|
Location:
|
Northern South America,
bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Colombia and Guyana |
|
Geographic coordinates:
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8 00 N, 66 00 W |
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Area:
|
total: 912,050
sq km
land: 882,050 sq km
water: 30,000 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly more than twice
the size of California |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 4,993 km
border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana
743 km |
|
Coastline:
|
2,800 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
contiguous zone:
15 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM |
|
Climate:
|
tropical; hot, humid;
more moderate in highlands |
|
Terrain:
|
Andes Mountains and Maracaibo
Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands
in southeast |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Caribbean
Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
petroleum, natural gas,
iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds |
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Land use:
|
arable land: 2.99%
permanent crops: 0.96%
other: 96.05% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
540 sq km (1998 est.)
|
|
Natural hazards:
|
subject to floods, rockslides,
mudslides; periodic droughts |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
sewage pollution of Lago
de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation;
soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along
the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible
mining operations |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: Antarctic
Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping |
|
Geography - note:
|
on major sea and air routes
linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands
is the world's highest waterfall
|
|
Population:
|
24,654,694 (July 2003
est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 31%
(male 3,944,749; female 3,700,799)
15-64 years: 64.1% (male 7,931,194; female 7,864,697)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 552,291; female 660,964) (2003
est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 24.8 years
male: 24.3 years
female: 25.4 years (2002) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
1.48% (2003 est.) |
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Birth rate:
|
19.78 births/1,000 population
(2003 est.) |
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Death rate:
|
4.9 deaths/1,000 population
(2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
|
-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
|
at birth: 1.08
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: 23.79 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 27.05 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 73.81 years
male: 70.78 years
female: 77.07 years (2003 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.36 children born/woman
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0.5% - note: no country specific models provided (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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62,000 (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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2,000 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
|
noun: Venezuelan(s)
adjective: Venezuelan |
|
Ethnic groups:
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Spanish, Italian, Portuguese,
Arab, German, African, indigenous people |
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Religions:
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nominally Roman Catholic
96%, Protestant 2%, other 2% |
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Languages:
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Spanish (official), numerous
indigenous dialects |
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Literacy:
|
definition: age
15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.4%
male: 93.8%
female: 93.1% (2003 est.)
|
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form:
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
conventional short form: Venezuela
local short form: Venezuela
local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela |
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Government type:
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federal republic |
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Capital:
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Caracas |
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Administrative divisions:
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23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 federal district* (distrito
federal), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas,
Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes,
Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**, Distrito Federal*, Falcon,
Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa,
Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia
note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled
island groups with a total of 72 individual islands |
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Independence:
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5 July 1811 (from Spain)
|
|
National holiday:
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Independence Day, 5 July
(1811) |
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Constitution:
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30 December 1999 |
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Legal system:
|
based on organic laws
as of July 1999; open, adversarial court system; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
|
18 years of age; universal
|
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February
1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL (since 28 April 2002);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3
February 1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL (since 28 April
2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head
of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president;
percent of vote - 60%
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year
term; election last held 30 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2006)
|
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Legislative branch:
|
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (165 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; three seats reserved
for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - pro-government 108 (MVR 92, MAS 6, indigenous 3, other 7),
opposition 57 (AD 33, COPEI 6, Justice First 5, other 13)
elections: last held 30 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2005)
|
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Judicial branch:
|
Supreme Tribunal of Justice
or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia (magistrates are elected by the National
Assembly for a single 12-year term) |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Democratic Action or AD [Claudio FERMIN]; Fifth Republic Movement
or MVR [Garcia PONCE]; Homeland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNIZ];
Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector
MUJICA]; National Convergence or Convergencia [Juan Jose CALDERA];
Radical Cause or La Causa R [Antonio HERRERA]; Social Christian
Party or COPEI [Oswaldo ALVAREZ Paz]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique
SALAS Romer] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan
Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization dominated by
the Democratic Action) |
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International organization participation:
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CAN, Caricom (observer), CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-19, G-24,
G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA,
NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
|
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires
Luis HERERRA Marcano
chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New
Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
FAX: [1] (202) 342-6820
telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Charles S. SHAPIRO
embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Urbanizacion Colinas
de Valle Arriba, Caracas 1080
mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA
34037
telephone: [58] (212) 975-9234, 975-6411
FAX: [58] (212) 975-8991 |
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Flag description:
|
three equal horizontal
bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the
hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of seven white five-pointed
stars centered in the blue band
|
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Economy - overview:
|
Venezuela continues to be highly dependent on the petroleum sector,
which accounts for roughly one-third of GDP, around 80% of export
earnings, and more than half of government operating revenues. Despite
higher oil prices at the end of 2002 and into 2003, domestic political
instability, culminating in a two-month national oil strike from
December 2002 to February 2003, temporarily halted economic activity.
