member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Luis Alberto MORENO Mejia
chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and
Washington, DC
consulate(s): Atlanta and Tampa
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Curtis Warren KAMMAN
embassy: Calle 22D-BIS, numbers 47–51, Apartado Aereo 3831
mailing address: APO AA 34038
Flag description: 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
Economy—overview: Colombia ended 1998 in recession with 0.2% GDP growth due to a combination of low world oil prices, reduced export demand, guerrilla violence, and diminished investment flows. The Central Bank resorted to interest rate hikes and tight monetary policy to defend the peso against pressure from Colombia's worsening trade and fiscal deficits. President PASTRANA'S well-respected financial team is working to deal with the myriad economic problems the country faces, including the highest unemployment level in decades and a fiscal deficit of close to 5% of GDP in 1998. The government implemented austerity measures, declared emergency measures to guard against a potential banking crisis resulting from the country's economic slowdown, and is seeking international assistance to fund a peace plan with the guerrillas. Guerrilla violence and low world oil prices will likely continue to undermine the economy in 1999.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$254.7 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 0.2% (1998)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$6,600 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 19% industry: 26% services: 55% (1996)
Population below poverty line: 17.7% (1992 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 46.9% (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 16.7% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 16.8 million (1997 est.)
Labor force—by occupation: services 46%, agriculture 30%, industry 24% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 15.7% (1998 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $26 billion (1996 est.)
expenditures: $30 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1996 est.)
Industries: textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and
footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds
Industrial production growth rate: −1.2% (1996)
Electricity—production: 53.725 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 19.26% hydro: 80.74% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 53.857 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 132 million kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables; forest products; shrimp
Exports: $11.3 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Exports—commodities: petroleum, coffee, coal, gold, bananas, cut
flowers
Exports—partners: US 38%, EU 23%, Andean Community 18%, Japan 3%
(1997)
Imports: $14.4 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Imports—commodities: industrial equipment, transportation
equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products, fuels
Imports—partners: US 42%, EU 23%, Andean Community 14%, Japan 4%
(1997)
Debt—external: $18 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid—recipient: $40.7 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1—1,562.0 (February 1999), 1,426.04 (1998), 1,140.96 (1997), 1,036.69 (1996), 912.83 (1995), 844.84 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 1.89 million (1986 est.)
Telephone system: modern system in many respects domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic satellite system with 11 earth stations international: satellite earth stations—2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 463, FM 35, shortwave 45 (1998 est.)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 60 (includes seven low-power stations) (1997)
Televisions: 5.5 million (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 3,380 km
standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge (connects Cerrejon coal mines
to maritime port at Bahia de Portete)
narrow gauge: 3,230 km 0.914-m gauge (1,830 km in use) (1995)
Highways: total: 115,564 km paved: 13,868 km unpaved: 101,696 km (1997 est.)
Waterways: 14,300 km, navigable by river boats
Pipelines:
