Statistical information Venezuela 1990

Venezuela in the World
top of pageBackground: 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.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaLand boundaries: 4,993 km total; Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km
Coastline: 2,800 km
Maritime claimsContiguous zone: 15 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Terrain: Andes mountains and Maracaibo lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos; Guyana highlands in southeast
ElevationNatural resources: crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds
Land use: 3% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 20% meadows and pastures; 39% forest and woodland; 37% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographyNote: on major sea and air routes linking North and South America
top of pagePopulation: 19,698,104 (July 1990), growth rate 2.5% (1990)
Nationality: noun--Venezuelan(s; adjective--Venezuelan
Ethnic groups: 67% mestizo, 21% white, 10% black, 2% Indian
Languages: Spanish (official; Indian dialects spoken by about 200,000 Amerindians in the remote interior
Religions: 96% nominally Roman Catholic, 2% Protestant
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 28 births/1000 population (1990)
Death rate: 4 deaths/1000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1000 population (1990)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts; increasing industrial pollution in Caracas and Maracaibo
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 27 deaths/1000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male, 77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.4 children born/woman (1990)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 85.6%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry name: conventional long form: Republic of Venezuela
Government type: republic
Capital: Caracas
Administrative divisions: 20 states (estados, singular--estado), 2 territories* (territorios, singular--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
Dependent areasIndependence: 5 July 1811 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
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
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18, though poorly enforced
Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Carlos Andres PEREZ (since 2 February 1989)
Legislative branch: Ground Forces (Army), Naval Forces (Navy, Marines, Coast Guard), Air Forces, Armed Forces of Cooperation (National Guard)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica)
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: Andean Pact, AIOEC, FAO, G-77, Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPEC, PAHO, SELA, WFTU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representationIn the us: Ambassador Simon Alberto CONSALVI Bottaro; Chancery at 2,445 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 797-3,800; there are Venezuelan Consulates General in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico; US--Ambassador-designate Eric JAVITS; Embassy at Avenida Francisco de Miranda and Avenida Principal de la Floresta, Caracas (mailing address is P. O. Box 62,291, Caracas 1060-A, or APO Miami 34,037; telephone p58o (2) 284-6,111 or 7,111; there is a US Consulate in Maracaibo
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
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Petroleum is the cornerstone of the economy and accounted for 17% of GDP, 52% of central government revenues, and 81% of export earnings in 1988. President Perez introduced an economic readjustment program when he assumed office in February 1989. Lower tariffs and price supports, a free market exchange rate, and market-linked interest rates have thrown the economy into confusion, causing about an 8% decline in GDP.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for 6% of GDP and 15% of labor force; products--corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee, beef, pork, milk, eggs, fish; not self-sufficient in food other than meat
Industries: petroleum, iron-ore mining, construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly
Industrial production growth rate: 3.7%, excluding oil (1988)
Labor force:
5,800,000; 56%
services, 28%
industry, 16% agriculture (1985)
Unemployment rate: 7.0% (1988)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $8.4 billion; expenditures $8.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.9 billion (1989)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $10.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: petroleum 81%, bauxite and aluminum, iron ore, agricultural products, basic manufactures
Partners: US 50.3%, FRG 5.3%, Japan 4.1% (1988)
Imports: $10.9 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: foodstuffs, chemicals, manufactures, machinery and transport equipment
Partners: US 44%, FRG 8.5%, Japan 6%, Italy 5%, Brazil 4.4% (1987)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $33.6 billion (1988)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: bolivares (Bs) per US$1--43.42 (January 1990), 34.6815 (1989), 14.5000 (fixed rate 1987-88), 8.0833 (1986), 7.5000 (1985)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 19,110,000 kW capacity; 54,516 million kWh produced, 2,830 kWh per capita (1989)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: 1.1% of GDP, or $570 million (1990 est.)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 306 total, 278 usable; 134 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 92 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelines: 6,370 km crude oil; 480 km refined products; 4,010 km natural gas
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 7,100 km; Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing vessels
Merchant marine: 70 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 997,458 GRT/1,615,155 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 1 passenger cargo, 28 cargo, 2 container, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 17 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 11 bulk, 1 vehicle carrier, 1 combination bulk, 1 combination ore/oil
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: claims Essequibo area of Guyana; maritime boundary disputes with Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela and with Trinidad and Tobago in the Gulf of Paria
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis and coca for the international drug trade on a small scale; however, large quantities of cocaine and marijuana do transit the country