2015 Edition

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. Under Hugo CHAVEZ, president from 1999 to 2013, and his hand-picked successor, President Nicolas MADURO, the executive branch has exercised increasingly authoritarian control over other branches of government. At the same time, democratic institutions have deteriorated, threats to freedom of expression have increased, and political polarization has grown. The ruling party's economic policies have expanded the state's role in the economy through expropriations of major enterprises, strict currency exchange and price controls that discourage private sector investment and production, and overdependence on the petroleum industry for revenues, among others. Current concerns include: an increasingly politicized military, rampant violent crime, high inflation, and widespread shortages of basic consumer goods, medicine, and medical supplies. Venezuela assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2015-16 term.

Area

land

882,050 sq km

total

912,050 sq km

water

30,000 sq km

Area - comparative

almost six times the size of Georgia; slightly more than twice the size of California

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Coastline

2,800 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Pico Bolivar 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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

358.6 cu m/yr (2008)

total

9.06 cu km/yr (23%/4%/74%)

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

Irrigated land

10,550 sq km (2008)

Land boundaries

border countries (3)

Brazil 2,137 km, Colombia 2,341 km, Guyana 789 km

total

5,267 km

Land use

arable land 3.1%; permanent crops 0.8%; permanent pasture 20.6%

agricultural land

24.5%

forest

52.1%

other

23.4% (2011 est.)

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

Natural hazards

subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts

Natural resources

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

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

1,233 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

27.76% (male 4,143,988/female 3,983,457)

15-24 years

18.71% (male 2,754,818/female 2,724,039)

25-54 years

39.7% (male 5,711,044/female 5,911,607)

55-64 years

7.68% (male 1,067,661/female 1,180,276)

65 years and over

6.14% (male 791,095/female 1,007,475) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

19.16 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

8% (2000 est.)

total number

404,092

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.9% (2009)

Death rate

5.31 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Demographic profile

Social investment in Venezuela during the CHAVEZ administration reduced poverty from nearly 50 % in 1999 to about 27 % in 2011, increased school enrollment, substantially decreased infant and child mortality, and improved access to potable water and sanitation through social investment. "Missions" dedicated to education, nutrition, healthcare, and sanitation were funded through petroleum revenues. The sustainability of this progress remains questionable, however, as the continuation of these social programs depends on the prosperity of Venezuela's oil industry. In the long-term, education and health care spending may increase economic growth and reduce income inequality, but rising costs and the staffing of new health care jobs with foreigners are slowing development.

While CHAVEZ was in power, more than one million predominantly middle- and upper-class Venezuelans are estimated to have emigrated. The brain drain is attributed to a repressive political system, lack of economic opportunities, steep inflation, a high crime rate, and corruption. Thousands of oil engineers emigrated to Canada, Colombia, and the United States following CHAVEZ's firing of over 20,000 employees of the state-owned petroleum company during a 2002-2003 oil strike. Additionally, thousands of Venezuelans of European descent have taken up residence in their ancestral homelands. Nevertheless, Venezuela continues to attract immigrants from South America and southern Europe because of its lenient migration policy and the availability of education and health care. Venezuela also has been a fairly accommodating host to more than 200,000 Colombian refugees.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

9.5%

potential support ratio

10.5% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

52.4%

youth dependency ratio

42.8%

Drinking water source

urban: 95% of population

rural: 77.9% of population

total: 93.1% of population

urban: 5% of population

rural: 22.1% of population

total: 6.9% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

6.9% of GDP (2009)

Ethnic groups

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

Health expenditures

3.6% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.55% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,400 (2013 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

106,900 (2014 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

female

15.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

22.29 deaths/1,000 live births

total

18.91 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.83 years (2015 est.)

male

71.4 years

total population

74.54 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

96.2% (2015 est.)

male

96.4%

total population

96.3%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria (2013)

Major urban areas - population

CARACAS (capital) 2.916 million; Maracaibo 2.196 million; Valencia 1.734 million; Maracay 1.166 million; Barquisimeto 1.039 million (2015)

Median age

female

27.9 years (2015 est.)

male

26.4 years

total

27.2 years

Nationality

adjective

Venezuelan

noun

Venezuelan(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

24.3% (2014)

Population

29,275,460 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

1.39% (2015 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

urban: 97.5% of population

rural: 69.9% of population

total: 94.4% of population

urban: 2.5% of population

rural: 30.1% of population

total: 5.6% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2008)

male

13 years

total

14 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.01 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.97 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.91 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.79 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.32 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

