Venezuela

Republic of VenezuelaRepublica de Venezuela

republicIndependence 5 July 1811 (from Spain)

Venezuela as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 79 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalCaracas
Area912,050 km2
LocationNorthern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea between Colombia and
1993

Every edition of Venezuela

Populationas each edition published it
20.12 million July 1993 est. · 19.7m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.22% 1993 est. · 0.88% in 2025
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 24.8 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
72.69 years 1993 est. · 74.5 yrs in 2025
Fertility ratechildren per woman
3.14 children per woman 1993 est. · 3.4 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
28.9 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 27 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$2,800 1992 est. · $4,900 in 2025
GDP real growth% a year
7.3% 1992 est. · -19.67% in 2025

Geography

Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea between Colombia and | Guyana

14 fields

Land useshare of 912,050 km2

arable land 3%permanent crops 1%meadows and pastures 20%forest and woodland 39%other 37%irrigated 2,640 km2 (1989 est.)
Area
912,050km2
land area: 882,050 km2comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of California
Coastline
2,800km
contiguous zone: 15 nmcontinental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitationexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Land boundaries
4,993km
total · Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km

Location

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

Map references

South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

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

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

People

14 fields
Population
20,117,687
(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 2.22% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth
26.37Death
4.69Net migration
0.48

Ethnic divisions

mestizo 67%white 21%black 10%Indian 2%
Labor force
5.8million
by occupation: services 56%, industry 28%, agriculture 16% (1985)
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1990)total population: 88%male: 87%female: 90%

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

Religions

nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%

Languages

Spanish (official), Indian dialects spoken by about 200,000 Amerindians in the remote interior

Government

Republic

21 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

54.6%
Carlos Andres PEREZ (AD) 54.6%Eduardo FERNANDEZ (COPEI) 41.7%other 3.7%

Names

conventional long form:
Republic of Venezuela
conventional short form:
Venezuela
local long form:
Republica de Venezuela
local short form:
Venezuela

Type

republic

Capital

Caracas

Administrative divisions

21 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 territory* ( territorio), 1, federal district**, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales***,, Distrito Federal**,, 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

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
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

Economy

Petroleum is the backbone of the economy, accounting for 23% of GDP, 70% of | central government revenues, and 82% of export earnings in 1992.

19 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$2,800
(1992 est.)
Real growth rate
7.3%
(1992 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 11.9% (1992 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP, including petroleum
Unemployment rate
8.4%
(1992 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$13.2 billionExpenditures
$13.1 billion
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)

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.)

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)

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

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

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 56 ships by typeone square, one ship

short-sea passenger 1passenger cargo 1cargo 19container 2roll-on/roll-off 4oil tanker 18chemical tanker 1liquefied gas 2bulk 6vehicle carrier 1combination bulk 156 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 837,375 GRT/1,344,795 DWT

Networkskm

Highways
77,785Railroads
542Inland waterways
7,100
Highways: ; 22,780 km paved, 24,720 km gravel, 14,450 km earth roads, and 15,835 km unimproved earth · Railroads: ; 363 km 1.435-meter standard gauge all single track, government owned; 179 km 1.435-meter gauge, privately owned · Inland waterways: ; Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing vessels

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

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

Defense Forces

3 fields

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)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Venezuela.” The World Factbook 1993. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/venezuela/1993.

How to cite ← 1992 edition 1994 edition →