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Introduction |
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Background: |
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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Geography |
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Location: |
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: |
4 00 N, 72 00 W
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Map references: |
South America
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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
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Area -
comparative: |
slightly less than
three times the size of Montana
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Land boundaries: |
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: |
3,208 km (Caribbean
Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km)
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Maritime claims: |
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: |
tropical along
coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands
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Terrain: |
flat coastal
lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern
lowland plains
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Elevation
extremes: |
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: |
petroleum, natural
gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower
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Land use: |
arable land:
2.42%
permanent crops: 1.67%
other: 95.91% (2001)
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Irrigated land: |
8,500 sq km (1998
est.)
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Natural hazards: |
highlands subject
to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts
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Environment -
current issues: |
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: |
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: |
only South American
country with coastlines on both the North Pacific Ocean and
Caribbean Sea
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People |
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Population: |
42,954,279 (July
2005 est.)
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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.)
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Median age: |
total: 26.04
years
male: 25.14 years
female: 26.93 years (2005 est.)
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Population
growth rate: |
1.49% (2005 est.)
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Birth rate: |
20.82 births/1,000
population (2005 est.)
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Death rate: |
5.59 deaths/1,000
population (2005 est.)
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Net migration
rate: |
-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2005 est.)
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Sex ratio: |
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: |
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: |
total
population: 71.72 years
male: 67.88 years
female: 75.7 years (2005 est.)
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Total fertility
rate: |
2.56 children
born/woman (2005 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult
prevalence rate: |
0.7% (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS -
people living with HIV/AIDS: |
190,000 (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS -
deaths: |
3,600 (2003 est.)
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Nationality: |
noun:
Colombian(s)
adjective: Colombian
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Ethnic groups: |
mestizo 58%, white
20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Amerindian 3%,
Amerindian 1%
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Religions: |
Roman Catholic 90%,
other 10%
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Languages: |
Spanish
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Literacy: |
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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Government |
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Country name: |
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: |
republic; executive
branch dominates government structure
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Capital: |
Bogota
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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
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Independence: |
20 July 1810 (from
Spain)
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National
holiday: |
Independence Day,
20 July (1810)
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Constitution: |
5 July 1991
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Legal system: |
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: |
18 years of age;
universal
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Executive
branch: |
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: |
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: |
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: |
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: |
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: |
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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Flag
description: |
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 |
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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. 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: |
purchasing power
parity - $281.1 billion (2004 est.)
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GDP - real
growth rate: |
3.6% (2004 est.)
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GDP - per
capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $6,600 (2004 est.)
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GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture:
13.4%
industry: 32.1%
services: 54.5% (2004 est.)
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Labor force: |
20.7 million (2004
est.)
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Labor force - by
occupation: |
agriculture 30%,
industry 24%, services 46% (1990)
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Unemployment
rate: |
13.6% (2004 est.)
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Population below
poverty line: |
55% (2001)
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Household income
or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
1%
highest 10%: 44% (1999)
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Distribution of
family income - Gini index: |
57.1 (1996)
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Inflation rate
(consumer prices): |
5.9% (2004 est.)
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Investment
(gross fixed): |
15.8% of GDP (2004
est.)
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Budget: |
revenues:
$15.33 billion
expenditures: $21.03 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
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Public debt: |
51.8% of GDP (2004
est.)
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Agriculture -
products: |
coffee, cut
flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans,
oilseed, vegetables; forest products; shrimp
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Industries: |
textiles, food
processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals,
cement; gold, coal, emeralds
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Industrial
production growth rate: |
4% (2004 est.)
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Electricity -
production: |
44.87 billion kWh
(2002)
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Electricity -
production by source: |
fossil fuel:
26%
hydro: 72.7%
nuclear: 0%
other: 1.3% (2001)
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Electricity -
consumption: |
41.14 billion kWh
(2002)
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Electricity -
exports: |
618 million kWh
(2002)
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Electricity -
imports: |
23 million kWh
(2002)
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Oil -
production: |
531,100 bbl/day
(2004 est.)
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Oil -
consumption: |
252,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.)
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Oil - exports: |
NA
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Oil - imports: |
NA
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Oil - proved
reserves: |
1.7 billion bbl
(2004 est.)
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Natural gas -
production: |
5.7 billion cu m
(2001 est.)
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Natural gas -
consumption: |
5.7 billion cu m
(2001 est.)
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Natural gas -
exports: |
0 cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas -
imports: |
0 cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas -
proved reserves: |
132 billion cu m
(2004)
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Current account
balance: |
$-1.706 billion
(2004 est.)
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Exports: |
$15.5 billion
f.o.b. (2004 est.)
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Exports -
commodities: |
petroleum, coffee,
coal, apparel, bananas, cut flowers
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Exports -
partners: |
US 40.9%, Ecuador
5.8%, Venezuela 4.8% (2004)
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Imports: |
$15.34 billion
f.o.b. (2004 est.)
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Imports -
commodities: |
industrial
equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals,
paper products, fuels, electricity
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Imports -
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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Reserves of
foreign exchange and gold: |
$11.94 billion
(2004 est.)
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Debt - external: |
$38.7 billion (2004
est.)
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Currency (code): |
Colombian peso
(COP)
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Currency code: |
COP
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Exchange rates: |
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: |
calendar year
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Communications |
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Telephones -
main lines in use: |
8,768,100 (2003)
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Telephones -
mobile cellular: |
6,186,200 (2003)
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Telephone
system: |
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: |
AM 454, FM 34,
shortwave 27 (1999)
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Radios: |
21 million (1997)
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Television
broadcast stations: |
60 (includes seven
low-power stations) (1997)
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Televisions: |
4.59 million (1997)
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Internet country
code: |
.co
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Internet hosts: |
115,158 (2003)
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Internet Service
Providers (ISPs): |
18 (2000)
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Internet users: |
2,732,200 (2003)
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Transportation |
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Railways: |
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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Highways: |
total:
112,998 km
paved: 26,000 km
unpaved: 84,000 km (2000)
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Waterways: |
9,187 km (2004)
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Pipelines: |
gas 4,360 km; oil
6,134 km; refined products 3,140 km (2004)
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Ports and
harbors: |
Barranquilla,
Buenaventura, Cartagena, Muelles El Bosque, Puerto Bolivar,
Santa Marta, Turbo
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Merchant marine: |
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: |
980 (2004 est.)
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Airports - with
paved runways: |
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: |
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: |
1 (2004 est.)
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Military |
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Military
branches: |
Army (Ejercito
Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional, includes Naval Aviation,
Marines, and Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Colombiana)
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Military
manpower - military age and obligation: |
18 years of age for
compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service
obligation - 24 months (2004)
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Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 18-49:
10,212,456 (2005 est.)
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Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 18-49:
6,986,228 (2005 est.)
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Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
389,735 (2005 est.)
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Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$3.3 billion (FY01)
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Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
3.4% (FY01)
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Transnational Issues |
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Disputes -
international: |
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:: |
IDPs:
2,730,000 - 3,100,000 (conflict between government and FARC;
drug wars) (2004)
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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
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