{{Infobox Country or territory
|native_name = ''República de Colombia''
|conventional_long_name = Republic of Colombia
|common_name = Colombia
|image_flag = Flag of Colombia.svg
|image_coat = Coat of arms of Colombia.svg
|image_map = LocationColombia.svg
|national_motto = ''"Libertad y Orden"''(Spanish)
"Liberty and Order"
|national_anthem = ''Oh, Gloria Inmarcesible!''
|official_languages = Spanish
|capital = Bogotá
|latd=4 |latm=39 |latNS=N |longd=74 |longm=3 |longEW=W
|largest_city = capital
|government_type = Republic
|leader_title1 = President
|leader_name1 = Álvaro Uribe Velez
|sovereignty_type = Independence
|sovereignty_note = from Spain
|established_event1 = Declared
|established_date1 = July 20 1810
|established_event2 = Recognised
|established_date2 = August 7 1819
|area_rank = 26th
|area_magnitude = 1 E12
|area_km2 = 1,141,748
|area_sq_mi = 440,839
|percent_water = 8.8
|population_estimate = 45,600,000
|population_estimate_rank = 28th
|population_estimate_year = July 2005
|population_census = 42,888,592
|population_census_year = 2005
|population_density_km2 = 40
|population_density_sq_mi = 104
|population_density_rank = 161st
|GNI_per_capita = $2,020
|GNI_per_capita = 123rd
|GDP_PPP = $337.286 billion
|GDP_PPP_rank = 29th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2005
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $7,565
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 81st
|Gini = 58.6
|Gini_year = 2003
|Gini_category = high
|HDI = 0.790
|HDI_rank = 70th
|HDI_year = 2004
|HDI_category = medium
|HPI = 67.2
|HPI_rank = 2nd
|HPI_year = 2006
|HPI_category = high
|currency = Peso
|currency_code = COP
|country_code =
|time_zone =
|utc_offset = -5
|time_zone_DST =
|utc_offset_DST =
|cctld = .co
|calling_code = 57
|demonym = Colombian
|Happy Planet Index = 2 (by 2007)
}}

Colombia () officially the Republic of Colombia (, ), is a country located in the northwestern region of South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the North by the Atlantic Ocean, through the Caribbean Sea; and to the west by Panama and the Pacific Ocean. Besides the countries in South America, the Republic of Colombia is recognized to share maritime borders with the Caribbean countries of Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Central American countries of Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica.Tratados Internacionales limítrofes de Colombia Colombia - Limites territoriales

26th largest nation in the world and the fourth-largest country in South America (after Brazil, Argentina, and Peru), with an area more than twice that of France.

The country currently suffers from a low-intensity conflict involving rebel guerrilla groups, paramilitary militias, drug trafficking and corruption. The conflict originated around 1964-1966, when the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) were founded and began their guerrilla insurgency campaigns against successive Colombian government administrations, this has caused Colombia's HDI to decline, which otherwise, without the conflict would have reached near 910.

Pre-Columbian Era

Circa 10000 BC, hunter-gatherer societies existed near present-day Bogotá (at "El Abra" and "Tequendama") which traded with one another and with cultures living in the Magdalena River Valley.Van der Hammen, T. and Correal, G. 1978: "Prehistoric man on the Sabana de Bogota: data for an ecologiacal prehistory"; Paleography, Paleoclimatology, Paleoecology 25:179-190 Beginning in the first millennium BC, groups of Amerindians developed the political system of "cacicazgos" with a pyramidal structure of power headed by caciques. Within Colombia, the two cultures with the most complex cacicazgo systems were the Tayronas in the Caribbean Region, and the Muiscas in the highlands around Bogotá, both of which were of the Chibcha language family. The Muisca people are considered to have had one of the most developed political systems in South America, after the Incas.Broadbent, Sylvia 1964: Los Chibchas: organización socio-política. Série Latinoamericana 5. Bogotá: Facultad de Sociología, Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Colonial Era

Spanish explorers made the first exploration of the Caribbean littoral in 1500 led by Rodrigo de Bastidas. Christopher Columbus navigated near the Caribbean in 1502. In 1508, Vasco Nuñez de Balboa started the conquest of the territory through the region of Urabá. In 1513, he was also the first European to discover the Pacific Ocean which he called ''Mar del Sur'' (or "Sea of the South") and which in fact would bring the Spaniards to Peru and Chile. In 1510, the first European city in the American Continent was founded, Santa María la Antigua del Darién in what is today the Chocó Department. The territory's main population was made up of hundreds of tribes of the Chibchan and "Karib", currently known as the Caribbean people, whom the Spaniards conquered through warfare, while resulting disease, exploitation, and the conquest itself caused a tremendous demographic reduction among the indigenous. In the sixteenth century, Europeans began to bring slaves from Africa.

