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Republic of ColombiaRepública de Colombia
Flag Coat of arms of Colombia Coat of arms
Motto: "Libertad y Orden"  (Spanish) "Liberty and Order"
Anthem: Oh, Gloria Inmarcesible!
Capitaland largest city	Bogotá
Official languages	Spanish
Government	Republic
• President	Álvaro Uribe Vélez
Independence from Spain
• Declared	July 20 1810
• Recognised	August 7 1819
• Water (%)	8.8
Population
• July 2005 estimate	45,600,000 (28th)
• 2005 census	42,090,502
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
• Total	$337.286 billion (29th)
• Per capita	$7,565 (81st)
Gini (2003)	58.6 high inequality
HDI (2004)	0.790 Error: Invalid HDI value (70th)
Currency	Peso (COP)
Time zone	UTC-5
Calling code	57
ISO 3166 code	CO
Internet TLD	.co

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia (Template:Lang-es ), is a country located in the northwestern region of South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the North by the Atlantic Ocean, through the Caribbean Sea; and to the west by Panama and the Pacific Ocean. Colombia is the only country in South America that borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

Colombia is the 26th largest nation in the world and the fourth-largest country in South America (after Brazil, Argentina, and Peru), with an area seven times greater than that of New England and more than twice that of France. Its vast territory is made up of diverse physical contrasts ranging from the towering snowcapped peaks of the Andes to the hot and humid plains of the Amazon River Basin, to a vast tropical coastal plain in the north. It the second most populated nation in South America (after Brazil), and the largest Spanish speaking nation on the continent in terms of population. Despite its large territory, Colombia's population is not evenly distributed with most Colombians living in the mountainous western portion of the country as well as the northern coastline, most living in or near the capital city of Bogotá. The Southern and Eastern portions of the country are mostly sparsely inhabited tropical rainforest and inland tropical plains containing small farming communities and indigenous tribes.

Colombia currently suffers from a low-intensity conflict involving rebel guerrilla groups, paramilitary militias, drug trafficking and corruption. The conflict originated around 1964-1966, when the FARC and the ELN were founded and began their guerrilla insurgency campaigns against successive Colombian government administrations. However, since the election of president Álvaro Uribe, the security situation has improved.

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Departments and municipalities

Colombia is divided into thirty-two departments and one capital district (asterisked below).

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The departments are subdivided into approximately 1,068 municipalities (municipios).

Economy

After experiencing decades of steady growth (average GDP growth exceeded 4% in the 1970-1998 period), Colombia experienced a recession in 1999 (the first full year of negative growth since 1929), and the recovery from that recession was long and painful. Colombia's economy suffers from weak domestic and foreign demand, austere government budgets, and serious internal armed conflicts. The IMF Economic Indicators published on September 2006, forecast the Colombian GDP to reach US$149.869 billion in 2007. Inflation has been below 6% for 2004 and 2005, and is expected to remain below 5% during 2006. Colombia's main exports include manufactured goods (41.32% of exports), petroleum (28.28%), coal (13.17%), and coffee (6.25%). Colombia is one of the largest producers of pop-up books in the world. Colombia is also the largest exporter of plantains to the United States. Within Latin America, Colombia is known as a provider of fine lingerie, with the industry being centered in Medellín. All imports, exports, and the general trade balance are in record levels, and the inflow of export dollars has resulted in substantial revaluation of the Colombian Peso.

The problems facing the country range from pension system problems to drug dealing to high unemployment. Several international financial institutions have praised the economic reforms introduced by current President Alvaro Uribe, which include measures designed to bring the public-sector deficit below 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP). The government's economic policy and its controversial democratic security strategy have engendered a growing sense of confidence in the economy, and GDP growth in 2003 was among the highest in Latin America.

Tourism

During the most famous festivals such as the Cali Fair, the Barranquilla Carnival, the Iberoamerican Theater Festival and the Flower Festival is when the most tourists come to Colombia. Many people visit Colombia during Christmas time and the celebrations surrounding the Independence of Colombia.

Even though Colombia has been plagued with Travel advisories because of FARC and other guerrillas groups, it has continued to attract more tourists in recent years. The apparent cause appears to be the current hardline approach of President Álvaro Uribe called democratic security to push rebels groups farther away from the major cities, highways and tourist sites that may attract international visitors. Since President Uribe took office in 2002, he has notably increased Colombia's stability and security by significantly boosting its military strength and police presence throughout the country. This apparently has achieved fruitful results for the country's economy, particularly international tourism. In 2006, tourism officials are expecting approximately 1.5 million international visitors to visit Colombia, an astonishing increase of about 50% from the previous year. Even Lonely Planet, a world travel publisher, has picked Colombia as one of their top 10 world destinations for 2006. The World Tourism Organization reported in 2004 that Colombia achieved the third highest percentage increase of tourist arrivals in South America between 2000 and 2004 (9.2%). Only Peru and Suriname had higher increases during the same period.

