1988 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1988 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Boundary disputes
claims Essequibo area of Guyana; maritime dispute with Colombia
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Coastline
2,800 km
Comparative area
about twice the size of California
Contiguous zone
15 nm
Continental shelf
200 meters or to depth of exploitation
Environment
Angel Falls is world's highest waterfall
Ethnic divisions
67% mestizo, 21% white, 10% black, 2% Indian
Extended economic zone
200 nm
Infant mortality rate
36.2/1,000 (1984)
Labor force
5.8 million (1985); 56% services, 28% industry, 16% agriculture (1980); 10.5% unemployment (December 1986)
Land boundaries
4,181 km total
Land use
3% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 20% meadows and pastures; 39% forest and woodland; 37% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Language
Spanish (official); Indian dialects spoken by about 200,000 Amerindians in the remote interior
Life expectancy
men 64.0, women 69.0
Literacy
85.6%
Nationality
noun — Venezuelan(s); adjective— Venezuelan
Organized labor
32% of labor force
Population
18,291,134 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 2.66%
Religion
96% nominally Roman Catholic, 2% Protestant
Special notes
on major sea and air routes linking North and South America
Terrain
Andes mountains and Maracaibo lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guyana highlands in southeast
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
912,050 km2; land area: 882,050 km2
Government
Administrative divisions
20 states, 1 federal district, 2 federal territories
Branches
executive (President), bicameral legislature (National Congress — Senate, Chamber of Deputies), judiciary
Capital
Caracas
Communists
10,000 members (est.)
Elections
every five years by secret ballot; last held December 1983; next national election for President and bicameral legislature scheduled for December 1988 Political parties and leaders: Social Christian Party (COPEI), Eduardo Fernandez (secretary general); Democratic Action (AD), Gonzalo Barrios; Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), Pompeyo Marquez (president), Freddy Mufioz (secretary general)
Government leader
Jaime LUSINCHI, President (since February 1984)
Legal system
based on Napoleonic code; constitution promulgated 1961; judicial review of legislative acts in Cassation Court only; dual court system, state and federal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Member of
Andean Pact, AIOEC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDE — Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, IWC — International Wheat Council, LAIA, OAS, OPEC, PAHO, SELA, WFTU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 5 July
Official name
Republic of Venezuela
Other political or pressure groups
FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group
Suffrage
universal and compulsory over age 18, though rarely enforced
Type
republic
Voting strength
(1983 election) 56.8% AD, 34.5% COPEI, 4.17% MAS, 4.53% others
Economy
Agriculture
cereals, fruits, sugar, coffee, rice; an illegal producer of cannabis for the international drug trade
Budget
revenues, $12.2 billion; expenditures, $16.6 billion (1987 est.)
Crude steel
2.8 million metric tons produced (1985), 160 kg per capita
Electric power
17,000,000 kW capacity; 50,240 million kWh produced, 2,820 kWh per capita (1986)
Exports
$12.3 billion (f.o.b.1985) petroleum (84%)
Fishing
catch 301,372 metric tons (1985); exports $31.9 million (1985), imports $30.0 million (1982)
GDP
$57 billion (1986 est.), $3,200 per capita (1986 est.); 58% private consumption, 13% public consumption, 16% gross investment (1986); real growth rate 3% (1986); 11.5% inflation rate (1986)
Imports
$8.2 billion (c.i.f., 1985)
Major industries
petroleum, iron-ore mining, construction, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicles
Major trade partners
imports — 50% US, 6% Italy, 5% Japan, 5% FRG, 4.5% France, 4% Brazil, 3% UK; exports— 41% US, 17% Netherlands Antilles, 7% FRG, 5% Canada, 4% Italy (1985)
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydroelectric power