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Venezuela
Background: Venezuela was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Colombia and Ecuador). 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. Current concerns include: drug-related conflicts along the Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations which are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples.
Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 66 00 W Map references: South America, Central America and the Caribbean Area:
Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of California Land boundaries:
Coastline: 2,800 km Maritime claims:
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:
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds Land use:
Irrigated land: 1,900 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards: subject to floods, rockslides, mud slides; 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 Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note: on major sea and air routes linking North and South America
Population: 23,542,649 (July 2000 est.) Age structure:
Population growth rate: 1.6% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 21.09 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 4.94 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: -0.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate: 26.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: 2.51 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality:
Ethnic groups: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2% Languages: Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects Literacy:
Country name:
Data code: VE Government type: federal republic Capital: Caracas Administrative divisions:
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
Independence: 5 July 1811 (from Spain) National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1811) Constitution: 30 December 1999 Legal system: based on organic laws as of July 1999; open, adversarial court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch:
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional; under the 1999 constitution, the bicameral Congress of the Republic has been replaced by a unicameral National Assembly; the total number of seats in the new National Assembly has not yet been determined, but members will be elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; three seats will be reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela
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 [leader NA]; Fifth Republic Movement or MVR [leader NA]; Homeland for All or PPT [leader NA]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [leader NA]; National Convergence or Convergencia [leader NA]; Radical Cause or La Causa R [leader NA]; Social Christian Party or COPEI [leader NA] Political pressure groups and leaders: FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action) International organization participation: CAN, Caricom (observer), CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G- 3, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, MINURSO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US:
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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
Economy - overview: Venezuelan officials estimate the economy contracted 7.2% in 1999. A steep downturn in international oil prices during the first half of the year fueled the recession, and spurred the CHAVEZ administration to abide by OPEC-led production cuts in an effort to raise world oil prices. The petroleum sector dominates the economy, accounting for roughly a third of GDP, around 80% of export earnings, and more than half of government operating revenues. Higher oil prices during the second half 1999 took pressure off the budget and currency; the bolivar is widely believed to be overvalued by as much as 50%. Despite higher oil prices, the economy remains in the doldrums, possibly due to investor uncertainty over President CHAVEZ's reform agenda. Implementing legislation for the new constitution will not be passed until the second half of 2000, after a new legislature is elected. With the president's economic cabinet attempting to reconcile a wide range of views, the country's economic reform program has largely stalled. The government is seeking international assistance to finance reconstruction after massive flooding and landslides in December 1999 caused an estimated $15 billion to $20 billion in damage. GDP: purchasing power parity - $182.8 billion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate: -7.2% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,000 (1999 est.) GDP - composition by sector:
Population below poverty line: 67% (1997 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (1999) Labor force: 9.9 million (1999) Labor force - by occupation: services 64%, industry 23%, agriculture 13% (1997 est.) Unemployment rate: 18% (1999 est.) Budget:
Industries: petroleum, iron ore mining, construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly Industrial production growth rate: 0.5% (1995 est.) Electricity - production: 70.39 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source:
Electricity - consumption: 65.463 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish Exports: $20.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999) Exports - commodities: petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures (1998) Exports - partners: US and Puerto Rico 57%, Colombia, Brazil, Japan, Germany, Netherlands, Italy (1999) Imports: $11.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999) Imports - commodities: raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials (1999) Imports - partners: US 53%, Japan, Colombia, Italy, Germany, France, Brazil, Canada (1999) Debt - external: $32 billion (1999) Economic aid - recipient: $35 million with more assistance likely as a result of flooding (1999) Currency: 1 bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimos Exchange rates: bolivares (Bs) per US$1 - 652.333 (January 2000), 605.717 (1999), 547.556 (1998), 488.635 (1997), 417.333 (1996), 176.843 (1995) Fiscal year: calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use: 2.6 million (1998) Telephones - mobile cellular: 2 million (1998) Telephone system:
modern and expanding
Radio broadcast stations: AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998) Radios: 10.75 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997) Televisions: 4.1 million (1997) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 11 (1999)
Railways:
Highways:
Waterways: 7,100 km; Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing vessels Pipelines: crude oil 6,370 km; petroleum products 480 km; natural gas 4,010 km Ports and harbors: 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:
Airports: 366 (1999 est.) Airports - with paved runways:
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)
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), 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 Military manpower - availability:
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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 Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium for the international drug trade on a small scale; however, large quantities of cocaine and heroin transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe; important money-laundering hub; active eradication program primarily targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on border Please click here for a guide to the country profiles Click here for all other countries
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