inates: 4 00 N, 72 00 W

Map references: South America

Area:
total area: 1,138,910 sq km
land area: 1,038,700 sq km
comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Montana
note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and
Serranilla Bank

Land boundaries:
total: 7,408 km
border countries: Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km,
Peru 2,900 km, Venezuela 2,050 km

Coastline: 3,208 km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean
1,448 km)

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Venezuela
in the Gulf of Venezuela; territorial dispute with Nicaragua over
Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank

Climate: tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in
highlands

Terrain: flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes
Mountains, eastern lowland plains
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Nevado del Huila 5,750 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel,
gold, copper, emeralds

Land use:
arable land: 4%
permanent crops: 2%
meadows and pastures: 29%
forest and woodland: 49%
other: 16%

Irrigated land: 5,150 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: deforestation; soil damage from overuse of
pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle
emissions
natural hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional
earthquakes; periodic droughts
international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Tropical Timber 94

Geographic note: only South American country with coastlines on
both North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea

People
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Population: 36,813,161 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 32% (male 5,948,599; female 5,806,450)
15-64 years: 64% (male 11,496,931; female 11,890,875)
65 years and over: 4% (male 741,788; female 928,518) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.66% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 21.34 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)