Political struggle

Internal political and territorial divisions led to the secession of Venezuela and Quito (today's Ecuador) in 1830. At this time, the so-called "Department of Cundinamarca" adopted then the name "Nueva Granada", which it kept until 1856 when it became the "Confederación Granadina" (Grenadine Confederation). After a two year civil war in 1863, the "United States of Colombia" was created, lasting until 1886, when the country finally became known as the Republic of Colombia. Internal divisions remained between the bipartisan political forces, occasionally igniting very bloody civil wars, the most significant being the Thousand Days civil war (1899 - 1902) which together with the United States intentions to influence in the area (specially the Panama Canal construction and control) led to the separation of the Department of Panama in 1903 and the establishment of it as a nation. Colombia engulfed in a year long war with Peru over a territorial dispute involving the Amazonas Department and its capital Leticia.

The National Front

After Rojas deposition the two political parties Colombian Conservative Party and Colombian Liberal Party agreed to the creation of a "National Front", whereby the Liberal and Conservative parties would govern jointly. The presidency would be determined by an alternating conservative and liberal president every 4 years for 16 years; the two parties would have parity in all other elective offices. The National Front ended "La Violencia", and National Front administrations attempted to institute far-reaching social and economic reforms in cooperation with the Alliance for Progress. In the end, the contradictions between each successive Liberal and Conservative administration made the results decidedly mixed. Despite the progress in certain sectors, many social and political injustices continued and many guerrillas were formally created such as the FARC, ELN and M-19 to fight the government and political apparatus with influences from Cold War doctrines.

Colombian armed conflict

During the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s and 1990s powerful and violent drug cartels emerged, mainly the Medellín Cartel (under the command of and the Cali Cartel, which exerted political, economic and social influence in Colombia during this period. These cartels also financed and influenced different illegally armed groups throughout the political spectrum. Some enemies of these allied with the guerrillas and created or influenced paramilitary groups.

To replace the previous 1886 constitution, a new constitution was ratified in 1991 (the Colombian Constitution of 1991), after being drafted by the Constituent Assembly of Colombia. The constitution included key provisions on political, ethnic, human and gender rights, which have been gradually put in practice, though uneven developments, surrounding controversies, and setbacks have persisted. The new constitution also initially prohibited the extradition of Colombian nationals to the United States. There were accusations of lobbying by drug cartels in favor of this prohibition, who also promoted a violent campaign against extradition. Many terrorist attacks and mafia style executions followed. Drug Cartels tried to influence the government and political structure of Colombia by means of corruption, as in the case of the 8000 Process scandal.

In recent decades, the country has continued to be plagued by the effects of the influential drug trade, guerrilla insurgencies like FARC and paramilitary groups such as the AUC (later demobilized, though paramilitarism remains active), which along with other minor factions have engaged in a bloody internal armed conflict. Analysts have claimed that the drug cartels have helped the Colombian trade balance through a steady and substantial influx of foreign currency, mainly US dollars, though other negative economic and social effects have also resulted. On the other hand, the drug lords have also destabilized the government.

The different irregular groups often resort to kidnapping and drug smuggling to fund their causes, tend to operate in large areas of the remote rural countryside and can sometimes disrupt communications and travel between different regions. Since the early 1980s, attempts at reaching a negotiated settlement between the government and the different rebel groups have been made, either failing or achieving only the partial demobilization of some of the parties involved. One of the latest such attempts was made during the administration of President Andrés Pastrana, which negotiated with the FARC between 1998 and 2002.

