Part 164

Climate: tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands

Terrain: flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Nevado del Huila 5,750 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds

Land use: arable land: 4% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 29% forest and woodland: 49% other: 16%

Irrigated land: 5,150 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment: current issues: deforestation; soil damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions natural hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Tropical Timber 94

Geographic 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