from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Venezuela
Introduction
Background: Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from
the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being
Ecuador and New Granada, which became Colombia). For
most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela
was ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen,
who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some
social reforms. Democratically elected governments have
held sway since 1959. Hugo CHAVEZ, president since
1998, has promoted a controversial policy of
"democratic socialism," which purports to alleviate
social ills while at the same time attacking
globalization and undermining regional stability.
Current concerns include: a weakening of democratic
institutions, political polarization, a politicized
military, drug-related violence along the Colombian
border, increasing internal drug consumption,
overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price
fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that
are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples.
Geography
Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and
the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana
Geographic 8 00 N, 66 00 W
coordinates:
Map South America
references:
Area: total: 912,050 sq km
land: 882,050 sq km
water: 30,000 sq km
Area - slightly more than twice the size of California
comparative:
Land total: 4,993 km
boundaries: border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km,
Guyana 743 km
Coastline: 2,800 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: contiguous zone: 15 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Terrain: Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest;
central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
Elevation lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
extremes: highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m
Natural petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other
resources: minerals, hydropower, diamonds
Land use: arable land: 2.85%
permanent crops: 0.88%
other: 96.27% (2005)
Irrigated 5,750 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic
hazards: droughts
Environment - sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban
current pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil
issues: degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially
along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest
ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations
Environment - party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
international Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
agreements: Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed but not ratified:: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - on major sea and air routes linking North and South
note: America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the
world's highest waterfall
People
Population: 25,730,435 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 29.1% (male 3,860,116/female 3,620,440)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 8,494,944/female 8,410,874)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 609,101/female 734,960)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 26 years
male: 25.4 years
female: 26.6 years (2006 est.)
Population 1.38% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 18.71 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 4.92 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 21.54 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 24.58 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 18.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 74.54 years
expectancy at male: 71.49 years
birth: female: 77.81 years (2006 est.)
Total 2.23 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.7% - note - no country specific models provided (2001
adult est.)
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 110,000 (1999 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 4,100 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Venezuelan(s)
adjective: Venezuelan
Ethnic groups: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African,
indigenous people
Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%
Languages: Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.4%
male: 93.8%
female: 93.1% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of
Venezuela
conventional short form: Venezuela
local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela
local short form: Venezuela
Government federal republic
type:
Capital: name: Caracas
geographic coordinates: 10 30 N, 66 56 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative 23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 capital
divisions: district* (distrito capital), 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
Independence: 5 July 1811 (from Spain)
National Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
holiday:
Constitution: 30 December 1999
Legal system: open, adversarial court system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3
branch: February 1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL Vale
(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
Vale (since 28 April 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
six-year term (eligible for a second term); election
last held 30 July 2000 (next to be held 3 December
2006)
note: in 1999, a National Constituent Assembly drafted
a new constitution that increased the presidential term
to six years; an election was subsequently held on 30
July 2000 under the terms of this new constitution
election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected
president; percent of vote - Hugo CHAVEZ Frias 59.5%,
Francisco ARIAS 37.5%, Claudio FERMIN 3%
note: a special presidential recall vote on 15 August
2004 resulted in a victory for CHAVEZ; percent of vote
- 58% in favor of CHAVEZ fulfilling the remaining two
years of his term, 42% in favor of terminating his
presidency immediately
Legislative unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (167
branch: seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms; three seats reserved for the
indigenous peoples of Venezuela)
elections: last held 4 December 2005 (next to be held
in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - pro-government 167 (MVR 114, PODEMOS 15, PPT
11, indigenous 2, other 25), opposition 0
Judicial Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de
branch: Justicia (magistrates are elected by the National
Assembly for a single 12-year term)
Political Christian Democrats or COPEI [Eduardo FERNANDEZ];
parties and Democratic Action or AD [Jesus MENDEZ Quijada];
leaders: Fatherland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNOZ]; Fifth
Republic Movement or MVR [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Justice First
[Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS
[Hector MUJICA]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique
SALAS Romer]; We Can or PODEMOS [Ismael GARCIA]
Political FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS
pressure groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV
groups and (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action)
leaders:
International CAN, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA,
organization IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
participation: IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU,
LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW,
OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Bernardo ALVAREZ Herrera
representation chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
in the US: telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214
FAX: [1] (202) 342-6820
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami,
New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto
Rico)
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador William R. BROWNFIELD
representation embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Urbanizacion
from the US: 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
Flag three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and
description: red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the
yellow band and an arc of eight white five-pointed
stars centered in the blue band
Economy
Economy - Venezuela continues to be highly dependent on the
overview: petroleum sector, accounting for roughly one-third of
GDP, around 80% of export earnings, and over half of
government operating revenues. Government revenue also
has been bolstered by increased tax collection, which
has surpassed its 2005 collection goal by almost 50%.
Tax revenue is the primary source of non-oil revenue,
which accounts for 53% of the 2006 budget. A disastrous
two-month national oil strike, from December 2002 to
February 2003, temporarily halted economic activity.
