About Colombia

At a glance

Geography

Colombia is made up of two major physical regions: the Andes, with its large valleys and basins in the west; and the broad lowlands, which extend over almost two-thirds of the country in the east.

Politics

President Uribe is in his second term. He has cracked down on armed groups and is credited with making the cities safer.

Economy

Despite strong growth in recent years, millions live in poverty; a free trade deal with the US has been signed. Colombia has substantial oil reserves and is a major producer of gold, silver, emeralds, platinum and coal.

International

Colombia is a big recipient of US aid and is a staunch ally of Washington.

Facts

Full name: Republic of Colombia
Population: 46.1 million
Capital: Bogota
Area: 1.14 million sq km (440,831 sq miles)
Major language: Spanish
Major religion: Christianity
Life expectancy: 69 years (men), 77 years (women)
Monetary unit: 1 Colombian peso = 100 centavos
Main exports: Petroleum, coffee, coal, gold, bananas, cut flowers, chemicals, emeralds, cotton products, sugar, livestock
GNI per capita: US $2,290
Internet domain: .co
International dialling code: +57

History

Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela).

A 40-year conflict, between government forces and anti-government insurgent groups and illegal paramilitary groups, both 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 swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence.

More than 32,000 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. Still, some renegades continued to engage in criminal activities.

The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its municipalities. However, neighboring countries worry about the violence spilling over their borders.

Political Structure

Colombia is a unitary republic. The president heads the executive branch and is elected for a four-year term, with the possibility of being re-elected for a second term.

Legislative power is vested in Congress, which consists of the Senate (the upper house) and the Chamber of Representatives (the lower house), both elected by popular vote for four years.

The historical dominance of the Partido Liberal (PL) and the Partido Conservador (PC) has eroded in the past five years and a number of new parties won representation in the 2006 election.

The judicial system is composed of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Council of State, the office of the prosecutor-general, tribunals and judges.

Economy

Colombia's economy has experienced positive growth over the past five years despite a serious armed conflict. In fact, 2007 is regarded by policy makers and the private sector as one of the best economic years in recent history, after 2005.

The economy continues to improve in part because of austere government budgets, focused efforts to reduce public debt levels, an export-oriented growth strategy, improved domestic security, and high commodity prices.

Ongoing economic problems facing President Uribe include reforming the pension system, reducing high unemployment, and funding new exploration to offset declining oil production.

The government's economic reforms and democratic security strategy, coupled with increased investment, have engendered a growing sense of confidence in the economy.

However, the business sector continues to be concerned about failure of the US Congress to approve the signed FTA.

Foreign Trade

In contrast with many other oil exporters, Colombia has posted current-account deficits in recent years, reflecting solid import growth and high levels of profit remittances from foreign companies operating in Colombia.

The current-account deficit widened to 3.4% of GDP in 2007.