In the late 1990s, President Andrés Pastrana implemented an initiative named Plan Colombia, with the dual goal of ending the armed conflict and promoting a strong anti-narcotic strategy. The most controversial element of the Plan, which as implemented also included a smaller number of funds for institutional and alternative development, was considered to be its anti-narcotic strategy, consisting of an increase in aerial fumigations to eradicate coca. This activity came under fire from several sectors, which claimed that fumigation also damaged legal crops and has adverse health effects for population exposed to the herbicides. Critics of the initiative also claim that the Plan represents a military approach to problems that have additional roots in the social inequalities of the country, and that it causes Coca farmers to clear out new fields for crops deeper into jungle areas significantly increasing the rate of deforestation in the region.

During the presidency of Álvaro Uribe, who was elected on the promise of applying military pressure on the FARC and other criminal groups, some security indicators have improved, showing a decrease in reported kidnappings (from 3700 in the year 2000 to 800 in 2005) and a decrease of more than 48% in homicides between July 2002 and May 2005. It is argued that these improvements have favored economic growth and tourism.Come to Sunny Colombia The Economist, 29 June 2006. But paramilitaries belonging to paramilitary groups mainly the AUC group colluded with some government officials and politicians in an attempt to eventually take control over the country, this scandal became known as the ''Parapolitic Scandal''.Polo Democratico Alternativo ¿Por qué la parapolítica? February 26, 2007. Retrieved on August 19, 2007

Analysts and critics inside Colombia agree that there has been a degree of practical improvement in several of the mentioned fields, but the exact reasons for the figures themselves have sometimes been disputed, as well as their specific accuracy. Some opposition sectors have criticized the government's security strategy, claiming that it is not enough to solve Colombia's complex problems and that it has contributed to creating a favorable environment for the continuation of some human rights abuses.

Geography

Colombia has more physical diversity packed into its borders than any other area of comparable size in Latin America.Benton, M. J.. (2001): "Biodiversity on land and in the sea.", en Geological Journal, vol. 36, Nº 3-4 The country is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region of the world characterized by frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Colombian surface features form complicated patterns. The western third of the country is the most complex. Starting at the shore of the Pacific Ocean in the west and moving eastward at a latitude of 5 degrees north, a diverse sequence of features is encountered. In the extreme west are the very narrow and discontinuous Pacific coastal lowlands, which are backed by the Serranía de Baudó, the lowest and narrowest of Colombia's mountain ranges. Next is the broad region of the Río Atrato/Río San Juan lowland, which has been proposed as a possible alternate to the Panama Canal as a human-made route between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans.

The chief western mountain range, the Cordillera Occidental, is a moderately high range with peaks reaching up to about 13,000 ft (4,000 m). The Cauca River Valley, an important agricultural region with several large cities on its borders, separates the Cordillera Occidental from the massive Cordillera Central. Several snow-clad volcanoes in the Cordillera Central have summits that rise above 18,000 ft (5,500 m). The valley of the slow-flowing and muddy Magdalena River, a major transportation artery, separates the Cordillera Central from the main eastern range, the Cordillera Oriental. The peaks of the Cordillera Oriental are moderately high. This range differs from Colombia's other mountain ranges in that it contains several large basins. In the east, the sparsely populated, flat to gently rolling eastern lowlands called llanos cover almost 60 percent of the country's total land area.

This cross section of the republic does not include two of Colombia's regions: the Caribbean coastal lowlands and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, both in the northern part of the country. The lowlands in the west are mostly swampy; the reed-filled marshes of the area are called ''ciénagas'' by the people of Colombia. The Guajira Peninsula in the east is semiarid. The Sierra Nevada is a spectacular triangular snowcapped block of rock that towers over the eastern part of this lowland.

Colombia's proximity to the equator influences its climates. The lowland areas are continuously hot. Altitude affects temperature greatly. Temperatures decrease about 3.5 °F (2 °C) for every 1,000-foot (300-meter) increase in altitude above sea level. Rainfall varies by location in Colombia, tending to increase as one travels southward. This is especially true in the eastern lowlands. For example, rainfall in parts of the Guajira Peninsula seldom exceeds 30 in (75 cm) per year. Colombia's rainy southeast, however, is often drenched by more than 200 in (500 cm) of rain per year. Rainfall in most of the rest of the country runs between these two extremes.

