CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Venezuela


 * }

!| Background:
 * Venezuela was one of 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: a polarized political environment, a divided military, drug-related conflicts 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.
 * }


 * }

!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 30,000 sq km land: 882,050 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 15 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: other: 96.13% (2001) permanent crops: 0.92% !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Environment - international agreements: !| Geography - note:
 * Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana
 * 8 00 N, 66 00 W
 * South America
 * total: 912,050 sq km
 * slightly more than twice the size of California
 * total: 4,993 km
 * 2,800 km
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
 * Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
 * lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
 * petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds
 * arable land: 2.95%
 * 540 sq km (1998 est.)
 * subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts
 * 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
 * party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
 * on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall
 * }


 * }

!| Population: !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 64.5% (male 8,107,382; female 8,034,905) 65 years and over: 5% (male 571,289; female 685,654) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 24.6 years female: 25.8 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: 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 (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 19.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 26.18 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 71.02 years female: 77.32 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: Venezuelan !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 93.4% male: 93.8% female: 93.1% (2003 est.)
 * 25,017,387 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: 30.5% (male 3,930,413; female 3,687,744)
 * total: 25.2 years
 * 1.44% (2004 est.)
 * 19.34 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * -0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
 * total: 22.99 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 74.06 years
 * 2.31 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * 0.5% - note: no country specific models provided (2001 est.)
 * 62,000 (1999 est.)
 * 2,000 (2001 est.)
 * noun: Venezuelan(s)
 * Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people
 * nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%
 * Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
 * definition: age 15 and over can read and write
 * }


 * }

!| Country name: conventional short form: Venezuela local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela local short form: Venezuela !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: 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% 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 elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 30 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2006) !| Legislative branch: 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 July 2005) !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: 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 !| Diplomatic representation from the US: 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 !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
 * federal republic
 * Caracas
 * 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
 * 5 July 1811 (from Spain)
 * Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
 * 30 December 1999
 * based on organic laws as of July 1999; open, adversarial court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
 * 18 years of age; universal
 * 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
 * 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)
 * Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia (magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single 12-year term)
 * Democratic Action or AD [Henry RAMOS Allup]; Fifth Republic Movement or MVR [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Homeland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNOZ]; Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector MUJICA]; National Convergence or Convergencia [Juan Jose CALDERA]; Radical Cause or La Causa R [Andres VELASQUEZ]; Social Christian Party or COPEI [Eduardo FERNANDEZ]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer]
 * FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action)
 * CAN, CDB, FAO, G-3, G-15, 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, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Bernardo ALVAREZ
 * chief of mission: Ambassador William R. BROWNFIELD
 * 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: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 50% services: 45% (2004 est.) !| Investment (gross fixed): !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: 36.5% (1998) !| Distribution of family income - Gini index: !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $24.34 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.6 billion (2003) !| Public debt: !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Oil - proved reserves: !| Natural gas - production: !| Natural gas - consumption: !| Natural gas - exports: !| Natural gas - imports: !| Natural gas - proved reserves: !| Current account balance: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * 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 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. In late 2003, President CHAVEZ committed himself to $1 billion in new social programs, money the government does not have.
 * purchasing power parity - $117.9 billion (2003 est.)
 * -9.2% (2003 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $4,800 (2003 est.)
 * agriculture: 5%
 * 12.6% of GDP (2003)
 * 47% (1998 est.)
 * lowest 10%: 0.8%
 * 49.5 (1998)
 * 31.1% (2003 est.)
 * 11.38 million (2003)
 * agriculture 13%, industry 23%, services 64% (1997 est.)
 * 18% (2003 est.)
 * revenues: $19.33 billion
 * 38.8% of GDP (2003)
 * corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish
 * petroleum, iron ore mining, construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly
 * -15.4% (2003 est.)
 * 87.6 billion kWh (2001)
 * 81.47 billion kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 3.08 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 505,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * 63.95 billion bbl (1 January 2002)
 * 31.71 billion cu m (2001 est.)
 * 31.71 billion cu m (2001 est.)
 * 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 * 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 * 4.202 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)
 * $9.659 billion (2003)
 * $25.86 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures
 * US 52.9%, Netherlands Antilles 5%, Dominican Republic 3% (2003)
 * $10.71 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials
 * US 28.8%, Colombia 7%, Brazil 6.6%, Mexico 4.3% (2003)
 * $20.67 billion (2003)
 * $32.51 billion (2003)
 * $74 million (2000)
 * bolivar (VEB)
 * VEB
 * bolivares per US dollar - 1,607.79 (2003), 1,160.95 (2002), 723.666 (2001), 679.96 (2000), 605.717 (1999)
 * calendar year
 * }


 * }

!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone 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 broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet hosts: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 2,841,800 (2002)
 * 6,463,600 (2002)
 * general assessment: modern and expanding
 * AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998)
 * 10.75 million (1997)
 * 66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)
 * 4.1 million (1997)
 * .ve
 * 35,301 (2003)
 * 16 (2000)
 * 1,274,400 (2002)
 * }


 * }

!| Railways: standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2003) !| Highways: paved: 32,308 km unpaved: 63,847 km (1999 est.) !| Waterways: note: Orinoco River and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels, Orinoco for 400 km (2004) !| Pipelines: !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: registered in other countries: 4 (2004 est.) foreign-owned: Belgium 1, Denmark 2, Greece 2, Spain 1, United States 2 by type: bulk 6, cargo 7, container 2, liquefied gas 5, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 16, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea/passenger 1 !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 31 914 to 1,523 m: 61 under 914 m: 19 (2004 est.) !| Airports - with unpaved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 88 under 914 m: 144 (2004 est.)
 * total: 682 km
 * total: 96,155 km
 * 7,100 km
 * extra heavy crude 992 km; gas 5,262 km; oil 7,360 km; refined products 1,681 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km (2004)
 * Amuay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, La Salina, Maracaibo, Matanzas, Palua, Puerto Cabello, Puerto la Cruz, Puerto Ordaz, Puerto Sucre, Punta Cardon
 * total: 48 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 740,919 GRT/1,191,483 DWT
 * 368 (2003 est.)
 * total: 127
 * total: 242
 * }


 * }

!| Military branches: !| Military manpower - military age and obligation: !| Military manpower - availability: !| Military manpower - fit for military service: !| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: !| Military expenditures - dollar figure: !| Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 * 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)
 * 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 30 months (2004)
 * males age 15-49: 6,886,775 (2004 est.)
 * males age 15-49: 4,953,803 (2004 est.)
 * males: 250,730 (2004 est.)
 * $1,125.6 million (2003)
 * 1.3% (2003)
 * }