Colombia: population, its ethnic composition, features, numbers, employment and interesting facts

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:45

In Colombia, snow-capped mountain peaks, hot beaches and tropical forests coexist. But things are 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 we alth allows the state to provide a high standard of living, but financial resources are concentrated in the hands of a few with power. So what is Colombia, apart from tourist guides?

Current demographics

The population of Colombia, according to the latest official figures, is 47.8 million people. By 2050, the number of Colombians is projected to 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 indemographic transition process. 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 growth in the near future, however, a whole tangle of social problems in the future will cause a decrease in the number of citizens.

Population density

The population density of Colombia is 42.9 people per square kilometer. With this indicator, the state ranks 138th in the list of countries in the world in terms of population density. The most densely populated coasts of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, plateaus and valleys of the Andes, that is, the western and northwestern parts of Colombia. It is there that the largest cities are located. The least of the population historically lives in the interior of the state - on the Orinok lowland, which, by the way, is quite suitable for life.

Urbanization and urbanization

Cities in Colombia by population are as follows:

• Bogota is the capital of Colombia, with a population of 7.3 million and a population density of 6,000 per square kilometer.
• Medellin is the capital of the department of Antioquia, the second largest city with a population of 2.5 million people, it is where most people from the Middle East live.
• Calle is a city located on the Pacific coast, with a population of 2.3 million citizens.
• Barranquilla is the largest port and developed industrial city innorthern Colombia, with a population of 1.7 million and a density of 6.7 thousand people per square kilometer.
• Bucaramanga is the "city of parks", which is considered the most beautiful in Colombia, the agglomeration has a million citizens.

In total, there are 32 departments and one metropolitan area in the state.

Colombia, with a predominantly urban population, is highly urbanized. 70% of the country's population settled in the urban jungle. Most of them (93%) are literate, while in rural areas the literacy rate is only 67%.

Gender and age structure of the Colombian population

The age structure of Colombia's population 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 terms is 32.9 million people, which in percentage terms corresponds to 67.2% of citizens.

There are 16.3 million men among the working-age population, 16.6 million women. This division by sex corresponds to global indicators: on average, there are 100 representatives of the strong for every 105 representatives of the weaker sex, i.e. the coefficient is 1, 05. For the working-age population in Colombia, the same figure is 1.01.

Colombia, like most developing countries, is characterized by a progressive or growing type of gender and age pyramid:

• number of children under the age of 14 inclusiveis 13.1 million (in percentage terms - 26.7%), including 6.7 million boys and 6.4 million girls;
• citizens of retirement age, there are only 3 million (6.1%), of which men - 1.2 million, women - 1.8 million.

These demographics are driven by high death and birth rates in Colombia, which in turn are predetermined by the poor quality of education and he althcare, among other factors.

Life expectancy

Life expectancy at birth is calculated on the assumption that birth and death demographics remain the same. In Colombia, the figure is 74.6 years for both sexes. That's pretty high, with global life expectancy at around 71 years.

Average life expectancy in Colombia varies significantly by gender. So, for women, the figure is 79 years, for men - 71.3 years.

Origin and national composition of the population

Colombia, whose population is made up of three main groups of ethnic groups and the descendants of their mixed marriages, is a state of diverse ethnic composition. Here mixed Spanish colonialists, immigrants from Europe and the Middle East who arrived in the twentieth century (whites), slaves from Africa (blacks) and Indians.

The indigenous people of Colombia are the peoplesCaribs, Arawaxes and Chibchas - practically ceased to exist in the process of colonization or as a result of diseases introduced by Europeans. The population of the modern state is dominated by mestizos - the descendants of mixed marriages of Europeans with representatives of the local population make up 58% of citizens. Only about 1% of the inhabitants of Colombia are indigenous Indians.

A very small proportion of Colombians - the descendants of European colonizers without an admixture of Indian blood. Another 14% are mulattoes, about 4% are black Africans, and 3% are descendants of mixed marriages of Africans and Indians.

People of European origin and descendants of marriages between Spaniards and local Indians live, as a rule, in regional centers and fast-growing cities in the mountains. Mestizo campesinos live predominantly in the rural areas of the Andes, in the cities they represent artisans and small traders.

Indigenous situation in Colombia

In 1821, the Indians were recognized as free citizens and the division of land between the community members was legally fixed. Already in the 19th century, some representatives of the indigenous peoples managed to achieve high military ranks and take public office.

The Legislative Acts of 1890 provided that the Aborigines would not be governed by general orders, but by special laws. In 1961, about 80 reservations (resguardo) remained in the country, located mainly in the south-west of the state. The struggle of the latter for rights led torecognition of several dozen more reservations. The Constitution also recognized the right of the natives to self-government and the disposal of natural resources.

As of 2005, there were 567 registered resguardos in Colombia, with a total population of just over 800,000 people. The country has a Department of Aboriginal Affairs (under the Department of the Interior), as well as a National Commission on Human Rights for Aboriginal Peoples, which deal with the affairs of the Indian population.

Christianity and other religions in Colombia

Colombia, whose population is predominantly 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 has a more privileged position.

Most citizens (95.7%) profess Christianity, which entered the territory of Colombia along with the Spanish colonizers. There are 79% of Catholics (whereas back in 1970 there were about 95% of adherents of the Catholic Church), the number of Protestants is estimated at between 10% and 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 predominantly descendants of immigrants from Syria, Palestine and Lebanon who moved to Colombia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The number of Muslims is estimated at14 thousand people, and the Jewish communities number 4.6 thousand people.

Local beliefs and spiritualistic beliefs, which are common in remote areas of the country, have been preserved 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, Satanists, occult and esoteric movements operate in Colombia.

Only about 1.1% of the Colombian population is not religious.

Colombian economy and employment structure

The main occupations of the population of Colombia predetermine the structure of the economy of the state. Land suitable for agriculture covers one fifth of the territory of Colombia, so that 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 ranks third in the world in its production.

The economic activity of the population is also focused on the industrial sector, which employs 18.7% of working-age citizens. Natural resources are represented by diamonds (90% of the world's diamonds are mined in Colombia), oil, coal, gold, copper and iron ores are also mined. Processing factories produce textiles, chemicals, machinery and consumer goods.

What does the population of Colombia do besides industry and agriculture? ATThe country has developed trade and transport, so that a significant proportion of citizens are employed in these areas of the economy. The average salary in Colombia (according to official data) is $692.

Dependency ratio

The demographic indicator, closely related to the population size, gender and age structure and the economy of the state, is the dependency ratio. This term refers to the burden on society and the economy from the population of retirement age, as well as minors.

For Colombia, the total load factor is 48.9%. This means that the population of working age is almost twice as large as the number of citizens of retirement and child age. This ratio creates a relatively low burden on society.

Social issues in Colombia

Colombia, whose population has been living in de facto confrontation between the government and the rebels since 1980, has an ambiguous standard of living. Many live below the poverty line, the other part of the population lives in we alth, acquired, obviously, by not entirely honest labor. It is almost impossible to engage in civilized business in Colombia, and inequality reaches incredible heights. A cult of violence flourishes in the country, in areas controlled by gangs, the population is intimidated to the limit.