88% (1987 est.), Indians about 40%
Labor force: 11,000,000 (1986); 53% services, 26% agriculture, 21% industry (1981)
Organized labor: 1,400,000 members (1987), about 12% of labor force; the Communist-backed Unitary Workers Central or CUT is the largest labor organization, with about 725,000 members (including all affiliate unions)
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Colombia
Type: republic; executive branch dominates government structure
Capital: Bogota
Administrative divisions: 23 departments (departamentos, singular—departamento), 5 commissariats* (comisarias, singular—comisaria), and 4 intendancies** (intendencias, singular—intendencia); Amazonas*, Antioquia, Arauca**, Atlantico, 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—there may be a new special district (distrito especial) named Bogota
Independence: 20 July 1810 (from Spain)
Constitution: 4 August 1886, with amendments codified in 1946 and 1968
Legal system: based on Spanish law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 20 July (1810)
Executive branch: president, presidential designate, cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives (Camara de Representantes)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica)
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Virgilio BARCO Vargas
(since 7 August 1986; term ends August 1990); Presidential Designate
Victor MOSQUERA Chaux (since 13 October 1986); President-elect Cesar
GAVIRIA Trujillo (since 27 May 1990, takes office 7 August 1990)
Political parties and leaders: Liberal Party—Cesar Gaviria
Trujillo, Virgilio Barco Vargas, Alfonso Lopez Michelson, Julio Cesar
Turbay;
Conservative Party—Misael Pastrana Borrero, Alvaro Gomez Hurtado;
Patriotic Union (UP), is a legal political party formed by
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and Colombian
Communist Party (PCC), Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa; 19th of April Movement
(M-19), Rodrigo Lloreda
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:
President—last held 27 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994);
results—Cesar Gaviria Trujillo (Liberal) 47%, Alvaro Gomez Hurtado
(Conservative) 24%, Antonio Novarro Wolff (Conservative) 13%, Rodrigo
Lloreda (M-19) 12%;
Senate—last held 11 March 1990 (next to be held March 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(114 total) Liberal 68, Conservative 45, UP 1;
House of Representatives last held 11 March 1990 (next to be held March 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(199 total) Liberal 107, Conservative 82, UP 10
Communists: 18,000 members (est.), including Communist Party Youth
Organization (JUCO)
Other political or pressure groups: Colombian Communist Party (PCC),
Gilberto Vieira White; Communist Party/Marxist-Leninist (PCC/ML), Chinese-line
Communist Party; Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC);
National Liberation Army (ELN); People's Liberation Army (EPL)
Member of: FAO, G-77, GATT, Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC,
ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD,
IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, LAIA,
NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Victor MOSQUERA; Chancery at
2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 387–8338; there are
Colombian Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York,
San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Consulates in Atlanta, Boston,
Detroit, Ft. Lauderdale, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Tampa;
US—Ambassador Thomas E. McNAMARA; Embassy at Calle 38, No.8–61,
Bogota (mailing address is APO Miami 34038); telephone p57o (1) 285–1300 or
1688; there is a US Consulate in 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
- Economy Overview: Economic activity has slowed gradually since 1986, but growth rates remain high by Latin American standards. Conservative economic policies have encouraged investment and kept inflation and unemployment under 30% and 10%, respectively. The rapid development of oil, coal, and other nontraditional industries over the past four 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, and drug-related violence dampen prospects for future growth.
GDP: $35.4 billion, per capita $1,110; real growth rate 3.7% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 27% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 9.0% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $4.39 billion; current expenditures $3.93 billion, capital expenditures $l.03 billion (1989 est.)
Exports: $5.76 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities—coffee 30%, petroleum 24%, coal, bananas, fresh cut flowers; partners—US 36%, EC 21%, Japan 5%, Netherlands 4%, Sweden 3%
Imports: $5.02 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities—industrial equipment, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, paper products; partners—US 34%, EC 16%, Brazil 4%, Venezuela 3%, Japan 3%
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