Colombia

Colombia

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name República de Colombia/Republic of Colombia Area 1,141,748 sq km/440,828 sq mi Capital Bogotá Language Spanish (official) (95%) Religion Roman Catholic Time difference GMT -5 Major holidays 1, 6 January, 29 June, 20 July, 7, 15 August, 12 October, 1, 15 November, 8, 25, 30–31 December; variable: Ascension Thursday, Corpus Christi, Good Friday, Holy Thursday, St Joseph (March), Sacred Heart (June)


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Bucaramanga, Cúcuta, Ibagué Major ports Barranquilla, Cartagena, Buenaventura Physical features the Andes mountains run north–south; flat coastland in west and plains (llanos) in east; Magdalena River runs north to Caribbean Sea; includes islands of Providencia, San Andrés, and Mapelo; almost half the country is forested Airports 11 international airports and over 100 smaller airports serving domestic flights; total passengers carried: 9.2 million (2003 est) Railways total length: 3,380 km/2,100 mi Roads total road network: 112,988 km/70,207 mi, of which 14.4% paved (1999); passenger cars: 51 per 1,000 people (2000 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state and government Alvaro Uribe Vélez from 2002 Political system liberal democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions 32 departments and one capital district Political parties Liberal Party (PL), centrist; Conservative Party (PSC), right of centre; M-19 Democratic Alliance (ADM-19), left of centre; National Salvation Movement (MSN), right-of-centre coalition grouping Death penalty abolished in 1910 Armed forces 207,000; plus paramilitary forces of 129,000 (2006 est) Conscription selective conscription for two years Defence spend (% GDP) 3.8 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 5.2 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 6.4 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency Colombian peso GDP (US$) 122.3 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 4.8 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 104.5 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 7,420 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 4.7% (2006 est) Unemployment 12% (2005 est) Labour force 22.4% agriculture, 18.8% industry, 58.8% services (2005) Foreign debt (US$) 34.8 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners USA, Venezuela, Germany, Japan, Ecuador, Brazil Resources petroleum, natural gas, coal, nickel, iron, emeralds (accounts for 95% of world production), gold, manganese, copper, lead, mercury, silver, platinum, limestone, phosphates Industries food processing, chemical products, textiles, steel, petrochemicals, plastics, beverages, transport equipment, cement Exports petroleum and petroleum products, coal, coffee, gold, bananas, cut flowers, cotton, chemicals, textiles, paper. Principal market: USA 40.5% (2005). Illegal trade in cocaine; Colombia is one of the world's main producers of coca, the raw material for cocaine, and is the main source of illegal cocaine in the USA Imports machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, minerals, food, metals, consumer goods. Principal source: USA 28.1% (2005) Arable land 2% (2006 est) Agricultural products coffee (world's second-largest producer), cocoa, sugar cane, bananas, tobacco, cotton, cut flowers, rice, potatoes, maize; timber; beef production


POPULATION

Population 46,279,400 (2006 est) Population growth rate 1.4% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 40 (2005 est) Urban population (% of total) 77 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 31%, 15–59 62%, 60+ 8% (2005 est) Ethnic groups 58% mestizo (mixed Spanish and American Indian descent), 20% European, 14% mulatto, 4% black, 3% black American Indian, 1% American Indian Life expectancy 70 (men); 76 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 21 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 10 Literacy rate 92% (men); 92% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 13.5 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 1.1 (2003 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 0.6 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 8,200 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 99 (urban); 71 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 16.8 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 47.9 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 549 (2001) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 251 (2004) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 4.2 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 10.4 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