Altitude affects not only temperature, but also vegetation. In fact, altitude is one of the most important influences on vegetation patterns in Colombia. The mountainous parts of the country can be divided into several vegetation zones according to altitude, although the altitude limits of each zone may vary somewhat depending on the latitude.

The "tierra caliente" (hot land), below 3,300 ft (1,000 m), is the zone of tropical crops such as bananas. The tierra templada (temperate land), extending from an altitude of 3,300 to 6,600 ft (1,000 to 2,000 m), is the zone of coffee and maize. Wheat and potatoes dominate in the "tierra fría" (cold land), at altitudes from 6,600 to 10,500 ft (2,000 to 3,200 m). In the "zona forestada" (forested zone), which is located between 10,500 and 12,800 ft (3,200 and 3,900 m), many of the trees have been cut for firewood. Treeless pastures dominate the páramos, or alpine grasslands, at altitudes of 12,800 to 15,100 ft (3,900 to 4,600 m). Above 15,100 ft (4,600 m), where temperatures are below freezing, is the "tierra helada", a zone of permanent snow and ice.

Vegetation also responds to rainfall patterns. A scrub woodland of scattered trees and bushes dominates the semiarid northeast. To the south, savannah (tropical grassland) vegetation covers the Colombian portion of the llanos. The rainy areas in the southeast are blanketed by tropical rainforest. In the mountains, the spotty patterns of precipitation in alpine areas complicate vegetation patterns. The rainy side of a mountain may be lush and green, while the other side, in the rain shadow, may be parched.

Colombia is considered to be among 17 of the most megadiverse countries in the world.

Government

; Executive Branch : Colombia is a republic where the executive branch dominates government structure. Until recently, the president was elected together with the vice president by popular vote for a single four-year term; he functioned as both head of government and head of state. However, on October 19, 2005, the Colombian Congress amended the constitution, which now allows Colombian presidents to serve up to two consecutive four-year terms. However, department governors, mayors of cities and towns and other executive branch officials are only elected for a three-year term, and cannot be immediately re-elected.

On May 28 2006, president Álvaro Uribe was re-elected by a vote of 62%, with 22% going to Carlos Gaviria of the Democratic Pole, and 12% to Horacio Serpa of the Liberal Party.

; Legislative branch : Colombia's bicameral parliament is the Congress of Colombia, (or ''Congreso'' in Spanish), which consists of a 166-seat Chamber of Representatives of Colombia and the 102-seat Senate of Colombia. Members of both houses are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. With congressmen, Colombia also elects Department deputies, and city councils.

; Judicial branch : In the 1990s, the Colombian judicial system underwent significant reforms and is undergoing a process of migration from an inquisitorial system to an adversarial system. Parts of the coffee growing region of Colombia and Bogotá have already adopted the adversarial system, with the rest of the country following suit starting on January 1 2006. The judicial system is headed by the Constitutional Court and members are appointed by Congress out of nominations made by the President and other high ranking tribunals.

; Control Institutions: Procuraduría General de la Nación (General Procurement of the Nation), Defensoría del Pueblo, (Defensory of the People) Auditoría General de la República (General Auditing of the Republic) and the Contraloría General de la República (General Control of the Republic).

; Electoral Institutions: Consejo Nacional Electoral (National Electoral Council) and Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil (National Registry of the Civil State).

Colombia is also a member of the Union of South American Nations.

Economy

After experiencing decades of steady growth (average GDP growth exceeded 4% in the 1970-1998 period), Colombia experienced a recession in 1999 (the first full year of negative growth since 1929), and the recovery from that recession was long and painful. Colombia's economy suffers from weak domestic and foreign demand, austere government budgets, and serious internal armed conflicts. The IMF Economic Indicators published on September 2006, forecast the Colombian GDP to reach US$156.69 billion in 2008. Inflation has been below 6% for 2004, 2005, and 2006. Colombia's main exports include manufactured goods (41.32% of exports), petroleum (28.28%), coal (13.17%), and coffee (6.25%). Colombia is one of the largest producers of pop-up books in the world.

Colombia is also the largest exporter of plantains to the United States. Within Latin America, Colombia is known as a provider of fine lingerie, with the industry being centered in Medellín. All imports, exports, and the general trade balance are in record levels, and the inflow of export dollars has resulted in substantial revaluation of the Colombian Peso.

