The 2010 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

Brazil 1,644 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 1,800 km, Venezuela 2,050 km

      Coastline:

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

      Maritime claims:

      territorial sea: 12 nm

      exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

      continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

      Climate:

      tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands

      Terrain:

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

      Elevation extremes:

      lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

      highest point: Pico Cristobal Colon 5,775 m

      note: nearby Pico Simon Bolivar also has the same elevation

      Natural resources:

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

      Land use:

      arable land: 2.01%

      permanent crops: 1.37%

      other: 96.62% (2005)

      Irrigated land:

      9,000 sq km (2003)

      Total renewable water resources:

      2,132 cu km (2000)

      Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

      total: 10.71 cu km/yr (50%/4%/46%)

      per capita: 235 cu m/yr (2000)

      Natural hazards:

      highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts

      volcanism: Galeras (elev. 4,276 m, 14,029 ft) is one of Colombia's most active volcanoes, having erupted in 2009 and 2010 causing major evacuations; it has been deemed a "Decade Volcano" by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Nevado del Ruiz (elev. 5,321 m, 17,453 ft), 129 km (80 mi) west of Bogota, erupted in 1985 producing lahars that killed 23,000 people; the volcano last erupted in 1991; additionally, after 500 years of dormancy, Nevado del Huila reawakened in 2007 and has experienced frequent eruptions since then; other historically active volcanoes include Cumbal, Dona Juana, Nevado del Tolima, and Purace

      Environment - current issues:

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

      Environment - international agreements:

      party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate

       Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,

       Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection,

       Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

      signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

      Geography - note:

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

      People ::Colombia

      Population:

      44,205,293 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 29

      Age structure:

      0–14 years: 27.7% (male 6,192,707/female 5,919,959)

      15–64 years: 66.4% (male 14,292,342/female 14,717,249)

      65 years and over: 5.8% (male 1,093,432/female 1,461,683) (2010 est.)

      Median age:

      total: 27.6 years

      male: 26.7 years

      female: 28.6 years (2010 est.)

      Population growth rate:

      1.184% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 105

      Birth rate:

      17.76 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 112

      Death rate:

      5.24 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 179

      Net migration rate:

      −0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 149

      Urbanization:

      urban population: 74% of total population (2008)

      rate of urbanization: 1.7% annual rate of change (2005–10 est.)

      Sex ratio:

      at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

      under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

      15–64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

      65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female

      total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

      total: 16.87 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 111 male: 20.52 deaths/1,000 live births

      female: 13.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

      total population: 74.31 years country comparison to the world: 97 male: 70.98 years

      female: 77.84 years (2010 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

      2.18 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 114

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

      0.6% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 71

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

      170,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 34

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

      9,800 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 33

      Major infectious diseases:

      degree of risk: high

      food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea

      vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever

      water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)

      Nationality:

      noun: Colombian(s)

      adjective: Colombian

      Ethnic groups:

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

      Religions:

      Roman Catholic 90%, other 10%

      Languages:

      Spanish (official)

      Literacy:

      definition: age 15 and over can read and write

      total population: 90.4%

      male: 90.1%

      female: 90.7% (2005 census)

      School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

      total: 13 years

      male: 13 years

      female: