Official Name: Republic of Colombia (República de Colombia)
Capital: Bogota, Capital District (D.C.)
Other important cities: Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Bucaramanga, Cucuta,
Manizales, Ibague, Neiva, Popayan and Pasto.

National day: July 20
Year of Declaration of Independence:1810

GEOGRAPHY

Area: 440,831 square miles (1,141,748 square kilometres), includes the San Andres
y Providencia archipelago.
Climate: Tropical. Varies according to the altitude.
Mountain Ranges: Occidental, Central, Oriental. (From the The Andean mountain range)
Highest Peak: Pico Cristobal Colon, 19,020 feet (5,800 meters).
Major Rivers: Magdalena, Cauca, Meta, Guaviare, Caquetá, Putumayo, Atrato,
Vaupés, Vichada.

DEMOGRAPHICS

Inhabitants: : Approximately 45 million according to DANE.
(DANE is the Colombian Department of Statistics)

To know the actual Colombian Population from DANE ("click" in the clock on the left graphic)
(Spanish)

Religions: Roman Catholicism, 95.4%.
Language: Spanish (official).
Political Divisions: 32 departments (states, provinces) since July 1991, 1 capital district.


GOVERNMENT

Form of Government: Unitary republic

Chief of State and Head of Government: President; elected to four-year terms.

Current Presidente:  JUAN MANUEL SANTOS elected on August 7, 2010

Legislature: Congress; consists of Senate and House of Representatives; members elected
to four-year terms.

The legal voting age: 18 years

ECONOMY

Main Agricultural Products: Coffee, corn, rice, potatoes, fruits y flowers, sugarcane.

Main Mined Products: Emeralds, coal, petroleum (oil), natural gas, gold, iron ore.

Main Manufactured Products: Textiles, foods, chemicals, machinery, electrical devices,
transport equipment, metal products.

Main Exports: Coffee, oil and petroleum products, fruits, flowers, iron and steel,
textile and devices, cotton, leather.

Main Imports: Machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, etc.

Monetary unit: Peso ($COL)



LEGAL COLOMBIAN TIME ("click" on the clock on the left)
UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) - 5 hours