GEOGRAPHY
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, Central America and the Caribbean
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, Serrana
Bank, and Serranilla Bank
Area—comparative:
slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 7,408 km
border countries: Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama
225 km, Peru 2,900 km, Venezuela 2,050 km
Coastline: 3,208
km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km)
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 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: Nevado del Huila 5,750 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper,
emeralds
Land use:
arable land: 4%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 39%
forests and woodland: 48%
other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 5,300
sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes;
periodic droughts
Environment—current
issues: deforestation; soil damage from overuse of pesticides;
air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions
Environment—international
agreements:
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
Geography—note:
only South American country with coastlines on both North Pacific
Ocean and Caribbean Sea
