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Compare Cuba (2003) - Colombia (2003)

Compare Cuba (2003) z Colombia (2003)

 Cuba (2003)Colombia (2003)
 CubaColombia
Administrative divisions 14 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 special municipality* (municipio especial); Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos, Ciudad de La Habana, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Isla de la Juventud*, La Habana, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara 32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital district* (distrito capital); Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Atlantico, Distrito Capital de 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
Age structure 0-14 years: 20.1% (male 1,164,376; female 1,103,061)


15-64 years: 69.6% (male 3,932,604; female 3,909,523)


65 years and over: 10.2% (male 531,608; female 622,257) (2003 est.)
0-14 years: 31.3% (male 6,601,581; female 6,447,679)


15-64 years: 63.7% (male 12,931,093; female 13,626,333)


65 years and over: 4.9% (male 913,798; female 1,141,589) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables; forest products; shrimp
Airports 161 (2002) 1,050 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 70


over 3,047 m: 7


2,438 to 3,047 m: 10


1,524 to 2,437 m: 22


under 914 m: 31 (2002)
total: 96


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 9


1,524 to 2,437 m: 38


914 to 1,523 m: 36


under 914 m: 11 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 91


914 to 1,523 m: 28


under 914 m: 63 (2002)
total: 954


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 51


914 to 1,523 m: 315


under 914 m: 587 (2002)
Area total: 110,860 sq km


land: 110,860 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 1,138,910 sq km


land: 1,038,700 sq km


water: 100,210 sq km


note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Pennsylvania slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Background Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule has held the country together since then. Cuba's Communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The country is now slowly recovering from a severe economic recession in 1990, following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies, worth $4 billion to $6 billion annually. Cuba portrays its difficulties as the result of the US embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, or falsified visas - is a continuing problem. Some 2,500 Cubans attempted the crossing of the Straits of Florida in 2002; the US Coast Guard apprehended about 60% of the individuals. Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and Venezuela). A 40-year insurgent campaign to overthrow the Colombian Government escalated during the 1990s, undergirded in part by funds from the drug trade. Although the violence is deadly and large swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence, the movement lacks the military strength or popular support necessary to overthrow the government. An anti-insurgent army of paramilitaries has grown to be several thousand strong in recent years, challenging the insurgents for control of territory and illicit industries such as the drug trade and the government's ability to exert its dominion over rural areas. While Bogota steps up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, neighboring countries worry about the violence spilling over their borders.
Birth rate 11.87 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 21.59 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $14.9 billion


expenditures: $15.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
revenues: $24 billion


expenditures: $25.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Capital Havana Bogota
Climate tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October) tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands
Coastline 3,735 km 3,208 km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km)
Constitution 24 February 1976, amended July 1992 and June 2002 5 July 1991
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Cuba


conventional short form: Cuba


local long form: Republica de Cuba


local short form: Cuba
conventional long form: Republic of Colombia


conventional short form: Colombia


local long form: Republica de Colombia


local short form: Colombia
Currency Cuban peso (CUP) Colombian peso (COP)
Death rate 7.38 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 5.63 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $12.3 billion (convertible currency); another $15 billion -$20 billion owed to Russia (2002 est.) $38.4 billion (2002 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer James C. CASON; address: USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado, Havana; telephone: [53] (7) 33-3551 through 3559 (operator assistance required); FAX: [53] (7) 33-3700; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland chief of mission: Ambassador Anne W. PATTERSON


embassy: Calle 22D-BIS, numbers 47-51, Apartado Aereo 3831


mailing address: Carrera 45 #22D-45, Bogota, D.C., APO AA 34038


telephone: [57] (1) 315-0811


FAX: [57] (1) 315-2197
Diplomatic representation in the US none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Dagoberto RODRIGUEZ Barrera (since August 2001); address: Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518 chief of mission: Ambassador Luis Alberto MORENO Mejia


chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 387-8338


FAX: [1] (202) 232-8643


consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Washington, DC


consulate(s): Atlanta
Disputes - international US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in 1999 and against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over disputed maritime boundary involving 50,000 sq km in the Caribbean Sea, including the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; maritime boundary dispute with Venezuela in the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian drug activities penetrate Peruvian border area
Economic aid - recipient $68.2 million (1997 est.) $NA
Economy - overview The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has undertaken limited reforms in recent years to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services but is unlikely to implement extensive changes. A major feature of the economy is the dichotomy between relatively efficient export enclaves and inefficient domestic sectors. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the severe economic depression of the early 1990s, which was caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. High oil import prices, recessions in key export markets, damage from Hurricanes Isidore and Lili, and the tourist slump after 11 September 2001 hampered growth in 2002. Colombia's economy suffers from weak domestic and foreign demand, austere government budgets, and serious internal armed conflict. Other economic problems facing the new president URIBE range from reforming the pension system to reducing high unemployment. Two of Colombia's leading exports, oil and coffee, face an uncertain future; new exploration is needed to offset declining oil production, while coffee harvests and prices are depressed. Colombian business leaders are calling for greater progress in solving the conflict with insurgent groups. On the positive side, several international financial institutions have praised the economic reforms introduced by President URIBE and have pledged enough funding to cover Colombia's debt servicing costs in 2003.
Electricity - consumption 13.38 billion kWh (2001) 39.81 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 210 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 40 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 14.38 billion kWh (2001) 42.99 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 93.9%


