Telephones: NA
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with
Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of
NA type
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 300 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)
Televisions: NA
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km
Ports and harbors: none; lagoon anchorage only
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military—note: defense is the responsibility of Australia
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: none
======================================================================
@Colombia————
Introduction
Background: Colombia gained its independence from Spain in 1819. Earlier than most countries in the area, it established traditions of civilian government with regular, free elections. In recent years, however, assassinations, widespread guerrilla activities, and drug trafficking have severely disrupted normal public and private activities.
Geography
Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama
Geographic coordinates: 4 00 N, 72 00 W
Map references: South America, Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 1,138,910 sq km
land: 1,038,700 sq km
water: 100,210 sq km
note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and
Serranilla Bank
Area—comparative: slightly less than three times the size of
Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 7,408 km
border countries: Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km,
Peru 2,900 km, Venezuela 2,050 km
Coastline: 3,208 km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean
1,448 km)
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in
highlands
Terrain: flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes
Mountains, eastern lowland plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Nevado del Huila 5,750 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore,
nickel, gold, copper, emeralds
Land use:
arable land: 4%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 39%
forests and woodland: 48%
other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 5,300 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts
Environment—current issues: deforestation; soil damage from
overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from
vehicle emissions
Environment—international agreements:
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
Geography—note: only South American country with coastlines on
both North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea
People
Population: 39,309,422 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 33% (male 6,556,566; female 6,402,115)
15–64 years: 62% (male 11,966,306; female 12,593,685)
65 years and over: 5% (male 807,282; female 983,468) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.85% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 24.45 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 5.59 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: −0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
