LOCATION:
Location:
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama
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
POPULATION
Population:
42,954,279
(July 2005 est.)
AGE STRUCTURE:
Age structure:
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.)
MEDIAN AGE:
Median age:
total: 26.04 years
male: 25.14 years
female: 26.93 years
(2005 est.)
POPULATION GROWTH:
Population growth rate: 1.49%
(2005 est.)
INFANT MORTALITY RATE:
Infant mortality rate:
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.)
HIV/AIDS-ADULT PREVALENCE RATE:
HIV/AIDS Adult prevalence rate: 0.4 %
HIV/AIDS- PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS :
Ages 15-49
180,000
low estimate: 90,000
high estimate: 300,000
HIV/AIDS-DEATH
Adults and Children deaths: 3,600
low estimate: 2,200
high estimate: 6,000
ETHNIC GROUPS:
Ethnic groups:
mestizo 58%,
white 20%,
mulatto 14%,
black 4%,
mixed black-Amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1%
RELIGIONS:
Religions:
Roman Catholic 90%,
other 10%
LANGUAGES:
Languages: Spanish
LITERACY:
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.5%
male: 92.4%
female: 92.6%
(2003 est.)
GOVERNMENT TYPE:
Government type: republic; executive branch dominates government structure
CAPITAL:
Capital: Bogota
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:
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:
Independence: 20 July 1810 (from Spain)
ECONOMY:
Economy - overview:
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. 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 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.
GDP:
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $281.1 billion
(2004 est.)
POPULATION BELOW POVERT LINE:
Population below poverty line: 55%
(2001)
INFLATION RATE:
Inflation rate
(Consumer prices): 5.9%
(2004 est.)
UNEMPLOYMENT:
Unemployment rate: 13.6%
(2004 est.)
EXCHANGE RATES:
Exchange rates:
Colombian pesos per US dollar -
2,664.24 (2004),
2,877.65 (2003),
2,504.24 (2002),
2,299.63 (2001),
2,087.9 (2000).
Illicit Drugs:
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.