22.6% (2012 est.)

male

14.3%

total

17.1%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.54% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

89% of total population (2015)

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 (Federal Dependencies)**, Distrito Capital (Capital District)*, 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 29 N, 66 52 W

name

Caracas

time difference

UTC-4.5 (a half hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

many previous; latest adopted 15 December 1999, effective 30 December 1999; amended 2009 (2013)

Country name

conventional long form

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

conventional short form

Venezuela

local long form

Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela

local short form

Venezuela

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Lee MCCLENNY (July 2014)

embassy

Calle F con Calle Suapure, Urbanizacion Colinas de Valle Arriba, Caracas 1080

FAX

[58] (212) 907-8199

mailing address

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

telephone

[58] (212) 975-6411, 907-8400 (after hours)

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Maximilien SANCHEZ Arvelaiz (since July 2014)

consulate(s) general

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

FAX

[1] (202) 342-6820

telephone

[1] (202) 342-2214

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Nicolas MADURO Moros (since 19 April 2013); Executive Vice President Jorge Alberto ARREAZA Montserrat (since 19 April 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Nicolas MADURO Moros elected president; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros (PSUV) 50.6%, Henrique CAPRILES Radonski (PJ) 49.1%, other 0.3%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 6-year term (no term limits); election last held on 14 April 2013 - a special election held following the death of President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias on 5 March 2013 (next election expected in late 2018 or early 2019 pending official convocation by the country's electoral body)

head of government

President Nicolas MADURO Moros (since 19 April 2013); Executive Vice President Jorge Alberto ARREAZA Montserrat (since 19 April 2013)

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; the flag retains the three equal horizontal bands and three main colors of the banner of Gran Colombia, the South American republic that broke up in 1830; yellow is interpreted as standing for the riches of the land, blue for the courage of its people, and red for the blood shed in attaining independence; the seven stars on the original flag represented the seven provinces in Venezuela that united in the war of independence; in 2006, then President Hugo CHAVEZ ordered an eighth star added to the star arc - a decision that sparked much controversy - to conform with the flag proclaimed by Simon Bolivar in 1827 and to represent the historic province of Guayana

Government type

federal republic

Independence

5 July 1811 (from Spain)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCT jurisdiction

International organization participation

Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), Mercosur, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Tribunal of Justice (consists of 32 judges organized into 6 divisions - constitutional, political administrative, electoral, civil appeals, criminal appeals, and social (mainly agrarian and labor issues)

judge selection and term of office

judges proposed by the Committee of Judicial Postulation (an independent body of organizations dealing with legal issues and of the organs of citizen power) and appointed by the National Assembly; judges serve non-renewable 12-year terms

subordinate courts

Superior or Appeals Courts (Tribunales Superiores); District Tribunals (Tribunales de Distrito); Courts of First Instance (Tribunales de Primera Instancia); Parish Courts (Tribunales de Parroquia); Justices of the Peace (Justicia de Paz) Network

Legal system

civil law system based on the Spanish civil code

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (as of 23 April 2015, 165 seats; 110 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 52 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote, and 3 seats reserved for indigenous peoples of Venezuela; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - pro-government 48.9%, opposition coalition 47.9%, other 3.2%; seats by party - pro-government 99, opposition 65, other 1

elections

last held on 26 September 2010 (next expected to be held on 6 December 2015)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Vicente SALIAS/Juan Jose LANDAETA

name

"Gloria al bravo pueblo" (Glory to the Brave People)

note

adopted 1881; lyrics written in 1810, the music some years later; both SALIAS and LANDAETA were executed in 1814 during Venezuela's struggle for independence

National holiday

Independence Day, 5 July (1811)

National symbol(s)

troupial (bird); national colors: yellow, blue, red

Political parties and leaders

A New Time or UNT [Enrique MARQUEZ]

Brave People's Alliance or ABP [Richard BLANCO]

Christian Democrats or COPEI [Roberto ENRIQUEZ]

Coalition of opposition parties -- The Democratic Unity Table or MUD [Jesus "Chuo" TORREALBA]

Communist Party of Venezuela or PCV [Oscar FIGUERA]

Democratic Action or AD [Henry RAMOS ALLUP]

Fatherland for All or PPT [Rafael UZCATEGUI]

For Social Democracy or PODEMOS [Didalco Antonio BOLIVAR GRATEROL]

Justice First or PJ [Julio BORGES]

Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Segundo MELENDEZ]

