resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel,gold, copper, emeralds
Land use:
arable land: 4%
permanent crops: 2%
meadows and pastures: 29%
forest and woodland: 49%
other: 16%
Irrigated land: 5,150 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: deforestation; soil damage from overuse of
pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle
emissions
natural hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional
earthquakes; periodic droughts
international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Tropical Timber 94
Geographic 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)
