Colombia vacations
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The Westin Aruba Resort Aruba hotel only from $169From Miami to Caribbean | per night from $270FROM Miami to Aruba | per night from $291Colombia - General Country Information
Introduction
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues
Introduction
General Information:
 |
The capital of Colombia is Bogota.
Major cities of Colombia are: Apartado, Arauca, Armenia, Bahia Solano, Barran Cabermeja, Barranquilla, Bogota, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena, Caucasia, Condoto, Cucata, El Yopal, Florencia, Ibague, Ipiales, Leticia, Manizales, Medellin, Monteria, Neiva, Otu, Pasto, Pereira, Puerto Berria, Quibdo, San Andres Island, Santa Marta, Tumaco. |
Geography
|
Location:
|
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama |
| Coordinates: | 4 00 N, 72 00 W |
| Area: | 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 |
| Area Comparative: | slightly less than three times the size of Montana |
| Land Boundaries: | 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 |
| Coastline: | 3,208 km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km) |
| Maritime Claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
| Climate: | tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands |
| Terrain: | flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains |
| Elevation Extremes: | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico Cristobal Colon 5,775 m note: nearby Pico Simon Bolivar also has the same elevation |
| Natural Resources: | petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower |
| Land Use: | arable land: 2.42%
permanent crops: 1.67% other: 95.91% (2001) |
| Irrigated Land: | 8,500 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural Hazards: | highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts |
| Environment Current Issues: | deforestation; soil and water quality damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions |
| Environment International Agreements: | 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 |
| Note: | only South American country with coastlines on both North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea |
People
|
Population:
|
42,310,775 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age Structure: | total: 25.8 years
male: 24.9 years female: 26.7 years (2004 est.) |
| Population Growth Rate: | 1.53% (2004 est.) |
| Birth Rate: | 21.19 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death Rate: | 5.61 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Migration Rate: | -0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex Ratio: | 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 (2004 est.) |
| Infant Mortality Rate: | total: 21.72 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 25.69 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
| Expectancy Birth: | total population: 71.43 years
male: 67.58 years female: 75.41 years (2004 est.) |
| Fertility Rate: | 2.59 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV Adult Prevalence Rate: | 0.7% (2003 est.) |
| People Living HIV: | 190,000 (2003 est.) |
| HIV Deaths: | 3,600 (2003 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Colombian(s)
adjective: Colombian |
| Ethnic Groups: | mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1% |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic 90% |
| Languages: | Spanish |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.5% male: 92.4% female: 92.6% (2003 est.) |
Gouvernment
|
Country Name:
|
conventional long form: Republic of Colombia
conventional short form: Colombia local long form: Republica de Colombia local short form: Colombia |
| Government Type: | republic; executive branch dominates government structure |
| Capital: | Bogota |
| Administrative Divisions: | 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 |
| Independence: | 20 July 1810 (from Spain) |
| National Holiday: | Independence Day, 20 July (1810) |
| Constitution: | 5 July 1991 |
| Legal System: | 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 |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive Branch: | 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 NA May 2006) election results: President Alvaro URIBE Velez received 53% of the vote; Vice President Francisco SANTOS was elected on the same ticket |
| Legislative Branch: | 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 NA March 2006); House of Representatives - last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA 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 |
| Judicial Branch: | 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) |
| Political Parties Leaders: | Conservative Party or PSC [Carlos HOLGUIN Sardi]; Liberal Party or PL [Camilo SANCHEZ]; Colombian Communist Party or PCC [Jaime CAICEDO]; Democratic Pole or PDI [Antonio NAVARRO Wolff]
note: Colombia has about 60 formally recognized political parties, most of which do not have a presence in either house of Congress |
| Political Pressure Groups Leaders: | 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 |
