THE GEOGRAPHY (Foreign Office UK)
Area: 1,141,748 sq km
Population: 42.32m (2000)
Capital City: Bogotß (population:
6.5million)
People: Colombia is an ethnic melting
pot in which some 60% acknowledge
that they are of Criollo/Mestizo stock,
20% claim direct European descent, 18%
are of Afro-Colombian origin, and 2%
claim the benefits of belonging to
indigenous communities. There are tiny
Christian and Muslim Arab minorities,
small and declining Jewish communities
in the major cities, and a small group
claiming Romany roots.
Language: Spanish with some isolated
pockets where indigenous languages
remain in use.
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic,
with some evangelical influences in
parts of the country.
Currency: Peso
Major political parties: The influence of
the two traditional political parties û
the Conservatives and the Liberals -
has declined. The Conservatives opted
not to field a candidate in the 2002
Presidential elections. Past groupings
of influence have included, in addition
to the Partido Social Conservador
(PSC) and Partido Liberal (PL), the
Movimiento Nacional Conservador
(MNC), Movimiento Oxigeno Liberal
(MOL), Movimiento Nacional
Progresista (MNP), Movimiento
Defensa Ciudadana (MDC).
Government: Democratically elected
representative system with a strong
executive.
Legislature: Bicameral Congress; 102
member Senate and 165 member
Chamber of Deputies are both directly
elected for four-year terms.
GEOGRAPHY
Colombia lies entirely within the
tropics, but climate and land use vary
greatly according to altitude, ranging
from the arid low-lying Guajira
peninsula in the north-east and tropical
lowlands of the Caribbean and Pacific
coasts, to the bleak pastures of the
Andean pßramo (high moorlands). The
AndesÆ western, central and eastern
cordilleras (mountain ranges) run
parallel south-west to north-east. The
physical geography means that large
areas are very sparsely populated.
THE HISTORY (Foreign Office UK)
Before Spanish rule, Colombia was
populated by indigenous peoples. Most
were hunters or nomad
agriculturalists, but one part of the
country, the high basins of the Eastern
Cordillera, was densely occupied by
Chibcha Indians who had become
sedentary farmers.
1525 First permanent Spanish
settlement at Santa Marta by Rodrigo
de Bastidas
1810 Colombia declares its independence
from Spanish rule
1819 Republic of Gran Colombia
(embracing the present republics of
Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and
Ecuador) is proclaimed following
successful campaign waged by Simon
Bolivar in the early 1800s.
1829 Venezuela breaks away from the
Republic
1830 Ecuador breaks away from the
Republic and the Republic dissolves,
with its member states, except
Panama, becoming independent nations.
Remaining provinces are named Nueva
(New) Granada.
1836 Nueva Granada restores its name
to Colombia Much of the 19th Century
was characterised by political instability
and violent struggle between Liberal
and Conservative Parties, culminating
in the War of the Thousand Days
(1899-1902).
1903 Panama, with US assistance,
breaks away from Colombia
1903 to mid-1940s Colombia enjoys
relative tranquility, including
implementation of 'New Deal' type
reforms under President Adolfo Lopez
Pumarejo (1934-38)
1948 Assassination of popular Liberal
leader, Jorge Eliecer Gaitan, provokes
serious rioting in Bogotß. Several
thousand are killed.
1948-58 Conflict between Liberal and
Conservative Party supporters spreads
to rural areas. As many as 200,000 are
killed during this period, known as 'La
Violencia'.
1957 Colombia's only military dictator
during the 20th Century, General Rojas
Pinilla, is ousted after four years in
power
1958 Liberal and Conservative parties
agree power sharing arrangement
(National Front) which formally runs
until 1974
Recent History
Mid-1960s Colombia's two main
guerrilla groups, the Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and
National Liberation Army (ELN), are
established
1974 M-19 guerrilla group is formed
1978 Cesar Turbay (Liberal) elected
President. He conducts tough
counter-insurgency campaign
1980s Medellin and Cali drug cartels
consolidate their control of the drugs
trade. Paramilitary groups emerge as a
significant force.
1982 Belisario Betancur (Conservative)
becomes President. Takes first serious
steps towards a negotiated settlement
of guerrilla conflicts.
1985 FARC establishes political party,
Patriotic Union (UP), but paramilitary
death squads kill many hundreds of its
members over the next decade. M-19
takes over Palace of Justice in
Bogotß; army recaptures building, but
over 100 are killed including 11 senior
judges.
1989-90 Big increase in drug-related
violence. Medellin Cartel, opposed to
extradition, assassinates Luis Carlos
Galan, favourite to win Liberal Party
presidential nomination in 1990 and kills
200 policemen in Medellin. President
Barco (1986-90) appeals to
international community for support in
his struggle against narco-traffickers.
