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KOSHER DELIGHT - YOUR JEWISH ONLINE MAGAZINE!
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COLOMBIA |
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Background,
Geography, People, Government,
Economy, Communications,
Transportation, Military,
Transnational Issues
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Colombia
was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of
Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). A
40-year insurgent campaign to overthrow the Colombian Government
escalated during the 1990s, undergirded in part by funds from the
drug trade. Although the violence is deadly and large swaths of
the countryside are under guerrilla influence, the movement lacks
the military strength or popular support necessary to overthrow
the government. An anti-insurgent army of paramilitaries has grown
to several thousand strong in recent years, challenging the
insurgents for control of territory and the drug trade, and also
the government's ability to exert its dominion over rural areas.
While Bogota steps up efforts to reassert government control
throughout the country, neighboring countries worry about the
violence spilling over their borders.
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Geography
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Colombia |
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of Page |
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Location:
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Northern
South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and
Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador
and Panama |
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Geographic coordinates:
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4
00 N, 72 00 W |
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Map references:
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South
America |
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Area:
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total:
1,138,910 sq km
land: 1,038,700 sq km
water: 100,210 sq km
note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank,
and Serranilla Bank |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
less than three times the size of Montana |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
6,004 km
border countries: Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama
225 km, Peru 1,496 km (est.), Venezuela 2,050 km |
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Coastline:
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3,208
km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km) |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial
sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation |
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Climate:
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tropical
along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands |
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Terrain:
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flat
coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern
lowland plains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico Cristobal Colon 5,775 m
note: nearby Pico Simon Bolivar also has the same elevation |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum,
natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds,
hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 2.42%
permanent crops: 1.67%
other: 95.91% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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8,500
sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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highlands
subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic
droughts |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation;
soil and water quality damage from overuse of pesticides; air
pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber
94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
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Geography - note:
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only
South American country with coastlines on both the North Pacific
Ocean and Caribbean Sea
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| People |
Colombia |
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of Page |
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Population:
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42,954,279 (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 30.7% (male 6,670,950/female 6,516,371)
15-64 years: 64.2% (male 13,424,433/female 14,142,825)
65 years and over: 5.1% (male 968,127/female 1,231,573)
(2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
26.04 years
male: 25.14 years
female: 26.93 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.49%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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20.82 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.59 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.31
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 20.97 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 24.92 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 16.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 71.72 years
male: 67.88 years
female: 75.7 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.56 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.7% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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190,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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3,600 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Colombian(s)
adjective: Colombian |
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Ethnic groups:
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mestizo
58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Amerindian 3%,
Amerindian 1% |
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Religions:
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Roman
Catholic 90%, other 10% |
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Languages:
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Spanish |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.5%
male: 92.4%
female: 92.6% (2003 est.)
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| Government |
Colombia |
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of Page |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Republic of Colombia
conventional short form: Colombia
local long form: Republica de Colombia
local short form: Colombia |
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Government type:
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republic;
executive branch dominates government structure |
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Capital:
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Bogota |
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Administrative divisions:
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32
departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital
district* (distrito capital); Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca,
Atlantico, Distrito Capital de 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 |
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Independence:
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20
July 1810 (from Spain) |
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National holiday:
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Independence
Day, 20 July (1810) |
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Constitution:
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5
July 1991 |
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Legal system:
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based
on Spanish law; a new criminal code modeled after US procedures
was enacted into law in 2004; judicial review of executive and
legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations |
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Suffrage:
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18
years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Alvaro URIBE Velez (since 7 August 2002);
Vice President Francisco SANTOS (since 7 August 2002); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Alvaro URIBE Velez (since 7
August 2002); Vice President Francisco SANTOS (since 7 August
2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet consists of a coalition of the two
dominant parties - the PL and PSC - and independents
elections: president and vice president elected by popular
vote for a four-year term; election last held 26 May 2002 (next to
be held May 2006)
election results: President Alvaro URIBE Velez received 53%
of the vote; Vice President Francisco SANTOS was elected on the
same ticket |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral
Congress or Congreso consists of the Senate or Senado (102 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and
the House of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (166
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year
terms)
elections: Senate - last held 10 March 2002 (next to be
held March 2006); House of Representatives - last held 10 March
2002 (next to be held March 2006)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - PL 28, PSC 13, independents and smaller parties
(many aligned with conservatives) 61; House of Representatives -
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PL 54, PSC 21,
independents and other parties 91 |
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Judicial branch:
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four
roughly coequal, supreme judicial organs; Supreme Court of Justice
or Corte Suprema de Justicia (highest court of criminal law;
judges are selected by their peers from the nominees of the
Superior Judicial Council for eight-year terms); Council of State
(highest court of administrative law; judges are selected from the
nominees of the Superior Judicial Council 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); Superior Judicial
Council (administers and disciplines the civilian judiciary;
resolves jurisdictional conflicts arising between other courts;
members are elected by three sister courts and Congress for
eight-year terms) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Colombian
Communist Party or PCC [Jaime CAICEDO]; Conservative Party or PSC
[Carlos HOLGUIN Sardi]; Democratic Pole or PDI [Samuel MORENO
Rojas]; Liberal Party or PL [Juan Fernando CRISTO]
note: Colombia has about 60 formally recognized political
parties, most of which do not have a presence in either house of
Congress |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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two
largest insurgent groups active in Colombia - Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia or FARC and National Liberation Army or ELN;
largest anti-insurgent paramilitary group is United Self-Defense
Groups of Colombia or AUC |
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International organization participation:
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BCIE,
CAN, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-3, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate),
MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Luis Alberto MORENO Mejia
chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387-8338
FAX: [1] (202) 232-8643
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Boston,
Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San
Juan (Puerto Rico), and Washington, DC |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador William B. WOOD
embassy: Calle 22D-BIS, numbers 47-51, Apartado Aereo 3831
mailing address: Carrera 45 #22D-45, Bogota, D.C., APO AA
34038
telephone: [57] (1) 315-0811
FAX: [57] (1) 315-2197 |
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Flag description:
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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
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| Economy |
Colombia |
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of Page |
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Economy - overview:
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Colombia's
economy has been on a recovery trend during the past two years
despite a serious armed conflict. The economy continues to improve
thanks to austere government budgets, focused efforts to reduce
public debt levels, and an export-oriented growth focus. Ongoing
economic problems facing President URIBE range from reforming the
pension system to reducing high unemployment. New exploration is
needed to offset declining oil production. On the positive side,
several international financial institutions have praised the
economic reforms introduced by URIBE, which include measures
designed to reduce the public-sector deficit below 2.5% of GDP.
The government's economic policy and democratic security strategy
have engendered a growing sense of confidence in the economy,
particularly within the business sector. Coffee prices have
recovered from previous lows as the Colombian coffee industry
pursues | | |
