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 1999, seeks to implement his
'21st Century 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
Venezuela
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
Area:
total: 912,050 sq km
land: 882,050 sq km water: 30,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the
size of California
Land boundaries:
total: 4,993 km
border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana
743 km
Coastline:
2,800 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
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 extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean
Sea 0 m highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron
ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds
total: 8.37 cu km/yr
(6%/7%/47%) per capita: 313 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
subject to floods, rockslides,
mudslides; 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; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible
mining operations
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic
Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, 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 - note:
on major sea and air routes
linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is
the world's highest waterfall
total: 25.2 years
male: 24.6 years female: 25.8 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.498% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
20.92 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
5.1 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.84 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64
years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8
male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 22.02
deaths/1,000 live births male: 25.61 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.45
years male: 70.4 years female: 76.65 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.52 children born/woman (2008
est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7%; note - no country
specific models provided (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
110,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
4,100 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
vectorborne disease: dengue fever, malaria, and Venezuelan
equine encephalitis (2008)
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% male:
93.3% female: 92.7% (2001 census)
Government
Venezuela
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 type:
federal republic
Capital:
name: Caracas
geographic coordinates: 10 30 N, 66 56 W time
difference: UTC-4.5 (half an hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
23 states (estados, singular -
estado), 1 capital 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 holiday:
Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
Constitution:
30 December 1999
Legal system:
open, adversarial court system
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Executive Vice
President Ramon Alonzo CARRIZALEZ Rengifo (since 4 January 2008); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3
February 1999); Executive Vice President Ramon Alonzo CARRIZALEZ Rengifo
(since 4 January 2008) 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 3
December 2006 (next to be held in December 2012) 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 constitution election
results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president; percent of vote - Hugo
CHAVEZ Frias 62.9%, Manuel ROSALES 36.9%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or
Asamblea Nacional (167 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; total seats by party as of 1
January 2008 - pro-government 152 (PSUV 114, PPT 11, indigenous 2, other
25), PODEMOS 15
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:
A New Time or UNT [Manuel
ROSALES]; Christian Democrats or COPEI [Cesar PEREZ Vivas]; Communist
Party of Venezuela or PCV [Jeronimo CARRERA]; Democratic Action or AD
[Henry RAMOS Allup]; Fatherland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNOZ]; Justice
First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector MUJICA];
United Socialist Party of Venezuela or PSUV [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Venezuela
Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer]; We Can or PODEMOS [Ismael GARCIA]
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)
chief of mission:
Ambassador Bernardo ALVAREZ Herrera chancery: 1099 30th Street
NW, Washington, DC 20007 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 representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Patrick DUDDY 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:
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 eight white five-pointed stars centered in the
blue band
Economy
Venezuela
Economy - overview:
Venezuela remains highly
dependent on oil revenues, which account for roughly 90% of export
earnings, more than 50% of the federal budget revenues, and around 30% of
GDP. A nationwide strike between December 2002 and February 2003 had
far-reaching economic consequences - real GDP declined by around 9% in
2002 and 8% in 2003 - but economic output since then has recovered
strongly. Fueled by high oil prices, record government spending helped to
boost GDP in 2006 by about 9% and in 2007 by about 8%. This spending,
combined with recent minimum wage hikes and improved access to domestic
credit, has created a consumption boom but has come at the cost of higher
inflation-roughly 20 percent in 2007. Imports also have jumped
significantly. Embolden by his December 2006 reelection, President Hugo
CHAVEZ in 2007 nationalized firms in the petroleum, communications, and
electricity sectors, which reduced foreign influence in the economy.
Although voters in December 2007 rejected CHAVEZ's proposed constitutional
changes, CHAVEZ still has significant control of the economy and has
indicated he intends to continue to consolidate and centralize authority
over the economy by implementing '21st Century Socialism.'
petroleum, bauxite and
aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures
Exports - partners:
US 46.2%, Netherlands Antilles
13.5%, China 3.2% (2006)
Imports:
$44.38 billion f.o.b. (2007
est.)
Imports - commodities:
raw materials, machinery and
equipment, transport equipment, construction materials
Imports - partners:
US 30.6%, Colombia 10.2%,
Brazil 10.1%, Mexico 5.9%, China 4.9%, Panama 4.8% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$48.66 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$31.63 billion (31 December
2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$45.44 billion (31 December
2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$45.4 billion (2006 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$11.56 billion (2006 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$8.251 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
bolivar (VEB)
Currency code:
VEB
Exchange rates:
bolivares per US dollar - 2,147
(2007), 2,147 (2006), 2,089.8 (2005), 1,891.3 (2004), 1,607 (2003)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications
Venezuela
Telephones - main lines in use:
4.217 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
18.79 million (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment:
modern and expanding 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; fixed-line teledensity is 16 per 100
persons; mobile-cellular subscribership jumped 50 percent in 2006
international: country code - 58; submarine cable systems
provide connectivity to the Caribbean, Central and South America, and US;
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:
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 country code:
.ve
Internet hosts:
126,500 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)
Internet users:
4.14 million (2006)
Transportation
Venezuela
Airports:
390 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 128 over
3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437
m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 61 under 914 m: 18 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 262 2,438
to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523
m: 97 under 914 m: 149 (2007)
Heliports:
2 (2007)
Pipelines:
extra heavy crude oil 992 km;
gas 5,400 km; oil 7,607 km; refined products 1,650 km; unknown (oil/water)
141 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 682 km
standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 96,155 km
paved: 32,308 km unpaved: 63,847 km (1999)
Waterways:
7,100 km note:
Orinoco River (400 km) and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing
vessels (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 59 ships (1000
GRT or over) 808,721 GRT/1,285,783 DWT by type: bulk carrier 7,
cargo 14, chemical tanker 3, container 1, liquefied gas 6, passenger/cargo
10, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 1 foreign-owned: 12
(Denmark 3, Greece 3, Mexico 3, Panama 1, Russia 1, Spain 1)
registered in other countries: 11 (Bahamas 1, Panama 10) (2007)
Ports and terminals:
La Guaira, Maracaibo, Puerto
Cabello, Punta Cardon
Military
Venezuela
Military branches:
National Armed Forces (Fuerza
Armada Nacionale, 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 service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory
and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 30 months;
all citizens of military service age (between 18 and 50 years old) are
obligated to register for military service (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49:
6,647,124 females age 16-49: 6,801,133 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49:
5,280,974 females age 16-49: 5,768,814 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 16-49: 275,323
females age 16-49: 274,106 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.2% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
Venezuela
Disputes - international:
claims all of the area west of
the Essequibo River in 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 maritime boundary and
Venezuelan-administered Los Monjes islands near the Gulf of Venezuela;
Colombian-organized illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities
penetrate Venezuela's shared border region; in 2006, an estimated 139,000
Colombians sought protection in 150 communities along the border in
Venezuela; US, France, and the Netherlands recognize Venezuela's granting
full effect to Aves Island, thereby claiming a Venezuelan EEZ/continental
shelf extending over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea;
Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines protest Venezuela's full effect claim
Trafficking in persons:
current situation:
Venezuela is a source, transit, and 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 of whom
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
