@node Geography (Venezuela)
@section Geography (Venezuela)

@display

Location:
  Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea between Colombia and
  Guyana
Map references:
  South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  912,050 km2
 land area:
  882,050 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly more than twice the size of California
Land boundaries:
  total 4,993 km, 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 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); Guyana highlands in southeast
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 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts; increasing
  industrial pollution in Caracas and Maracaibo
Note:
  on major sea and air routes linking North and South America



@end display

@node People (Venezuela)
@section People (Venezuela)

@display

Population:
  20,117,687 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.22% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  26.37 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  4.69 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  28.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  72.69 years
 male:
  69.76 years  female:
  75.77 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  3.14 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Venezuelan(s)
 adjective:
  Venezuelan
Ethnic divisions:
  mestizo 67%, white 21%, black 10%, Indian 2%
Religions:
  nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%
Languages:
  Spanish (official), Indian dialects spoken by about 200,000 Amerindians in
  the remote interior
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
 total population:
  88%
 male:
  87%
 female:
  90%
Labor force:
  5.8 million
 by occupation:
  services 56%, industry 28%, agriculture 16% (1985)



@end display

@node Government (Venezuela)
@section Government (Venezuela)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Republic of Venezuela
 conventional short form:
  Venezuela
 local long form:
  Republica de Venezuela
 local short form:
  Venezuela
Digraph:
  VE
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Caracas
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
Independence:
  5 July 1811 (from Spain)
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
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
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
Other political or pressure groups:
  FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; Venezuelan Confederation of
  Workers (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action); VECINOS
  groups
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 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



@end display

@node Government (Venezuela 2. usage)
@section Government (Venezuela 2. usage)

@display

 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
Executive branch:
  president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
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)
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Leaders:
 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
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
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)
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
 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



@end display

@node Economy (Venezuela)
@section Economy (Venezuela)

@display

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.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $57.8 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  7.3% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
  $2,800 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  32% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  8.4% (1992 est.)
Budget:
  revenues $13.2 billion; expenditures $13.1 billion, including capital
  expenditures of $NA (1992)
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)
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)
External debt:
  $27.1 billion (1992)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 11.9% (1992 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP, including petroleum
Electricity:
  21,130,000 kW capacity; 58,541 million kWh produced, 2,830 kWh per capita
  (1992)
Industries:
  petroleum, iron-ore mining, construction materials, food processing,
  textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly
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
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
Economic aid:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-86), $488 million; Communist countries
  (1970-89), $10 million
Currency:
  1 bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimos



@end display

@node Economy (Venezuela 2. usage)
@section Economy (Venezuela 2. usage)

@display

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)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year



@end display

@node Communications (Venezuela)
@section Communications (Venezuela)

@display

Railroads:
  542 km total; 363 km 1.435-meter standard gauge all single track, government
  owned; 179 km 1.435-meter gauge, privately owned
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
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
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
Airports:
 total:
  360
 usable:
  331
 with permanent-surface runways:
  133
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  15
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  87
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



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Venezuela)
@section Defense Forces (Venezuela)

@display

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)
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.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $1.95 billion, 4% of GDP (1991)



@end display