Irrigated land:
9,000 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes;
periodic droughts

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil and water quality damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions

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

Geography - note:
only South American country with coastlines on both the North
Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea

People Colombia

Population:
43,593,035 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.3% (male 6,683,079/female 6,528,563)
15-64 years: 64.5% (male 13,689,384/female 14,416,439)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 996,022/female 1,279,548) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 26.3 years
male: 25.4 years
female: 27.2 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.46% (2006 est.)