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  • Title: Republic of Colombia. Country Profile.
    Author: Canak WL.
    Journal: Int Demogr; 1985 Mar; 4(3):1-8. PubMed ID: 12339912.
    Abstract:
    This discussion of Colombia covers population growth, age distribution, regions and cities, households and families, housing and construction, ethnicity and religion, labor force and income, education, communications and transportation, and sources of information. Colombia's 1985 population is estimated at 28.7 million, making it the largest country in South America after Brazil. Colombia's growth in the last 5 years has averaged 2% annually, compared with an average of 2.3% a year for Latin America as a region. Colombia's moderate growth has been accompanied by shifts in population distribution and composition. In particular a massive internal migration has increased the urban population from roughly 1/3 in th 1950s to 2/3 at this time. Improved housing, education, and access to public health facilities have accompanied this rural to urban migration. At this time Colombia is holding its own economically and anticipates economic growth based on recovery in the US and Europe as well as on its own coal exports. Colombia's fertility rate, at 3.9 children/women in 1980-81, is the lowest in tropical South America but higher than the total fertility rate in the more temperate South American countries. Compared with other South American nations, Colombia's crude birthrate of 29-31 births/1000 population is low. Reflecting the impact of urban migration and the widescale effectiveness of family planning programs initiated in the 1960s and 1970s, median age has increased from 17 years in 1970 to almost 21 years in 1985. About 37% of the population is aged 14 or under at this time. The population aged 65 and older is only 3.8% and by 2000 will constitute only 4.5% of the population. From 1951-82 the urban population grew at 4.4% annually, exceeding the national average of 2.6% and the rural growth rate of less than 1%. Since 1982 the urban growth rate has been about 3% annually. In 1964 the average completed family size was 6.8 children. By 1980 it was 3.9 children. A steady 15 year decline in average household size from 6.1 people in 1970 to 5 people in 1985 is likely to continue. Because of government support, the general standard of housing for the urban migrant populations is superior to that in other Latin American countries. No single racial/ethnic group has ever had more than a regional importance in Colombia. The national culture has been developed almost exclusively from traditional Spanish customs. The economically active population increased annually by 3.4% in the 1970s, but jobs expanded at about 6.2% each year. Since school attendance also increased during the decade, unemployment declined. Colombia's media are reasonably free of government controls. Radio and television are directly controlled through the National Institute of Radio and Television.
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