View Intelligence Dossier Back to 1993 CSV Excel Print All Years

Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 360 usable: 331 with permanent-surface runways: 133 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 87

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

77,785 km total; 22,780 km paved, 24,720 km gravel, 14,450 km earth roads, and 15,835 km unimproved earth

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

7,100 km; Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing vessels

Merchant marine [time series]

56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 837,375 GRT/1,344,795 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 1 passenger cargo, 19 cargo, 2 container, 4 roll-on/roll-off, 18 oil tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 6 bulk, 1 vehicle carrier, 1 combination bulk

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 6,370 km; petroleum products 480 km; natural gas 4,010 km

Ports [time series]

Amuay Bay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, Puerto Cabello, Puerto Ordaz

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

542 km total; 363 km 1.435-meter standard gauge all single track, government owned; 179 km 1.435-meter gauge, privately owned

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

modern and expanding; 1,440,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 181 AM, no FM, 59 TV, 26 shortwave; 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite ground stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales, FAN) includes - Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada), Air Forces (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperation or Guardia Nacional)

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $1.95 billion, 4% of GDP (1991)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 5,192,107; fit for military service 3,769,441; reach military age (18) annually 221,043 (1993 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 6% of GDP and 16% of labor force; products - corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee, beef, pork, milk, eggs, fish; not self-sufficient in food other than meat

Budget [time series]

revenues $13.2 billion; expenditures $13.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimos

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-86), $488 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $10 million

Electricity [time series]

21,130,000 kW capacity; 58,541 million kWh produced, 2,830 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

bolivares (Bs) per US$1 - 80.18 (January 1993), 68.38 (1992), 56.82 (1991), 46.90 (1990), 34.68 (1989), 14.50 (fixed rate 1987-88)

Exports [time series]

$14.0 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: petroleum 82%, bauxite and aluminum, iron ore, agricultural products, basic manufactures partners: US 50.7%, Europe 13.7%, Japan 4.0% (1989)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$27.1 billion (1992)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Illicit drugs [time series]

illicit producer of cannabis and coca leaf for the international drug trade on a small scale; however, large quantities of cocaine transit the country from Colombia; important money-laundering hub

Imports [time series]

$12.4 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, chemicals, manufactures, machinery and transport equipment partners: US 44%, FRG 8.0%, Japan 4%, Italy 7%, Canada 2% (1989)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 11.9% (1992 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP, including petroleum

Industries [time series]

petroleum, iron-ore mining, construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

32% (1992 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $57.8 billion (1992 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$2,800 (1992 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

7.3% (1992 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Petroleum is the backbone of the economy, accounting for 23% of GDP, 70% of central government revenues, and 82% of export earnings in 1992. President PEREZ introduced an economic readjustment program when he assumed office in February 1989. Lower tariffs and the removal of price controls, a free market exchange rate, and market-linked interest rates threw the economy into confusion, causing an 8% decline in GDP in 1989. However, the economy recovered part way in 1990 and grew by 10.4% in 1991 and 7.3% in 1992, led by the non-petroleum sector.

Unemployment rate [time series]

8.4% (1992 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 912,050 km2 land area: 882,050 km2 comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of California

Climate [time series]

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Coastline [time series]

2,800 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts; increasing industrial pollution in Caracas and Maracaibo

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

claims all of Guyana west of the Essequibo river; maritime boundary dispute with Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela

Irrigated land [time series]

2,640 km2 (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 4,993 km, Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 3% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 20% forest and woodland: 39% other: 37%

Location [time series]

Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea between Colombia and Guyana

Map references [time series]

South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

contiguous zone: 15 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds

Note [time series]

on major sea and air routes linking North and South America

Terrain [time series]

Andes mountains and Maracaibo lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guyana highlands in southeast

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

21 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 territory* ( territorio), 1, federal district**, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales***,, Distrito Federal**,, Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Yaracuy, Zulia note: the federal dependence consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands

Capital [time series]

Caracas

Constitution [time series]

23 January 1961

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Simon Alberto CONSALVI Bottaro chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: (202) 342-2214 consulates general: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

President: last held 4 December 1988 (next to be held 5 December 1993); results - Carlos Andres PEREZ (AD) 54.6%, Eduardo FERNANDEZ (COPEI) 41.7%, other 3.7%; note - President Carlos Andres PEREZ suspended pending trial on corruption charges Senate: last held 4 December 1988 (next to be held 5 December 1993); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (49 total) AD 23, COPEI 22, other 4; note - 3 former presidents (1 from AD, 2 from COPEI) hold lifetime senate seats Chamber of Deputies: last held 4 December 1992 (next to be held 5 December 1993); results - AD 43.7%, COPEI 31.4%, MAS 10.3%, other 14.6%; seats - (201 total) AD 97, COPEI 67, MAS 18, other 19

Executive branch [time series]

president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

5 July 1811 (from Spain)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State and Head of Government: Interim President Ramon Jose VELASQUEZ (since 5 June 1993); note - President Carlos Andres PEREZ suspended pending trial on corruption charges

Legal system [time series]

based on Napoleonic code; judicial review of legislative acts in Cassation Court only; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

AG, CARICOM (observer), CDB, CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, OPANAL, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Venezuela conventional short form: Venezuela local long form: Republica de Venezuela local short form: Venezuela

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 5 July (1811)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action); VECINOS groups

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Social Christian Party (COPEI), Hilarion CARDOZO, president, and Jose CURIEL, secretary general (acting); Democratic Action (AD), Humberto CELLI, president, and Luis ALFARO Ucero, secretary general; Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), Argelia LAYA, president, and Freddy MUNOZ, secretary general; The Radical Cause ( La Causa R), Pablo Medina, secretary general

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Martin SKOL embassy: Avenida Francisco de Miranda and Avenida Principal de la Floresta, Caracas mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A, or APO AA 34037 telephone: [58] (2) 285-2222 FAX: [58] (2) 285-0336 consulate: Maracaibo

People

Birth rate [time series]

26.37 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

4.69 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

mestizo 67%, white 21%, black 10%, Indian 2%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

28.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

5.8 million by occupation: services 56%, industry 28%, agriculture 16% (1985)

Languages [time series]

Spanish (official), Indian dialects spoken by about 200,000 Amerindians in the remote interior

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 72.69 years male: 69.76 years female: 75.77 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 88% male: 87% female: 90%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Venezuelan(s) adjective: Venezuelan

Net migration rate [time series]

0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

20,117,687 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.22% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.14 children born/woman (1993 est.)