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: