note: only South American country with coastlines on
both North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea
People———
Population: 36,813,161 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 32% (male 5,948,599; female 5,806,450)
15–64 years: 64% (male 11,496,931; female 11,890,875)
65 years and over: 4% (male 741,788; female 928,518) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.66% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 21.34 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 4.65 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: −0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 25.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.81 years male: 69.97 years female: 75.73 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.35 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality: noun: Colombian(s) adjective: Colombian
Ethnic divisions: mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Indian 3%, Indian 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%
Languages: Spanish
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 91.3%
male: 91.2%
female: 91.4%
Government—————
Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Colombia
conventional short form: Colombia
local long form: Republica de Colombia
local short form: Colombia
Data code: CO
Type of government: 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 Ernesto SAMPER
Pizano (since 7 August 1994) elected for a four-year term by popular
vote; election last held 29 May 1994 (next to be held NA May 1998)
results - no candidate received more than 50% of the total vote; a
run-off election to select a president from the two leading
candidates was held 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 Lombana elected vice
president for a four-year term by popular vote in a new procedure
that replaces the traditional designation of vice presidents 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); 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); 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), 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
Political parties and leaders: Liberal Party (PL), Luis Fernando
JARAMILLO; Conservative Party (PC), Jaime ARIAS; 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), Aida ABELLA; National
Salvation Movement (MSN) Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado
Other political or pressure groups: three insurgent groups are
active in Colombia - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC);
National Liberation Army (ELN); and dissidents of the recently
demobilized People's Liberation Army (EPL/D)
International organization participation: AG, CCC, CDB, ECLAC,
FAO, G- 3, G-11, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos LLERAS de la Fuente
chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387–8338
FAX: [1] (202) 232–8643