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1. Colombia
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colombia |
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Colombia Colombia is a republic in South America, situated in the northwestern part of the continent, and bounded on the north by Panama and the Caribbean Sea, on the east by Venezuela and Brazil, on the south by Peru and Ecuador, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Colombia is the only country of South America with coasts on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. ... Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the Americas, a number of indigenous groups, including the Chibcha, occupied the land that is present-day Colombia. From the 16th century through the early 1800s, Colombia was a colony of Spain. ... Following independence, Colombia became a republic with an elected government, although it went through periods of civil unrest and dictatorship. ... Many of the attitudes that led to Colombia’s sharp class divisions originated in 16th-century Spain and became ingrained in Colombian society during the colonial period. ... As a result of these social divisions, Colombia has experienced a period of ongoing political violence since the 1950s. ... II LAND AND RESOURCES The distinguishing topographical feature of Colombia is the Andes mountain chain. The Andes are situated in the central and western parts of the country and extend north-south across almost the entire length of Colombia. ... Almost all of Colombia’s population lives in the narrow valleys and basins nestled among the mountains. ... On the Caribbean coast is the isolated mountain mass known as the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, which includes Colombia’s highest point at Pico Cristóbal Colón (5,776 m/18,950 ft). ... The principal river of Colombia, the Magdalena, flows north between the Cordillera Oriental and the Cordillera Central, across practically the entire country, emptying into the Caribbean near Barranquilla after a course of about 1,540 km (about 957 mi). ... The coastline of Colombia extends for about 1,760 km (about 1,090 mi) along the Caribbean and for about 1,450 km (about 900 mi) along the Pacific. ... A Climate Colombia lies almost entirely in the Torrid Zone, a meteorological term denoting the areas of the earth’s surface between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. ... Colombia is the major world source of emeralds. ... C Plants and Animals The indigenous flora and fauna of Colombia are as varied as the topography. ... D Soils Colombia contains several fertile low-lying valleys, but only about 2 percent of the country’s land area, chiefly at higher elevations, is cultivated. ... Family roles in Colombia are sharply delineated, and women generally play a subordinate role in Colombia society. ... A Population Characteristics, Religion, and Language The population of Colombia (1998 estimate) is 38,580,949, giving the country an overall population density of 34 persons per sq km (88 per sq mi). ... The official language of Colombia is Spanish, although a new constitution adopted in 1991 recognizes the languages of ethnic groups in their territories and provides for bilingual education. B Political Divisions and Principal Cities Colombia is divided into 32 departments and one capital district. ... Bogotá, located on a mountain plateau in the Cordillera Oriental, is the heart of cultural and political life in Colombia. ... In the late 1980s Colombia had about 235 institutions of higher education; total enrollment in 1996 was 644,200. Among the largest universities are the National University of Colombia (1867) in Bogotá (parts of which date from the 16th century), the University of Cartagena (1827) in Cartagena, the University of Antioquia (1822) in Medellín, and the University of Nariño (1827) in Pasto. ... The Spanish colonial government devoted less energy to developing New Granada, as Colombia was called, than it did to other parts of Latin America. ... Colombia has a rich tradition of folk music and dance, most of which reveals African or Native American influences. ... In the area around Popayán, a city in southwestern Colombia along the Cauca river, a type of music called the murga is played by groups of wandering street musicians using stringed instruments. ... Colombia has a National Symphony Orchestra and a National Conservatory in Bogotá. ... IV ECONOMY Colombia is primarily an agrarian nation, although it experienced rapid industrial growth in recent decades. ... Colombia’s agricultural sector once was dependent on coffee as its principal cash crop, but has successfully diversified since a decline in international coffee prices in the late 1980s. Its mining sector contributes significantly to the economy, with large deposits of fossil fuels, precious metals, and emeralds, of which Colombia supplies about one-half the world supply. ... A Agriculture Coffee is Colombia’s principal crop. Although Colombia is second only to Brazil in the annual volume of coffee produced and is the world’s leading producer of mild coffee, the crop was bypassed by petroleum in the mid-1990s as the country’s largest source of foreign income. In the mid-1970s coffee accounted for 80 percent of Colombia’s export earnings; by 1995 coffee only brought