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:
32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital
district* (distrito capital); 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
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 and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
President Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo (since 7 August 1990);
President-designate Juan Manuel SANTOS (since NA 1993); election last
held 27 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results - Cesar GAVIRIA
Trujillo (Liberal Party) 47%, Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado (National Salvation
Movement) 24%, Antonio NAVARRO Wolff (AD/M-19) 13%, Rodrigo LLOREDA
(Conservative Party) 12%
note:
a new government will be inaugurated on 7 August 1994; the
presidential election of 29 May 1994 resulted in no candidate
receiving more than 50% of the total vote and a run-off election to
select a president from the two leading candidates was held on 19 June
1994; results - Ernesto SAMPER Pizano (Liberal Party) 50.4%, Andres
PASTRANA Arango (Conservative Party) 48.6%, blank votes 1%; Humberto
de la CALLE was elected vice president; electing a vice president is a
new proceedure that replaces the traditional appointment of
president-designates by newly elected presidents
cabinet:
Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Congress (Congreso)
Senate (Senado):
elections last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held NA March 1998);
preliminary results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (102 total)
Liberal Party 59, conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and NDF) 31, other
12
House of Representatives (Camara de Representantes):
elections last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held NA March 1998);
preliminary results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (161 total)
Liberal Party 89, conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and NDF) 53,
AD/M-19 2, other 17
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justical), Constitutional
Court, Council of State
Political parties and leaders:
Liberal Party (PL), Ernesto SAMPER Pizano, president; Conservative
Party (PC), Misael PASTRANA Borrero; National Salvation Movement
(MSN), Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado; New Democratic Force (NDF), Andres
PASTRANA Arango; Democratic Alliance M-19 (AD/M-19) is a 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;
Francisco CARABALLO was captured by the government in June 1994
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,
UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Gabriel SILVA
chancery:
2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 387-8338
FAX:
(202) 232-8643
consulate(s) general:
Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York,
San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Washington
consulate(s):
Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Tampa
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Morris D. BUSBY
embassy:
Calle 38, No. 8-61, Bogota
mailing address:
Apartado Aereo 3831, Bogota or APO AA 34038
telephone:
[57] (1) 320-1300
FAX:
[57] (1) 288-5687
consulate(s):
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:
Colombia's economic growth has recovered steadily since 1991 as
President GAVIRIA'S sweeping economic reform measures have taken hold.
Market reforms have included trade and investment liberalization,
labor and tax overhauls and bureaucratic streamlining, among other
things. Furthermore, conservative fiscal and monetary policies have
helped to steadily reduce inflation to 23% and unemployment to about
7% in 1993. The rapid development of oil, coal, and other
nontraditional industries has helped offset the decline in coffee
prices. A major oil find in 1993 in eastern Colombia may provide an
extra $3 billion annually to the economy by 1997. Increased foreign
investment and even greater domestic activity have been hampered,
however, by a troublesome rural insurgency, a decrepit energy and
transportation infrastructure, and drug-related violence. Agriculture
also has encountered problems in adjusting to fewer subsidies, greater
competition, and the collapse of the international coffee agreement,
which has kept world coffee prices at near-record lows in 1991-93.
Business construction was a leading sector in 1993. The substantial
trade deficit in 1993 was the result of a strong peso that inhibited
exports and a liberalized government policy that spurred imports.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $192 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
5.1% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
$5,500 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
22.6% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.9% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$11 billion
expenditures:
$12 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.2 billion (1993
est.)
Exports:
$6.9 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
petroleum, coffee, coal, bananas, fresh cut flowers
partners:
US 39%, EC 25.7%, Japan 2.9%, Venezuela 8.5% (1992)
Imports:
$6.7 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
commodities:
industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods,
chemicals, paper products
partners:
US 36%, EC 18%, Brazil 4%, Venezuela 6.5%, Japan 8.7% (1992)
External debt:
$17 billion (1992)
Industrial production:
growth rate 2% (1993 est.); accounts for 21% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
10,193,000 kW
production:
36 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
1,050 kWh (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 2.7% (1993 est.) accounts for 21% 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:
illicit producer of coca, opium, and cannabis; about 37,100 hectares
of coca under cultivation; the world's largest processor of coca
derivatives into cocaine in 1992; supplier of cocaine to the US and
other international drug markets
Economic aid:
recipient:
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 - 921.20 (January 1994), 863.06
(1993), 759.28 (1992), 633.05 (1991), 502.26 (1990), 382.57 (1989)
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:
total:
128,717 km (1989)
paved:
10,330 km
unpaved:
gravel/earth 118,387 km
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 211,777 GRT/335,763 DWT, bulk 7,
cargo 11, container 6, oil tanker 3
Airports:
total:
1,369
usable:
1,156
with permanent-surface runways:
73
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440-2,659 m:
9
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
205
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
@Colombia, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army (Ejercito Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional, including Marines),
Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Colombiana), National Police (Policia
Nacional)
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 9,639,080; fit for military service 6,507,935; reach
military age (18) annually 354,944 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $1.2 billion (1992 est.)
@Comoros, Geography
Location: Southeastern Africa, in the extreme northern Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique Map references: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 2,170 sq km land area: 2,170 sq km comparative area: slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 340 km Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: claims French-administered Mayotte Climate: tropical marine; rainy season (November to May) Terrain: volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills Natural resources: negligible Land use: arable land: 35% permanent crops: 8% meadows and pastures: 7% forest and woodland: 16% other: 34% Irrigated land: NA sq km Environment: current issues: soil degradation and erosion; deforestation natural hazards: cyclones possible during rainy season international agreements: signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea Note: important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel
@Comoros, People