1990 After long and difficult
negotiations, M-19 guerrillas demobilise
and establish a democratic political
movement
1991 Constituent Assembly (with
former-guerrillas well represented)
drafts new constitution
1991-92 Various rounds of peace talks
between government of President
Gaviria (1990-94) and FARC and ELN
guerrillas fail to make headway
1993 Pablo Escobar, infamous head of
Medellin drug cartel, killed by police in
Medellin
1994-1998 Administration of President
Samper (Liberal) dogged by
drug-related corruption scandals. But
progress is made in dismantling
Cali-drug cartel. FARC and ELN
guerrillas show little interest in
negotiating with Samper government.
1998 Andres Pastrana (Conservative,
but standing as an independent) wins
Presidential elections
2002 President Pastrana breaks off
three-year old peace talks with FARC,
and terminates their demilitarised zone.
. Peace talks with ELN break down and
attempts to restart them stall.
2002 Alvaro Uribe (dissident Liberal,
standing for independent Primero
Colombia Movement) wins Presidential
elections . Inaugurated 7 August.
THE ECONOMY (Foreign Office UK)
Despite years of drug and politically
related violence, the economy is
diverse and relatively advanced. Crude
oil, coal, coffee and cut flowers are
the principal legal exports. The world
coffee market is severely depressed, a
consequence of new production from
Asia, which has had an effect on
employment and export income.
Colombia has emerged from the crisis
of 1999 when the country was affected
by instability in Brazil and South East
Asia. A contraction in output of 4.3% in
1999 has been followed by increases in
the three subsequent years. But the
economy has still some way to go
before returning to its historical
average growth rates of around 4.5%
û it has remained stuck at less than 2%
growth in 2002. The new government
of Alvaro Uribe has moved to
strengthen the countryÆs
macroeconomic stability and improve
its long term potential. The President is
attempting to rein in the
governmentÆs finances through an IMF
supported package of tax and social
spending reform. These reforms could
lead to an increase in the trend growth
of the economy.
Financial market panic in the run up to
the 2002 elections in Brazil caused a
major devaluation in the Colombian
peso. This devaluation has had two
consequences. First, as much of the
Colombian national debt is denominated
in dollars and euros, the debt/GDP
ratio increased from 40% of GDP in
1998 to 53% in 2002. The second effect
has been the possibility of
pass-through to domestic inflation.
Exports to the largest external market
of Venezuela have fallen by 60% since
the general strike there in the winter.
But Colombia seems to have weathered
that shock well. Of longer term worry
is internal violence. The conflict is
estimated to cost the economy at least
1.2% in growth each year. Violence
lowers the levels of capital investment,
by both foreigners and Colombians.
Attacks on infrastructure, especially oil
pipelines, hurt oil exports, royalty
payments and export revenue.
Basic Economic Facts
GDP: US$ 82.7 billion (2001)
GDP per head: Colombian Pesos 1,821
(2001)
Annual Growth: 2% (2002)
Inflation: 6.9% (2002)
Unemployment: 18%
Major Industries: Oil, agriculture,
mining, and manufacturing
Major trading partners: US, Venezuela,
Germany, UK, Mexico, Japan, Brazil
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
ColombiaÆs Relations with Neighbours
ColombiaÆs relations with other
countries in Latin America are
generally good. An unresolved
territorial dispute persists with
Venezuela as does an island dispute
with Nicaragua, though these are being
managed. Since the breakdown in peace
talks with the FARC early 2002,
Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela have
focused their attention on the border
areas, and relations are particularly
strained between Colombia and
Venezuela on this issue. Colombia's
neighbours remain concerned about the
internal conflict and the latent affects
of æPlan ColombiaÆ. PanamaÆs
location has made it a major transit
point for Colombian cocaine going to
the USA. æPlan ColombiaÆ has been a
worry for the Panamanians due to the
largely unpatrolled border (the Darien
Region) and the potential for spill-over
of drugs production, terrorists and
refugees. Colombian insurgents have
become more ambitious and more
aggressive. Whereas in the past, rebels
crossed the border only to either rest
and recuperate or to stock up on
provisions, there is evidence now of
coca production and of heavily armed
Colombians prepared to defend it.
To express their concerns the
Presidents of Costa Rica, Panama,
Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Nicaragua and Colombia, with the
Foreign Minister of Argentina signed
the æPanama DeclarationÆ in February
2003 condemning the Colombian illegal
armed groups as terrorists. Colombia,
Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama
and Venezuela also held a regional
security summit in March 2003.
The Andean Parliament is based in
Bogotß, and while regional security
issues figure large for Colombia, it
generally plays a key and pragmatic
role in regional affairs.
ColombiaÆs Relations with the
International Community
Colombia has strong economic relations
with the US, EU and support from the
International Community in its peace
process. The UN maintains offices in
Bogotß dealing with Human Rights,
Displacement, Drugs, Health and
Labour issues. A special adviser of the
UN Secretary General had played a key
coordinating role in the peace process
with FARC, and in that with the ELN.
Colombia currently has one of the
non-permanent seats on the UN
Security Council (until end 2002)
where its experience in non-aligned
fora, and the professionalism of its UN
team, makes a very positive
contribution. He continues to follow the
situation in Colombia closely.
Flags Of The World: Republic of Colombia
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