Colombia

  • Area: 1,138,910 square kilometres
  • Currency: Colombian peso made up of 100 centavos; $1 = 2,010 pesos
  • Official language: Spanish
  • Population: 47.7 million
  • Head of State or Government: Juan Manuel Santos Calderón (President),  2010
  • GDP: $ 369.8 billion
  • GDP per capita: $7,752.17
  • GDP growth: 4.0%
  • Inflation: 3.2%

About Colombia

Situated in the extreme northwest of South America, Colombia is the only country in South America with coasts on both the Pacific and Antlantic Oceans. The archipelagos of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, popular tourist destinations, are found in the latter.

The country is divided into 32 districts distributed in 5 natural regions: The Atlantic or Caribbean, Pacific, Andes, Orinoquía,and the Amazon. Each of these is distinguished by its geographic location, natural richness, customs and economic activities.

Colombia boasts of many development areas, among which are Bogotá (its capital), Medellín, Barranquilla and Cali.

The agricultural activities of the country, which contributes around 14% of the national GDP, includes sugar cane crops, coffee, flowers, cotton, banana, plantain, sorghum, corn, rice, african palms, potato and cassava, among others. Fishing and forestry are also activities of great importance to the national economy. Within the industrial sector, which contributes more than 30% of the national GDP, food, drink, textiles, carbon, oil and its by-products, mining, precious stones, chemical, construction and automotive are the most outstanding activities.

Services contribute a majority of 55% of the national GDP. The financial sector, telecommunications, insurance, health and beauty, transportation, real estate and business services constitute important areas of the country’s economy.