Venezuela

Republic of VenezuelaRepublica de Venezuela

republicIndependence 5 July 1811 (from Spain)

Venezuela as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 100 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
Position8 00 N, 66 00 W
Area912,050 sq km
LocationNorthern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the
1998

Every edition of Venezuela

Populationas each edition published it
22.8 million July 1998 est. · 19.7m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.77% 1998 est. · 2.22% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 24.8 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
72.66 years 1998 est. · 72.69 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.7 children per woman 1998 est. · 3.4 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
27.52 deaths per 1,000 live births 1998 est. · 27 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$8,300 1997 est. · $2,800 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
5% 1997 · 7.3% in 1993

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 912,050 sq km

arable land 4%permanent crops 1%permanent pastures 20%forests and woodland 34%other 41% (1993 est.)irrigated 1,900 sq km (1993 est.)
Area
912,050sq km
land: 882,050 sq kmwater: 30,000 sq kmslightly more than twice the size of California
Coastline
2,800km
contiguous zone: 15 nmcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Highest point
5,007m
Pico Bolivar (La Columna)lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Land boundaries
4,993km
border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 66 00 W

Map references

South America, Central America and the Caribbean

Climate

  • tropical;
  • hot, humid;
  • more moderate in highlands

Terrain

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

Natural resources

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

Natural hazards

subject to floods, rockslides, mud slides; periodic droughts

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

Environment-international agreements

party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Marine Dumping

Geography-note

on major sea and air routes linking North and South America

People

15 fields
Population
22,803,409
(July 1998 est.)growth rate: 1.77% (1998 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1998 est.)

Birth
22.96Death
4.98Net migration
-0.27

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1998 est.)72.66
69.68 · 75.87
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)91.1%
91.8% · 90.3%
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups

mestizo 67%white 21%black 10%Amerindian 2%

Age structure

0-14 years:
34% (male 3,979,045; female 3,733,364)
15-64 years:
62% (male 7,054,525; female 7,011,814)
65 years and over:
4% (male 469,799; female 554,862) (July 1998 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.85 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate

27.52 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.7 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Venezuelan(s)
adjective:
Venezuelan

Religions

nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%

Languages

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

Government

Republic; President Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez (since 2 February 1994); President Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez (since 2 February 1994)

21 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

30.45%
Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez (National Convergence) 30.45%Claudio FERMIN (AD) 23.59%Oswaldo ALVAREZ PAZ (COPEI) 22.72%Andres VELASQUEZ (Causa R) 21.94%other 1.3%election last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held 6 December 1998)

Legislature, 189 seatsone dot, one seat

AD 53COPEI 51Causa R 40MAS 22other 23

Country name

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

Administrative divisions

  • 22 states (estados, singular-estado),1 federal district* (distrito federal), 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, Yaracuy, Zulia

note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands

Independence

5 July 1811 (from Spain)

National holiday

Independence Day, 5 July (1811)

Constitution

23 January 1961

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:
President Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez (since 2 February 1994); note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government:
President Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez (since 2 February 1994); note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections:
president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held 6 December 1998)
election results:
  • Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez elected president;
  • percent of vote-Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez (National Convergence) 30.45%, Claudio FERMIN (AD) 23.59%, Oswaldo ALVAREZ PAZ (COPEI) 22.72%, Andres VELASQUEZ (Causa R) 21.94%, other 1.3%

Legislative branch

bicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica consists of the Senate or Senado (52 seats, two from each state and the Federal District (50), and retired presidents (2); members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (207 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:
Senate-last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held 6 December 1998); Chamber of Deputies-last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held 6 December 1998)
election results:
  • Senate-percent of vote by party-NA;
  • seats by party-AD 16, COPEI 14, Causa R 9, National Convergence 5, MAS 3, independents 5;
  • note-two former presidents (1 from AD, 1 from COPEI) hold lifetime Senate seats;
  • Chamber of Deputies-percent of vote by party-AD 25.6%, COPEI 24.6%, MAS 10.6%, National Convergence 8.7%, Causa R 19.3%;
  • seats by party-AD 53, COPEI 51, Causa R 40, MAS 22, National Convergence 18, other 23

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia), magistrates are elected by both chambers in joint session for a nine-year term, a third are re-elected every three years

Political parties and leaders

  • National Convergence (Convergencia), Jose Miguel UZCATEGUI, president, Juan Jose CALDERA, national coordinator;
  • Social Christian Party (COPEI), Luis HERRERA Campins, president, and Donald RAMIREZ, secretary general;
  • Democratic Action (AD), David MORALES Bello, president, and Luis ALFARO Ucero, secretary general;
  • Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), Felipe MUJICA, president, and Leopoldo PUCHI, secretary general;
  • Radical Cause (La Causa R), Lucas MATHEUS, secretary general;
  • Homeland for All (PPT), Alexis ROSAS, director

Political pressure groups and leaders

  • FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group;
  • Venezuelan Confederation of Workers (CTV, labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action);
  • VECINOS groups

International organization participation

AG, Caricom (observer), CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G- 3, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, MINUGUA, MINURSO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Pedro Luis ECHEVERRIA
chancery:
1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone:
[1] (202) 342-2214

FAX

[1] (202) 342-6820; consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador John Francis MAISTO
embassy:
Calle F con Calle Suapure, Colinas de Valle Arriba, Caracas 1060
mailing address:
P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037
telephone:
[58] (2) 977-2011

FAX

[58] (2) 977-0843

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 seven white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band

Economy

The petroleum sector dominates the economy, | accounting for 27% of GDP, 78% of export earnings, and more than half | of government operating revenues.