| International Organization Participation: | BCIE, CAN, CDB, 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 |
| Diplomatic in US: | 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: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Washington, DC consulate(s): Atlanta |
| Diplomatic from US: | 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 |
| Flag Description: | 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 |
Economy
|
Economy Overview:
|
Colombia's economy suffers from weak domestic and foreign demand, austere government budgets, and serious internal armed conflict, but seems poised for recovery. Other economic problems facing President URIBE range from reforming the pension system to reducing high unemployment. Two of Colombia's leading exports, oil and coffee, face an uncertain future; new exploration is needed to offset declining oil production, while coffee harvests and prices are depressed. On the positive side, several international financial institutions have praised the economic reforms introduced by URIBE, which includes measures designed to reduce the public-sector deficit below 2.5% of GDP in 2004. The government's economic policy and democratic security strategy have engendered a growing sense of confidence in the economy, particularly within the business sector, and GDP growth in 2003 was among the highest in Latin America. |
| GDP: | purchasing power parity - $263.2 billion (2003 est.) |
| GDP Growth Rate: | 3.7% (2003 est.) |
| GDP Capital: | purchasing power parity - $6,300 (2003 est.) |
| GDP Composition: | agriculture: 13.7%
industry: 32.1% services: 54.2% (2003 est.) |
| Investment: | 15.9% of GDP (2003) |
| Population Below Poverty Line: | 55% (2001) |
| Household Income: | lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 44% (1999) |
| Gini Index: | 57.1 (1996) |
| Inflation Rate: | 7.1% (2003 est.) |
| Labor Force: | 20.34 million (2003 est.) |
| Labor Force Occupation: | agriculture 30%, industry 24%, services 46% (1990) |
| Unemployment Rate: | 14.2% (2003 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $24 billion
expenditures: $25.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2004 est.) |
| Public Debt: | 51.9% of GDP (2003) |
| Agriculture Products: | coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables; forest products; shrimp |
| Industries: | textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds |
| Industry Production Growth Rate: | 3.5% (2003 est.) |
| Electricity Production: | 42.99 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity Consumption: | 39.81 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity Exports: | 210 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity Imports: | 40 million kWh (2001) |
| Oil Production: | 614,400 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil Consumption: | 252,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil Exports: | NA (2001) |
| Oil Imports: | NA (2001) |
| Oil Proved Reserves: | 1.8 billion bbl (1 January 2002) |
| Natural Gas Production: | 5.7 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Consumption: | 5.7 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Exports: | 0 cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Imports: | 0 cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Proved Reserves: | 132 billion cu m (1 January 2002) |
| Current Account Balance: | $-1.417 billion (2003) |
| Exports: | $12.96 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
| Exports Commodities: | petroleum, coffee, coal, apparel, bananas, cut flowers |
| Exports Partners: | US 47.1%, Ecuador 6%, Venezuela 5.3% (2003) |
| Imports: | $13.06 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
| Imports Commodities: | industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products, fuels, electricity |
| Imports Partners: | US 29.6%, Brazil 5.5%, Mexico 5.4%, Venezuela 5.2%, China 5%, Japan 4.6%, Germany 4.4% (2003) |
| Reserves: | $10.92 billion (2003) |
| Debt External: | $38.26 billion (2003 est.) |
| Currency: | Colombian peso (COP) |
| Currency Code: | COP |
| Exchange Rates: | Colombian pesos per US dollar - 2,877.65 (2003), 2,504.24 (2002), 2,299.63 (2001), 2,087.9 (2000), 1,756.23 (1999) |
| Fiscal Year: | calendar year |
Communications
|
Telephones Lines Use:
|
8,768,100 (2003) |
| Mobile Cellular: | 6,186,200 (2003) |
| Telephone System: | general assessment: modern system in many respects
domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic satellite system with 41 earth stations; fiber-optic network linking 50 cities international: country code - 57; satellite earth stations - 6 Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat; 3 fully digitalized international switching centers; 8 submarine cables |
| Radio Stations: | AM 454, FM 34, shortwave 27 (1999) |
| Television Stations: | 60 (includes seven low-power stations) (1997) |
| Internet Code: | .co |
| Internet Hosts: | 115,158 (2003) |
| Internet Users: | 2,732,200 (2003) |
Transportation
|
Railways:
|
total: 3,304 km
standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 3,154 km 0.914-m gauge (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 110,000 km
