Americas > South America > Colombia > Colombia Geography Profile 2011

Colombia: Colombia Geography Profile 2011

2010/07/06

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:

1,138,914 sq km

Comparison to the world:

Land:

1,109,104 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

Land boundaries Note:

Border countries

Countries:

Brazil 1,644 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 1,800 km, Venezuela 2,050 km

Coastline

Value:

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

Note:

Maritime claims

Territorial sea:

12 nm

Exclusive economic zone:

200 nm

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:

copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower

Land use

Kind:

arable land

Percentage:

2,01%

Year:

2005

Kind:

permanent crops

Percentage:

1,37%

Kind:

other

Percentage:

96,62%

Irrigated land

Value:

9,000 sq km

Year:

2003

Total renewable water resources

Value:

2,132 cu km

Year:

2000

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

Total:

10.71 cu km/yr (50%/4%/46%)

Per capital:

235 cu m/yr

Natural hazards:

highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; soil and water quality damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions

Environment - international agreements

Party to:

Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

Signed but not ratified:

Law of the Sea

Geography note:

only South American country with coastlines on both the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea

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