The problems facing the country range from pension system problems to drug dealing to moderately high unemployment (12%). Several international financial institutions have praised the economic reforms introduced by current President Álvaro Uribe, which include measures designed to bring the public-sector deficit below 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP). The government's economic policy and its controversial democratic security strategy have engendered a growing sense of confidence in the economy, and GDP growth in 2003 was among the highest in Latin America. On May 28, 2007, the American magazine BusinessWeek published an article naming Colombia the most Extreme Emerging Market on Earth.BusinessWeek, Colombia, The Most Extreme Emerging Market on Earth May 28, 2007

Tourism

During the most famous festivals such as the Cali Fair, the Barranquilla Carnival, the Bogota summer festival, the Iberoamerican Theater Festival and the Flower Festival is when the most tourists come to Colombia. Many people visit Colombia during Christmas time and the celebrations surrounding the Independence of Colombia.

Even though Colombia has been plagued with Travel advisories because of FARC and other guerrillas groups, it has continued to attract more tourists in recent years. The apparent cause appears to be the current hardline approach of President Álvaro Uribe called democratic security to push rebels groups farther away from the major cities, highways and tourist sites that may attract international visitors. Since President Uribe took office in 2002, he has notably increased Colombia's stability and security by significantly boosting its military strength and police presence throughout the country. This apparently has achieved fruitful results for the country's economy, particularly international tourism. In 2006, tourism officials are expecting approximately 1.5 million international visitors to visit Colombia, an astonishing increase of about 50% from the previous year. Even Lonely Planet, a world travel publisher, has picked Colombia as one of their top 10 world destinations for 2006. The World Tourism Organization reported in 2004 that Colombia achieved the third highest percentage increase of tourist arrivals in South America between 2000 and 2004 (9.2%). Only Peru and Suriname had higher increases during the same period. International Tourist Arrivals by Country of Destination , Tourism Market Trends, 2005 Edition, World Tourism Organization. Because of the improved security, cruise ships will begin returning to Cartagena in October 2007. To further point out the improved security in the country, in June 2007, the Travel Channel's show, ''5 Takes Latin America'', aired an episode on Colombia. Points of interest on the show were Bogota, Cocora Valley in Salento, and the Salt Cathedral.Travel Channel, 5 Takes Latin America June 2007

Culture

The culture of Colombia lies at the crossroads of Latin America. Thanks partly to geography, Colombian culture has been heavily fragmented into five major cultural regions. Rural to urban migration and globalization have changed how many Colombians live and express themselves as large cities become melting pots of people (many of whom are refugees) from the various provinces that have hit Colombia through out its violent history, more recently is the displacement caused by the Colombian armed conflict to cities and other countries.
; General

Colombian cuisine

Music of Colombia

Carnival in Colombia

Festivals in Colombia

Colombian handicrafts

Iberoamerican Theater Festival

Universities in Colombia

Monuments and memorials in Colombia

National symbols of Colombia

; People

List of Colombian people

List of Colombian artists

List of people on stamps of Colombia

; Entertainment

Cinema of Colombia

List of Colombian TV Shows

Bank of Republic Collection (Bogotá)

Salón de Artistas Colombianos

; Museums

Gold Museum (Bogotá downtown)

Quimbaya museum (Armenia, Quindío)

Archeological Museum of Pasca (Pasca)

San Felipe Castle (Cartagena, Colombia)

''Museo Nacional'' (Colombian National Museum, downtown Bogotá)

