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Communications

Airports [time series]

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

Civil air [time series]

83 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]

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

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 3,585 km; petroleum 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]

3,386 km; 3,236 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track (2,611 km in use), 150 km 1. 435-meter gauge

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army (Ejercito Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional, including Marines), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Colombia), National Police (Policia Nacional)

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $624 million, 1.4% of GDP (1991)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 9,214,691; 6,240,601 fit for military service; 353,691 reach military age (18) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

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

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

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

Electricity [time series]

9,624,000 kW capacity; 38,856 million kWh produced, 1,150 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates [time series]

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)

Exports [time series]

$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%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$17.0 billion (1991)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

exchange rate conversion - $45 billion, per capita $1,300; real growth rate 3.7% (1990 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$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%

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

growth rate 1% (1991 est.); accounts for 21% of GDP

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]

26.8% (1991)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

10.5% (1991)

Geography

Climate [time series]

tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands

Coastline [time series]

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

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly less than three times the size of Montana

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

Area (Land area) [time series]

1,038,700 km2; includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank

Land boundaries [time series]

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

Land use [time series]

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

Maritime claims [time series]

Continental shelf: not specified Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm

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]

flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes mountains, eastern lowland plains

Area (Total area) [time series]

1,138,910 km2

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; 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

Capital [time series]

Bogota

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

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

Constitution [time series]

5 July 1991

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

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

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

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 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

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)

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State and Head of Government: President Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo (since 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 a nationally elected upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a nationally elected lower chamber or House of Representatives (Camara de Representantes)

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

Republic of Colombia

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 20 July (1810)

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

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

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

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 [time series]

universal at age 18

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic; executive branch dominates government structure

People

Birth rate [time series]

24 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

31 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

12,000,000 (1990); services 46%, agriculture 30%, industry 24% (1990)

Languages [time series]

Spanish

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

69 years male, 74 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

87% (male 88%, female 86%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun - Colombian(s); adjective - Colombian

Net migration rate [time series]

NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

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)

Population [time series]

34,296,941 (July 1992), growth rate 1.9% (1992)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 95%

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.6 children born/woman (1992)