hydro: 0.6%


nuclear: 0%


other: 5.4% (2001)
fossil fuel: 26%


hydro: 72.7%


nuclear: 0%


other: 1.3% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pico Cristobal Colon 5,775 m


note: nearby Pico Simon Bolivar also has the same elevation
Environment - current issues air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
Ethnic groups mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1% mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1%
Exchange rates Cuban pesos per US dollar - 1.0000 (nonconvertible, official rate, for international transactions, pegged to the US dollar); convertible peso sold for domestic use at a rate of 1.00 US dollar per 27 pesos by the Government of Cuba (2002) Colombian pesos per US dollar - 2,504.24 (2002), 2,299.63 (2001), 2,087.9 (2000), 1,756.23 (1999), 1,426.04 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State, appointed by the National Assembly; note - there is also a Council of State whose members are elected by the National Assembly


elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly; election last held 6 March 2003 (next to be held in 2008)


election results: Fidel CASTRO Ruz reelected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%; Raul CASTRO Ruz elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100%
chief of state: President Alvaro URIBE Velez (since 7 August 2002); Vice President Francisco SANTOS (since 7 August 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Alvaro URIBE Velez (since 7 August 2002); Vice President Francisco SANTOS (since 7 August 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Cabinet consists of a coalition of the two dominant parties - the PL and PSC - and independents


elections: president and vice president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 26 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2006)


election results: President Alvaro URIBE Velez received 53% of the vote; Vice President Francisco SANTOS was elected on the same ticket
Exports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee petroleum, coffee, coal, apparel, bananas, cut flowers
Exports - partners Netherlands 19.1%, Russia 18.1%, Canada 14.3%, Spain 9.5%, China 7.3% (2002) US 44.8%, Venezuela 9.4%, Ecuador 6.8% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description five equal horizontal bands of blue (top and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center; design influenced by the US flag three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double-width), blue, and red; similar to the flag of Ecuador, which is longer and bears the Ecuadorian coat of arms superimposed in the center
GDP purchasing power parity - $30.69 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $251.6 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 7.6%


industry: 34.5%


services: 57.9% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 13%


industry: 30%


services: 57% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $6,100 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1.1% (2002 est.) 1.5% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 21 30 N, 80 00 W 4 00 N, 72 00 W
Geography - note largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles only South American country with coastlines on both North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea
Heliports - 1 (2002)
Highways total: 60,858 km


paved: 29,820 km (including 638 km of expressway)


unpaved: 31,038 km (1999 est.)
total: 110,000 km


paved: 26,000 km


unpaved: 84,000 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 1%


highest 10%: 44% (1999)
Illicit drugs territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for cocaine and heroin bound for the US and Europe; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 illicit producer of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis; world's leading coca cultivator (cultivation of coca in 2002 was 144,450 hectares, a 15% decline since 2001); potential production of opium between 2001 and 2002 declined by 25% to 91 metric tons; potential production of heroin declined to 11.3 metric tons; the world's largest processor of coca derivatives into cocaine; supplier of about 90% of the cocaine to the US market and the great majority of cocaine to other international drug markets; important supplier of heroin to the US market; active aerial eradication program; a significant portion of non-US narcotics proceeds are either laundered or invested in Colombia through the black market peso exchange
Imports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products, fuels, electricity
Imports - partners Spain 17.2%, China 12%, Italy 9.1%, France 7.6%, Mexico 7.3%, Canada 6.2%, US 5.6%, Brazil 4.7% (2002) US 32.6%, Venezuela 7%, Mexico 5.3%, Japan 5.3%, Brazil 5.2%, Germany 4.2% (2002)
Independence 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902) 20 July 1810 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate 0.2% (2001 est.) 4% (2001 est.)
Industries sugar, petroleum, tobacco, chemicals, construction, services, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, biotechnology textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds
Infant mortality rate total: 7.15 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 8.06 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 6.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
total: 22.47 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 26.46 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 18.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 7.1% (2002 est.) 6.2% (2002 est.)
International organization participation ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO BCIE, CAN, Caricom (observer), CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-3, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 5 (2001) 18 (2000)
Irrigated land 870 sq km (1998 est.) 8,500 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly) four coequal, supreme judicial organs; Supreme Court of Justice or 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); Higher Council of Justice (administers and disciplines the civilian judiciary; members of the disciplinary chamber resolve jurisdictional conflicts arising between other courts; members are elected by three sister courts and Congress for eight-year terms)
Labor force 4.3 million


note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2000 est.)
18.3 million (1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 24%, industry 25%, services 51% (1999) services 46%, agriculture 30%, industry 24% (1990)
Land boundaries total: 29 km


border countries: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km


note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and thus remains part of Cuba
total: 6,004 km


border countries: Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 1,496 km (est.), Venezuela 2,050 km
Land use arable land: 33.04%


