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Colombia

 Flag of Colombia

Last reviewed: 13 June 2011

Country information

Map of Colombia

COLOMBIA TODAY

Country Facts

Full country name: Republic of Colombia
Area: 1,141,748 sq km
Population:  44,725,543 (July 2011 est.)
Capital City: Bogotá (population:  7.2 million)
People: Colombia is an ethnic melting pot in which some 60% acknowledge that they have mixed Spanish/indigenous roots, 20% claim direct European descent, 18% are of Afro-Colombian origin, and 2% belong to indigenous communities. There are tiny Christian and Muslim Arab minorities, small and declining Jewish communities in the major cities, and a small group claiming Romany roots.
Language: Spanish with some isolated pockets where indigenous languages remain in use.
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic, with some evangelical influences in parts of the country.
Currency: Peso.
Major political parties: Historically the two major political parties were the Liberals and the Conservatives, but this changed when Alvaro Uribe became president in 2002 after running as an independent. And in 2010, Juan Manuel Santos became President as head of a party formed to support Uribe, the Party de la U. He won the presidential election on 20 June 2010 with a 69% majority over Antanas Mockus of the Green party and went on to form a broad coalition government that includes the El Partido de la U, the Liberals, Conservatives and Cambio Radical – leaving only Polo Democrático (the main leftist force in Congress) and the Greens as significant parties that are outside Government.
Government: Democratically elected representative system with a strong executive.
Legislature: Bicameral Congress; 102 member Senate and 165 member Chamber of Deputies are both directly elected for 4-year terms.
Head of State: President Juan Manuel Santos
Foreign Minister:  Maria Angela Holguin
Membership of international groupings/organisations: Colombia is a member of the Andean Community, UN, G3, Organisation of American States (OAS), Latin American Integration Association (ALADI), Latin American Economic System (SELA), Association of Caribbean States (ACS), the Caribbean Development Bank, Andean Development Corporation (CAF), and the Inter-American Development Bank (AIDB) amongst others.

Health

The health sector underwent considerable reform in the 1990s, with a social security system established in 1993. Colombia aims to ensure universal health coverage through a mix of contributory and subsidised health schemes using both public and private sectors. By the end of 2004, 14.7 million people were covered by the contributory scheme and 15.4 million under the subsidised programme. But adequate funding is a problem.

Colombia has significantly reduced the population growth rate from 3.1% per year in the early 1960s to 1.6% in 2004, and is currently estimated at 1.2% (2010 est)

Life expectancy at birth, total (years): 74.3
Mortality rate under-5 (per 1,000 births): 16.9

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