Background: 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.

Area
Total: 912,050 km²
Land: 882,050 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of California

Land boundaries:

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
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: crude oil, 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%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Population: 20,675,970 (July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992)

Nationality: noun - Venezuelan(s; adjective - Venezuelan

Ethnic groups: mestizo 67%, white 21%, black 10%, Indian 2%

Languages:

Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%

Birth rate: 27 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 4 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1000 population (1992)

Environment
Current issues: subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts; increasing industrial pollution in Caracas and Maracaibo
Current issues note: on major sea and air routes linking North and South America

Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male, 78 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/woman (1992)

Literacy: 88% (male 87%, female 90%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Venezuela

Government type: republic

Capital: Caracas

Administrative divisions:

Independence: 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

Suffrage: universal at age 18
President: last held 4 December 1988 (next to be held NA December 1993); results - Carlos Andres PEREZ (AD) 54.6%, Eduardo FERNANDEZ (COPEI) 41.7%, other 3.7%
Senate: last held 4 December 1988 (next to be held NA 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:
Communists: 10,000 members (est.)

Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch:

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica)

International organization participation:
Diplomatic representation:
US:

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 overview: Petroleum is the cornerstone of the economy and accounted for 23% of GDP, 80% of central government revenues, and 80% of export earnings in 1991. 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 threw the economy into confusion, causing an 8% decline in GDP in 1989. However, the economy recovered part way in 1990, and grew by 9.2% in 1991, led by the petroleum sector.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $52.3 billion, per capita $2,590; real growth rate 9.2% (1991 est.)

Agriculture products: 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

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

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 5.4% (1991 est.), accounts for one-fourth of GDP, including petroleum

Labor force: 5,800,000; services 56%, industry 28%, agriculture 16% (1985)
Organized labor: 32% of labor force

Unemployment rate: 9.3% (1991 est.)

Budget: revenues $13.2 billion; expenditures $13.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $15.1 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: petroleum 80%, bauxite and aluminum, iron ore, agricultural products, basic manufactures
Partners: US 50.7%, Europe 13.7%, Japan 4.0% (1989)

Imports: $10.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: foodstuffs, chemicals, manufactures, machinery and transport equipment
Partners: US 44%, FRG 8.0%, Japan 4%, Italy 7%, Canada 2% (1989)

Exchange rates: bolivares (Bs) per US$1 - 65.39 (March 1992), 56.82 (1991), 46.90 (1990), 34.68 (1989), 14.50 (fixed rate 1987-88)

Electricity
Production: 20,128,000 kW capacity; 55,753 million kWh produced, 2,762 kWh per capita (1991)

Airports:

Pipelines: crude oil 6,370 km; petroleum products 480 km; natural gas 4,010 km

Waterways: 7,100 km; Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing vessels

Merchant marine:
Civil air: 56 major transport aircraft

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