The economy is likely to remain in a recession in 2003, after sinking
an estimated 8.9 percent in 2002. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power parity
- $132.8 billion (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-8.9% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity
- $5,500 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 5%
industry: 50%
services: 45% (2001) |
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Population below poverty line:
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47% (1998 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 0.8%
highest 10%: 36.5% (1998) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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49.5 (1998) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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31.2% (2002) |
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Labor force:
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9.9 million (1999) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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services 64%, industry 23%, agriculture 13% (1997 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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17% (2002 est.) |
|
Budget:
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revenues: $21.5
billion
expenditures: $27 billion, including capital expenditures
of $NA (2000 est.) |
|
Industries:
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petroleum, iron ore mining,
construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum,
motor vehicle assembly |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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-5.4% (2002 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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87.6 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 31.7%
hydro: 68.3%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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81.47 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2001) |
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Oil - production:
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3.08 million bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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505,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA (2001) |
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
|
63.95 billion bbl (January 2002 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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4.202 trillion cu m (January 2002 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef,
pork, milk, eggs; fish |
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Exports:
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$28.6 billion f.o.b. (2001)
|
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Exports - commodities:
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petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural
products, basic manufactures |
|
Exports - partners:
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US 60%, Brazil 5.5%, Colombia 3.5%, Italy 3.5%, Spain 3.4% (2000)
|
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Imports:
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$18.8 billion f.o.b. (2001)
|
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Imports - commodities:
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raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction
materials |
|
Imports - partners:
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US 35.8%, Colombia 6.8%, Brazil 4.5%, Germany 3.9%, Italy 3.9% (2000)
|
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Debt - external:
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$38.2 billion (2000) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$74 million (2000) |
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Currency:
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Bolivar (VEB) |
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Currency code:
|
VEB |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Bolivares per US dollar
- 1,160.44 (2002), 723.666 (2001), 679.96 (2000), 605.717 (1999),
547.556 (1998) |
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Fiscal year:
|
calendar year
|
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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2.6 million (however, 3,500,000 have been installed) (1998) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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2 million (1998) |
|
Telephone system:
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general assessment: modern and expanding
domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations;
recent substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas;
substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines;
installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable
of digital multimedia services
international: 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth
stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat; participating
with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in the construction of
an international fiber-optic network |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997) |
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Internet country code:
|
.ve |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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16 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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1.3 million (2002)
|
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Railways:
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total: 682 km
standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2002) |
|
Highways:
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total: 96,155 km
paved: 32,308 km
unpaved: 63,847 km (1997 est.) |
|
Waterways:
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7,100 km
note: Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing
vessels |
|
Pipelines:
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crude oil 6,370 km; petroleum
products 480 km; natural gas 4,010 km |
|
Ports and harbors:
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Amuay, Bajo Grande, El
Tablazo, La Guaira, La Salina, Maracaibo, Matanzas, Palua, Puerto
Cabello, Puerto la Cruz, Puerto Ordaz, Puerto Sucre, Punta Cardon
|
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 47 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) 714,073 GRT/1,256,667 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as
a flag of convenience: Denmark 1, Greece 1, Italy 1, UK 1, US 2
(2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 8, chemical tanker 1, container
1, liquefied gas 4, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 15, roll
on/roll off 10, short-sea passenger 1 |
|
Airports:
|
373 (2002) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 127
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 61
under 914 m: 18 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 32 |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 246
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 97
under 914 m: 139 (2002) |
|
Heliports:
|
1 (2002)
|
|
Military branches:
|
National Armed Forces
(Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales or FAN) includes Ground Forces or Army
(Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales
or Armada - including marines and Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerzas
Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or National Guard
(Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional) |
|
Military manpower - military age:
|
18 years of age (2003 est.) |
|
Military manpower - availability:
|
males age 15-49: 6,767,862 (2003 est.) |
|
Military manpower - fit for military service:
|
males age 15-49: 4,870,751 (2003 est.) |
|
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
|
males: 249,319 (2003 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$934 million (FY99) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
0.9% (FY99)
|
|
Disputes - international:
|
claims all of Guyana west of the Essequibo River; maritime boundary
dispute with Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela and the Caribbean
Sea; US, France and the Netherlands recognize Venezuela's claim
to give full effect to Aves Island, which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental
shelf extending over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea; Dominica,
Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
protest the claim and other states' recognition of it |
|
Venezuela
