The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
assessment: modern system in many respects; telecommunications sector liberalized during the 1990s; multiple providers of both fixed-line and mobile-cellular services; fixed-line connections stand at about 18 per 100 persons; mobile cellular usage is about 75 per 100 persons; competition among cellular service providers is resulting in falling local and international calling rates and contributing to the steep decline in the market share of fixed line services domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic satellite system with 41 earth stations; fiber-optic network linking 50 cities international: country code - 57; submarine cables provide links to the US, parts of the Caribbean, and Central and South America; satellite earth stations - 10 (6 Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 3 fully digitalized international switching centers) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 454, FM 34, shortwave 27 (1999)
Radios:
21 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
60 (1997)
Televisions:
4.59 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.co
Internet hosts:
1.554 million (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
18 (2000)
Internet users:
12.1 million (2007)
Transportation
Colombia
Airports:
934 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 103 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 39 914 to 1,523 m: 42 under 914 m: 12 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 831 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 216 under 914 m: 580 (2007)
Heliports:
2 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 4,329 km; oil 6,140 km; refined products 3,145 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 3,304 km standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 3,154 km 0.914-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 164,257 km (2005)
Waterways:
18,000 km (2006)
Merchant marine:
total: 17 by type: cargo 13, petroleum tanker 3, specialized tanker 1 registered in other countries: 6 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Panama 4) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Turbo
Military
Colombia
Military branches:
National Army (Ejercito Nacional), National Navy (Armada Nacional,
includes Naval Aviation, Naval Infantry (Infanteria de Marina,
Colmar), and Coast Guard), Colombian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de
Colombia, FAC) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18–24 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; service obligation - 18 months (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16–49: 11,478,109 females age 16–49: 11,809,279 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16–49: 8,056,336 females age 16–49: 9,919,952 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 442,403 female: 433,192 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
Colombia
Disputes - international:
in December 2007, ICJ allocates San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina islands to Colombia under 1928 Treaty but does not rule on 82°W meridian as maritime boundary with Nicaragua; managed dispute with Venezuela over maritime boundary and Venezuelan-administered Los Monjes Islands near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized 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
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 1.8–3.5 million (conflict between government and illegal armed groups and drug traffickers) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis; world's leading coca cultivator with 167,000 hectares in coca cultivation in 2007, a 6% increase over 2006, producing a potential of 535 metric tons of pure cocaine; the world's largest producer of coca derivatives; supplies cocaine to most of the US market and the great majority of other international drug markets; in 2007, aerial eradication dispensed herbicide to treat over 153,000 hectares with another 67,000 hectares manually eradicated, but aggressive replanting on the part of coca growers means Colombia remains a key producer; a significant portion of non-US narcotics proceeds are either laundered or invested in Colombia through the black market peso exchange; important supplier of heroin to the US market; opium poppy cultivation is estimated to have fallen 25% between 2006 and 2007 with a corresponding estimated 27% decline in the yield of pure heroin to 1.9 metric tons; (2007)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Comoros
Introduction
Comoros
Background:
Comoros has endured more than 20 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared independence from Comoros. In 1999, military chief Col. AZALI seized power in a bloodless coup, and helped negotiate the 2000 Fomboni Accords power-sharing agreement in which the federal presidency rotates among the three islands, and each island maintains its own local government. AZALI won the 2002 Presidential election, and each island in the archipelago elected its own president. AZALI stepped down in 2006 and President SAMBI took office. Since 2006, Anjouan's President Mohamed BACAR has refused to work effectively with the Union presidency. In 2007, BACAR effected Anjouan's de-facto secession from the Union, refusing to step down in favor of fresh Anjouanais elections when Comoros' other islands held legitimate elections in July. The African Union (AU) initially attempted to resolve the political crisis by applying sanctions and a naval blockade on Anjouan, but in March 2008, AU and Comoran soldiers seized the island. The move was generally welcomed by the island's inhabitants.
Geography
Comoros
Location:
Southern Africa, group of islands at the northern mouth of the
Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern
Madagascar and northern Mozambique
Geographic coordinates:
12 10 S, 44 15 E
Map references: