REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA Official name: Republica de Colombia (Republic of Colombia) Location: South America International organisations: The Andean Community, The Non-Aligned Movement, The Organisation of American States, The United Nations, The World Trade Organisation Borders: Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Venezuela Coastline: Caribbean Sea, North Pacific Ocean Land area: 1,138,910 Km2 Population: 41,000,000 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: Bogotá (officially Santa Fé de Bogotá) 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 (Cámara de Representantes) has 161 members, elected for four-year terms by proportional representation. The Senate of the Republic (Senado de la República) has 102 members, elected for four-year terms by proportional representation. Electoral authority: The National Registrar of Colombia conducts national elections. Freedom House 2005 rating: Political Rights 4, Civil Liberties 4

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 Álvaro Uribe Vélez in 1982, pledged to a military solution.

Colombian politics is still dominated by the two traditional parties, the Colombian Liberal Party, a social-democratic party, and the Colombian Conservative Party, which champions free-market economics and no negotiations with the insurgents. There are many smaller parties, mostly on the left, but the continuation of insurgency means that no party of the left has much credibility.