Colombia

Army (Ejercito Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional, includes Marines and Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Colombiana), National Police (Policia Nacional)

exchange rate conversion - $2 billion, 2.8% of GDP (1995)

males age 15-49: 10,067,538 males fit for military service: 6,774,105 males reach military age (18) annually: 346,372 (1996 est.)

AM 413 (licensed), FM 217 (licensed), shortwave 28

NA

modern system in many respects domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic satellite system with 11 earth stations international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

1.89 million (1986 est.)

33

5.5 million (1993 est.) Defense

coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables; forest products; shrimp farming

revenues: $NA expenditures: $24 billion including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)

1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos

recipient: ODA, $30 million (1993)

Boasting a diversified and stable economy, Colombia has enjoyed Latin America's most consistent record of growth over the last several decades. Gross domestic product (GDP) has expanded every year for more than 25 years, and unlike many other South American countries, Colombia did not default on any of its official debts during the "lost decade" of the 1980s. Since 1990, when Bogota introduced a comprehensive reform program that opened the economy to foreign trade and investment, GDP growth has averaged more than 4% annually. Growth has been fueled in recent years by the expansion of the construction and financial service industries and an influx of foreign capital. Some foreign investors have been deterred by an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure and the violence stemming from drug trafficking and persistent rural guerrilla warfare, but direct foreign investment, especially in the oil industry, is still rising at a rapid rate. Although oil consequently is overtaking coffee as the main legal export, earnings from illicit drugs probably exceed those from any other export. Non-petroleum economic growth has been slowing, however, in part because the tight monetary policies adopted to offset the inflationary impact of high capital inflows and rising government spending have slowed local sales and investment. Business confidence also has been damaged by a political crisis stemming from allegations that senior government officials, including President SAMPER, solicited contributions from drug traffickers during the 1994 election campaign. The slowdown in the growth of labor-intensive industries such as manufacturing has caused a small rise in unemployment and interfered with President SAMPER'S plans to lower the country's poverty rate, which has remained at about 40% despite the expanding economy. Nevertheless, the booming oil sector, growing foreign investment, and the fundamental stability of the economy promise to keep growth positive for the foreseeable future, barring severe, unpredictable shocks from developments in the political or international arenas.

capacity: 10,220,000 kW production: 33 billion kWh consumption per capita: 890 kWh (1993)

Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1 - 1,011.11 (January 1996), 912.83 (1995), 844.84 (1994), 863.06 (1993), 759.28 (1992), 633.05 (1991)

$10.5 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: petroleum, coffee, coal, bananas, fresh cut flowers partners: US 39%, EC 25.7%, Japan 2.9%, Venezuela 8.5% (1992)

$14 billion (1995 est.)

calendar year

purchasing power parity - $192.5 billion (1995 est.)

agriculture: 21.5% industry: 29% services: 49.5%

$5,300 (1995 est.)

5.3% (1995 est.)

illicit producer of coca, opium poppies, and cannabis; about 50,900 hectares of coca under cultivation in 1995; the world's largest processor of coca derivatives into cocaine; supplier of cocaine to the US and other international drug markets; active aerial eradication program seeks to virtually eliminate coca and opium crops by 1997

$13.5 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.) commodities: industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products partners: US 36%, EC 18%, Brazil 4%, Venezuela 6.5%, Japan 8.7% (1992)

3.5% (1995 est.)

textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds

19.5% (1995 est.)

12 million (1990) by occupation: services 46%, agriculture 30%, industry 24% (1990)

9.5% (1995)

total area: 1,138,910 sq km land area: 1,038,700 sq km comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Montana note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank

tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands

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

current issues: deforestation; soil damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions natural hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Tropical Timber 94

4 00 N, 72 00 W

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

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

5,150 sq km (1989 est.)