late 15th century Southern Colombia became part of Inca Empire, whose core lay in Peru. 1522 Spanish conquistador Pascual de Andagoya reached the San Juan River. 1536–38 Spanish conquest by Jimenez de Quesada overcame powerful Chibcha Indian chiefdom, which had its capital in the uplands at Bogotá and was renowned for its gold crafts; became part of Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru, which covered much of South America. 1717 Bogotá became capital of the new Spanish Viceroyalty of Nueva (New) Granada, which also ruled Ecuador and Venezuela. 1809 Struggle for independence from Spain began. 1819 Venezuelan freedom fighter Simón Bolívar, ‘the Liberator’, who had withdrawn to Colombia in 1814, raised a force of 5,000 British mercenaries and defeated the Spanish at the battle of Boyacá, establishing Colombia's independence; Gran Colombia formed, also comprising Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. 1830 Became a separate state, which included Panama, on the dissolution of the Republic of Gran Colombia. 1863 Became major coffee exporter. Federalizing, anticlerical Liberals came to power, with the country divided into nine largely autonomous ‘sovereign’ states; the church was disestablished. 1885 Conservatives came to power, beginning 45 years of political dominance; power was recentralized and the church restored to influence. 1899–1903 Civil war between Liberals and Conservatives, ending with Panama's separation as an independent state. 1930 Liberals returned to power at time of economic depression; social legislation introduced and labour movement encouraged. 1946 Conservatives returned to power. 1948 Left-wing mayor of Bogotá assassinated to widespread outcry. 1949–57 Civil war, ‘La Violencia’, during which over 250,000 people died. 1957 Hoping to halt violence, Conservatives and Liberals agreed to form National Front, sharing the presidency. 1970 National Popular Alliance (ANAPO) formed as left-wing opposition to National Front. 1974 National Front accord temporarily ended. 1975 Civil unrest due to disillusionment with government. 1978 Liberals, under Julio Turbay, revived accord and began intensive fight against drug dealers. 1982 Liberals maintained their control of congress but lost the presidency. Conservative president Belisario Betancur granted guerrillas an amnesty and freed political prisoners. 1984 Minister of Justice assassinated by drug dealers; campaign against them stepped up. 1989 Drug cartel assassinated the leading presidential candidate and an antidrug war was declared by the president; bombing campaign by drug traffickers killed hundreds; police killed José Rodriguez Gacha, one of the most wanted cartel leaders. 1991 New constitution prohibited extradition of Colombians for trial in other countries. Several leading drug traffickers arrested. Many guerrillas abandoned armed struggle; Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) and National Liberation Army remained active. 1993 Medellín drug-cartel leader Pablo Escobar shot while attempting to avoid arrest. 1995 President Samper came under pressure to resign over corruption allegations; state of emergency declared. Leaders of Cali drug cartel imprisoned. 1998 Clashes between army and left-wing guerrillas. Conservative Andres Pastrana won presidential elections. Peace talks held with rebels. 1999 Formal peace talks broken off after violence, but later resumed. 2000 US president Clinton announced US$1.3 billion in aid for Colombia in January and a further US$1.3 billion in August, most to go to armed forces. Talks with one rebel group secured release of 42 hostages in December. 2001 Deal signed by Pastrana and FARC leader Manuel Marulanda, paving way for ceasefire. 2002 Upsurge of violence by FARC guerrilla group brought end to peace talks with Colombian government; government launched military strikes against rebel positions. President Uribe declared 90-day state of emergency and decreed wealth tax to raise funds for military build-up against terrorism. 2003 FARC car bomb in Bogotá killed 35 people and injured about 160 – worst terrorist incident in capital for more than a decade. President Uribe suffered defeat in sweeping 15-point referendum on proposed austerity measures and political reforms; three ministers and national chief of police resigned. Right-wing United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC) began to disarm in November 2004 FARC senior guerrilla member Ricardo Palmera captured and sentenced to 35 years in prison. Government began peace talks with AUC; AUC leaders addressed Congress. 2005 Law was passed offering reduced prison terms and protection from extradition for paramilitaries willing to disarm. Exploratory peace talks in Cuba with National Liberation Army (ELN), the second-biggest left-wing rebel group. 2006 President Uribe won second term in office. Detained leaders of paramilitary groups announced they were abandoning peace process. 2007 Hoping to persuade rebel groups to release hostages, the government freed dozens of jailed FARC guerrillas; FARC said hostages would be freed only if government troops withdrew and demilitarized zone set up. Hundreds of thousands protested in capital against continuing conflict and kidnappings.


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