Colombia
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Introduction
Columbia, in northwestern South America, is bounded in the northwest by Panama and the Caribbean Sea, in the north by the Caribbean Sea, in the east by Venezuela and Brazil, in the southwest by Peru and Ecuador, and in the west by the Pacific Ocean.
Background
Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela).
A 40-year conflict between government forces and anti-government insurgent groups and illegal paramilitary groups – both 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, but insurgents continue attacks against civilians and large swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence. More than 32,000 former paramilitaries had demobilized by the end of 2006 and the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) as a formal organization had largely ceased to function. Still, some renegades continued to engage in criminal activities.
The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its municipalities. However, neighboring countries worry about the violence spilling over their borders.
Editor's Notes
- A more detailed country profile on Colombia may be found at: The CIA World Fact Book.
- Website of the Government of the Republic of Colombia