REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA

• Official name: Republica de Colombia (Republic of Colombia)
• Location: South America
• International organisations: Andean Community, Non-Aligned Movement, Organisation of American States, United Nations, World Trade Organisation
• Borders: Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Venezuela
• Coastline: Caribbean Sea, North Pacific Ocean
• Land area: 1,138,910 Km2
• Population: 44,900,000
• Annual GDP (PPP) per capita: US$9,200 (2009 CIA estimate). World ranking: 87
• Ethnicity: The majority (58%) of Colombia's population is of mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) descent. Another 14% are of mulatto (mixed African-European) descent. About 20% are of purely European (mainly Spanish) descent, while 4% are of African descent.
• Languages: Spanish is the official language and is universally spoken.
• Religion: Over 90% of the population are at least nominally Catholic Christians.
• Form of government: Presidential democratic republic. Colombia is divided into 32 Departments and one Capital District.
• Capital: Bogota (officially Santa Fe de Bogota)
• Constitution: The Constitution of Colombia came into effect on 5 July 1991.
• Head of state: The President, elected by direct universal suffrage for a four-year term.
• Head of government: The President, who appoints the members of the Cabinet.
• Legislature: The Colombian Congress (Congreso) is bicameral. The Chamber of Representatives (Camara de Representantes) has 161 members, elected for four-year terms by proportional representation. The Senate of the Republic (Senado de la Republica) has 102 members, elected for four-year terms by proportional representation.
• Electoral authority: The National Registrar of Colombia conducts national elections.
• Freedom House 2011 rating: Political Rights 3, Civil Liberties 4
• Transparency International Corruption Index: 35% (78 of 178 countries rated)
• Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom 2010 Index: 48.5% (145 of 178 countries rated)
• Heritage Foundation Economic Freedom 2010 Index: 68% (45 of 178 countries rated)

Political history

The area which is now Colombia was absorbed into the Spanish colonial empire in the early 16th century. Bogota became the capital of the province of New Granada in 1550. The struggle for independence began in 1810 and ended in 1819 with the battle of Boyaca. The new state was initially called New Granada, being renamed in honour of Christopher Columbus in 1863.

During the 19th century two political parties, the Conservatives and the Liberals, contended for power, sometimes through elections and sometimes through revolutions and counter-revolutions. There was a terrible civil war between 1899 and 1903, which left the Conservatives, representing the landlords and political centralism, in control until 1930. Colombia then adhered to democratic government under successive Liberal presidents until 1949.

A disputed presidential election in 1949 led to the establishment of a right-wing dictatorship until 1953, which was followed by a series of coups until 1958, when civil government was restored and a Liberal president elected. Since then elected presidents have succeeded each other, but the country has been plagued by Communist insurgency, class conflict and, more recently, violence by right-wing extremists. Colombia has become one of the world's major centres of narotics production, and this has brought high levels of crime, violence and corruption. President Andres Pastrana attempted to negotiate a settlement with the narco-terrorists of FARC, but this was unsuccessful. In reaction, Colombians elected the Conservative Alvaro Uribe Velez in 2002, pledged to a military solution. Uribe has largely succeeded in stamping out terrorism.

Colombian politics is still dominated by the two traditional parties, the Colombian Liberal Party (PLC), a social-democratic party, and the Colombian Conservative Party (PCC), which champions free-market economics and no negotiations with the terrorists. The Radical Change (CR) party also supports President Uribe. There are many smaller parties, mostly on the left, of which the largest is the Alternative Democratic Pole (PDA). At the 2006 elections, President Uribe was re-elected by a wide margin and the Conservatives and their allies won majorities in the Congress. At the 2010 election his chosen successor, Juan Manuel Santos Calderon, was easily elected President.

Freedom House's 2011 report on Colombia says: "Colombiais an electoral democracy. The 2010 legislative elections, while less violent than previous campaigns, were marred by vote buying, opaque financing, and intimidation in some areas, particularly former paramilitary strongholds. The 2010 presidential election was relatively peaceful... Corruption occurs at multiple levels of public administration. A series of scandals involving a range of government agencies emerged late in the Uribe administration and accelerated after Santos took office... The constitution guarantees freedom of expression, and opposition viewpoints are commonly expressed. However, crime and conflict make it difficult for journalists to conduct their work... Constitutional rights regarding freedoms of assembly and association are restricted in practice by violence... All of the illegal armed groups systematically abuse human rights... The justice system remains compromised by corruption and extortion. The Constitutional Court and Supreme Court have, on multiple occasions, demonstrated independence from the executive. Lower courts are more susceptible to political and criminal influence."

Updated November 2011