Colombia

Colombia, located in the northwest of South America, is the third richest country in South America in terms of GDP (PPP). The country occupies an area of about 1,141,748 square km and has a population of 42,888,592 (as of 2005).

The main export item of Colombia which makes up 45% of all exports of the country is petroleum. The next big sector is the manufacturing industry. The country also has the world’s fastest growing information technology sector and the largest shipbuilding industry outside Asia. The country is going through a period of economic boom with a rapid increase in GDP and decrease in poverty levels.