Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). A four-decade long conflict between government forces and anti-government insurgent groups, principally the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) heavily funded by the drug trade, escalated during the 1990s. The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government and violence has been decreasing since about 2002, but insurgents continue attacks against civilians and large areas of the countryside are under guerrilla influence or are contested by security forces. More than 31,000 former paramilitaries had demobilized by the end of 2006 and the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) as a formal organization had ceased to function. In the wake of the paramilitary demobilization, emerging criminal groups arose, whose members include some former paramilitaries. The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its administrative departments. However, neighboring countries worry about the violence spilling over their borders.

Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

3,208 km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km)

tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands

flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains

petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower

highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts

deforestation; soil and water quality damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions

only South American country with coastlines on both the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea

43,677,372 (July 2010 est.)

18.09 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

5.22 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

-0.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

2.18 children born/woman (2010 est.)

mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1%

Roman Catholic 90%, other 10%

republic; executive branch dominates government structure

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

20 July 1810 (from Spain)

Independence Day, 20 July (1810)

5 July 1991; amended many times

based on Spanish law; a new criminal code modeled after US procedures was enacted into law in 2004 and reached full implementation in January 2008; judicial review of executive and legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Senate or Senado (102 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (166 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

four roughly coequal, supreme judicial organs; Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (highest court of criminal law; judges are selected by their peers from the nominees of the Superior Judicial Council for eight-year terms); Council of State (highest court of administrative law; judges are selected from the nominees of the Superior Judicial Council for eight-year terms); Constitutional Court (guards integrity and supremacy of the constitution; rules on constitutionality of laws, amendments to the constitution, and international treaties); Superior Judicial Council (administers and disciplines the civilian judiciary; resolves jurisdictional conflicts arising between other courts; members are elected by three sister courts and Congress for eight-year terms)

Alternative Democratic Pole or PDA [Jaime DUSSAN]; Colombian Conservative Party or PC [Fernando ARAUJO]; Liberal Party or PL [Rafael PARDO]; National Integration Party or PIN [leader NA]; Radical Change or CR [German VARGAS Lleras]; Social National Unity Party or U Party [Juan Manuel SANTOS]

National Liberation Army or ELN; Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC

BCIE, CAN, Caricom (observer), CDB, FAO, G-3, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double-width), blue, and red; the flag retains the three main colors of the banner of Gran Columbia, the short-lived South American republic that broke up in 1830; various interpretations of the colors exist and include: yellow for the gold in Colombia's land, blue for the seas on its shores, and red for the blood spilled in attaining freedom; alternatively, the colors have been described as representing more elemental concepts such as sovereignty and justice (yellow), loyalty and vigilance (blue), and valour and generosity (red); or simply the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity

Colombia experienced accelerating growth between 2002 and 2007, chiefly due to improvements in domestic security, rising commodity prices, and to President URIBE's promarket economic policies. Foreign direct investment reached a record $10 billion in 2008. A series of policies enhanced Colombia's investment climate: President URIBE's pro-market measures; pro-business reforms in the oil and gas sectors; and export-led growth fueled mainly by the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act. Inequality, underemployment, and narcotrafficking remain significant challenges, and Colombia's infrastructure requires major improvements to sustain economic expansion. Because of the global financial crisis and weakening demand for Colombia's exports, Colombia's economy grew only 2.6% in 2008, and contracted slightly in 2009. In response, the URIBE administration cut capital controls, arranged for emergency credit lines from multilateral institutions, and promoted investment incentives, such as Colombia's modernized free trade zone mechanism, legal stability contracts, and new bilateral investment treaties and trade agreements. The government also encouraged exporters to diversify their customer base beyond the United States and Venezuela, traditionally Colombia's largest trading partners. The government is pursuing free trade agreements with European and Asian partners and awaits the approval of a Canadian trade accord by Canada's parliament. In 2009, China replaced Venezuela as Colombia's number two trading partner, largely because of Venezuela's decision to limit the entry of Colombian products. The business sector remains concerned about the impact of the global recession on Colombia's economy, Venezuela's trade restrictions on Colombian exports, an appreciating domestic currency, and the pending US Congressional approval of the US-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement.

