Map

Background

Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). It is located in northwestern South America, bordered by Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, the Caribbean Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. It is the fourth largest country in South America, and isalso the 27th largest in the world by population. Colombia is a middle power, and is the fourth largest economy in Latin America.
Vastregions of the countryside are controlled by guerrillas or by security forces. Colombia’s government has increased its workin reinstating government control throughout the country. It has established its presence in all its administrative departments. Regardless ofthe internal conflict that spanned for decades, drug trade and security challenges, Colombia sustainscomparatively strong democratic establishments.

Economy

Colombia is an emerging market, in which coffee, emeralds, flowers, textiles, plastics, coal, oil, industrial chemicals, and financial services are the most representative sectors of Colombia’s economy.
During the past decade, Colombia has shown strong economic performance due to well-placed economic policies and promotion of free trade agreements. Colombia remains heavily dependent on oil exports with vulnerability to a falls in oil prices.
It is the third largest Latin American exporter of oil and the largest source of imported coalto the United States of America. Colombia’s infrastructure is in major need of significant improvements for the maintenance of exconomic development and expansion, and the major challenges facing the country are inequality and the trafficking of narcotics.

Health

Since the 1980s, the quality of public health in Colombia has been improved upon. A new system introduced in 1993 where employees pay into health plans to which employers also fund has widened population coverage by the social and health security system.

Major infectious diseases:
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever
Water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)

Malaria Status

Nearly 85% of the population on the national territory, mainly on the Pacific coast, the Amazon forests and eastern savannas, are affected by malaria. There are an estimated 250,000 cases per year and 3 mortalities for every 100,000 persons infected. In 66% of the cases, the main agent is Plasmodium vivax, except on the Pacific coast, where Plasmodium falciparum causes 75% of the cases.