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Background:
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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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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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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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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 - 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 greater market shares
in developed countries such as the United States. |
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GDP:
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purchasing
power parity - $281.1 billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.6% (2004
est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing
power parity - $6,600 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
13.4%
industry: 32.1%
services: 54.5% (2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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15.8% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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55% (2001) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 1%
highest 10%: 44% (1999) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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57.1 (1996) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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5.9% (2004
est.) |
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Labor force:
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20.7
million (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture
30%, industry 24%, services 46% (1990) |
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Unemployment rate:
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13.6% (2004
est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$15.33 billion
expenditures: $21.03 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
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Public debt:
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51.8% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee, cut
flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa
beans, oilseed, vegetables; forest products; shrimp |
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Industries:
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textiles,
food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages,
chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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4% (2004
est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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44.87
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 26%
hydro: 72.7%
nuclear: 0%
other: 1.3% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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41.14
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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618 million
kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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23 million
kWh (2002) |
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Oil - production:
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531,100
bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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252,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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1.7 billion
bbl (2004 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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5.7 billion
cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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5.7 billion
cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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132 billion
cu m (2004) |
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Current account balance:
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$-1.706
billion (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$15.5
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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petroleum,
coffee, coal, apparel, bananas, cut flowers |
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Exports - partners:
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US 40.9%,
Ecuador 5.8%, Venezuela 4.8% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$15.34
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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industrial
equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods,
chemicals, paper products, fuels, electricity |
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Imports - partners:
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US 30.6%,
Venezuela 5.8%, Brazil 5.2%, Japan 5.2%, Germany 5.1%,
Mexico 5%, China 4.2% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
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$11.94
billion (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$38.7
billion (2004 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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NA |
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Currency:
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Colombian
peso (COP) |
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Currency code:
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COP |
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Exchange rates:
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Colombian
pesos per US dollar - 2,628.61 (2004), 2,877.65 (2003),
2,504.24 (2002), 2,299.63 (2001), 2,087.9 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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8,768,100
(2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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6,186,200
(2003) |
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Telephone system:
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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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 454, FM
34, shortwave 27 (1999) |
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Radios:
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21 million
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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60
(includes seven low-power stations) (1997) |
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Televisions:
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4.59
million (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.co |
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Internet hosts:
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115,158
(2003) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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18 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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2,732,200
(2003)
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Railways:
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total:
3,304 km
standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 3,154 km 0.914-m gauge (2003) |
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Highways:
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total:
112,998 km
paved: 26,000 km
unpaved: 84,000 km (2000) |
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Waterways:
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9,187 km
(2004) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 4,360
km; oil 6,134 km; refined products 3,140 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Bahia de
Portete, Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Leticia,
Puerto Bolivar, San Andres, Santa Marta, Tumaco, Turbo |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 35,427 GRT/46,301 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 11, liquefied gas
1, petroleum tanker 2
registered in other countries: 7 (2005) |
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Airports:
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980 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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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.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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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.) |
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Heliports:
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1 (2004
est.)
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Military branches:
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Army (Ejercito
Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional, including Naval
Aviation, Marines, and Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerza
Aerea Colombiana) |
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Military manpower - military age and obligation:
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18 years of
age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 24 months (2004) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males
age 18-49: 10,212,456 (2005 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 6,986,228 (2005 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males:
389,735 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$3.3
billion (FY01) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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3.4% (FY01)
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| Transnational
Issues |
Colombia |
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Disputes - international:
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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; dispute with Venezuela over
maritime boundary and Los Monjes Islands near the Gulf
of Venezuela; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics,
guerrilla, and paramilitary activities penetrate all of
its neighbors' borders and have created a serious
refugee crisis with over 300,000 persons having fled the
country, mostly into neighboring states |
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