Location:

Colombia is located in northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama. Colombia is the only South American country with coastlines on both the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

Facts:

Land Area: 1,038,700

Capital City: Bogota

Population: Approx. 45 million (July 2008 est.)

Main Exports: Petroleum, coffee, coal, nickel.

Exchange Rate: US$1 = 2,480.35 COP (17/03/09)

Political and Economic

Since President Alvaro Uribe Velez took office in 2002, Colombia has been a much safer, much more stable environment to conduct business. From 2002 to present, we have seen major improvements in security, continuous social programs, and sustained economic growth. Colombia achieved economic growth from 2002 and 2007, with expansion above 7% in 2007; chiefly due to advancements in domestic security, rising commodity prices, and to President Uribe's pro-market economic policies. Colombia's sustained growth helped reduce poverty by 20% and cut unemployment by 25% since 2002. Additionally, investor-friendly reforms to Colombia's hydrocarbon sector and the US-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement ('CTPA') negotiations have attracted record levels of foreign investment. Since his election in 2002, President Uribe has maintained some of the highest approval ratings of any Latin American president, usually around 70%-80%.