ABSTRACT
LOCATED IN A TROPICAL AREA at the northern end of the Andes, Colombia is recognised worldwide for its exceptional biodiversity. It covers an area of 1,141,000 km2, five times bigger than that of the UK, and has a population of approximately 38 million. Its economy has changed in recent years to include not only the primary economic sector, but also a developing industrial sector, and has increased trade with other countries. A country once known only for its coffee production, Colombia now exports not only primary products such as oil, coal and bananas, but a great deal of manufactured goods such as sugar, leather articles and textiles.