; Food-related

Colombian cuisine

Education

Over 93% of the entire population over 15 years of age can read and write, and this number has continued to increase throughout the years. Sixty percent of students complete primary schooling (5 years) and move onto secondary schooling(6 years). Most primary schools are private. Approximately 80 percent of Colombian children enter school, but they usually join a preschool academy until age 6 and then go to school. The school year extends from February to November in the capital city while in many other cities it extends from August to June. Primary education is free and compulsory for nine years for children between 6 and 12 years of age. The net primary enrollment (percentage of relevant age-group) in 2001 was 86.7 percent. The completion rate (percentage of age-group) for children attending elementary school (primaria) in 2001 totaled 89.5 percent. In many rural areas, teachers are poorly qualified, and only five years of primary school are offered. Secondary education (educación media) begins at age 11 and lasts up to six years, without any opportunity for vocational training. Secondary-school graduates are awarded the diploma (high-school diploma). Net secondary enrollment in 2001 was 53.5 percent. School life expectancy in 2001 was 11.1 years. Total public spending as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2001 was 4.4 percent—one of the highest rates in Latin America—as compared with 2.5 percent at the end of the 1980s. Government expenditures on education in 1999 totaled 19.7 percent of total government spending. The ratio of pupils to teachers in 2001 in primary school was 26:1 and in secondary school, 19:2. Colombia has 24 public universities. A total of 92.5 percent of the population is literate (male: 92.4 percent; female: 92.6 percent), according to a 2003 estimate. Literacy is at 93 percent in urban areas, but only 67 percent in rural areas. People in Colombia are educated in Spanish (see also Colombian Spanish). The second most spoken language is English.

Demographics

With approximately 43.6 million people in 2006,Colombia , The World Factbook, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, updated 12 December 2006. Colombia is the third-most populous country in Latin America, after Brazil and Mexico.

Movement from rural to urban areas was very heavy in the mid-twentieth century, but has since tapered off. The urban population increased from 31% of the total population in 1938, to 57% in 1951 and about 70% by 1990. Currently the figure is about 77%. Thirty cities have a population of 100,000 or more. The nine eastern lowlands departments, constituting about 54% of Colombia's area, have less than 3% of the population and a density of less than one person per square kilometer (two persons per sq mi.). Colombia's total population in 2015 is projected to be more than 52 million.Colombia , Human Development Report 2006, United Nations Development Programme.

The country has a diverse population that reflects its colourful history and the peoples that have populated here from ancient times to the present. The historic amalgam of the different main groups forms the basics of Colombia's current demographics: European immigrants, Indigenous Natives, Africans, Asians, Middle Easterners and other recent immigrants. Many of the indigenous peoples were absorbed into the mestizo population, but the remaining 700,000 currently represent over eighty-five distinct cultures. The European immigrants were primarily Spanish colonists, but a small number of other Europeans (Dutch, German, French, Swiss, Belgian and in smaller numbers Polish, Lithuanian, English and Croatian communities) immigrated during the Second World War and the Cold War. For example, former Bogotá mayor Antanas Mockus is the son of Lithuanian immigrants. Africans were brought as slaves, mostly to the coastal lowlands, beginning early in the sixteenth century, and continuing into the nineteenth century. After abolition, a national ideology of mestizaje encouraged the mixing of the indigenous, European and Native Amerindian communities into a single mestizo ethnic identity.El Choco: The African Heart of Colombia , Luis Gilberto Murillo Urrutia, speech given New York, February 23, 2001 Other immigrant populations include Asians and Middle Easterners, particularly Lebanese, Jordanians, Syrians, Chinese, Japanese and Koreans.

Ethnic groups

The census data in Colombia does not take into account ethnicity, so percentages are basically estimates from other sources and can vary from one another. Statistics reveal that Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and overwhelmingly speakers of Spanish, and that a majority of them are the result of the a mixture of Europeans, Africans, Amerindians.

58% of the population is mestizo, or of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry, while 20% is of white European (usually Spanish) ancestry. Another 14% is mulatto, or of mixed black African and white European ancestry, while 4% is of black African ancestry and 3% are zambos, of mixed black African and Amerindian ancestry. Pure indigenous Amerindians comprise 1 percent of the population. There are 101 languages listed for Colombia in the Ethnologue database, of which 80 are spoken today as living languages. There are about 500,000 speakers of indigenous languages in Colombia today.The Languages of Colombia

More than two-thirds of all Colombians live in urban areas—a figure significantly higher than the world average. The literacy rate (94 percent) in Colombia is also well above the world average, and the rate of population growth is slightly higher than the world average. Also, a large proportion of Colombians are young, largely because of recent decreases in the infant mortality rate. While 33 percent of the people are 14 years of age or younger, just 4 percent are aged 65 or older.

