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Location |
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Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama |
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Geographic coordinates: |
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4 00 N, 72 00 W |
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Area: |
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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 |
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Area - comparative: |
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slightly less than three times the size of Montana |
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Land boundaries: |
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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 |
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Coastline: |
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3,208 km ( Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km) |
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Maritime claims: |
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
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Climate: |
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tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands |
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Terrain: |
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flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains , eastern lowland plains |
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Elevation extremes: |
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico Cristobal Colon 5,775 m
note: nearby Pico Simon Bolivar also has the same elevation |
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Natural resources: |
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petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower |
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Land use: |
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arable land: 2.42%
permanent crops: 1.67%
other: 95.91% (2001) |
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Irrigated land: |
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8,500 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards: |
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highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts |
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Environment - international agreements: |
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party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
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Geography - note: |
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only South American country with coastlines on both North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea |
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Population: |
42,310,775 (July 2004 est.) |
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Age structure: |
0-14 years: 31% (male 6,644,080; female 6,489,677) |
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