was one of the three countries that emerged from the
collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and
Venezuela). A 40-year conflict between government forces and
anti-government insurgent groups and illegal paramilitary groups -
both heavily funded by the drug trade - escalated during the 1990s.
The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to
overthrow the government, and violence has been decreasing since
about 2002, but insurgents continue attacks against civilians and
large swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence. More
than 32,000 former paramilitaries had demobilized by the end of 2006
and the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) as a formal
organization had ceased to function. Still, some renegades continued
to engage in criminal activities. The Colombian Government has
stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the
country, and now has a presence in every one of its administrative
departments. However, 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
water: 100,210 sq km
note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, and Serrana Bank

Area - comparative:

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries:

total: 6,309 km
border countries: Brazil 1,644 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km,
Peru 1,800 km, Venezuela 2,050 km

Coastline:

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

Maritime claims:

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

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: 2.01%
permanent crops: 1.37%
other: 96.62% (2005)