COLOMBIA
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 1,138,910 km2; land area: 1,038,700 km2; includes Isla
de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank
Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of
Montana
Land boundaries: 7,408 km total; Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km,
Panama 225 km, Peru 2,900, Venezuela 2,050 km
Coastline: 3,208 km total (1,448 km North Pacific Ocean;
1,760 Caribbean Sea)
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specified;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Venezuela in the
Gulf of Venezuela; territorial dispute with Nicaragua over Archipelago
de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank
Climate: tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in
highlands
Terrain: mixture of flat coastal lowlands, plains in east, central
highlands, some high mountains
Organized labor: 1,400,000 members (1987), about 12% of labor
force; the Communist-backed Unitary Workers Central or CUT is the largest
labor organization, with about 725,000 members (including all affiliate
unions)
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: Republic of Colombia
Type: republic; executive branch dominates government structure
Capital: Bogota
Administrative divisions: 23 departments (departamentos,
singular--departamento), 5 commissariats* (comisarias,
singular--comisaria), and 4 intendancies** (intendencias,
singular--intendencia);
Amazonas*, Antioquia, Arauca**, Atlantico, 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*; note--there may be a new special district (distrito especial)
named Bogota; the Constitution of 5 July 1991 states that the
commissariats and intendancies are to become full departments and a
capital district (distrito capital) of Santa Fe de Bogota is to be
established by 1997
Independence: 20 July 1810 (from Spain)
Constitution: 5 July 1991
Legal system: based on Spanish law; judicial review of legislative
acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 20 July (1810)
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso) consists of a
nationally elected upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a regionally
elected lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives (Camara de
Representantes)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de
Justica)
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Cesar
GAVIRIA Trujillo (since 7 August 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
Liberal Party (PL), Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo, president, and
Alfonso LOPEZ Michelsen, party head;
Social Conservative Party (PCS), Misael PASTRANA Borrero;
National Salvation Movement (MSN), Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado;
Democratic Alliance (AD) is headed by 19th of April Movement (M-19)
leader Antonio NAVARRO Wolf, coalition of small leftist parties and
dissident liberals and conservatives;
Patriotic Union (UP), is a legal political party formed by
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and Colombian
Communist Party (PCC), Carlos ROMERO
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:
President--last held 27 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994);
results--Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo (Liberal) 47%, Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado
(National Salvation Movement) 24%, Antonio NAVARRO Wolff (M-19) 13%,
Rodrigo LLOREDA (Conservative) 12%;
Senate--last held 11 March 1990 (next to be held 27 October
1991);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(114 total) Liberal 72, Conservative 40, UP 1, vacant 1;
Chamber of Representatives last held 11 March 1990 (next to be
held 27 October 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(199 total) Liberal 122, Conservative 68, UP 3, M-19 1, other 5;
note--on 5 July 1991 the new Constitution dissolved Congress and
replaced it with a multiparty 36-member legislative commission until
a new congress, to be elected on 27 October 1991, takes office on 1
December 1991
Communists: 18,000 members (est.), including Communist Party Youth
Organization (JUCO)
Other political or pressure groups: three insurgent groups are
active in Colombia--Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC),
led by Manuel MARULANDA and Alfonso CANO; National Liberation Army (ELN),
led by Manuel PEREZ; and dissidents of the recently demobilized People's
Liberation Army (EPL) led by Francisco CARABALLO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jaime GARCIA Parra; Chancery
at 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 387-8338;
there are Colombian Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Miami, New
Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico), and
Consulates in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Ft. Lauderdale, Los Angeles,
San Diego, and Tampa;
US--Ambassador-designate Morris D. BUSBY; Embassy at Calle 38,
No.8-61, Bogota (mailing address is P. O. Box A. A. 3831, Bogota or
APO Miami 34038); telephone 57 (1) 285-1300 or 1688; there is a US
Consulate in Barranquilla
Flag: 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
ECONOMY
Overview: Economic development has slowed gradually since 1986, but
growth rates remain high by Latin American standards. Conservative
economic policies have kept inflation and unemployment near 30% and 10%,
respectively. The rapid development of oil, coal, and other
nontraditional industries over the past four years has helped to offset
the decline in coffee prices--Colombia's major export. The collapse of
the International Coffee Agreement in the summer of 1989, a troublesome
rural insurgency, and drug-related violence dampen prospects for future
growth.
GDP: $43.0 billion, per capita $1,300; real growth rate 3.7% (1990
est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 32.4% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 10.4% (urban areas 1990) (1990)
Budget: revenues $4.39 billion; current expenditures $3.93
billion, capital expenditures $1.03 billion (1989 est.)
partners--US 36%, EC 21%, Japan 5%, Netherlands 4%, Sweden 3%
Imports: $5.0 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities--industrial equipment, transportation equipment,
foodstuffs, chemicals, paper products;
partners--US 34%, EC 16%, Brazil 4%, Venezuela 3%, Japan 3%
External debt: $16.7 billion (1990)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.0% (1990 est.); accounts
for 25% of GDP
Electricity: 9,435,000 kW capacity; 36,071 million kWh produced,
1,090 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries: textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear,
beverages, chemicals, metal products, cement; mining--gold, coal,
emeralds, iron, nickel, silver, salt
Agriculture: growth rate 4.9% (1990); accounts for 22% of GDP;
crops make up two-thirds and livestock one-third of agricultural output;
climate and soils permit a wide variety of crops, such as coffee,
rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseeds, vegetables;
forest products and shrimp farming are becoming more important
Illicit drugs: major illicit producer of cannabis and coca; key
supplier of marijuana and cocaine to the US and other international drug
markets; drug production and trafficking accounts for an estimated 4%
of GDP and 28% of foreign exchange earnings
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.6
billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $3.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $399 million
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 3,386 km; 3,236 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track
(2,611 km in use), 150 km 1.435-meter gauge
Highways: 75,450 km total; 9,350 km paved, 66,100 km earth and
gravel surfaces
Inland waterways: 14,300 km, navigable by river boats
Pipelines: crude oil, 3,585 km; refined products, 1,350 km;
natural gas, 830 km; natural gas liquids, 125 km
Ports: Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Covenas, San Andres,
Santa Marta, Tumaco
Merchant marine: 35 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 330,316
GRT/484,351 DWT; includes 23 cargo, 1 chemical tanker, 3 petroleum, oils,
and lubricants (POL) tanker, 8 bulk; note--2 naval tankers are
sometimes used commercially
Civil air: 106 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1,165 total, 1,045 usable; 69 with permanent-surface
runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
192 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: nationwide radio relay system; 1,890,000
telephones; stations--413 AM, no FM, 33 TV, 28 shortwave 2 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth stations with 2 antennas and 11 domestic satellite
stations
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: Army (Ejercito Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional),
Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Colombia), National Police (Policia Nacional)
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 8,998,759; 6,102,745 fit for
military service; 353,122 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: $892 million, 2.2% of GDP (1990)
