In Colombia, snow-capped mountain peaks, hot beaches and rainforests coexist. But everything is less rosy in the social sphere, demography, security and the standard of living of citizens. The population is diverse, but most of the citizens live below the poverty line and in constant fear. Natural wealth allows the state to ensure a high standard of living, but financial resources are concentrated in the hands of a few, vested with power. So what is it - Colombia, if we distract from tourist guides?
Current demographic data
According to the latest official figures, Colombia has a population of 47.8 million. According to forecasts, by 2050 the number of Colombians will increase to 72.6 million, but then a demographic crisis will follow, and over the next fifty years the number will decrease again to 41.7 million in 2100.
At the moment, the state is in the process of a demographic shift. In addition, today it is Colombia that is the largest source of refugees in Latin America. High rates of population reproduction are likely to lead to a steady increase in the number of people in the near future, however, a whole bunch of social problems in the future will cause a decrease in the number of citizens.
Population density
Colombia has a population density of 42.9 people per square kilometer. With this indicator, the state takes 138th place in the list of countries in terms of population density. The most densely populated coasts of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, plateaus and valleys of the Andes, i.e., the western and northwestern parts of Colombia. It is there that the largest cities are located. The smallest population historically lives in the inner part of the state - on the Orinok lowland, which, by the way, is quite suitable for life.
Resettlement and urbanization
The cities of Colombia by population are as follows:
- Bogotá is the capital of Colombia, with a population of 7.3 million people, and the population density in the city is 6 thousand people per square kilometer.
- Medellin is the capital of the Antioquia department, the second most important city with a population of 2.5 million people, it is where the majority of immigrants from the Middle East live.
- Calle is a city located on the Pacific coast, with a population of 2.3 million people.
- Barranquilla is the largest port and developed industrial city in northern Colombia, with a population of 1.7 million people and a density of 6.7 thousand people per square kilometer.
- Bucaramanga - the "city of parks", which is considered the most beautiful in Colombia, the metropolitan area has a million citizens.
In total, the state has 32 departments and one metropolitan area.
Colombia, whose population lives mainly in cities, is highly urbanized. In the urban jungle settled 70% of the population. Most of them (93%) are literate, while in rural areas the literacy rate is only 67%.
Sex and age structure of the population of Colombia
The age structure of the population of Colombia as of 2017 is dominated by people of working age. This group includes citizens aged 15 to 65 years. The working-age population in absolute figures is 32.9 million people, which in percentage terms corresponds to 67.2% of citizens.
There are 16.3 million men among the able-bodied population and 16.6 million women. This division by sex is consistent with global indicators: on average, 105 representatives of the weaker sex have 100 representatives of the stronger, that is, the coefficient is 1.05. For the working-age population of Colombia, the same indicator is 1.01.
Colombia, like most developing countries, is characterized by a progressive or growing type of gender and age pyramid:
- the number of children under the age of 14 inclusive is 13.1 million (in percentage terms - 26.7%), including 6.7 million boys and 6.4 million girls;
- There are only 3 million (6.1%) citizens of retirement age, of which 1.2 million are men, 1.8 million women.
Such demographic data are determined by the high mortality and birth rates in Colombia, which, in turn, are determined, among other factors, by the low quality of education and medical services.
Life expectancy
Life expectancy at birth is calculated on the condition that the demographic indicators of fertility and mortality remain the same. In Colombia, the figure is 74.6 years for both sexes. This is a fairly high indicator: the global life expectancy is around 71 years.
Life expectancy in Colombia varies significantly by gender. So, for women, the indicator is 79 years, for men - 71.3 years.
Origin and national composition of the population
Colombia, whose population is made up of the three main groups of ethnic groups and the descendants of their mixed marriages, is a state diverse in ethnic composition. The Spanish colonizers, immigrants from Europe and the Middle East, who arrived in the twentieth century (white), slaves from Africa (blacks) and Indians, were mixed here.