Popular Will or VP [Leopoldo LOPEZ]

Progressive Wave or AP [Henri FALCON]

The Radical Cause or La Causa R [Americo DE GRAZIA]

United Socialist Party of Venezuela or PSUV [Nicolas MADURO]

Venezuelan Progressive Movement or MPV [Simon CALZADILLA]

Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique Fernando SALAS FEO]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Bolivarian and Socialist Workers' Union (a ruling-party-oriented organized labor union)

Confederacion Venezolana de Industriales or Coindustria (a conservative business group)

Consejos Comunales (pro-government local communal councils)

Federation of Chambers and Associations of Commerce and Production of Venezuela or FEDECAMARAS (a conservative business group)

Union of Oil Workers of Venezuela or FUTPV

Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (opposition-oriented labor organization)

other

various civil society groups and human rights organizations

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$204 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$142.6 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-29.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

29.5% (31 December 2010)

29.5% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

17.5% (31 December 2014 est.)

15.9% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

$8.865 billion (2014 est.)

$11.95 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$69.66 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$70.16 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

39 (2011)

49.5 (1998)

Economy - overview

Venezuela remains highly dependent on oil revenues, which account for roughly 96% of export earnings, about 40% of government revenues, and 11% of GDP. The country ended 2014 with an estimated 4% contraction in its GDP, 68.4% inflation, widespread shortages of consumer goods, and declining central bank international reserves. The International Monetary Fund forecasts that the GDP will shrink another 7% in 2015 and inflation may reach 80%. Under President Nicolas MADURO, the Venezuelan government’s response to the economic crisis has been to increase state control over the economy and blame the private sector for the shortages. The Venezuelan government has maintained strict currency controls since 2003. Currently, three official currency exchange mechanisms are in place for the sale of dollars to private sector firms and individuals, with rates based on the government's import priorities. These currency controls present significant obstacles to trade with Venezuela because importers cannot obtain sufficient dollars to purchase goods needed to maintain their operations. MADURO has used decree powers to enact legislation to deepen the state’s role as the primary buyer and marketer of imports, further tighten currency controls, cap business profits, and extend price controls. Falling oil prices since 2014 have aggravated Venezuela’s economic crisis. Insufficient access to dollars, price controls, and rigid labor regulations have led some US and multinational firms to reduce or shut down their Venezuelan operations. High costs for oil production and state oil company PDVSA’s poor cash flow have slowed investment in the petroleum sector, resulting in a decline in oil production.

Exchange rates

bolivars (VEB) per US dollar -

6.284 (2014 est.)

6.0478 (2013 est.)

4.29 (2012 est.)

4.289 (2011 est.)

2.5821 (2010 est.)

Exports

$83.2 billion (2014 est.)

$88.76 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum and petroleum products, bauxite and aluminum, minerals, chemicals, agricultural products

Exports - partners

US 34.6%, India 15.1%, China 12.9%, Cuba 5.3%, Singapore 4.8% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

16.7%

government consumption

16.3%

household consumption

65.4%

imports of goods and services

-16.8%

investment in fixed capital

13.1%

investment in inventories

5.4%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

3.8%

industry

35.4%

services

60.8% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$17,700 (2014 est.)

$18,400 (2013 est.)

$18,200 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

-4% (2014 est.)

1.3% (2013 est.)

5.6% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$205.8 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$538.9 billion (2014 est.)

$561.4 billion (2013 est.)

$553.9 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

20.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

22.4% of GDP (2013 est.)

29.5% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

32.7% (2006)

lowest 10%

1.7%

Imports

$50.34 billion (2014 est.)

$51.93 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

agricultural products, livestock, raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials, medical equipment, petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, iron and steel products

Imports - partners

US 24.2%, China 12.1%, Brazil 9.9%, Colombia 4.3%, Argentina 4.1% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

-1% (2014 est.)

Industries

agricultural products, livestock, raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, iron and steel products, crude oil and petroleum products

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

62.2% (2014 est.)

40.6% (2013 est.)

Labor force

14.34 million (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

7.3%

industry

21.8%

services

70.9% (4th quarter, 2011 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$25.3 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$5.143 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$3.991 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

31.6% (2011 est.)

Public debt

51.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

50.9% of GDP (2013 est.)

note

data cover central government debt, as well as the debt of state-owned oil company PDVSA; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include some debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; some debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$20.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$21.48 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$360 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$196 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$25.38 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$24.29 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$57.14 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$55.23 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$372.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$196.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$356 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$192.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

68.2% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

8% (2014 est.)

