1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 912,050 km2 land area: 882,050 km2 comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of California
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Coastline
2,800 km
Environment
subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts; increasing industrial pollution in Caracas and Maracaibo
International disputes
claims all of Guyana west of the Essequibo river; maritime boundary dispute with Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela
Irrigated land
2,640 km2 (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
total 4,993 km, Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km
Land use
arable land: 3% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 20% forest and woodland: 39% other: 37%
Location
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea between Colombia and Guyana
Map references
South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 15 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds
Note
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
People and Society
Birth rate
26.37 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
4.69 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
mestizo 67%, white 21%, black 10%, Indian 2%
Infant mortality rate
28.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
5.8 million by occupation: services 56%, industry 28%, agriculture 16% (1985)
Languages
Spanish (official), Indian dialects spoken by about 200,000 Amerindians in the remote interior
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 72.69 years male: 69.76 years female: 75.77 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 88% male: 87% female: 90%
Nationality
noun: Venezuelan(s) adjective: Venezuelan
Net migration rate
0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
20,117,687 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
2.22% (1993 est.)
Religions
nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%
Total fertility rate
3.14 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
21 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 territory* ( territorio), 1, federal district**, (distrito federal), and 1 federal dependence***, (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 dependence consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands
Capital
Caracas
Chamber of Deputies
last held 4 December 1992 (next to be held 5 December 1993); results - AD 43.7%, COPEI 31.4%, MAS 10.3%, other 14.6%; seats - (201 total) AD 97, COPEI 67, MAS 18, other 19
Chief of State and Head of Government
Interim President Ramon Jose VELASQUEZ (since 5 June 1993); note - President Carlos Andres PEREZ suspended pending trial on corruption charges
Constitution
23 January 1961
Digraph
VE
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Simon Alberto CONSALVI Bottaro chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: (202) 342-2214 consulates general: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Executive branch
president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
FAX
[58] (2) 285-0336 consulate: Maracaibo
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
Independence
5 July 1811 (from Spain)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Legal system
based on Napoleonic code; judicial review of legislative acts in Cassation Court only; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
bicameral Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
Member of
AG, CARICOM (observer), CDB, CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, OPANAL, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Names
conventional long form: Republic of Venezuela conventional short form: Venezuela local long form: Republica de Venezuela local short form: Venezuela
National holiday
Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
Other political or pressure groups
FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action); VECINOS groups
Political parties and leaders
Social Christian Party (COPEI), Hilarion CARDOZO, president, and Jose CURIEL, secretary general (acting); Democratic Action (AD), Humberto CELLI, president, and Luis ALFARO Ucero, secretary general; Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), Argelia LAYA, president, and Freddy MUNOZ, secretary general; The Radical Cause ( La Causa R), Pablo Medina, secretary general
President
last held 4 December 1988 (next to be held 5 December 1993); results - Carlos Andres PEREZ (AD) 54.6%, Eduardo FERNANDEZ (COPEI) 41.7%, other 3.7%; note - President Carlos Andres PEREZ suspended pending trial on corruption charges
Senate
last held 4 December 1988 (next to be held 5 December 1993); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (49 total) AD 23, COPEI 22, other 4; note - 3 former presidents (1 from AD, 2 from COPEI) hold lifetime senate seats
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
republic
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Martin SKOL embassy: Avenida Francisco de Miranda and Avenida Principal de la Floresta, Caracas mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A, or APO AA 34037 telephone: [58] (2) 285-2222
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 6% of GDP and 16% of labor force; products - corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee, beef, pork, milk, eggs, fish; not self-sufficient in food other than meat
Budget
revenues $13.2 billion; expenditures $13.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)
Currency
1 bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimos
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-86), $488 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $10 million
Electricity
21,130,000 kW capacity; 58,541 million kWh produced, 2,830 kWh per capita (1992)
Exchange rates
bolivares (Bs) per US$1 - 80.18 (January 1993), 68.38 (1992), 56.82 (1991), 46.90 (1990), 34.68 (1989), 14.50 (fixed rate 1987-88)
Exports
$14.0 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: petroleum 82%, bauxite and aluminum, iron ore, agricultural products, basic manufactures partners: US 50.7%, Europe 13.7%, Japan 4.0% (1989)
External debt
$27.1 billion (1992)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Illicit drugs
illicit producer of cannabis and coca leaf for the international drug trade on a small scale; however, large quantities of cocaine transit the country from Colombia; important money-laundering hub
Imports
$12.4 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, chemicals, manufactures, machinery and transport equipment partners: US 44%, FRG 8.0%, Japan 4%, Italy 7%, Canada 2% (1989)
Industrial production
growth rate 11.9% (1992 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP, including petroleum
Industries
petroleum, iron-ore mining, construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
32% (1992 est.)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $57.8 billion (1992 est.)
National product per capita
$2,800 (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate
7.3% (1992 est.)
Overview
Petroleum is the backbone of the economy, accounting for 23% of GDP, 70% of central government revenues, and 82% of export earnings in 1992. President PEREZ introduced an economic readjustment program when he assumed office in February 1989. Lower tariffs and the removal of price controls, a free market exchange rate, and market-linked interest rates threw the economy into confusion, causing an 8% decline in GDP in 1989. However, the economy recovered part way in 1990 and grew by 10.4% in 1991 and 7.3% in 1992, led by the non-petroleum sector.
Unemployment rate
8.4% (1992 est.)
Communications
Airports
total: 360 usable: 331 with permanent-surface runways: 133 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 87
Highways
77,785 km total; 22,780 km paved, 24,720 km gravel, 14,450 km earth roads, and 15,835 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways
7,100 km; Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing vessels
Merchant marine
56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 837,375 GRT/1,344,795 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 1 passenger cargo, 19 cargo, 2 container, 4 roll-on/roll-off, 18 oil tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 6 bulk, 1 vehicle carrier, 1 combination bulk
Pipelines
crude oil 6,370 km; petroleum products 480 km; natural gas 4,010 km
Ports
Amuay Bay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, Puerto Cabello, Puerto Ordaz
Railroads
542 km total; 363 km 1.435-meter standard gauge all single track, government owned; 179 km 1.435-meter gauge, privately owned
Telecommunications
modern and expanding; 1,440,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 181 AM, no FM, 59 TV, 26 shortwave; 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite ground stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic
Military and Security
Branches
National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales, FAN) includes - Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada), Air Forces (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperation or Guardia Nacional)
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $1.95 billion, 4% of GDP (1991)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 5,192,107; fit for military service 3,769,441; reach military age (18) annually 221,043 (1993 est.)