2007 Edition

Age structure

0-14 years: 29.1% (male 3,860,116/female 3,620,440) 15-64 years: 65.7% (male 8,494,944/female 8,410,874) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 609,101/female 734,960) (2006 est.)

Area

land

882,050 sq km

total

912,050 sq km

water

30,000 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than twice the size of California

Background

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, has promoted a controversial policy of "democratic 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

Birth rate

18.71 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Coastline

2,800 km

Death rate

4.92 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

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

Ethnic groups

Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 66 00 W

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 People Venezuela

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.7% - note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,100 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

110,000 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

18.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

24.58 deaths/1,000 live births

total

21.54 deaths/1,000 live births

Irrigated land

5,750 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries

Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km

total

4,993 km

Land use

arable land

2.85%

other

96.27% (2005)

permanent crops

0.88%

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.81 years (2006 est.)

male

71.49 years

total population

74.54 years

Location

Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana

Map references

South America

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

Median age

female

26.6 years (2006 est.)

male

25.4 years

total

26 years

Nationality

adjective

Venezuelan

noun

Venezuelan(s)

Natural hazards

subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population

25,730,435 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate

1.38% (2006 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.08 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

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

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

2.23 children born/woman (2006 est.)

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

Capital

geographic coordinates

10 30 N, 66 56 W

name

Caracas

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

30 December 1999

Country name

conventional long form

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

conventional short form

Venezuela

local long form

Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela

local short form

Venezuela

Executive branch

chief of state

President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Vice President Jorge RODRIGUEZ Gomez (since 3 January 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of

Government type

federal republic

Independence

5 July 1811 (from Spain)

Languages

Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects

Legal system

open, adversarial court system

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

93.1% (2003 est.) Government Venezuela

male

93.8%

total population

93.4%

National holiday

Independence Day, 5 July (1811)

Religions

nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

375 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 60

total

129

under 914 m

19 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

246 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 90

under 914 m

147 (2006)

Budget

expenditures

$52.9 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.6 billion (2006 est.)

revenues

$52.24 billion

Currency (code)

bolivar (VEB)

Currency code

VEB

Current account balance

$31.82 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$35.63 billion (2006 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador William R. BROWNFIELD

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

chief of mission

Ambassador Bernardo ALVAREZ Herrera

telephone

[1] (202) 342-2214

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 seek 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

Distribution of family income - Gini index

49.1 (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

$74 million (2000)

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. Tax collection-Venezuela's primary source of non-oil revenue-is expected to surpass $23 billion in 2006, exceeding the yearend collection goal by more than 20%. 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 higher oil prices, record government spending helped to boost GDP growth in 2004 and 2005 to approximately 18% and 11%, respectively. Economic growth in 2006 reached around 9%. This spending, combined with recent minimum wage hikes and improved access to domestic credit, has fueled a consumption boom - car sales in 2006 increased by around 70% - but has come at the cost of higher inflation. Despite government attempts to withdraw liquidity from the economy, Venezuela's money supply set a record in June 2006, approximately 70% higher than the previous year. Imports have also jumped significantly.

Electricity - consumption

86.52 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

93.03 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

31.7%

hydro

68.3%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Exchange rates

bolivares per US dollar - 2,147 (2006), 2,089.8 (2005), 1,891.3 (2004), 1,607 (2003), 1,161 (2002)

Exports

$69.23 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures

Exports - partners

US 50.9%, Netherlands Antilles 7.2%, Canada 2.4% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 342-6820

[58] (212) 975-8991

consulate(s) general

Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Venezuela

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

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

3.7%

industry

41%

services

55.3% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$6,900 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

8.8% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$147.9 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$176.4 billion (2006 est.)

Heliports

1 (2006)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

36.5% (1998)

lowest 10%

0.8%

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 This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$28.81 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

US 31.6%, Colombia 11%, Brazil 9.1%, Mexico 6.9% (2005)

Industrial production growth rate

7% (2006 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

15.8% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

CAN, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Internet country code

.ve

Internet hosts

51,968 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

16 (2000)

Internet users

3.04 million (2005) Transportation Venezuela

Investment (gross fixed)

19.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia (magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single 12-year term)

Labor force

12.5 million (November 2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

13%

industry

23%

services

64% (1997 est.)

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)

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

elections

last held 4 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)

Manpower available for military service

females age 18-49

6,137,622 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

6,236,012

Manpower fit for military service

females age 18-49

5,151,843 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

4,907,947

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 18-49

237,300 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

252,396

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 7, cargo 10, chemical tanker 2, container 1, liquefied gas 6, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 18

foreign-owned

13 (Denmark 3, Greece 3, India 1, Mexico 3, Panama 1, Russia 1, Spain 1)

registered in other countries

15 (Bahamas 1, Panama 14) (2006)

total

56 ships (1000 GRT or over) 824,941 GRT/1,327,924 DWT

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$1.61 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.2% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Venezuela

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 30 months (2004)

National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales or 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)

Natural gas - consumption

27.2 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

27.2 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

4.276 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

560,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

2.1 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - production

3.081 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

75.27 billion bbl (2006 est.)

Pipelines

extra heavy crude 992 km; gas 5,369 km; oil 7,607 km; refined products 1,681 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km (2006)

Political parties and leaders

A New Time or UNT [Manuel ROSALES]; Christian Democrats or COPEI [Cesar PEREZ Vivas]; Democratic Action or AD [Henry RAMOS Allup]; Fatherland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNOZ]; Fifth Republic Movement or MVR [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector MUJICA]; 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)

Population below poverty line

37.9% (End 2005 est.)

Ports and terminals

Amuay, La Guaira, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Punta Cardon Military Venezuela

Public debt

28.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998)

Radios

10.75 million (1997)

Railways

standard gauge

682 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

total

682 km

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$35.95 billion (2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

32,308 km

total

96,155 km

unpaved

63,847 km (1999)

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

general assessment

modern and expanding

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

Telephones - main lines in use

3,605,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

12.496 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

4.1 million (1997)

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 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

Unemployment rate

8.9% (October 2006 est.)

Waterways

7,100 km

note

Orinoco River and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels, Orinoco for 400 km (2005)