The economy remained in depression in 2003, declining
by 9.2% after an 8.9% fall in 2002. Output recovered
strongly in 2004-2005, aided by high oil prices and
strong consumption growth. Venezuela continues to be an
important source of crude oil for the US market. Both
inflation and unemployment remain fundamental problems.
GDP $162.1 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $106.1 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 9.3% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $6,400 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 4%
composition by industry: 41.9%
sector: services: 54.1% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 12.31 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 13%
by occupation: industry: 23%
services: 64% (1997 est.)
Unemployment 12.2% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 47% (1998 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 0.8%
income or highest 10%: 36.5% (1998)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 49.1 (1998)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 16% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 19% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $39.63 billion
expenditures: $41.27 billion; including capital
expenditures of $2.6 billion (2005 est.)
Public debt: 34.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables,
products: coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish
Industries: petroleum, construction materials, food processing,
textiles; iron ore mining, steel, aluminum; motor
vehicle assembly
Industrial 7.2% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 87.44 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 31.7%
production by hydro: 68.3%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 81.32 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 3.081 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
production:
Oil - 530,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 2.1 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Oil - proved 75.59 billion bbl (2005 est.)
reserves:
Natural gas - 29.7 billion cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 29.7 billion cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2004 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2004 est.)
imports:
Natural gas - 4.191 trillion cu m (2005)
proved
reserves:
Current $25.36 billion (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $52.73 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals,
commodities: agricultural products, basic manufactures
Exports - US 51.2%, Netherlands Antilles 7.3%, Canada 2.4% (2005)
partners:
Imports: $24.63 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport
commodities: equipment, construction materials
Imports - US 31.6%, Colombia 11%, Brazil 9.1%, Mexico 6.9% (2005)
partners:
Reserves of $29.64 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $41.51 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $74 million (2000)
recipient:
Currency bolivar (VEB)
(code):
Currency code: VEB
Exchange bolivares per US dollar - 2,089.8 (2005), 1,891.3
rates: (2004), 1,607 (2003), 1,161 (2002), 723.7 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 3,605,500 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 12.496 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: modern and expanding
system: 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: country code - 58; 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
Radio AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 10.75 million (1997)
Television 66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 4.1 million (1997)
Internet .ve
country code:
Internet 51,968 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 16 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 3.04 million (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 375 (2006)
Airports - total: 129
with paved over 3,047 m: 5
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 34
914 to 1,523 m: 60
under 914 m: 19 (2006)
Airports - total: 246
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 90
under 914 m: 147 (2006)
Heliports: 1 (2006)
Pipelines: extra heavy crude 992 km; gas 5,369 km; oil 7,607 km;
refined products 1,681 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km
(2006)
Railways: total: 682 km
standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 96,155 km
paved: 32,308 km
unpaved: 63,847 km (1999)
Waterways: 7,100 km
note: Orinoco River and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by
oceangoing vessels, Orinoco for 400 km (2005)
Merchant total: 56 ships (1000 GRT or over) 824,941 GRT/
marine: 1,327,924 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 10, chemical tanker 2,
container 1, liquefied gas 6, passenger/cargo 12,
petroleum tanker 18
foreign-owned: 13 (Denmark 3, Greece 3, India 1, Mexico
3, Panama 1, Russia 1, Spain 1)
registered in other countries: 15 (Bahamas 1, Panama
14) (2006)
Ports and Amuay, La Guaira, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Punta
terminals: Cardon
Military
Military National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales or
branches: FAN): Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or
Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada;
includes Marines, Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerzas
Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or
National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or
Guardia Nacional)
Military 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service age service; conscript service obligation - 30 months
and (2004)
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 6,236,012
available for females age 18-49: 6,137,622 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 4,907,947
for military females age 18-49: 5,151,843 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 252,396
reaching females age 18-49: 237,300 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $1.61 billion (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1.2% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - claims all of the area west of the Essequibo River in
international: Guyana, preventing any discussion of a maritime
boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join
Barbados in asserting claims before the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that Trinidad
and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends
into their waters; dispute with Colombia over Los
Monjes islands and maritime boundary near the Gulf of
Venezuela; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics and
paramilitary activities penetrate Venezuela's shared
border region resulting in several thousand residents
migrating away from the border; 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
Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human
habitation and other states' recognition of it
Trafficking in current situation: Venezuela is a source, transit, and
persons: destination country for women and children trafficked
for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced
labor; women and children from Colombia, China, Peru,
Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic are trafficked to
and through Venezuela and subjected to commercial
sexual exploitation or forced labor; Venezuelans are
trafficked internally and to Western Europe,
particularly Spain and the Netherlands, and to
countries in the Caribbean region for commercial sexual
exploitation; Venezuela is a transit country for
illegal migrants from other countries in the region and
for Asian nationals, some are believed to be
trafficking victims
tier rating: Tier 3 - Venezuela does not fully comply
with the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do
so
Illicit drugs: small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the
processing of opiates and coca derivatives; however,
large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana
transit the country from Colombia bound for US and
Europe; significant narcotics-related money-laundering
activity, especially along the border with Colombia and
on Margarita Island; active eradication program
primarily targeting opium; increasing signs of
drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on
border