Legend:
 Definition
 Field Listing
 Rank Order
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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 conflict between government forces and anti-government insurgent groups and illegal paramilitary groups - both heavily funded by the drug trade - escalated during the 1990s. The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government and violence has been decreasing since about 2002, but insurgents continue attacks against civilians and large swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence. Paramilitary groups challenge the insurgents for control of territory and the drug trade. Most paramilitary members have demobilized since 2002 in an ongoing peace process, although their commitment to ceasing illicit activity is unclear. The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its municipalities. However, 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: 2.01%
permanent crops: 1.37%
other: 96.62% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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9,000 sq km (2003)
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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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43,593,035 (July 2006 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 30.3% (male 6,683,079/female 6,528,563)
15-64 years: 64.5% (male 13,689,384/female 14,416,439)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 996,022/female 1,279,548) (2006 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 26.3 years
male: 25.4 years
female: 27.2 years (2006 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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1.46% (2006 est.)
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Birth rate:
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20.48 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
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Death rate:
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5.58 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 20.35 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 24.25 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 16.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 71.99 years
male: 68.15 years
female: 75.96 years (2006 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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2.54 children born/woman (2006 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, 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 and is gradually being implemented; judicial review of executive and legislative acts
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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 in 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 12 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2010); House of Representatives - last held 12 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PSUN 20, PC 18, PL 17, CR 15, PDI 11, other parties 21; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PL 36, PSUN 30, PC 29, CR 20, PDA 42, other parties 42
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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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Clandestine Communist Party of Colombia or PCC [Jaime CAICEDO]; Colombian Conservative Party or PC [Carlos HOLGUIN Sardi]; Alternative Democratic Pole or PDA [Samuel MORENO Rojas]; Liberal Party or PL [Cesar GAVIRIA]; Social National Unity Party or PSUN [Juan Manuel SANTOS]
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 illegal paramilitary group, a roughly organized umbrella group of disparate paramilitary forces, 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-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, 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 Andres PASTRANA
chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387-8338
FAX: [1] (202) 232-8643
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), 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, an export-oriented growth strategy, and an improved security situation in the country. 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 succeeded in reducing the public-sector deficit below 1.5% 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 (purchasing power parity):
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$303.7 billion (2005 est.)
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$98.47 billion (2005 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4.3% (2005 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$7,100 (2005 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 11.9%
industry: 50.4%
services: 37.7% (2005 est.)
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Labor force:
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20.52 million (2005)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 22.7%
industry: 18.7%
services: 58.5% (2000 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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10.2% (2005)
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Population below poverty line:
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49.2% (2005)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 7.9%
highest 10%: 34.3% (2004)
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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53.8 (2005)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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4.9% (2005)
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Investment (gross fixed):
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19.1% of GDP (2005)
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Budget:
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revenues: $46.82 billion
expenditures: $48.77 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
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Public debt:
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44.2% of GDP (2005)
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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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3% (2005 est.)
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Electricity - production:
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50.43 billion kWh (2003)
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Electricity - consumption:
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48.83 billion kWh (2003)
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Electricity - exports:
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1.082 billion kWh (2003)
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Electricity - imports:
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48.4 million kWh (2003)
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Oil - production:
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512,400 bbl/day (2005 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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270,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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NA bbl/day
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Oil - imports:
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NA bbl/day
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Oil - proved reserves:
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1.492 billion bbl (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - production:
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6.08 billion cu m (2003 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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6.08 billion cu m (2003 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2004 est.)
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m (2004 est.)
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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127.6 billion cu m (2005)
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Current account balance:
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$1.3 billion (2005)
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Exports:
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$19.3 billion f.o.b. (2005 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 42.1%, Venezuela 9.7%, Ecuador 6% (2004)
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Imports:
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$18 billion f.o.b. (2005 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 29.1%, Venezuela 6.5%, China 6.4%, Mexico 6.2%, Brazil 5.8% (2004)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$14.95 billion (2005)
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Debt - external:
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$37.06 billion (30 June 2005 est.)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$NA
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Currency (code):
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Colombian peso (COP)
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Exchange rates:
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Colombian pesos per US dollar - 2,320.75 (2005), 2,628.61 (2004), 2,877.65 (2003), 2,504.24 (2002), 2,299.63 (2001)
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
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Airports:
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981 (2005)
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 100
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 38
914 to 1,523 m: 40
under 914 m: 11 (2005)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 881
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 35
914 to 1,523 m: 273
under 914 m: 572 (2005)
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Heliports:
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2 (2005)
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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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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 (2004)
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Roadways:
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total: 110,000 km
paved: 26,000 km
unpaved: 84,000 km (2000)
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Waterways:
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18,000 km (2005)
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Merchant marine:
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total: 16 ships (1000 GRT or over) 40,463 GRT/55,802 DWT
by type: cargo 13, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 2
registered in other countries: 8 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Panama 6) (2005)
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Ports and terminals:
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Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Muelles El Bosque, Puerto Bolivar, Santa Marta, Turbo
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Military branches:
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Army (Ejercito Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional, includes Naval Aviation, Marines, and Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Colombiana)
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Military service 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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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 18-49: 10,212,456
females age 18-49: 10,561,562 (2005 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 18-49: 6,986,228
females age 18-49: 8,794,465 (2005 est.)
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males age 18-49: 389,735
females age 18-49: 383,146 (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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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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Refugees and internally displaced persons:
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IDPs: 2,900,000 - 3,400,000 (conflict between government and FARC; drug wars) (2004)
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Illicit drugs:
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illicit producer of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis; world's leading coca cultivator (cultivation of coca in 2004 was 114,100 hectares, virtually unchanged from 2003, but down one-third from its peak of 169,800 ha); producing a potential of 430 mt of pure cocaine; the world's largest producer of coca derivatives; supplying most of the US market and the great majority of cocaine to other international drug markets; important supplier of heroin to the US market; opium poppy cultivation fell 50% between 2003 and 2004 to 2,100 hectares yielding a potential 3.8 metric tons of pure heroin, mostly for the US market; in 2004, aerial eradication treated over 130,000 hectares of coca but aggressive replanting on the part of growers means Colombia remains a key producer; a significant portion of non-US narcotics proceeds are either laundered or invested in Colombia through the black market peso exchange
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This page was last updated on 16 May, 2006
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