eral thousand strong in recent years, challenging the insurgents for
control of territory and illicit industries such as the drug trade and
the government's ability to exert its dominion over rural areas. While
Bogota continues to try to negotiate a settlement, neighboring countries
worry about the violence spilling over their borders.

Geography Colombia

Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between
Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between
Ecuador and Panama

Geographic coordinates: 4 00 N, 72 00 W

Map references: South America

Area: total: 1,138,910 sq km land: 1,038,700 sq km note: includes
Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank water:
100,210 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Land boundaries: total: 6,004 km border countries: Brazil 1,643 km,
Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 1,496 km (est.), 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 territorial sea: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

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

Terrain: flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains,
eastern lowland plains

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point:
Pico Cristobal Colon 5,775 m note: nearby Pico Simon Bolivar also has
the same elevation

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

Land use: arable land: 2% other: 96% (1998 est.) permanent crops: 2%

Irrigated land: 8,500 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional
earthquakes; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil and water quality
damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota,
from vehicle emissions

Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic
Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Geography - note: only South American