28 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
-$185billion
purchasing power parity · (1997 est.)
GDP per capita, PPP
-$8,300
purchasing power parity · (1997 est.)
Real growth rate
5%
(1997)industrial production growth: 0.5% (1995 est.)

GDP-composition by sector(1997 est.)

agriculture 4%industry 63%services 33% (1997 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$11.99 billionExpenditures
$11.48 billion (1996 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $3 billion
Fixed lines
1.44 million
(1987 est.)

Economy-overview

The petroleum sector dominates the economy, accounting for 27% of GDP, 78% of export earnings, and more than half of government operating revenues. It is likely to become even more important as the state petroleum company plans to double its production over the next 10 years. Realizing the failure of interventionist policies, the CALDERA administration embarked on a comprehensive economic reform program, which included negotiation of a stand-by agreement with the IMF in 1996, elimination of price and exchange controls, and revitalization of Venezuela's stalled privatization program.

The influx of foreign capital, and the currency depreciation that followed exchange liberalization, led to 103% inflation in 1996, the highest in Venezuelan history. The government stepped in toward the end of 1996, propping up the Bolivar by using a stable nominal exchange rate as a restraint on inflation-which fell in 1997 to 38%. The macroeconomic adjustments, bolstered by strong oil prices, resulted in strong growth in 1997.

However, the East Asian financial crisis and the decline of international oil prices toward the end of 1997 brought pressure on the currency, which Caracas was able to stave off. Caracas readjusted its exchange rate bands and began to allow quicker depreciation of the Bolivar; the government also tightened monetary policy.

Concerned over potential revenue shortfalls from soft oil prices for the 1998 budget, Caracas has implemented budget cuts to compensate for previously optimistic oil revenue estimates. The government also has pushed ahead with sale of the state-owned steel company and the strategic aluminum sector, thereby reassuring domestic and international investors of Venezuela's commitment to reform.

The monetary and fiscal measures have been well received by the international financial community. As a result, financial analysts believe the economy will still grow at a healthy pace in 1998, though they have lowered their initial projections for GDP growth due to the soft oil market.

Labor force

total:
9.2 million
by occupation:
services 64%, industry 23%, agriculture 13% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate

11.5% (1997 est.)

Industries

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

Electricity-capacity

18.975 million kW (1995)

Electricity-production

74 billion kWh (1995)

Agriculture-products

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

Exports

total value:
$20.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities:
petroleum 78%, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures
partners:
US and Puerto Rico 55%, Japan, Netherlands, Italy

Imports

total value:
$10.5 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities:
raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials
partners:
US 40%, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Canada

Debt-external

$26.5 billion (1996)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $46 million (1993)

Currency

1 bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimos

Exchange rates

bolivares (Bs) per US$1-507.447 (January 1998), 488.635 (1997), 417.333 (1996), 176.843 (1995), 148.503 (1994), 90.826 (1993)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

Telephone system

modern and expanding

domestic:
domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations
international:
3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 181, FM 0, shortwave 26

Radios

9.04 million (1992 est.)

Televisions

3.3 million (1992 est.)

Transportation

9 fields

Merchant marine, 28 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1997 est.)

bulk 4cargo 5combination bulk 1container 1liquefied gas tanker 2oil tanker 9passenger-cargo 1roll-on/roll-off cargo 4short-sea passenger 1

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m
15
over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 35 914 to 1,523 m: 61

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m
147
total: 251 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 96

Networkskm

Highways
84,300Railways
584Waterways
7,100
Highways: paved: 33,214 km · unpaved: 51,086 km (1996 est.) · Railways: (336 km single track; 248 km privately owned) · standard gauge: 584 km 1.435-m gauge · Waterways: ; Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing vessels

Railways

total:
584 km (336 km single track; 248 km privately owned)
standard gauge:
584 km 1.435-m gauge

Highways

total:
84,300 km
paved:
33,214 km
unpaved:
51,086 km (1996 est.)

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 and harbors

Amuay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, La Salina, Maracaibo, Matanzas, Palua, Puerto Cabello, Puerto la Cruz, Puerto Ordaz, Puerto Sucre, Punta Cardon

Airports

377 (1997 est.)

Military

7 fields

Military branches

National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales or FAN) includes Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada), Air Force (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional)

Military manpower-availability

males age 15-49: 6,134,691 (1998 est.)

Military manpower-fit for military service

males: 4,429,265 (1998 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes-international

claims all of Guyana west of the Essequibo River; maritime boundary dispute with Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela

Illicit drugs

  • illicit producer of cannabis, opium, and coca leaf for the international drug trade on a small scale;
  • however, large quantities of cocaine and heroin transit the country from Colombia;
  • important money-laundering hub;
  • active eradication program primarily targeting opium VIETNAM

Central Intelligence Agency. “Venezuela.” The World Factbook 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/venezuela/1998.

How to cite ← 1997 edition 1999 edition →