The 1996 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

note: only South American country with coastlines on

       both North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea

      People———

      Population: 36,813,161 (July 1996 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 32% (male 5,948,599; female 5,806,450)

       15–64 years: 64% (male 11,496,931; female 11,890,875)

       65 years and over: 4% (male 741,788; female 928,518) (July 1996 est.)

      Population growth rate: 1.66% (1996 est.)

      Birth rate: 21.34 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

      Death rate: 4.65 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

      Net migration rate: −0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

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

       65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female

       all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

      Infant mortality rate: 25.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.81 years male: 69.97 years female: 75.73 years (1996 est.)

      Total fertility rate: 2.35 children born/woman (1996 est.)

      Nationality: noun: Colombian(s) adjective: Colombian

      Ethnic divisions: mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Indian 3%, Indian 1%

      Religions: Roman Catholic 95%

      Languages: Spanish

      Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

       total population: 91.3%

       male: 91.2%

       female: 91.4%

      Government—————

      Name of country:

       conventional long form: Republic of Colombia

       conventional short form: Colombia

       local long form: Republica de Colombia

       local short form: Colombia

      Data code: CO

      Type of government: republic; executive branch dominates government structure

      Capital: Bogota

      Administrative divisions: 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

      Independence: 20 July 1810 (from Spain)

      National holiday: Independence Day, 20 July (1810)

      Constitution: 5 July 1991

      Legal system: based on Spanish law; a new criminal code modeled after US procedures was enacted in 1992–93; judicial review of executive and legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

      Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

      Executive branch:

       chief of state and head of government: President Ernesto SAMPER

       Pizano (since 7 August 1994) elected for a four-year term by popular

       vote; election last held 29 May 1994 (next to be held NA May 1998)

       results - no candidate received more than 50% of the total vote; a

       run-off election to select a president from the two leading

       candidates was held 19 June 1994; results - Ernesto SAMPER Pizano

       (Liberal Party) 50.4%, Andres PASTRANA Arango (Conservative Party)

       48.6%, blank votes 1%; Humberto de la CALLE Lombana elected vice

       president for a four-year term by popular vote in a new procedure

       that replaces the traditional designation of vice presidents by

       newly elected presidents

       cabinet: Cabinet

      Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso)

       Senate (Senado): elections last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held

       NA March 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (102

       total) Liberal Party 59, conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and NDF)

       31, other 12

       House of Representatives (Camara de Representantes): elections last

       held 13 March 1994 (next to be held NA March 1998); seats - (161

       total) Liberal Party 89, conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and NDF)

       53, AD/M-19 2, other 17

      Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de

       Justical), highest court of criminal law, judges are selected from

       the nominees of the Higher Council of Justice for eight-year terms;

       Council of State, highest court of administrative law, judges are

       selected from the nominees of the Higher Council of Justice 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

      Political parties and leaders: Liberal Party (PL), Luis Fernando

       JARAMILLO; Conservative Party (PC), Jaime ARIAS; New Democratic

       Force (NDF), Andres PASTRANA Arango; Democratic Alliance M-19

       (AD/M-19) is a coalition of small leftist parties and dissident

       liberals and conservatives; Patriotic Union (UP) is a legal

       political party formed by Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia

       (FARC) and Colombian Communist Party (PCC), Aida ABELLA; National

       Salvation Movement (MSN) Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado

      Other political or pressure groups: three insurgent groups are

       active in Colombia - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC);

       National Liberation Army (ELN); and dissidents of the recently

       demobilized People's Liberation Army (EPL/D)

      International organization participation: AG, CCC, CDB, ECLAC,

       FAO, G- 3, G-11, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,

       ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,

       IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,

       UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

      Diplomatic representation in US:

       chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos LLERAS de la Fuente

       chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

       telephone: [1] (202) 387–8338

       FAX: [1] (202) 232–8643