Ecotourism

Culture

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Education

Over 93% of the entire population over 15 years of age can read and write, and this number has continued to increase throughout the years.

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Transportation

Colombia has a network of national highways maintained by the Instituto Nacional de Vías or INVIAS (National Institute of Roadways) government agency. The Pan-American Highway travels through Colombia, connecting the country with Venezuela to the east and Ecuador to the south.

Colombia's principal airport is El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá. Several national airlines (Avianca, AeroRepública, AIRES and SATENA), and international airlines (such as Iberia, American Airlines, Varig, Copa, Continental, Delta, Air Canada, Aerogal,TAME, TACA) operate from El Dorado. Bogotá's airport is one of the largest and most expensive in Latin America. Because of its central location in Colombia and America, it is preferred by national land transportation providers, as well as national and international air transportation providers.

Demographics

With approximately 43.6 million people in 2006, Colombia is the third-most populous country in Latin America, after Brazil and Mexico.

Movement from rural to urban areas was very heavy in the mid-twentieth century, but has since tapered off. The urban population increased from 31% of the total population in 1938, to 57% in 1951 and about 70% by 1990. Currently the figure is about 77%. Thirty cities have a population of 100,000 or more. The nine eastern lowlands departments, constituting about 54% of Colombia's area, have less than 3% of the population and a density of less than one person per square kilometer (two persons per sq. mi.). Colombia's total population in 2015 is projected to be more than 52 million.

The country has a diverse population that reflects its colourful history and the peoples that have populated here from ancient times to the present. The historic amalgam of the different main groups forms the basics of Colombia's current demographics: European immigrants, Indigenous Natives, Africans, Asians, Middle Easterners and other recent immigrants. Many of the indigenous peoples were absorbed into the mestizo population, but the remaining 700,000 currently represent over eighty-five distinct cultures. The European immigrants were primarily Spanish colonists, but a small number of other Europeans (Dutch, German, French, Swiss, Belgian and in smaller numbers Polish, Lithuanian, English and Croatian communities) immigrated during the Second World War and the Cold War. For example, former Bogotá mayor Antanas Mockus is the son of Lithuanian immigrants. The Africans were brought as slaves, mostly to the coastal lowlands, beginning early in the sixteenth century, and continuing into the nineteenth century. After abolition, a national ideology of mestizaje encouraged the mixing of the indigenous, European and Native Amerindian communities into a single mestizo ethnic identity. Other immigrant populations include Asians and Middle Easterners, particularly Lebanese, Jordanians, Syrians, Chinese, Japanese and Koreans.

Ethnic groups

As with all Latin American countries, census data in Colombia does not take into account ethnicity, so percentages are basically estimates from other sources and can vary from one another. Statistics reveal that Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and overwhelmingly speakers of Spanish, and that a majority of them are the result of the a mixture of Europeans, Africans, Amerindians.

58% of the population is mestizo, or of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry, while 20% is of white European ancestry. Another 14% is mulatto, or of mixed black African and white European ancestry, while 4% is of black African ancestry and 3% is of mixed black African and Amerindian ancestry. Pure indigenous Amerindians comprise 1 percent of the population. There are 101 languages listed for Colombia in the Ethnologue database, of which 80 are spoken today as living languages. There are about 500,000 speakers of indigenous languages in Colombia today.

More than two-thirds of all Colombians live in urban areas—a figure significantly higher than the world average. The literacy rate (92.5 percent) in Colombia is also well above the world average, and the rate of population growth is slightly higher than the world average. Also, a large proportion of Colombians are young, largely because of recent decreases in the infant mortality rate. While 33 percent of the people are 14 years of age or younger, just 4 percent are aged 65 or older.

Religion

The National Administrative Department of Statistics does not collect religious statistics, and accurate reports are hard to obtain. Based on various studies, more than 95% of the population adheres to Christianity, in which a huge segment of the population, between 81% and 90%, practices Roman Catholicism. About 1% of Colombians practice indigenous religions. Under 1% practice Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Despite strong numbers of adherants, around 60% of respondents to a poll by El Tiempo report that they do not practice their faith actively.

The Colombian constitution guarantees religious freedom, but also states that the State "is not atheist or agnostic, nor indifferent to Colombians' religious sentiment." Religious groups are readily able to obtain recognition as organized associations, but some smaller ones face difficulty in obtaining recognition as religious entities, which is required to offer chaplaincy services in public facilities.

