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Communications

Broadcast media (Radio) [time series]

broadcast stations: AM 181, FM 0, shortwave 26 radios: NA

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

1,440,000 telephones; modern and expanding local: NA intercity: 3 domestic satellite earth stations international: 3 submarine coaxial cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Broadcast media (Television) [time series]

broadcast stations: 59 televisions: NA

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales or FAN) includes Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada), Air Force (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) VIETNAM

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 5,491,524; males fit for military service 3,981,190; males reach military age (18) annually 227,292 (1995 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 6% of GDP; 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: $10.3 billion expenditures: $14.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $103 million (1994 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimos

Economic aid [time series]

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

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 18,740,000 kW production: 72 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,311 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

bolivares (Bs) per US$1 - 169.570 (January 1995), 148.503 (1994), 90.826 (1993), 68.38 (1992), 56.82 (1991), 46.90 (1990)

Exports [time series]

$15.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: petroleum 72%, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures partners: US and Puerto Rico 55%, Japan, Netherlands, Italy

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$40.1 billion (1994)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$7.6 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials partners: US 40%, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Canada

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

growth rate -1.4% (1993 est.); accounts for 41% of GDP

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

71% (1994 est.)

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

GDP - purchasing power parity - $178.3 billion (1994 est.)

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

$8,670 (1994 est.)

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

-3.3% (1994 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Despite efforts to broaden the base of the economy, petroleum continues to play a dominant role. In 1994, as GDP declined 3.3%, the oil sector - which accounts for 24% of the total - enjoyed a 6% expansion, provided 45% of the budget revenues, and generated 70% of the export earnings. President CALDERA, who assumed office in February 1994, has used an interventionist, reactive approach to managing the economy, instituting price and foreign exchange controls in mid-year to slow inflation and stop the loss of foreign exchange reserves. The government claims it will remove these controls once inflationary pressures abate, but the $8 billion bailout of the banking sector in 1994 has made it difficult for the government to make good on its promise. Economic controls, coupled with political uncertainty driven by recurrent coup rumors, continue to deter foreign and domestic investment; private forecasters see the recession persisting for a third year in 1995.

Unemployment rate [time series]

9% (1994 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 912,050 sq km land area: 882,050 sq km 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]

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 natural hazards: subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping

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 sq km (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 and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana

Map references [time series]

South America

Maritime claims [time series]

contiguous zone: 15 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the 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); Guiana Highlands in southeast

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

21 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 territory* (territorio), 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, Yaracuy, Zulia note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands

Capital [time series]

Caracas

Legislative branch (Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)) [time series]

elections last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1998); results - AD 27.9%, COPEI 26.9%, MAS 12.4%, National Convergence 12.9%, Causa R 19.9%; seats - (203 total) AD 55, COPEI 53, MAS 24, National Convergence 26, Causa R 40, other 5

Constitution [time series]

23 January 1961

Digraph [time series]

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Pedro Luis ECHEVERRIA chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state and head of government: President Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez (since 2 February 1994); election last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1998); results - Rafael CALDERA (National Convergence) 30.45%, Claudio FERMIN (AD) 23.59%, Oswaldo ALVAREZ PAZ (COPEI) 22.72%, Andres VELASQUEZ (Causa R) 21.94%, other 1.3% cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

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

[58] (2) 285-0366

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) Roberto YEPES, President

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)

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

AG, BCIE, CARICOM (observer), CDB, CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, MINURSO, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, OPANAL, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIH, UNPROFOR, UNU, 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 (CTV, labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action); VECINOS groups

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

National Convergence (Convergencia), Jose Miguel UZCATEGUI, president, Juan Jose CALDERA, national coordinator; Social Christian Party (COPEI), Luis HERRERA Campins, president, and Donald RAMIREZ, secretary general; Democratic Action (AD), Pedro PARIS Montesinos, president, and Luis ALFARO Ucero, secretary general; Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), Gustavo MARQUEZ, president, and Enrique OCHOA Antich, secretary general; Radical Cause (La Causa R), Pablo MEDINA, secretary general

Legislative branch (Senate (Senado)) [time series]

elections last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (53 total) AD 18, COPEI 15, Causa R 9, MAS 5, National Convergence 6; note - 3 former presidents (2 from AD, 1 from COPEI) hold lifetime senate seats

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 Jeffrey DAVIDOW embassy: Avenida Francisco de Miranda and Avenida Principal de la Floresta, Caracas mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037 telephone: [58] (2) 285-2222, 3111

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 35% (female 3,650,705; male 3,795,032) 15-64 years: 60% (female 6,350,466; male 6,313,887) 65 years and over: 5% (female 486,020; male 408,663) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

25.11 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate [time series]

4.57 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

26.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force [time series]

7.6 million by occupation: services 63%, industry 25%, agriculture 12% (1993)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 73.31 years male: 70.48 years female: 76.29 years (1995 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 90% male: 91% female: 89%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Venezuelan(s) adjective: Venezuelan

Net migration rate [time series]

0.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population [time series]

21,004,773 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.1% (1995 est.)

Religions [time series]

nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.97 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 431 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 4 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 65 with paved runways under 914 m: 191 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 12 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 114

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 81,000 km paved: 31,200 km unpaved: gravel 24,800 km; earth and unimproved earth 25,000 km

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 39 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 686,811 GRT/1,110,829 DWT ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 11, combination bulk 1, liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 15, passenger-cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 4, short-sea passenger 1

Pipelines [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

Amuay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, La Salina, Maracaibo, Matanzas, Palua, Puerto Cabello, Puerto la Cruz, Puerto Ordaz, Puerto Sucre, Punta Cardon

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

total: 542 km (363 km single track; 179 km privately owned) standard gauge: 542 km 1.435-m gauge