paved: 26,000 km unpaved: 84,000 km (2000) |
| Waterways: | general assessment: modern system in many respects
domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic satellite system with 41 earth stations; fiber-optic network linking 50 cities international: country code - 57; satellite earth stations - 6 Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat; 3 fully digitalized international switching centers; 8 submarine cables |
| Pipelines: | gas 4,360 km; oil 6,134 km; refined products 3,140 km (2004) |
| Ports Harbors: | Bahia de Portete, Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Leticia, Puerto Bolivar, San Andres, Santa Marta, Tumaco, Turbo |
| Merchant Marine: | total: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 35,427 GRT/46,301 DWT
by type: bulk 4, cargo 5, container 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 2 registered in other countries: 16 (2004 est.) |
| Airports: | 980 (2003 est.) |
| Airports Paved Runways: | total: 101
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 39 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m: 12 (2004 est.) |
| Airports Unpaved Runways: | total: 879
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 272 under 914 m: 572 (2004 est.) |
| Heliports: | 1 (2003 est.) |
Military
|
Military Branches:
|
Army (Ejercito Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional, including Naval Aviation, Marines, and Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Colombiana) |
| Military Age Obligation: | 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 24 months (2004) |
| Military Availability: | males age 15-49: 11,252,027 (2004 est.) |
| Fit Military Service: | males age 15-49: 7,495,462 (2004 est.) |
| Reaching Military Age Annually: | males: 392,656 (2004 est.) |
| Military Expenditures Dollar Figure: | $3.3 billion (FY01) |
| Military Expenditures Percent GDP: | 3.4% (FY01) |
Transnational Issues
|
Disputes International:
|
Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in 1999 and against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over disputed maritime boundary involving 50,000 sq km in the Caribbean Sea, including the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; maritime boundary dispute with Venezuela in the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian drug activities penetrate Peruvian border area; the continuing civil disorder in Colombia has created a serious refugee crisis in neighboring states, especially Ecuador |
| Illicit Drugs: | illicit producer of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis; world's leading coca cultivator (cultivation of coca in 2002 was 144,450 hectares, a 15% decline since 2001); potential production of opium between 2001 and 2002 declined by 25% to 91 metric tons; potential production of heroin declined to 11.3 metric tons; the world's largest processor of coca derivatives into cocaine; supplier of about 90% of the cocaine to the US market and the great majority of cocaine to other international drug markets; important supplier of heroin to the US market; active aerial eradication program; a significant portion of non-US narcotics proceeds are either laundered or invested in Colombia through the black market peso exchange |
Colombia - Travel Guides by Cities
Amalfi
Andes
Arauca
Armenia
Ayacucho
Barrancabermeja
Barranquilla
Bogota
Bucaramanga
Buenaventura
Buga
Cali
Cartagena
Cartago
Caruru
Caucasia
Chaparral
Codazzi
Condoto
Corozal
Cucuta
El Bagre
El Banco
El Centro
El Encanto
Envigado
Facatativa
Florencia
Fontibon
Fusagasuga
Gamarra
Girardot
Guamal
Herrera
Honda
Andes
Arauca
Armenia
Ayacucho
Barrancabermeja
Barranquilla
Bogota
Bucaramanga
Buenaventura
Buga
Cali
Cartagena
Cartago
Caruru
Caucasia
Chaparral
Codazzi
Condoto
Corozal
Cucuta
El Bagre
El Banco
El Centro
El Encanto
Envigado
Facatativa
Florencia
Fontibon
Fusagasuga
Gamarra
Girardot
Guamal
Herrera
Honda
Ibague
Ipiales
Jurado
La Chorrera
La Pedrera
La Victoria
Las Cruces
Leticia
Lorica
Madrid
Magangue
Maicao
Manizales
Mariquita
Medellin
Medina
Melgar
Miraflores
Mitu
Mompos
Monteria
Monterrey
Mosquera
Nare
Neiva
Otu
Palmira
Pamplona
Paratebueno
Pasto
Pereira
Planadas
Plato
Popayan
Pore
Ipiales
Jurado
La Chorrera
La Pedrera
La Victoria
Las Cruces
Leticia
Lorica
Madrid
Magangue
Maicao
Manizales
Mariquita
Medellin
Medina
Melgar
Miraflores
Mitu
Mompos
Monteria
Monterrey
Mosquera
Nare
Neiva
Otu
Palmira
Pamplona
Paratebueno
Pasto
Pereira
Planadas
Plato
Popayan
Pore
Providencia
Puerto Berrio
Puerto Carreno
Puerto Rico
Quibdo
Riohacha
Rionegro
San Andres
San Marcos
San Vicente
Santa Ana
Santa Marta
Santa Rosalia
Saravena
Sincelejo
Soacha
Sogamoso
Solano
Tame
Tarapaca
Tocaima
Tolu
Trinidad
Tulua
Tumaco
Tunja
Turbo
Uribe
Urrao
Valledupar
Villavicencio
Yari
Yavarate
Yopal
Zipaquira
Puerto Berrio
Puerto Carreno
Puerto Rico
Quibdo
Riohacha
Rionegro
San Andres
San Marcos
San Vicente
Santa Ana
Santa Marta
Santa Rosalia
Saravena
Sincelejo
Soacha
Sogamoso
Solano
Tame
Tarapaca
Tocaima
Tolu
Trinidad
Tulua
Tumaco
Tunja
Turbo
Uribe
Urrao
Valledupar
Villavicencio
Yari
Yavarate
Yopal
Zipaquira
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