| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
South America |
| Geographical Location |
4° 00' North Latitude
72° 00' West Longitude |
| Surface Area |
1,138,910 sq km |
| Climate |
Tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands |
| Natural Resources |
Petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower |
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| Political Information |
 |
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| Country Name |
Republic of Colombia |
| Capital City |
Bogota |
| Government Type |
Republic; executive branch dominates government structure |
| 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 Day |
20 July 1810 (from Spain) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
42,954,279 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Colombian |
| Ethnic Groups |
Mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1% |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 90%, other 10% |
| Languages |
Spanish |
| Population Growth Rate |
1.49% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Colombian peso (COP) |
| Industries |
Textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds |
| Labor Force |
20.7 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 30%, industry 24%, services 46% (1990) |
| Agriculture Products |
Coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables; forest products; shrimp |
| Export Commodities |
Petroleum, coffee, coal, apparel, bananas, cut flowers |
| Export Partners |
US 40.9%, Ecuador 5.8%, Venezuela 4.8% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products, fuels, electricity |
| Import Partners |
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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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
3,304 km |
| Highways |
112,998 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 4,360 km; oil 6,134 km; refined products 3,140 km (2004) |
| Airports |
980 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Muelles El Bosque, Puerto Bolivar, Santa Marta, Turbo |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+57 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.co |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
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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