodrigo LLOREDA (Conservative) 12% Senate: last held 27 October 1991 (next to be held March 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (102 total) Liberal 58, Conservative 22, AD/M-19 9, MSN 5, UP 1, others 7 :Colombia Government House of Representatives: last held 27 October 1991 (next to be held March 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (161 total) Liberal 87, Conservative 31, AD/M-19 13, MSN 10, UP 3, other 17 Communists: 18,000 members (est.), including Communist Party Youth Organization (JUCO) Other political or pressure groups: three insurgent groups are active in Colombia - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), led by Manuel MARULANDA and Alfonso CANO; National Liberation Army (ELN), led by Manuel PEREZ; and dissidents of the recently demobilized People's Liberation Army (EPL) led by Francisco CARABALLO 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, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jaime GARCIA Parra; Chancery at 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 387-8338; there are Colombian Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Consulates in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Tampa US: Ambassador Morris D. BUSBY; Embassy at Calle 38, No. 8-61, Bogota (mailing address is P. O. Box A. A. 3831, Bogota or APO AA 34038); telephone [57] (1) 285-1300 or 1688; FAX [571] 288-5687; 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 :Colombia Economy Overview: Economic development has slowed gradually since 1986, but growth rates remain high by Latin American standards. Conservative economic policies have kept inflation and unemployment near 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 have dampened growth, but significant economic reforms are likely to facilitate a resurgent economy in the medium term. These reforms center on fiscal restraint, trade liberalization, and privatization of state utilities and commercial banks. GDP: exchange rate conversion - $45 billion, per capita $1,300; real growth rate 3.7% (1990 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 26.8% (1991) Unemployment rate: 10.5% (1991) Budget: revenues $4.39 billion; current expenditures $3.93 billion, capital expenditures $1.03 billion (1989 est.) Exports: $7.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: petroleum (19%), coffee, coal, bananas, fresh cut flowers partners: US 40%, EC 21%, Japan 5%, Netherlands 4%, Sweden 3% Imports: $6.1 billion (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: industrial equipment, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, paper products partners: US 36%, EC 16%, Brazil 4%, Venezuela 3%, Japan 3% External debt: $17.0 billion (1991) Industrial production: growth rate 1% (1991 est.); accounts for 21% of GDP Electricity: 9,624,000 kW capacity; 38,856 million kWh produced, 1,150 kWh per capita (1991) Industries: textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, metal products, cement; mining - gold, coal, emeralds, iron, nickel, silver, salt Agriculture: growth rate 3% (1991 est.) 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: illicit producer of cannabis, coca, and opium; about 37,500 hectares of coca under cultivation; major supplier of cocaine to the US and other international drug markets :Colombia Economy Economic aid: 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), $399 million Currency: Colombian peso (plural - pesos); 1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos Exchange rates: Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1 - 711.88 (January 1992), 633.08 (1991), 550.00 (1990), 435.00 (1989), 336.00 (1988), 242.61 (1987) Fiscal year: calendar year :Colombia Communications Railroads: 3,386 km; 3,236 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track (2,611 km in use), 150 km 1. 435-meter gauge 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; petroleum 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: 31 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 289,794 GRT/443,369 DWT; includes 9 cargo, 1 chemical tanker, 3 petroleum tanker, 8 bulk, 10 container; note - in addition, 2 naval tankers are sometimes used commercially Civil air: 83 major transport aircraft Airports: 1,167 total, 1,023 usable; 70 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 191 with runways 1,220-2,439 m 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 :Colombia Defense Forces Branches: Army (Ejercito Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional, including Marines), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Colombia), National Police (Policia Nacional) Manpower availability: males 15-49, 9,214,691; 6,240,601 fit for military service; 353,691 reach military age (18) annually Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $624 million, 1.4% of GDP (1991) .