permanent crops: 7.61%


other: 59.35% (1998 est.)
arable land: 1.9%


permanent crops: 1.96%


other: 96.14% (1998 est.)
Languages Spanish Spanish
Legal system based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction 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
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (609 seats, elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions; members serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 19 January 2003 (next to be held in 2008)


election results: percent of vote - PCC 97.6%; seats - PCC 609
bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Senate or Senado (102 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (166 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2006); House of Representatives - last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2006)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PL 28, PSC 13, independents and smaller parties (many aligned with conservatives) 61; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PL 54, PSC 21, independents and other parties 91
Life expectancy at birth total population: 76.8 years


male: 74.38 years


female: 79.36 years (2003 est.)
total population: 71.14 years


male: 67.29 years


female: 75.12 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97%


male: 97.2%


female: 96.9% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 92.5%


male: 92.4%


female: 92.6% (2003 est.)
Location Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama
Map references Central America and the Caribbean South America
Maritime claims exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 59,257 GRT/90,295 DWT


ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 5, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2 (2002 est.)
total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 51,445 GRT/55,930 DWT


ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 6, container 1, petroleum tanker 3


note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 1 (2002 est.)
Military - note Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993 -
Military branches Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) including Revolutionary Army (ER), Revolutionary Navy (MGR), Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Territorial Militia Troops (MTT), and Youth Labor Army (EJT); note - the Border Guard Troops (TGF) are controlled by the Interior Ministry Army (Ejercito Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional, including Marines and Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Colombiana), National Police (Policia Nacional)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $NA $3.3 billion (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP roughly 4% (FY95 est.) 3.4% (FY01)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 3,120,702


females age 15-49: 3,049,927


note: both sexes are liable for military service (2003 est.)
males age 15-49: 11,101,719 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 1,923,967


females age 15-49: 1,875,412 (2003 est.)
males age 15-49: 7,403,433 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age 17 years of age (2003 est.) 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 81,095


females: 87,780 (2003 est.)
males: 392,468 (2003 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 10 December (1898); note - 10 December 1898 is the date of independence from Spain, 20 May 1902 is the date of independence from US administration; Rebellion Day, 26 July (1953) Independence Day, 20 July (1810)
Nationality noun: Cuban(s)


adjective: Cuban
noun: Colombian(s)


adjective: Colombian
Natural hazards the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to October (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts
Natural resources cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower
Net migration rate -1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
People - note illicit migration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; some 2,500 Cubans took to the Straits of Florida in 2002; the US Coast Guard interdicted about 60% of these migrants; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US; some 1,500 Cubans arrived overland via the southwest border and direct flights to Miami in 2002 -
Pipelines gas 49 km; oil 230 km (2003) gas 4,360 km; oil 6,134 km; refined products 3,140 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary] Conservative Party or PSC [Carlos HOLGUIN Sardi]; Liberal Party or PL [Piedad CORDOBA and Juan Manuel LOPEZ Cabrales]; Colombian Communist Party or PCC [Jaime CAICEDO]; 19 of April Movement or M-19 [Antonio NAVARRO Wolff]


note: Colombia has about 60 formally recognized political parties, most of which do not have a presence in either house of Congress
Political pressure groups and leaders NA two largest insurgent groups active in Colombia - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC and National Liberation Army or ELN; largest anti-insurgent paramilitary group is United Self-Defense Groups of Colombia or AUC
Population 11,263,429 (July 2003 est.) 41,662,073 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 55% (2001)
Population growth rate 0.34% (2003 est.) 1.56% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Cienfuegos, Havana, Manzanillo, Mariel, Matanzas, Nuevitas, Santiago de Cuba Bahia de Portete, Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Leticia, Puerto Bolivar, San Andres, Santa Marta, Tumaco, Turbo
Radio broadcast stations AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 454, FM 34, shortwave 27 (1999)
Railways total: 3,442 km


standard gauge: 3,442 km 1.435-m gauge (142 km electrified)


note: an additional 7,742 km of track is used by sugar plantations; about 65% of this track is standard gauge; the rest is narrow gauge (2002)
total: 3,304 km


standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 3,154 km 0.914-m gauge (2002)
Religions nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented Roman Catholic 90%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female


total population: 1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female


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


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 16 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: principal trunk system, end to end of country, is coaxial cable; fiber-optic distribution in Havana and on Isla de la Juventud; 2 microwave radio relay installations (one is old, US-built; the other newer, built during the period of Soviet support); both analog and digital mobile cellular service established


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
general assessment: modern system in many respects


domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic satellite system with 41 earth stations; fiber-optic network linking 50 cities


international: satellite earth stations - 6 Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat; 3 fully digitalized international switching centers; 8 submarine cables
Telephones - main lines in use 473,031 (2000) 5,433,565 (December 1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 2,994 (1997) 1,800,229 (December 1998)
Television broadcast stations 58 (1997) 60 (includes seven low-power stations) (1997)
Terrain mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains
Total fertility rate 1.61 children born/woman (2003 est.) 2.61 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 4.1% (2001 est.) 17.4% (2002 est.)
Waterways 240 km 18,140 km (navigable by river boats) (April 1996)
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