NAVIGATION
|
HOME
• FLAG FINDER
• MAP FINDER
• SOURCES
• ADD YOURSELF TO THE ATLAS! COUNTRIES A-D • COUNTRIES E-K • COUNTRIES L-R • COUNTRIES S-Z |
NAVIGATION
Republic of Colombia
Republica de Colombia
former: Gran Colombia
GOVERNMENT
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Republic of Colombia
conventional short form: Colombia local short form: Colombia local long form: Republica de Colombia |
|
Government type:
|
republic; executive branch dominates government structure |
|
Capital:
|
Bogota |
|
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:
|
20 July 1810 (from Spain) |
|
National holiday:
|
Independence Day, 20 July (1810) |
|
Constitution:
|
5 July 1991 |
|
Legal system:
|
based on Spanish law; a new criminal code modeled after US procedures was enacted in 1992-93; judicial review of executive and legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
|
Suffrage:
|
18 years of age; universal |
|
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 NA May 2006) election results: President Alvaro URIBE Velez received 53% of the vote; Vice President Francisco SANTOS was elected on the same ticket |
|
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 NA March 2006); House of Representatives - last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA 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 |
|
Judicial branch:
|
four, coequal, supreme judicial organs; Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justical (highest court of criminal law; judges are selected from the nominees of the Higher Council of Justice for eight-year terms); Council of State (highest court of administrative law, judges are selected from the nominees of the Higher Council of Justice 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); Higher Council of Justice (administers and disciplines the civilian judiciary; members of the disciplinary chamber resolve jurisdictional conflicts arising between other courts; members are elected by three sister courts and Congress for eight-year terms) |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Conservative Party or PSC [Carlos HOLGUIN Sardi]; Liberal Party or PL [Horatio SERPA Uribe]; Patriotic Union or UP is a legal political party formed by Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC and Colombian Communist Party or PCC [Jaime CAICEDO]; 19 of April Movement or M-19 [Antonio NAVARRO Wolff]
note: Colombia has about 60 formally recognized political parties, most of which do not have a presence in either house of Congress |
|
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 |
|
International organization participation:
|
BCIE, CAN, Caricom (observer), CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Luis Alberto MORENO Mejia
chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Washington, DC consulate(s): Atlanta FAX: [1] (202) 232-8643 telephone: [1] (202) 387-8338 |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Anne W. PATTERSON
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 |
|
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 |
ECONOMY
|
Economy - overview:
|
Colombia's economy suffered from weak domestic demand, austere government budgets, and a difficult security situation. A new president takes office in 2002 and will face economic challenges ranging from pension reform to reduction of 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. Problems in public security are a concern for Colombian business leaders, who are calling for progress in the government's peace negotiations with insurgent groups. Colombia is looking for continued support from the international community to boost economic and peace prospects. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power parity - $255 billion (2001 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
1.5% (2001 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $6,300 (2001 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 19%
industry: 26% services: 55% (2001 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
55% (2001) (2001) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 44% (1999) (1999) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
57 (1996) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
7.6% (2001) (2001) |
|
Labor force:
|
18.3 million (1999 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
services 46%, agriculture 30%, industry 24% (1990) (1990) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
17% (2001 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $24 billion
expenditures: $25.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
|
Industries:
|
textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
4% (2001 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
43.342 billion kWh (2000) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 26%
hydro: 73% other: 1% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
40.348 billion kWh (2000) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
37 million kWh (2000) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
77 million kWh (2000) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables; forest products; shrimp |
|
Exports:
|
$12.3 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
petroleum, coffee, coal, apparel, bananas, cut flowers |
|
Exports - partners:
|
US 43%, Andean Community of Nations 22%, EU 14%, (2001 est.) |
|
Imports:
|
$12.7 billion c.i.f. (2001 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products, fuels, electricity |
|
Imports - partners:
|
US 35%, EU 16%, Andean Community of Nations 15%, Japan 5% (2001 est.) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$39 billion (2001 est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$NA |
|
Currency:
|
Colombian peso (COP) |
|
Currency code:
|
COP |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Colombian pesos per US dollar - 2,275.89 (January 2002), 2,299.63 (2001), 2,087.90 (2000), 1,756.23 (1999), 1,426.04 (1998), 1,140.96 (1997) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar year |