Venezuela
Bolivarian Republic of VenezuelaRepublica Bolivariana de Venezuela
federal republicIndependence 5 July 1811 (from Spain)
Venezuela as the 2000 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 111 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Venezuela was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Colombia and Ecuador). 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. Current concerns include: drug-related conflicts along the Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations which are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples.
Geography
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana
18 fieldsLand useshare of 912,050 sq km
Location
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana
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
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:
- Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- Marine Dumping
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2000 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 33% (male 3,967,544; female 3,721,658)
- 15-64 years:
- 63% (male 7,406,086; female 7,355,923)
- 65 years and over:
- 4% (male 499,102; female 592,336) (2000 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:
- 0.84 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Government
Federal republic; President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999)
19 fieldsCountry name
- conventional long form:
- Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
- conventional short form:
- Venezuela
- local long form:
- Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela
- local short form:
- Venezuela
Administrative divisions
- 23 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, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia
note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands
Legal system
- based on organic laws as of July 1999;
- open, adversarial court system;
- has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
- head of government:
- President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); 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 six-year term; election last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held 28 May 2000 under new constitution)
- election results:
- Hugo CHAVEZ Frias elected president; percent of vote - 57%
note: government coalition - Patriotic Pole or Polo Patriotico consists of MVR, MAS, and PPT
Legislative branch
- unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional;
- under the 1999 constitution, the bicameral Congress of the Republic has been replaced by a unicameral National Assembly;
- the total number of seats in the new National Assembly has not yet been determined, but members will be elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms;
- three seats will be reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela
- elections:
- election for deputies to the new National Assembly are scheduled to be held in May 2000
- election results:
- NA; elections to be held in May 2000
Judicial branch
Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia, magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single 12-year term
Political parties and leaders
- Democratic Action or AD [leader NA];
- Fifth Republic Movement or MVR [leader NA];
- Homeland for All or PPT [leader NA];
- Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [leader NA];
- National Convergence or Convergencia [leader NA];
- Radical Cause or La Causa R [leader NA];
- Social Christian Party or COPEI [leader NA]
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)
International organization participation
CAN, 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, MINURSO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, 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 Alfredo TORO Hardy
- 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) 975-6411
- FAX:
- [58] (2) 975-6710
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
Venezuelan officials estimate the economy contracted 7.2% in 1999.
31 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(1997 est.)
Electricity
Economy - overview
Venezuelan officials estimate the economy contracted 7.2% in 1999. A steep downturn in international oil prices during the first half of the year fueled the recession, and spurred the CHAVEZ administration to abide by OPEC-led production cuts in an effort to raise world oil prices.
The petroleum sector dominates the economy, accounting for roughly a third of GDP, around 80% of export earnings, and more than half of government operating revenues. Higher oil prices during the second half 1999 took pressure off the budget and currency; the bolivar is widely believed to be overvalued by as much as 50%. Despite higher oil prices, the economy remains in the doldrums, possibly due to investor uncertainty over President CHAVEZ's reform agenda.
Implementing legislation for the new constitution will not be passed until the second half of 2000, after a new legislature is elected. With the president's economic cabinet attempting to reconcile a wide range of views, the country's economic reform program has largely stalled. The government is seeking international assistance to finance reconstruction after massive flooding and landslides in December 1999 caused an estimated $15 billion to $20 billion in damage.
Industries
petroleum, iron ore mining, construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly
Agriculture - products
- corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee;
- beef, pork, milk, eggs;
- fish
Exports - commodities
petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures (1998)
Exports - partners
US and Puerto Rico 57%, Colombia, Brazil, Japan, Germany, Netherlands, Italy (1999)
Imports - commodities
raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials (1999)
Exchange rates
bolivares (Bs) per US$1 - 652.333 (January 2000), 605.717 (1999), 547.556 (1998), 488.635 (1997), 417.333 (1996), 176.843 (1995)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
modern and expanding
- 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 inter-urban fiber-optic network capable of digital multimedia services
- international:
- 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
Transportation
10 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
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
Merchant marine
- total:
- 34 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 488,584 GRT/888,764 DWT
- ships by type:
- bulk 5, cargo 10, combination bulk 1, liquified gas 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 7, roll-on/roll-off 7, short-sea passenger 1 (1999 est.)
Military
7 fieldsMilitary 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)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - 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 opium for the international drug trade on a small scale;
- however, large quantities of cocaine and heroin transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe;
- important money-laundering hub;
- active eradication program primarily targeting opium;
- increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on border [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Venezuela.” The World Factbook 2000. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/venezuela/2000.