Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Colombia: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MBB, ranked #47 of 195).
Colombia is a presidential republic in Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama. The country's capital is Bogotá; it covers 1,138,910 sq km. Independence: 20 July 1810 (from Spain). Terrain: flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains (Llanos). Climate: tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands. Population: 49.8 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +0.54% per year. Median age: 33.1 years. Life expectancy: 74.9 years (2024 est.). Languages: Spanish (official) 98.9%, indigenous 1%, Portuguese 0.1%; 65 indigenous langua…
| Capital | Bogotá |
|---|---|
| Population | 49,842,298 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $978.592 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $18,500 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 1.7% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 6.6% |
| Unemployment | 9.7% |
| Public debt | 71.3% of GDP (2023 est.) |
| Exports | $68.866 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $78.633 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 74.9 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 33.1 |
| Urbanization | 82.4% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 20 July 1810 (from Spain) |
| Languages | Spanish (official) 98.9%, indigenous 1%, Portuguese 0.1%; 65 indigenous languages exist (2023 est.) |
MBB · 57/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Little moved in Jul–Sep 2026: no crisis, no windfall. The quarter simply confirmed the country's standing course.
Deeper forces — trade patterns, regional stability, institutional strength — will decide the trajectory; three months rarely do.
Oil, Natural gas, Coal, Iron ore, Nickel, Gold, Copper, Hydropower.
Abelardo de la Espriella — President. President Gustavo Francisco PETRO Urrego (since 7 August 2022)
Colombia maintains 63 embassies and 49 consulates abroad, hosts 64 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, OAS Washington, UN Geneva, EU Brussels, UNESCO Paris, FAO Rome, UN Nairobi, ALADI/MERCOSUR Montevideo. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 63 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 49 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 64 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, OAS Washington, UN Geneva, EU Brussels, UNESCO Paris, FAO Rome, UN Nairobi, ALADI/MERCOSUR Montevideo |
Source: Lowy Institute Global Diplomacy Index 2024 via Wikipedia 'List of countries by number of diplomatic missions' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_diplomatic_missions ; hosted: Consular Affairs Center Jan 2026 https://zenodo.org/records/18109976 ; multilateral: Wikipedia 'List of diplomatic missions of Colombia' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_of_Colombia
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 3208 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 661 + 57 heliports (registration prefix HJ, HK) |
| Major seaports | Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Covenas, El Bosque, Mamonal, Pozos Colorados, Puerto Bolivar, Puerto Prodeco, Santa Marta |
| Railways | 2141 km |
| Pipelines | 4,991 km gas, 6,796 km oil, 3,429 km refined products (2013) |
| Top container ports (TEU) | Cartagena (3,343,810 TEU, 2021); Buenaventura (1,082,746 TEU, 2021) |
Alfonso Bonilla Aragon International Airport (CLO) — Cali; El Dorado International Airport (BOG) — Bogota; Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ) — Barranquilla; Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport (ADZ) — San Andrés; Jose Maria Córdova International Airport (MDE) — Medellín; Rafael Nuñez International Airport (CTG) — Cartagena; Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport (VUP) — Valledupar; Alfredo Vásquez Cobo International Airport (LET) — Leticia; Almirante Padilla Airport (RCH) — Riohacha; Antonio Nariño Airport (PSO) — Chachagüí.
Showing 10 of 15 major airports.
| Oil terminals | Covenas offshore terminal |
|---|---|
| River ports | Barranquilla (Rio Magdalena) |
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Last election | 2026 — presidential; 2026-06-21 (runoff; first round 2026-05-31); winner: Abelardo de la Espriella (Independent (Defenders of the Homeland)); Trump-endorsed far-right populist ('the Tiger'); sharp break from Petro's left-wing government CNN |
| Next election | 2030 — presidential (scheduled) |
Source: constitutional schedule / public election calendar
MBB · 57 Ranked #47 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Colombia.
Historical timeline of Colombia