The indigenous people of Colombia - the Caribbean, Arawax and Chibchas peoples - almost ceased to exist in the process of colonization or as a result of diseases introduced by Europeans. Mestizos predominate in the composition of the population of the modern state - the descendants of mixed marriages of Europeans with representatives of the local population make up 58% of the citizens. Only about 1% of the inhabitants of Colombia are indigenous.
The proportion of Colombians, descendants of the European colonialists without an admixture of Native American blood, is extremely insignificant. Another 14% are mulattos, about 4% are black Africans, and 3% are descendants of mixed marriages of Africans and Indians.
The population of European descent and the descendants of marriages between Spaniards and local Indians live, as a rule, in regional centers and fast-growing cities in the mountains. Mestizos-campesinos live mainly in rural areas in the Andes, in cities they represent artisans and small traders.
Native American situation in Colombia
In 1821, the Indians were recognized as free citizens and legislatively consolidated the division of land between the community members. Already in the XIX century, some representatives of indigenous peoples managed to achieve high military ranks and occupy government posts.
Legislative acts of 1890 provided that Aborigines would not be governed by general orders, but by special laws. In 1961, about 80 reservations (resguardos) remained in the country, located mainly in the south-west of the state. The struggle of the latter for rights led to the recognition of several dozen reservations. The Constitution also recognized for Aboriginal people the right to self-government and the disposal of natural resources.
As of 2005, 567 resguardos were registered in Colombia, with a total of just over 800 thousand people. The country has a Department of Aboriginal Issues (under the Ministry of the Interior), as well as a National Human Rights Commission for Aboriginal peoples who deal with the affairs of the Indian population.
Christianity and other religions in Colombia
Colombia, whose population is mainly the descendants of mixed marriages of Europeans with representatives of local tribes, today is a secular state. The constitution guarantees freedom of religion and prohibits any discrimination based on religion, but the Catholic Church is in a more privileged position.
Most citizens (95.7%) profess Christianity, which penetrated the territory of Colombia along with the Spanish colonialists. There are 79% of Catholics (while back in 1970 there were about 95% of the Catholic Church adherents), the number of Protestants is estimated to range from 10% to 17%. There are also a small number of Orthodox, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormons.
Islam and Judaism are also represented in Colombia. Today's Colombian Muslims are mostly descendants of immigrants from Syria, Palestine and Lebanon, who moved to Colombia in the late XIX - early XX centuries. The number of Muslims is estimated at 14 thousand people, and Jewish communities number 4.6 thousand people.
Local beliefs and spiritual views that are prevalent in remote areas of the country have survived in the state. The number of their adherents is about 305 thousand people. From time to time, there are also reports in the media about the emergence of a large number of new religions, which are conditionally divided into Asian and European. In addition, in Colombia there are Satanists, occult and esoteric movements.
Only about 1.1% of the population of Colombia is not religious.
Colombian economy and employment structure
The main occupations of the population of Colombia are determined by the structure of the state economy. Land suitable for farming occupies a fifth of Colombian territory, so 22% of the working population is employed in the agricultural sector. The country fully satisfies its own food needs, and one of the main export items is coffee - Colombia is the third largest producer of coffee in the world.
The economic activities of the population are also aimed at the industrial sector, where 18.7% of working-age citizens are employed. Natural resources are represented by diamonds (90% of the world's diamonds are mined in Colombia), oil, coal, and gold, copper and iron ore are also mined. Manufacturing factories produce textiles, chemicals, equipment and consumer goods.
What does the people of Colombia do besides industry and agriculture? The country has developed trade and transport, so a significant proportion of citizens are employed precisely in these areas of the economy. The average salary in Colombia (according to official figures) is $ 692.
Demographic load factor
The demographic indicator, closely related to the population, gender and age structure and economy of the state, is the coefficient of demographic load. This term refers to the burden on society and the economy by the population of retirement age, as well as minors.
For Colombia, the overall load factor is 48.9%. This means that the working-age population is almost twice the number of citizens of retirement and childhood. This ratio creates a relatively low burden on society.