Religion

The ''National Administrative Department of Statistics'' does not collect religious statistics, and accurate reports are hard to obtain. Based on various studies, more than 95% of the population adheres to Christianity, in which a huge segment of the population, between 81% and 90%, practices Roman Catholicism. About 1% of Colombians practice indigenous religions. Under 1% practice Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Despite strong numbers of adherents, around 60% of respondents to a poll by ''El Tiempo'' report that they do not practice their faith actively.International Religious Freedom Report 2005 , by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State, November 8, 2005.

The Colombian constitution guarantees religious freedom, but also states that the State "is not atheist or agnostic, nor indifferent to Colombians' religious sentiment." Religious groups are readily able to obtain recognition as organized associations, but some smaller ones face difficulty in obtaining recognition as religious entities, which is required to offer chaplaincy services in public facilities.

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Crime

Colombia has become notorious for its illicit drug production, kidnappings, and murder rate. In the 1990s, it became the world's largest producer of cocaine and coca derivatives. Cultivation of coca in 2000 was estimated at .

For some time Colombia also had the highest murder rate in the world at 62 murders per 100,000 people.Colombian Crime Statistics (1990s) However, it has descended in recent years to 39 murders per 100,000 people, bringing it down in the List of countries by murder rate below the levels of South Africa. Over 90 percent of the murdered are males. Regions like Putumayo, Guaviare and Arauca remain at 100 or more murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2005. Neighbouring Venezuela, meanwhile, has seen a rise from 13 in 1991 to 33 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2005 and Ecuador has gone from 11 in 1991 to 18 in 2004.

Between 1992 and 1999 a total of 5,181 kidnappings, two-thirds of the world's reported, occurred in Colombia.
In the year 2005, 800 kidnappings were reported, (73% less than in 2002) of which 35% were rescued in the same year. In 2005, 18,960 vehicles were stolen (37% less than in 2002) and 18,111 persons were murdered (38% less than in 2002).Colombian Crime Statistics(2005)

Coca cultivation is a major illegal business in Colombia. In several rural regions, large tracts of land have been used for coca plant cultivation. According to U.S. figures, in 2004 an estimated of land were used to grow the plant, and the nation had a producing potential of 430,000 metric tons of cocaine per year. According to a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime survey, coca cultivation was estimated at in December 2006.

In the year of 2006 the Colombian government had destroyed around beating all records in coca plant destruction. The Colombian government now plans to destroy around of coca plants in 2007 and they claim there will be only around left, which they claim will be destroyed in 2008.Colombian coca destruction(2007) While Colombian efforts to eradicate the coca plant have displaced production, they have not diminished the area on which the crop is harvested.This disputes the Colombian claim that coca will be eradicated in 2008.

Human rights situation

Amnesty International summarizes in its Annual Report 2006: "Although the number of killings and kidnappings in some parts of the country fell, serious human rights abuses committed by all parties to the conflict remained at critical levels. Of particular concern were reports of extrajudicial executions carried out by the security forces, killings of civilians by armed opposition groups and paramilitaries, and the forced displacement of civilian communities. More than 3.5 million civilians out of the country’s 40 million people have been displaced during the last two decades, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.http://www.internal-displacement.org/countries/Colombia "Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), Colombia

"More than 55 percent of those displaced are women. Sexual violence, from which women can experience unwanted pregnancies, often results when women are displaced. The victims, as reported by Ms. Magazine, have sometimes resorted to illegal abortions. But abortion has now been legalized in Colombia in cases of rape, incest and when the mother's health is endangered.http://www.msmagazine.com/winter2007/newrights.asp "New Rights, Old Wrongs." Ms. Magazine, Winter 2007.

According to Amnesty International, "Paramilitaries who had supposedly demobilized under the terms of a controversial law ratified in July continued to commit human rights violations, while armed opposition groups continued to commit serious and widespread breaches of international humanitarian law. Individuals who may have been responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity were not brought to justice." Known as the Peace and Justice Law, Decree 128 provides legal and economic benefits to demobilized paramilitaries. Supposedly, 25,000 paramilitary members are taking advantage of this 2005 law; however, Amnesty International believes that some have concealed their paramilitary activities by using different names or acting as civilian informers and civic guards.

