Available online.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 379-420) and index.

Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Preface -- Table A: Selected Spanish abbreviations and acronyms -- Table B: Chronology of important events -- Country profile -- Introduction -- Chapter 1: Historical Setting / David Bushnell -- Early Colombia -- Spanish conquest and colonial society -- Exploration and conquest -- Colonial government -- Colonial society and economy -- Religion and culture -- Breaking the Spanish connection -- Antecedents of independence -- Struggle for independence, 1810-19 -- Development of the nation, 1819-1904 -- Great Colombia experiment, 1819-32 -- New Granada: weak state, strong parties, 1832-63 -- Failed federalist utopia, 1863-85 -- Continuity and change in social relations -- Political centralization and the church-state alliance -- War of the thousand days and loss of Panama, 1899-1903 -- New age of peace and coffee, 1904-30 -- Presidency of Rafael Reyes -- Growth of the coffee industry -- Relations with the United States -- Decline of the conservative hegemony -- Reform under the liberals, 1930-46 -- Things come apart, 1946-58 -- La Violencia -- Growth amid mayhem -- National front, 1958-78 -- Instituting the coalition government -- Sociocultural changes -- Contemporary era, 1978-98 -- Rise of drug-trafficking organizations -- Spread of leftist insurgencies -- New departures and continuing problems -- Chapter 2: Society And Its Environment / David Bushnell and Rex A Hudson -- Physical setting -- Geology -- Geography -- Climate -- Environment -- Race and ethnicity -- Indigenous peoples -- Racial distinctions -- Population and urbanization -- Population growth trends -- Immigration -- Regionalism -- Urbanization trends -- Population displacement -- Emigration -- Demography -- Social strata division -- Family -- Income distribution -- Rural poor and urban poor -- Income effects of narco-trafficking -- Health and welfare -- Resources and organization -- Current health overview -- Pension conundrum -- Religion -- Church, state, and society -- Growth of Protestantism -- Other religious expressions -- Education -- Basic education -- University, technical, and vocational education -- Continuing problems -- Social movements --

Chapter 3: Economy / Roberto Steiner and Hernan Vallejo -- Economic history, 1819-1999 -- Growth and structure of the economy, 1819-1989 -- 1990s: a decade of economic reform -- Economic structure and sectoral policies -- Agriculture -- Mining and energy -- Industry -- Services -- Transportation and telecommunications -- Air transportation -- Inland waterways -- Ports -- Railroads -- Road transportation -- Telecommunications -- Financial regulation and financial markets -- Trade policy and trade patterns -- Foreign investment regulation and outcomes -- Illegal drugs -- Macroeconomic policies and trends -- Monetary policy and inflation -- Exchange-rate policy and the balance of payments -- Fiscal policy and public finances -- Labor, the informal economy, social spending, and pensions -- Labor markets -- Informal economy -- Social expenditure -- Pension system -- Outlook -- Chapter 4: Government And Politics / Arlene B Tickner -- Governmental system -- Executive -- Territorial government -- Legislature -- Electoral system -- Judiciary -- Attorney General's office -- Public administration -- Political dynamics -- Weakening of the bipartisan system -- Other parties and political movements -- Political party reform -- Corruption -- Societal institutions -- Colombian interest groups -- Internal armed conflict and peace negotiations -- Foreign relations -- General foreign policy traits -- Primary doctrines of foreign policy -- Foreign policy decision making -- Diplomatic relations -- Outlook -- Chapter 5: National Security / Ann C Mason -- Military -- Historical background -- Modernization of the military -- Constitutional authority -- Organization of the armed forces -- Conscription and military service -- Military education system -- Military judiciary -- Uniforms, ranks, and insignia -- Defense and security spending -- Law enforcement -- National police -- Administrative security department -- Judicial police -- Penal system -- National security background -- Nineteenth-century civil unrest -- International security affairs -- La Violencia and the emergence of insurgency -- Drug trafficking and the origins of paramilitarism -- Current national security panorama -- Internal armed conflict -- Human rights -- Violence and crime -- National security doctrines and policies -- Counterinsurgency strategies and emergency decrees -- Peace processes -- Antidrug strategies -- United States-Colombia Security Cooperation and Plan Colombia -- Democratic Security Policy -- Negotiations in 2007-8 -- International and regional security relations -- Agreements and treaties -- Regional relations -- Outlook -- Appendix: Tables -- Bibliography -- Glossary -- Index -- Contributors -- Published country studies.

This series deal with a particular foreign country, describing and analyzing its political, economic, social, and national security systems and institutions, and examining the interrelationships of those systems and the ways they are shaped by historical and cultural factors.