Colombia
Colombia
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Skyline of Bogota. Source: Wikimedia Commons
International Environmental Issues
Columbia is a nation of forty-five million people in South American bounded in the northwest by the Central American nation of Panama, in the east by Venezuela, in the south by Brazil, in the southwest by Peru and Ecuador.
It is the only South American country with coastlines on both the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
Its main environmental issues include:
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- deforestation;
- soil and water quality damage from overuse of pesticides; and,
- air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions.
It is susceptible to volcanic eruptions on the highlands; occasional earthquakes; and periodic drought.
Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela).
A four-decade long conflict between government forces and anti-government insurgent groups, principally the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) heavily funded by the drug trade, escalated during the 1990s. The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government, and violence has been decreasing since about 2002. However, insurgents continue attacks against civilians and large areas of the countryside are under guerrilla influence or are contested by security forces.
More than 31,000 former paramilitaries had demobilized by the end of 2006 and the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) as a formal organization had ceased to function.
In the wake of the paramilitary demobilization, emerging criminal groups arose, whose members include some former paramilitaries.
The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its administrative departments. However, neighboring countries worry about the violence spilling over their borders.
Geography
Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama
Geographic Coordinates: 4 00 N, 72 00 W
Area: 1,138,910 km2 (1,038,700 km2 land and 100,210 km2 water). This includes the tiny islands of Isla de Malpelo in the Pacific Ocean and Roncador Cay and Serrana Bank in theCaribbean Sea.
arable land: 2.01%
permanent crops: 1.37%
other: 96.62% (2005)
Land Boundaries: total: 6,309 km (Brazil 1,644 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 1,800 km, Venezuela 2,050 km
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
Natural Hazards: Highlands are subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts.
Volcanism: Galeras (elev. 4,276 m) 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), 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.
Terrain: Flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains. The highest point is Pico Cristobal Colon (5,775 metres). Nearby Pico Simon Bolivar also has the same elevation.
Climate: Tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands.
Topography of Colombia. Source: Wikimedia Commons
Ecology and Biodiversity
The richest and most diverse region on Earth, the Tropical Andes covers a large portion of Colombia. The Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena biodiversity hotspot extends through the Chocó region of western Colombia and spreads east around the northern extent of the Colombian western and central cordillera, through the dry forests along the Caribbean coast as far as the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, and south into the Cauca and Magdalena valleys. The Esmeraldes-Pacific Colombia mangroves extend along Colombia's Pacific coastline. The Magdalena-Santa Marta mangroves are located in northern Colombia in the Department of Magdalena encompassing the Gulfo de Urabá then east to just past the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta at the base of the Guayjira Peninsula, along the Caribbean Sea. Colombia also has numerous biologically diverse terrestrial ecoregions:
See also:
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Ecoregions of Colombia. Source: World Wildlife Fund |
Parks and Protected areas
See main article: Protected areas of Colombia
Los Katíos National Park is located in northwest Colombia in the north of the Department of Chocó between the frontier with Panama and the west bank of the river Atrato. It is noted for it's diverse habitats and presence of flora and fauna specific to the Central and Southern American regions.
Government
Government Type: Republic; executive branch dominates government structure
Capital: Bogota - 8.262 million (2009)
Other Major Cities: Medellin 3.497 million; Cali 2.352 million; Barranquilla 1.836 million; Bucaramanga 1.065 million (2009)
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Administrative divisions: 32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital district (distrito capital -- Bogota);
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Independence Date: 20 July 1810 (from Spain)
Legal System: civil law system influenced by the Spanish and French civil codes. Colombia has not submitted an International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction declaration. It accepts International criminal court (ICCt) jurisdiction
International Environmental Agreements
Colombia is party to international agreements on 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, and Wetlands.
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In eastern Columbia (left) and northern Venezuela (right), a vast stretch of plains called the Llanos rests at the foothills of the Andes Mountains. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra and Aqua satellites detected numerous fires (red dots) scattered across the region, even in wetland areas between two of the Llanos’ majors rivers: the Apure (running from center toward the right of the image) and the Meta (flowing northeast from bottom left). Where the Meta leaves the Columbia-Venezuela border, it is joined by the Atabapo River and becomes the Orinoco, which flows out to meet the Atlantic. In the high-resolution imagery, dark purplish-brown burn scars are apparent against the green vegetation of the prairies. At bottom right (and most of the bottom of the Jan. 24 image), the grasses of the llanos give way to the upper reaches of the Amazon Rainforest. On Feb. 14, key-hole shaped Lake Maracaibo is visible in northwest Venezuela. On March 4, it is in the center. These images were captured in December 2002 and January and February 2003. Source: NASA. Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC |
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Two months of heavy rain have take a toll on northern Colombia. The rainy season, which runs from October to December, started with several days of intense rain in early October 2004 continued with torrential downpours through November. Many international aid agencies are calling this the most damaging rainy season in many years as floods and landslides claimed the lives of 19 people and left over 200,000 homeless. The Colombian government declared a state of emergency in eight provinces. |
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| Street scene in the northern city of Cartagena. Because of the mild climate and abundance of wildlife in the area, settlement around Cartagena goes back to 7000 B.C. The city's colonial walled section and fortress have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. |
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| Chicamocha canyon in the Department of Santander. Source: Wikimedia Commons. |
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| Location of glaciers in Colombia. Mountains are delineated by the 2,000-m contour line (heavy dark line). Source: US Geological Survey |
People and Society
Population: 44,725,543 (July 2011 est.)