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Crime

Colombia has become notorious for its illicit drug production, kidnappings, and murder rate. In the 1990s, it became the world's largest producer of cocaine and coca derivatives. Cultivation of coca in 2000 was estimated at 402,782 acres (163,300 hectares).Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). However, it has descended in recent years to 39 murders per 100,000 people, bringing it down in the List of countries by murder rate below the levels of South Africa. Over 90 percent of the murdered are males. Regions like Putumayo, Guaviare and Arauca remain at 100 or more murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2005. Neighbouring Venezuela, meanwhile, has seen a rise from 13 in 1991 to 33 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2005 and Ecuador has gone from 11 in 1991 to 18 in 2004.

Between 1992 and 1999 a total of 5,181 kidnappings, two-thirds of the world's reported, occurred in Colombia. In the year 2005, 800 kidnappings were reported, (73% less than in 2002) of which 35% were rescued in the same year. In 2005, 18,960 vehicles were stolen (37% less than in 2002) and 18,111 persons were murdered (38% less than in 2002).

Human rights situation

Amnesty International summarizes in its Annual Report 2006: "Although the number of killings and kidnappings in some parts of the country fell, serious human rights abuses committed by all parties to the conflict remained at critical levels. Of particular concern were reports of extrajudicial executions carried out by the security forces, killings of civilians by armed opposition groups and paramilitaries, and the forced displacement of civilian communities.

More than 55 percent of those displaced are women. Sexual violence, from which women can experience unwanted pregnancies, often results when women are displaced. The victims, as reported by Ms. Magazine, have sometimes resorted to illegal abortions. But abortion has now been legalized in Columbia in cases of rape, incest and when the mother's health is endangered.

Paramilitaries who had supposedly demobilized under the terms of a controversial law ratified in July continued to commit human rights violations, while armed opposition groups continued to commit serious and widespread breaches of international humanitarian law. Individuals who may have been responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity were not brought to justice."

See also

• Colombian Armed Conflict
• Communications in Colombia
• Departments of Colombia
• Education in Colombia
• Foreign relations of Colombia
• Military of Colombia
• Water supply and sanitation in Colombia
• List of Colombians

Bibliography

Internet

1. Montanaro, Ann. "A Concise History of Pop-up and Movable Books". Retrieved 2007-02-01.
2. http://www.extremetourist.com/destinations/guide.php?country=Colombia&PHPSESSID=adf1f96f6e668d4711b8a8d8365c1934
3. "Hot Destination: Colombia". Christian Science Monitor. May 9, 2006.
4. International Tourist Arrivals by Country of Destination, Tourism Market Trends, 2005 Edition, World Tourism Organization.
5. Colombia, The World Factbook, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, updated 12 December 2006.
6. Colombia, Human Development Report 2006, United Nations Development Programme.
7. El Choco: The African Heart of Colombia, Luis Gilberto Murillo Urrutia, speech given New York, February 23, 2001
8. "Intute - World Guide - Colombia". Retrieved 2007-03-08.
9. The Languages of Colombia
10. ^ International Religious Freedom Report 2005, by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State, November 8, 2005.
11. ^ Cite error: The named reference nationmaster was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
12. Colombian Crime Statistics(2005)
13. http://www.msmagazine.com/winter2007/newrights.asp "New Rights, Old Wrongs." Ms. Magazine, Winter 2007.

