Total area: 1,138,910 km2
land area: 1,038,700 km2; includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank

Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Land boundaries: 7,408 km total; Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 2,900, Venezuela 2,050 km

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

Maritime claims: Continental shelf: not specified
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Venezuela in the Gulf of Venezuela; territorial dispute with Nicaragua over Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank

Climate: tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands

Terrain: mixture of flat coastal lowlands, plains in east, central highlands, some high mountains

Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds

Land use: arable land 4%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 29%; forest and woodland 49%; other 16%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; deforestation; soil damage from overuse of pesticides; periodic droughts

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

NOTE: The information regarding Colombia on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Colombia Geography 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Colombia Geography 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.