7.5% (2013 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

184.8 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

1.645 million bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

2.475 million bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

297.7 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

94.83 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - exports

249 million kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

35.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

64.3% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

480 million kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

27.5 million kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

127.6 billion kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

30.5 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

1.877 billion cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - production

28.4 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

5.562 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

784,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

638,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

16,660 bbl/day (2011 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

1.11 million bbl/day (2010 est.)

Broadcast media

government supervises a mixture of state-run and private broadcast media; 13 public service networks, 61 privately owned TV networks, a privately owned news channel with limited national coverage, and a government-backed Pan-American channel; state-run radio network includes roughly 65 news stations and another 30 stations targeted at specific audiences; state-sponsored community broadcasters include 235 radio stations and 44 TV stations; the number of private broadcast radio stations has been declining, but many still remain in operation (2014)

Internet country code

.ve

Internet users

percent of population

47.2% (2014 est.)

total

13.6 million

Radio broadcast stations

AM 46, FM 131, shortwave 3 (2008)

Telephone system

domestic

2 domestic satellite systems 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; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership 130 per 100 persons

general assessment

modern and expanding

international

country code - 58; submarine cable systems provide connectivity to Cuba and 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 (2013)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

27 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

7.81 million

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

106 (2014 est.)

total

30.5 million

Television broadcast stations

66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)

Airports

444 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

33

2,438 to 3,047 m

9

914 to 1,523 m

62

over 3,047 m

6

total

127

under 914 m

17 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

130 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

57

2,438 to 3,047 m

3

914 to 1,523 m

127

total

317

Heliports

3 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 4, cargo 12, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 5, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 14, petroleum tanker 16

foreign-owned

9 (Denmark 1, Estonia 1, Germany 1, Greece 4, Mexico 1, Spain 1)

registered in other countries

14 (Panama 13, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2010)

total

53

Pipelines

extra heavy crude 981 km; gas 5,941 km; oil 7,588 km; refined products 1,778 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

La Guaira, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Punta Cardon

oil terminals

Jose terminal

Railways

standard gauge

447 km 1.435-m gauge (41.4 km electrified) (2014)

total

447 km

Roadways

total

96,189 km (2014)

Transportation - note

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Caribbean Sea as a significant risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen

Waterways

7,100 km (Orinoco River (400 km) and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels) (2011)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

7,165,661 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

7,013,854

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

6,074,834 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

5,614,743

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

273,353 (2010 est.)

male

277,210

Military branches

Bolivarian National Armed Forces (Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana, FANB): Bolivarian Army (Ejercito Bolivariano, EB), Bolivarian Navy (Armada Bolivariana, AB; includes Naval Infantry, Coast Guard, Naval Aviation), Bolivarian Military Aviation (Aviacion Militar Bolivariana, AMB; includes Air National Guard), Bolivarian National Guard (Guardia Nacional Bolivaria, GNB) (2015)

Military expenditures

2.6% of GDP (2013)

2.5% of GDP (2012)

1.8% of GDP (2011)

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 30-month conscript service obligation; Navy requires 6th-grade education for enlisted personnel; all citizens of military service age (18-60 years old) are obligated to register for military service (2012)

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 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; US, France, and the Netherlands recognize Venezuela's granting full effect to Aves Island, thereby claiming a Venezuelan Economic Exclusion Zone/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

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

173,519 (Colombia) (2014)

stateless persons

11,000 (2014)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Venezuela is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; Venezuelan women and girls are trafficked within the country for sexual exploitation, often lured from the nation's interior to urban and tourist areas with false job offers; women from Colombia, Peru, Haiti, China, and South Africa are also reported to have been sexually exploited in Venezuela; some Venezuelan women are transported to Caribbean islands, particularly Aruba, Curacao, and Trinidad and Tobago, where they are subjected to forced prostitution; some Venezuelan children are forced to beg on the streets or to work as domestic servants, while Ecuadorian children, often from indigenous communities, are subjected to forced labor

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; the government did not publically document progress on human trafficking investigations, prosecutions, and convictions or victim identification and assistance in 2013, making it difficult to assess the scope or efficacy of these efforts; victim services appeared to remain inadequate, and the extent of efforts to investigate internal forced labor or to help children in prostitution was unclear; authorities provided limited funding to some NGOs providing victim services; public service announcements and an awareness campaign on human trafficking continued; anti-trafficking legislation drafted in 2010 remained unapproved (2014)