Books

Academia Colombiana de Historia (1986), ''Historia extensa de Colombia'' (41 volúmenes). Bogotá: Ediciones Lerner, 1965-1986. ISBN 9589501338 (Obra completa)

Barrios, Luis (1984), ''Historia de Colombia''. Quinta edición, Bogotá: Editorial Cultural

Bedoya F., Víctor A. (1944), ''Historia de Colombia: independencia y república con bases fundamentales en la colonia''. Colección La Salle, Bogotá: Librería Stella

Bushnell, David (1996), ''Colombia una nación a pesar de sí misma: de los tiempos precolombinos a nuestros días''. Bogotá: Planeta Editores. ISBN 9586144879

Caballero Argaez, Carlos (1987), ''50 años de economía: de la crisis del treinta a la del ochenta''. Segunda edición, Colección Jorge Ortega Torres, Bogotá: Editorial Presencia, Asociación Bancaria de Colombia. ISBN 9589040039

Cadavid Misas, Roberto (2004), ''Cursillo de historia de Colombia: de la conquista a la independencia''. Bogotá: Intermedio Editores. ISBN 9587091345

Calderón Schrader, Camilo; Gil, Antonio; Torras, Daniel (2001), ''Enciclopedia de Colombia'' (4 volúmenes). Barcelona: céano Grupo Editorial, 2001. ISBN 8449419476 (Obra completa)

Calderón Schrader, Camilo (1993), ''Gran enciclopedia de Colombia'' (11 volúmenes). Bogotá: Círculo de Lectores. ISBN 9582802944 (obra completa)

Cavelier Gaviria, Germán (2003), ''Centenario de Panamá: una historia de la separación de Colombia en 1903''. Bogotá: Universidad Externado de Colombia. ISBN 9586167186

Forero, Manuel José (1946), ''Historia analítica de Colombia desde los orígenes de la independencia nacional''. Segunda edición, Bogotá: Librería Voluntad.

Gómez Hoyos, Rafael (1992), ''La independencia de Colombia''. Madrid: Editorial Mapfre, Colecciones Mapfre 1492. ISBN 8471005964

Granados, Rafael María (1978), ''Historia general de Colombia: prehistoria, conquista, colonia, independencia y Repúbica''. Octava edición, Bogotá: Imprenta Departamental Antonio Nariño.

Hernández de Alba, Guillermo (2004), ''Como nació la República de Colombia''. Colección Bolsilibros. Bogotá: Academia Colombiana de Historia. ISBN 9588040353

Hernández Becerra, Augusto (2001), ''Ordenamiento y desarreglo territorial en Colombia''. Bogotá: Universidad Externado de Colombia, ISBN 9586165558

Hernández Rodríguez, Guillermo (1949), ''De los chibchas a la colonia y a la república''. Bogotá: Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Sección de Extensión Cultural.

Jaramillo Uribe, Jaime; Tirado Mejía, Álvaro; Calderón Schrader, Camilo (2000), ''Nueva historia de Colombia'' (12 volúmenes). Bogotá: Planeta Colombiana Editorial. ISBN 9586142515 (Obra completa)

Ocampo López, Javier (1999), ''El proceso ideológico de la emancipación en Colombia''. Colección La Línea de Horizonte, Bogotá: Editorial Planeta. ISBN 9586147924

Reichel-Dolmatoff, Gerardo (1998), ''Colombia indígena''. Medellín: Hola Colina. ISBN 9586382761

Restrepo, José Manuel (1974), ''Historia de la revolución de la República de Colombia''. Medellín: Editorial Bedout.

Rivadeneira Vargas, Antonio José (2002), ''Historia constitucional de Colombia 1510-2000''. Tunja: Editorial Bolivariana Internacional. Tercera edición.

Tovar Pinzón, Hermes (1975), ''El movimiento campesino en Colombia durante los siglos XIX y XX''. Bogotá : Ediciones Libres, segunda edición.

Trujillo Muñoz Augusto (2001), ''Descentralización, regionalización y autonomía local''. Bogotá: Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

Vidal Perdomo Jaime (2001), ''La Región en la Organización Territorial del Estado''. Bogotá: Universidad del Rosario.

Central Intelligence Agency: ''The World Factbook''. 2005.