Geography

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

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
Coastline:
3,208 km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km)
Climate:
tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands
Terrain:
flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds
Land use:

arable land: 4%
permanent crops: 2%
meadows and pastures: 29%
forest and woodland: 49%
other: 16%
Irrigated land:
5,150 sq km (1989 est.)



People

Population:
36,200,251 (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.7% (1995 est.)
Birth rate:
21.89 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate:
4.69 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 72.48 years
male: 69.68 years
female: 75.38 years (1995 est.)
Ethnic divisions:
mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Indian 3%, Indian 1%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%
Languages:
Spanish
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
total population: 88%
male: 88%
female: 88%
Labor force:
12 million (1990)
by occupation: services 46%, agriculture 30%, industry 24% (1990)



Goverment

Type:
Republic
Capital:
Bogota
Administrative divisions:
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
Independence:
20 July 1810 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 20 July (1810)
Executive branch:

chief of state and head of government:
cabinet:
Legislative branch:
bicameral Congress (Congreso)
Senate (Senado):- (102 total)
House of Representatives (Camara de Representantes):; seats - (161 total)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justical), Constitutional Court, Council of State



Economy

National product:
GDP - purchasing power parity - $172.4 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate:
5.7% (1994 est.)
National product per capita:
$4,850 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
22.6% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.9% (1994 est.)
Budget:

revenues: $16 billion (1995 est.)
expenditures: $21 billion (1995 est.) )
Exports:
$8.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: petroleum, coffee, coal, bananas, fresh cut flowers
partners: US 39%, EC 25.7%, Japan 2.9%, Venezuela 8.5% (1992)
Imports:
$10.6 billion (c.i.f., 1994 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)
External debt:
$12.6 billion (1994 est.)
Currency:
1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates:
Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1 - 846.67 (January 1995),
£1=....... pesos