Books

• Academia Colombiana de Historia (1986), Historia extensa de Colombia (41 volúmenes). Bogotá: Ediciones Lerner, 1965-1986. ISBN 9589501338 (Obra completa)
• Barrios, Luis (1984), Historia de Colombia. Quinta edición, Bogotá: Editorial Cultural
• Bedoya F., Víctor A. (1944), Historia de Colombia: independencia y república con bases fundamentales en la colonia. Colección La Salle, Bogotá: Librería Stella
• Bushnell, David (1996), Colombia una nación a pesar de sí misma: de los tiempos precolombinos a nuestros días. Bogotá: Planeta Editores. ISBN 9586144879
• Caballero Argaez, Carlos (1987), 50 años de economía: de la crisis del treinta a la del ochenta. Segunda edición, Colección Jorge Ortega Torres, Bogotá: Editorial Presencia, Asociación Bancaria de Colombia. ISBN 9589040039
• Cadavid Misas, Roberto (2004), Cursillo de historia de Colombia: de la conquista a la independencia. Bogotá: Intermedio Editores. ISBN 9587091345
• Calderón Schrader, Camilo; Gil, Antonio; Torras, Daniel (2001), Enciclopedia de Colombia (4 volúmenes). Barcelona: céano Grupo Editorial, 2001. ISBN 8449419476 (Obra completa)
• Calderón Schrader, Camilo (1993), Gran enciclopedia de Colombia (11 volúmenes). Bogotá: Círculo de Lectores. ISBN 9582802944 (obra completa)
• Cavelier Gaviria, Germán (2003), Centenario de Panamá: una historia de la separación de Colombia en 1903. Bogotá: Universidad Externado de Colombia. ISBN 9586167186
• Forero, Manuel José (1946), Historia analítica de Colombia desde los orígenes de la independencia nacional. Segunda edición, Bogotá: Librería Voluntad.
• Gómez Hoyos, Rafael (1992), La independencia de Colombia. Madrid: Editorial Mapfre, Colecciones Mapfre 1492. ISBN 8471005964
• Granados, Rafael María (1978), Historia general de Colombia: prehistoria, conquista, colonia, independencia y Repúbica. Octava edición, Bogotá: Imprenta Departamental Antonio Nariño.
• Hernández de Alba, Guillermo (2004), Como nació la República de Colombia. Colección Bolsilibros. Bogotá: Academia Colombiana de Historia. ISBN 9588040353
• Hernández Becerra, Augusto (2001), Ordenamiento y desarreglo territorial en Colombia. Bogotá: Universidad Externado de Colombia, ISBN 9586165558
• Hernández Rodríguez, Guillermo (1949), De los Chibchas a la colonia y a la república. Bogotá: Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Sección de Extensión Cultural.
• Jaramillo Uribe, Jaime; Tirado Mejía, Alvaro; Calderón Schrader, Camilo (2000), Nueva historia de Colombia (12 volúmenes). Bogotá: Planeta Colombiana Editorial. ISBN 9586142515 (Obra completa)
• Ocampo López, Javier (1999), El proceso ideológico de la emancipación en Colombia. Colección La Línea de Horizonte, Bogotá: Editorial Planeta. ISBN 9586147924
• Reichel-Dolmatoff, Gerardo (1998), Colombia indígena. Medellín: Hola Colina. ISBN 9586382761
• Restrepo, José Manuel (1974), Historia de la revolución de la República de Colombia. Medellín: Editorial Bedout.
• Rivadeneira Vargas, Antonio José (2002), Historia constitucional de Colombia 1510-2000. Tunja: Editorial Bolivariana Internacional. Tercera edición.
• Tovar Pinzón, Hermes (1975), El movimiento campesino en Colombia durante los siglos XIX y XX. Bogotá : Ediciones Libres, segunda edición.
• Trujillo Muñoz Augusto (2001), Descentralización, regionalización y autonomía local. Bogotá: Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
• Vidal Perdomo Jaime (2001), La Región en la Organización Territorial del Estado. Bogotá: Universidad del Rosario.
• Central Intelligence Agency: The World Factbook. 2005.

External links

Government

• Template:Es icon Portal del Estado - Colombia Online Portal
• Template:Es icon Presidencia de la República de Colombia - President
• Template:Es icon Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo
• Banco de la República - Central Bank
• Template:Es icon Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadistica - Statistics
• Template:Es icon Instituto Nacional de Vías - Transport and Road Agency
• Template:Es icon Senate of Colombia
• Template:Es icon Colombia's House of representatives
• Template:Es icon Colombia's Judicial branch
• Template:Es icon Policia Nacional - Police
• Armada Nacional de Colombia - Navy
• Ejército Nacional de Colombia - Army
• Template:Es icon Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad - Homeland Security

Other

• Template:Es icon Colombian Stock Exchange
• Encyclopaedia Britannica Colombia Country Page
• CIA World Factbook - Colombia
• Template:Es icon - Maps of Colombia - Major Cities Maps
• Colombianosenelmundo.com Colombian Radio Stations online...
• Template:Wikitravel

Geographic locale

v t e Departments of Colombia  Amazonas  Antioquia  Arauca  Atlántico  Bolívar  Boyacá  Caldas  Caquetá  Casanare  Cauca  Cesar  Chocó  Córdoba  Cundinamarca  Guainía  Guaviare  Huila  La Guajira  Magdalena  Meta  Nariño  N. Santander  Putumayo  Quindío  Risaralda  San Andrés  Santander  Sucre  Tolima  Valle del Cauca  Vaupés  Vichada Capital district:  Bogotá v t e Countries and dependencies of South America Sovereign states Entire Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela In part France French Guiana Dependencies Falkland Islands / South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands UK

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• Colombia
• South American countries
• Spanish-speaking countries
• Constitutional republics