in 25 percent of the nation’s export earnings. ... While coffee is Colombia’s leading agricultural product, the country’s diverse climate and topography permit cultivation of a wide variety of other crops. ... Although Colombia has become notorious for its cocaine supply, the processing of coca leaves is more significant than the actual coca plant cultivation in the country. ... B Forestry and Fishing Much of the forestland of Colombia is inaccessible because of poor transportation facilities. ... The cut of roundwood in Colombia in 1997 was 20. ... The coastal waters and many rivers and lakes of Colombia provide a variety of fish, notably trout, tarpon, sailfish, and tuna. ... C Mining Petroleum and gold are Colombia’s chief mineral products. ... Much of Colombia’s oil is shipped to Curaçao for refining. New oil reserves discovered 200 km (125 mi) east of Bogotá are expected to provide Colombia with energy self-sufficiency into the 21st century, with annual extraction from the reserves of 180 million barrels anticipated by the late 1990s. Colombia is one of the world’s leading exporters of coal. ... Gold, mined in Colombia since pre-Columbian times, is found principally in the department of Antioquia and to a lesser extent in the departments of Cauca, Caldas, Nariño, Tolima, and Chocó. Colombia is the leading gold producer of South America, with an output of 18,810 kg (8,532 lb) in 1997. Platinum, discovered in Colombia in 1735, is found in the gold-bearing sands of the San Juan and Atrato river basins. Colombia has the largest platinum deposits in the world, producing about 51,500 troy oz annually. ... D Manufacturing The manufacturing industries in Colombia, stimulated in the 1950s by the establishment of high protective tariffs on imports, are generally small-scale enterprises, producing for the domestic market. Together, they account for 16 percent of Colombia’s yearly national output. ... E Energy Colombia has many hydroelectric installations, and 70 percent of its electricity was produced by such facilities in 1997. ... More than 25 commercial banking institutions, as well as the government development banks and several other official and semiofficial financial institutions, operate in Colombia. ... G Commerce and Trade The principal export of Colombia is coffee, which typically accounts for about one-sixth of the yearly value of all exports. ... Colombia’s annual exports earned $10. ... The United States is Colombia’s main trading partner, and Venezuela, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Brazil, and Peru also have a significant amount of trade with the country. Colombia is an original member of the Andean Group (1969), which also includes Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Colombia entered into two other trade associations in 1995, the Group of Three and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS). The Group of Three, composed of Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia, aims to phase out trade barriers between those countries. ... These associations assured Colombia an important position in regional trade. H Transportation and Communications The irregular terrain of Colombia makes the construction of roads and railroads costly. Colombia has about 3,154 km (about 1,960 mi) of operated railroad track. ... Colombia has no regular passenger rail service. ... Air transport was begun in Colombia in 1919, and the country is now served by domestic and international airlines. In 1946 Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador agreed to establish the Great Colombia Merchant Marine; Venezuela withdrew in 1953. ... I Labor The labor force of Colombia numbers about 17 million. ... V GOVERNMENT Colombia’s 1991 constitution, which replaced a charter dating from 1886, provides for a highly centralized republican form of government. A Executive National executive power in Colombia is vested in a president who is elected by direct popular vote to a single four-year term. ... B Legislature Legislative power in Colombia is vested in a bicameral Congress composed of a House of Representatives of 161 members and a Senate of 102 members. ... D Political Parties Colombia has a relatively free and open political system in which a number of parties participate. ... Between 1958 and 1974 the Liberals and Conservatives were the only legal political parties in Colombia, owing to a 1957 constitutional amendment intended to defuse the explosive antagonisms between them. ... In 1990 Colombia had one hospital bed for every 761 people. ... F Defense From one to two years of military service are required of all male citizens in Colombia aged 18 and older. ... The newly independent territory became part of the republic of Gran Colombia, which included present-day Colombia, Panama, and, after their liberation, Venezuela and Ecuador. Following the liberation of Venezuela in 1821, a congress elected Bolívar as president of Gran Colombia and Francisco de Paula Santander, a leader of independence forces in New Granada, as vice president. ... In 1828, after the South American wars for independence were over, Bolívar personally took over the executive power in Gran Colombia. ... In 1831 New Granada (including present-day Colombia and Panama) became a separate state. |
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