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Communications

Airports [time series]

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

Civil air [time series]

106 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

14,300 km, navigable by river boats

Merchant marine [time series]

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

Pipelines [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

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

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

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

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

1.9% of GDP, or $700 million (1990 est.)

Military manpower [time series]

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

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Aid [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues $4.39 billion; current expenditures $3.93 billion, capital expenditures $l.03 billion (1989 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Colombian peso (plural--pesos); 1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos

Electricity [time series]

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

Exchange rates [time series]

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)

Exports [time series]

$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%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$17.5 billion (1989)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

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

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$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%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 2.0% (1989 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

27% (1989 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

9.0% (1989 est.)

Geography

Climate [time series]

tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands

Coastline [time series]

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

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Continental shelf [time series]

not specified;

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

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

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Extended economic zone [time series]

200 nm;

Land boundaries [time series]

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

Land use [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

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

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

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

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

12 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Bogota

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

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

Constitution [time series]

4 August 1886, with amendments codified in 1946 and 1968

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Victor MOSQUERA; 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, Ft. Lauderdale, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Tampa; US--Ambassador Thomas E. McNAMARA; Embassy at Calle 38, No.8-61, Bogota (mailing address is APO Miami 34038); telephone [57] (1) 285-1300 or 1688; there is a US Consulate in Barranquilla

Executive branch [time series]

president, presidential designate, cabinet

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

20 July 1810 (from Spain)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica) Chief of State and Head of Government--Virgilio BARCO Vargas (since 7 August 1986; term ends August 1990); Presidential Designate Victor MOSQUERA Chaux (since 13 October 1986); President-elect Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo (since 27 May 1990, takes office 7 August 1990)

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

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

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Colombia

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 20 July (1810)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

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)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Liberal Party--Cesar Gaviria Trujillo, Virgilio Barco Vargas, Alfonso Lopez Michelson, Julio Cesar Turbay; Conservative Party--Misael Pastrana Borrero, Alvaro Gomez Hurtado; Patriotic Union (UP), is a legal political party formed by Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and Colombian Communist Party (PCC), Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa; 19th of April Movement (M-19), Rodrigo Lloreda

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 President--last held 27 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results--Cesar Gaviria Trujillo (Liberal) 47%, Alvaro Gomez Hurtado (Conservative) 24%, Antonio Novarro Wolff (Conservative) 13%, Rodrigo Lloreda (M-19) 12%; 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

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic; executive branch dominates government structure

People

Birth rate [time series]

27 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

38 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages (Language) [time series]

Spanish

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

68 years male, 73 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun--Colombian(s); adjective--Colombian

Net migration rate [time series]

NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

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)

Population [time series]

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

Religions (Religion) [time series]

95% Roman Catholic

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.9 children born/woman (1990)