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VENEZUELA

Geography

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 area: 912,050 sq km

land area: 882,050 sq km

comparative area: 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:

contiguous zone: 15 nm

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: claims all of Guyana west of the Essequibo River; maritime boundary dispute with Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Terrain: Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast

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

Land use:

arable land: 3%

permanent crops: 1%

meadows and pastures: 20%

forest and woodland: 39%

other: 37%

Irrigated land: 2,640 sq km (1989 est.)

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

natural hazards: subject to floods, rockslides, mud slides; periodic droughts

international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Tropical Timber 94

Geographic note: on major sea and air routes linking North and South America

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People

Population: 21,983,188 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 35% (male 3,946,196; female 3,704,561)

15-64 years: 61% (male 6,702,404; female 6,666,626)

65 years and over: 4% (male 442,659; female 520,742) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.89% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 24.39 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.09 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female

all ages: 1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 29.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 72.09 years

male: 69.11 years

female: 75.29 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.87 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Venezuelan(s)

adjective: Venezuelan

Ethnic divisions: mestizo 67%, white 21%, black 10%, Amerindian 2%

Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%

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

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

total population: 91.1%

male: 91.8%

female: 90.3%

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Government

Name of country:

conventional long form: Republic of Venezuela

conventional short form: Venezuela

local long form: Republica de Venezuela

local short form: Venezuela

Data code: VE

Type of government: republic

Capital: Caracas

Administrative divisions: 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

Independence: 5 July 1811 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1811)

Constitution: 23 January 1961

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state and head of government: President Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez (since 2 February 1994) was elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; 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 was appointed by the president

Legislative branch: bicameral Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica)

Senate (Senado): 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

Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados): 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

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia), magistrates are elected by both chambers in joint session

Political parties and leaders: 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

Other political or pressure groups: FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers (CTV, labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action); VECINOS groups

International organization participation: AG, BCIE, Caricom (observer), 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, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, MINURSO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US:

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)

US diplomatic representation:

chief of mission: Ambassador Jeffrey DAVIDOW

embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Colinas de Valle Arriba, Caracas 1060

mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037

telephone: [58] (2) 977-2011

FAX: [58] (2) 977-0843

Flag: 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

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Economy

Economic overview: The petroleum sector continues to dominate the economy, accounting for roughly 25% of GDP, 70% of total merchandise exports, and 45% of government revenue. According to preliminary Venezuelan government figures, real GDP grew 2.2% in 1995, largely on the strength of 6% growth in the petroleum sector. Nonoil private sector GDP registered only a 0.8% gain in 1995, however, reflecting difficult domestic operating conditions, including a virtual cutoff of foreign exchange disbursements in the fourth quarter; the government has used foreign exchange controls to conserve reserves since mid-1994. The CALDERA administration is currently negotiating with the IMF for a $3 billion stand-by agreement; it is unclear whether Caracas is willing to take the tough steps - including a substantial increase in gasoline prices - needed to seal a deal. Most private forecasters predict a difficult 1996, including flat or declining GDP, continued inflationary pressure, a tight foreign exchange situation, and potentially severe budget difficulties for the government.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $195.5 billion (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 2.2% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $9,300 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector:

agriculture: 5%

industry: 41%

services: 54% (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 57% (1995 est.)

Labor force: 7.6 million

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

Unemployment rate: 11.7% (1995 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $7.25 billion

expenditures: $9.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA million (1995 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate: 0.5% (1995 est.)

Electricity:

capacity: 18,740,000 kW

production: 72 billion kWh

consumption per capita: 3,311 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish

Illicit drugs: 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; active aerial eradication program primarily targeting opium

Exports: $18.3 billion (f.o.b., 1995)

commodities: petroleum 72%, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures

partners: US and Puerto Rico 55%, Japan, Netherlands, Italy

Imports: $11.6 billion (f.o.b., 1995)

commodities: raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials

partners: US 40%, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Canada

External debt: $40.1 billion (1994)

Economic aid:

recipient: ODA, $46 million (1993)

Currency: 1 bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimos

Exchange rates: bolivares (Bs) per US$1 - 288.690 (January 1996), 176.843 (1995), 148.503 (1994), 90.826 (1993), 68.376 (1992), 56.816 (1991)

Fiscal year: calendar year

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Transportation

Railways:

total: 584 km (336 km single track; 248 km privately owned)

standard gauge: 584 km 1.435-m gauge

Highways:

total: 93,472 km

paved: 29,954 km

unpaved: 63,518 km (1993 est.)

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: 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:

total: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 612,645 GRT/1,090,707 DWT

ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 9, combination bulk 1, liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 12, passenger-cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea passenger 1 (1995 est.)

Airports:

total: 377

with paved runways over 3,047 m: 5

with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10

with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34

with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 59

with paved runways under 914 m: 165

with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8

with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 96 (1995 est.)

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Communications

Telephones: 1.44 million (1987 est.)

Telephone system: modern and expanding

domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations

international: 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 181, FM 0, shortwave 26

Radios: 9.04 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 59

Televisions: 3.3 million (1992 est.)

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Defense

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)

Manpower availability:

males age 15-49: 5,856,391

males fit for military service: 4,235,519

males reach military age (18) annually: 236,084 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $902 million, 1.4% of GDP (1996)

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