*Colombia, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Colombia
conventional short form:
Colombia local long form:
Republica de Colombia
local short form:
Colombia
Digraph:
CO
Type:
republic; executive branch dominates government structure
Capital:
Bogota
Administrative divisions:
23 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento), 5 commissariats*, (comisarias, singular
- comisaria), 4 intendancies** (intendencias, singular, - intendencia), and 1 special district***,
(distrito especial); 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*, note:
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 executive and legislative acts;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
Independence Day, 20 July (1810)
Political parties and leaders:
Liberal Party (PL), Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo, president; Social Conservative
Party (PCS), Misael PASTRANA Borrero; National Salvation Movement (MSN),
Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado; Democratic Alliance M-19 (AD/M-19) 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
Other political or pressure groups:
three insurgent groups are active in Colombia - Revolutionary Armed Forces
of Colombia (FARC), Manuel MARULANDA and Alfonso CANO; National Liberation
Army (ELN), Manuel PEREZ; and dissidents of the recently demobilized
People's Liberation Army (EPL), Francisco CARABALLO
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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%
*Colombia, Government
Senate:
last held 27 October 1991 (next to be held March 1994); results - percent of
vote by party NA; seats - (102 total) Liberal 58, Conservative 22, AD/M-19
9, MSN 5, UP 1, other 7
House of Representatives:
last held 27 October 1991 (next to be held March 1994); results - percent of
vote by party NA; seats - (161 total) Liberal 87, Conservative 31, AD/M-19
13, MSN 10, UP 3, other 17
Executive branch:
president, presidential designate, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Congress (Congreso) consists of a nationally elected upper chamber
or Senate (Senado) and a nationally elected lower chamber or House of
Representatives (Camara de Representantes)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justical), Constitutional Court,
Council of State
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo (since 7 August 1990)
Member of:
AG, CDB, CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-11, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, OPANAL,
PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Jaime GARCIA Parra
chancery:
2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 387-8338
consulates general:
Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan
(Puerto Rico)
consulates:
Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Tampa
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Morris D. BUSBY
embassy:
Calle 38, No. 8-61, Bogota
mailing address:
P. O. Box A. A. 3831, Bogota or APO AA 34038
telephone:
[57] (1) 285-1300 or 1688
FAX:
[57] (1) 288-5687
consulate:
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
*Colombia, 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 in recent
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, energy rationing, and drug-related
violence have dampened growth. The level of violence, in Bogota in
particular, surged to higher levels in the first quarter of 1993, further
delaying the economic resurgence expected from government reforms. These
reforms center on fiscal restraint, trade and investment liberalization,
financial and labor reform, and privatization of state utilities and
commercial banks.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $51 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
3.3% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$1,500 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
25% (1992)
Unemployment rate:
10% (1992)
Budget:
revenues $5.0 billion; current expenditures $5.1 billion, capital
expenditures $964 million (1991 est.)
Exports:
$7.4 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
petroleum, coffee, coal, bananas, fresh cut flowers
partners:
US 44%, EC 21%, Japan 5%, Netherlands 4%, Sweden 3% (1991)
Imports:
$5.5 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
commodities:
industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals,
paper products
partners:
US 36%, EC 16%, Brazil 4%, Venezuela 3%, Japan 3% (1991)
External debt:
$17 billion (1992)
Industrial production:
growth rate -0.5% (1991); accounts for 20% of GDP
Electricity:
10,193,000 kW capacity; 36,000 million kWh produced, 1,050 kWh per capita
(1992)
Industries:
textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals,
metal products, cement; mining - gold, coal, emeralds, iron, nickel, silver,
salt
Agriculture:
growth rate 3% (1991 est.) 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
*Colombia, Economy
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis, coca, and opium; about 37,500 hectares of coca
under cultivation; the world's largest processor of coca derivatives into
cocaine; supplier of cocaine to the US and other international drug markets
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.6 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.3 billion,
Communist countries (1970-89), $399 million
Currency:
1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates:
Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1 - 820.08 (January 1993), 759.28 (1992),
633.05 (1991), 502.26 (1990), 382.57 (1989), 299.17 (1988)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
*Colombia, 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; petroleum 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:
27 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 227,719 GRT/356,665 DWT; includes 9
cargo, 3 oil tanker, 8 bulk, 7 container
Airports:
total:
1,233
usable:
1,059
with permanent-surface:
69
with runways over 3,659 m:
1 with runways 2,440-2,459 m:
9
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
200
Telecommunications:
nationwide radio relay system; 1,890,000 telephones; broadcast stations -
413 AM, no FM, 33 TV, 28 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
and 11 domestic satellite earth stations