Ethnic groups: mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1%
Age Structure:
0-14 years: 26.7% (male 6,109,495/female 5,834,273)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 14,826,008/female 15,208,799)
65 years and over: 6.1% (male 1,159,691/female 1,587,277) (2011 est.)
Population Growth Rate: 1.156% (2011 est.)
Birthrate: 17.49 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Death Rate: 5.26 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
Net Migration Rate: -0.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Life Expectancy at Birth: 74.55 years (2011 est.)
Total Fertility Rate: 2.15 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Language: Spanish
Literacy: 92.8% (2004 est.)
Urbanization: 75% of total population (2010) growing at an annual rate of change of 1.7% (2010-15 est.)
Water
Total Renewable Water Resources: 2,132 cu km (2000)
Freshwater Withdrawal: 10.71 cu km/yr (50% domestic, 4% industrial, 46% agricultural)
Per Capita Freshwater Withdrawal: 235 cu m/yr (2000)
Access to improved sources of drinking water: 92% of population
Access to improved sanitation facilities: 74% of population
Energy
Colombia has seen an increase in oil production in recent years following a period of steady declines. The Colombian government has implemented a partial privatization of state oil company Ecopetrol in an attempt to revive its upstream oil industry. In addition, it has enacted a series of regulatory reforms to make the sector more attractive to foreign investors. Historically, the oil sector has been targeted by attacks from insurgent groups, though the situation has improved in recent years with a substantial reduction in the number of attacks against Colombia’s energy infrastructure. While the security situation has improved, Colombia's longstanding civil conflict has taken its toll on the country's energy sector, with the country’s pipelines and power lines still experiencing occasional sabotage by insurgent groups.
In 2006, Colombia consumed 1.3 quadrillion Btus of total energy. Oil constituted the largest part of this amount, followed by hydroelectricity. Colombia is also an important producer of high quality coal. Because Colombia relies upon hydropower for the bulk of its electricity needs, it is able to export almost all of its coal production, making it one of the world’s largest coal exporters.
See Energy profile of Colombia
Conflict
International Disputes:
- In December 2007, International Court of Justice allocated the Caribbean archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina islands to Colombia against a counterclaim by Nicaragua
- Managed dispute with Venezuela over maritime boundary and Venezuelan-administered Los Monjes Islands near the Gulf of Venezuela;
- Colombian-based illegal narcotics, guerrilla, and paramilitary activities penetrate all neighboring borders and have caused Colombian citizens to flee mostly into neighboring countries;
- Colombia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Jamaica, and the US assert various claims to Bajo Nuevo and Serranilla Bank
Economy
Colombia's consistently sound economic policies and aggressive promotion of free trade agreements in recent years have bolstered its ability to face external shocks.
Real GDP is projected to grow by between 5-6% and inflation to end 2011 at less than 4% continuing almost a decade of strong economic performance.
All three major ratings agencies have upgraded Colombia's investment grade. Nevertheless, Colombia depends heavily on oil exports, making it vulnerable to a drop in oil prices.
Economic development is stymied by inadequate infrastructure, weakened further by recent flooding. Moreover, the 9.2% official unemployment rate is still one of Latin America's highest.
The Santos Administration's foreign policy has focused on bolstering Colombia's commercial ties and boosting investment at home.
The U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was ratified by the US Congfess in October 2011 and is expected to be implemented in mid-2012.
Columbia has signed or is negotiating FTAs with a number of other countries, including Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, the EU, Venezuela, South Korea, Turkey, Japan, and Israel.
Foreign direct investment - notably in the oil sector - reached a record $10 billion in 2008, but dropped to $7.2 billion in 2009, before beginning to recover in 2010, and it appears to have reached a record high $13 billion in 2011.
Colombia is the third largest Latin American exporter of oil to the US.
Inequality, underemployment, and narcotrafficking remain significant challenges, and Colombia's infrastructure requires major improvements to sustain economic expansion.
In late 2010, Colombia experienced its most severe flooding in decades, with damages estimated to exceed $6 billion.
The rains resumed in 2011, causing further damages to crops and infrastructure, as well as killing hundreds of Colombians and displacing millions.
GDP: (Purchasing Power Parity): $467 billion (2011 est.)
GDP: (Official Exchange Rate): $321.5 billion (2011 est.)
GDP- per capita (PPP): $10,100 (2011 est.)
GDP- composition by sector:
agriculture: 8.9%
industry: 38%
services: 53.1% (2011 est.)
Industries: textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds
Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower.
Currency: Colombian Peso (COP)
Further Reading
Citation
World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, Central Intelligence Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administra (Lead Author);CIA World Factbook (Content Source);Sidney Draggan, Peter Saundry (Topic Editor) "Colombia". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth May 21, 2009; Last revised Date February 6, 2012; Retrieved February 9, 2012 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Colombia>
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