$401.5 billion (2009 est.)

$401.1 billion (2008 est.)

$391.7 billion (2007 est.)

$228.8 billion (2009 est.)

21.53 million (2009 est.)

24.2% of GDP (2009 est.)

45.8% of GDP (2009 est.)

42.8% of GDP (2008 est.)

3.5% (31 November 2009)

11.5% (31 December 2008)

9.57% (31 December 2009)

17.18% (31 December 2008)

$25.01 billion (31 December 2009)

$21.58 billion (31 December 2008)

$26.57 billion (31 December 2008)

$27.25 billion (31 December 2007)

$89.69 billion (31 December 2008)

$85.34 billion (31 December 2007)

$140.5 billion (31 December 2009)

$87.03 billion (31 December 2008)

$102 billion (31 December 2007)

coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables; forest products; shrimp

textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds

50.58 billion kWh (2007 est.)

38.59 billion kWh (2007 est.)

876.7 million kWh (2007 est.)

39.4 million kWh (2007 est.)

686,600 bbl/day (2009 est.)

288,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

294,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)

16,540 bbl/day (2007 est.)

1.668 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

9 billion cu m (2008 est.)

8.1 billion cu m (2008 est.)

900 million cu m (2008 est.)

105.9 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

-$5.146 billion (2009 est.)

-$6.882 billion (2008 est.)

$34.03 billion (2009 est.)

$38.53 billion (2008 est.)

petroleum, coffee, coal, nickel, emeralds, apparel, bananas, cut flowers

US 32.45%, Venezuela 17.16%, Netherlands 4.22% (2009)

$31.47 billion (2009 est.)

$37.56 billion (2008 est.)

industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products, fuels, electricity

US 30.61%, China 10.02%, Mexico 8.05%, Brazil 5.92%, France 3.99%, Germany 3.96% (2009)

$24.99 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$23.67 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$47.33 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$46.38 billion (31 December 2008)

$74.47 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$67.27 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$15.68 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$13.18 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Colombian pesos (COP) per US dollar - 1,990 (2009), 2,243.6 (2008), 2,013.8 (2007), 2,358.6 (2006), 2,320.75 (2005)

41.365 million (2008)

combination of state-owned and privately-owned broadcast media provide service; more than 500 radio stations and large number of national, regional, and local TV stations (2007)

2.527 million (2010)

17.117 million (2008)

gas 4,567 km; oil 6,097 km; refined products 3,382 km (2009)

Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Turbo

National Army (Ejercito Nacional), National Navy (Armada Republica de Colombia, includes Naval Aviation, Naval Infantry (Infanteria de Marina, IM), and Coast Guard), Colombian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Colombia, FAC) (2010)

18-24 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; service obligation - 18 months (2004)

3.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

in December 2007, ICJ allocates San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina islands to Colombia under 1928 Treaty but does not rule on 82 degrees W meridian as maritime boundary with Nicaragua; managed dispute with Venezuela over maritime boundary and Venezuelan-administered Los Monjes Islands near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics, guerrilla, and paramilitary activities penetrate all neighboring borders and have caused Colombian citizens to flee mostly into neighboring countries; Colombia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Jamaica, and the US assert various claims to Bajo Nuevo and Serranilla Bank

illicit producer of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis; world's leading coca cultivator with 167,000 hectares in coca cultivation in 2007, a 6% increase over 2006, producing a potential of 535 mt of pure cocaine; the world's largest producer of coca derivatives; supplies cocaine to nearly all of the US market and the great majority of other international drug markets; in 2005, aerial eradication dispensed herbicide to treat over 130,000 hectares but aggressive replanting on the part of coca growers means Colombia remains a key producer; a significant portion of narcotics proceeds are either laundered or invested in Colombia through the black market peso exchange; important supplier of heroin to the US market; opium poppy cultivation is estimated to have fallen 25% between 2006 and 2007; most Colombian heroin is destined for the US market (2008)