The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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
Legislative branch:
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
Judicial branch:
four roughly coequal, supreme judicial organs; Supreme Court of
Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (highest court of criminal law;
judges are selected by their peers from the nominees of the Superior
Judicial Council for eight-year terms); Council of State (highest
court of administrative law; judges are selected from the nominees
of the Superior Judicial Council 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); Superior Judicial Council
(administers and disciplines the civilian judiciary; resolves
jurisdictional conflicts arising between other courts; members are
elected by three sister courts and Congress for eight-year terms)
Political parties and leaders:
Conservative Party or PSC [Carlos HOLGUIN Sardi]; Liberal Party or
PL [Camilo SANCHEZ]; Colombian Communist Party or PCC [Jaime
CAICEDO]; Democratic Pole or PDI [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:
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
International organization participation:
BCIE, CAN, CDB, FAO, 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, Mercosur (associate),
MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Luis Alberto MORENO Mejia
chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Washington, DC
consulate(s): Atlanta
FAX: [1] (202) 232–8643
telephone: [1] (202) 387–8338
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William B. WOOD 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
Flag description:
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
Economy Colombia
Economy - overview:
Colombia's economy suffers from weak domestic and foreign demand,
austere government budgets, and serious internal armed conflict, but
seems poised for recovery. Other economic problems facing 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. On the positive side, several international financial
institutions have praised the economic reforms introduced by URIBE,
which includes measures designed to reduce the public-sector deficit
below 2.5% of GDP in 2004. The government's economic policy and
democratic security strategy have engendered a growing sense of
confidence in the economy, particularly within the business sector,
and GDP growth in 2003 was among the highest in Latin America.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $263.2 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.7% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $6,300 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 13.7% industry: 32.1% services: 54.2% (2003 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
15.9% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line:
55% (2001)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 44% (1999)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
57.1 (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.1% (2003 est.)
Labor force:
20.34 million (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 30%, industry 24%, services 46% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
14.2% (2003 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $24 billion
expenditures: $25.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2004 est.)
Public debt:
51.9% of GDP (2003)
Agriculture