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

arable land: 4% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 29% forest and woodland: 49% other: 16%

Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama

South America

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds

flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Nevado del Huila 5,750 m

32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital district* (distrito capital); Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Atlantico, Bogota*, 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

Bogota

5 July 1991

CO

chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos LLERAS de la Fuente chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-8338

chief of state and head of government: President Ernesto SAMPER Pizano (since 7 August 1994) elected for a four-year term by popular vote; election last held 29 May 1994 (next to be held NA May 1998) results - no candidate received more than 50% of the total vote; a run-off election to select a president from the two leading candidates was held 19 June 1994; results - Ernesto SAMPER Pizano (Liberal Party) 50.4%, Andres PASTRANA Arango (Conservative Party) 48.6%, blank votes 1%; Humberto de la CALLE Lombana elected vice president for a four-year term by popular vote in a new procedure that replaces the traditional designation of vice presidents by newly elected presidents cabinet: Cabinet

[1] (202) 232-8643 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Washington, DC consulate(s): Atlanta and Tampa

[57] (1) 315-2197 consulate(s): Barranquilla

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

elections last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held NA March 1998); seats - (161 total) Liberal Party 89, conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and NDF) 53, AD/M-19 2, other 17

20 July 1810 (from Spain)

AG, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G- 3, G-11, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justical), highest court of criminal law, judges are selected from the nominees of the Higher Council of Justice for eight-year terms; Council of State, highest court of administrative law, judges are selected from the nominees of the Higher Council of Justice for eight-year terms; Constitutional Court, guards integrity and supremacy of the constitution, rules on constitutionality of laws, amendments to the constitution, and international treaties

based on Spanish law; a new criminal code modeled after US procedures was enacted in 1992-93; judicial review of executive and legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

bicameral Congress (Congreso)

conventional long form: Republic of Colombia conventional short form: Colombia local long form: Republica de Colombia local short form: Colombia

Independence Day, 20 July (1810)

three insurgent groups are active in Colombia - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC); National Liberation Army (ELN); and dissidents of the recently demobilized People's Liberation Army (EPL/D)

Liberal Party (PL), Luis Fernando JARAMILLO; Conservative Party (PC), Jaime ARIAS; New Democratic Force (NDF), Andres PASTRANA Arango; Democratic Alliance M-19 (AD/M-19) is a 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), Aida ABELLA; National Salvation Movement (MSN) Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado

elections last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held NA March 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (102 total) Liberal Party 59, conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and NDF) 31, other 12

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

republic; executive branch dominates government structure

chief of mission: Ambassador Myles R. R. FRECHETTE embassy: Calle 22D-BIS, No. 47-51, Apartado Aereo 3831 mailing address: APO AA 34038 telephone: [57] (1) 315-0811

0-14 years: 32% (male 5,948,599; female 5,806,450) 15-64 years: 64% (male 11,496,931; female 11,890,875) 65 years and over: 4% (male 741,788; female 928,518) (July 1996 est.)

21.34 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

4.65 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

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

25.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Spanish

total population: 72.81 years male: 69.97 years female: 75.73 years (1996 est.)

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 91.3% male: 91.2% female: 91.4%

noun: Colombian(s) adjective: Colombian

-0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

36,813,161 (July 1996 est.)

1.66% (1996 est.)

Roman Catholic 95%

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

2.35 children born/woman (1996 est.)

total: 989 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 2 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 9 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 33 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 35 with paved runways under 914 m: 557 with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 41 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 311 (1995 est.)

total: 107,200 km paved: 12,600 km unpaved: 94,600 km

total: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 97,037 GRT/129,404 DWT ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 8, container 3, oil tanker 3 (1995 est.)

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

Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Leticia, Puerto Bolivar, San Andres, Santa Marta, Tumaco, Turbo

total: 3,386 km standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge (connects Cerrejon coal mines to maritime port at Bahia Portete) narrow gauge: 3,236 km 0.914-m gauge (1830 km in use) (1995)

14,300 km, navigable by river boats