| COLOMBIAN GEOGRAPHY - GEOGRAFÍA COLOMBIANA |
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| 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 WMap References:South
America Area:
total:1,138,910 sq km Land:1,038,700
sq km note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla
Bank water: 100,210 sq km Area
- comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Montana Land
boundaries: total: 6,004 km Border
countries: Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 1,496 km (est.),
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 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:
petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower
Land
use: arable land: 1.9% other: 96.14% (1998 est.) permanent crops: 1.96% Irrigated
land: 8,500 sq km (1998 est.) 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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
Geography - note: only South American country with coastlines on both North
Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea |