Background: Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830, the others being Ecuador and New Granada (Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th century, military strongmen ruled Venezuela and promoted the oil industry while allowing some social reforms. Democratically elected governments largely held sway until 1999, but Hugo CHAVEZ, who was president from 1999 to 2013, exercised authoritarian control over other branches of government. This trend continued in 2018 when Nicolas MADURO claimed the presidency for his second term in an election boycotted by most opposition parties and widely viewed as fraudulent. The legislative elections in 2020 were also seen as fraudulent, and most opposition parties and many international actors consider the resulting National Assembly illegitimate. In 2021, many opposition parties broke a three-year election boycott and participated in mayoral and gubernatorial elections, despite flawed conditions. As a result, the opposition more than doubled its representation at the mayoral level and retained four of 23 governorships. The 2021 regional elections marked the first time since 2006 that the EU was allowed to send an electoral observation mission to Venezuela. MADURO has placed strong restrictions on free speech and the press. Since CHAVEZ, the ruling party has expanded the state's role in the economy through expropriations of major enterprises, strict currency exchange and price controls, and over-dependence on the petroleum industry for revenues. Years of economic mismanagement left Venezuela ill-prepared to weather the global drop in oil prices in 2014, sparking an economic decline that has resulted in reduced government social spending, shortages of basic goods, and high inflation. Worsened living conditions have prompted nearly 8 million Venezuelans to emigrate, mainly settling in nearby countries. The US imposed financial sanctions on MADURO and his representatives in 2017 and on sectors of the Venezuelan economy in 2018. Limited sanctions relief followed when the MADURO administration began making democratic and electoral concessions. The government's mismanagement and lack of investment in infrastructure has also weakened the country's energy sector. Caracas has relaxed some controls to mitigate the impact of its sustained economic crisis, such as allowing increased import flexibility for the private sector and the informal use of US dollars and other international currencies. Ongoing concerns include human rights abuses, rampant violent crime, political manipulation of the judicial and electoral systems, and corruption.

Area
Total: 912,050 km²
Land: 882,050 km²
Water: 30,000 km²
Comparative: almost six times the size of Georgia; slightly more than twice the size of California

Land boundaries
Total: 5,267 km
Border countries (3): (3) Brazil 2,137 km; Colombia 2,341 km; Guyana 789 km

Coastline: 2,800 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 15 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

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

Elevation
Highest point: Pico Bolivar 4,978 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 450 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 24.4% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 2.9% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.8% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 20.6% (2023 est.)
Forest: 53.5% (2023 est.)
Other: 22.1% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 10,550 km² (2012)

Major rivers: Rio Negro (shared with Colombia [s] and Brazil [m]) - 2,250 km; Orinoco river source and mouth (shared with Colombia) - 2,101 km
Note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Natural hazards: subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts

Geography
Note note 1: the country lies on major sea and air routes linking North and South America
Note note 2: Venezuela has some of the most unique geology in the world; tepuis are the massive table-top mountains of the western Guiana Highlands that tend to be isolated and thus support unique endemic plant and animal species; their sheer cliffsides help create some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world, including Angel Falls, the world's highest (979 m; 3,212 ft) that drops from Auyan Tepui

Population
Total: 31,250,306 (2024 est.)
Male: 15,555,451
Female: 15,694,855
Distribution: most of the population is concentrated in the northern and western highlands along an eastern spur at the northern end of the Andes, an area that includes the capital of Caracas
Growth rate: 2.34% (2024 est.)

Languages: Spanish (official) 98.2%, indigenous 1.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.4% (2023 est.)
Major-language sample(s): ; La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Roman Catholic 48.1%, Protestant 31.6% (Evangelical 31.4%, Adventist 0.2%), Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, African American/umbanda 0.7%, other 0.1%, believer 3.5%, agnostic 0.1%, atheist, 0.4%, none 13.6%, unspecified 0.6% (2023 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 25% (male 3,987,361/female 3,811,307)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 10,264,353/female 10,330,376)
65 years and over: 9.1% (2024 est.) (male 1,303,737/female 1,553,172)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 51.7 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 37.9 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 13.9 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 7.2 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 31 years (2024 est.)
Male: 30.3 years
Female: 31.7 years

Population growth rate: 2.34% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 16.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 6.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: most of the population is concentrated in the northern and western highlands along an eastern spur at the northern end of the Andes, an area that includes the capital of Caracas

Urbanization
Urban population: 88.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 2.972 million CARACAS (capital), 2.368 million Maracaibo, 1.983 million Valencia, 1.254 million Barquisimeto, 1.243 million Maracay, 964,000 Ciudad Guayana (2023)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 227 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 13.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 15.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 12.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.5 years (2024 est.)
Male: 71.5 years
Female: 77.7 years

Total fertility rate: 2.18 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Total: 6.7% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Total: 1.6% of population (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 5.5% (2024 est.); 5.5% (2023 est.); 5.8% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Caracas
Geographic coordinates: 10 29 N, 66 52 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: named for the Caracas tribe that originally settled in the area; the origin of their name is unknown

Administrative divisions: 23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 capital district* (distrito capital), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoátegui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales (Federal Dependencies)**, Distrito Capital (Capital District)*, Falcon, Guárico, La Guairá, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Táchira, Trujillo, Yaracuy, Zulia
Note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands

Legal system: civil law system based on the Spanish civil code

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Executive branch
Chief of state: Delcy Rodríguez - Notification Statement: the United States did not recognize Nicolas MADURO Moros as president of Venezuela and captured him on 3 January 2026; President Nicolas MADURO Moros (since 19 April 2013)
Head of government: Delcy Rodríguez (since 6 January 2026); President Nicolas MADURO Moros (since 19 April 2013) was captured bt the United States on 3 January 2026
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Election/appointment process: president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 6-year term (no term limits)
Most recent election date: 28 July 2024
2024: official results disputed; Nicolas MADURO Moros was declared the winner by the MADURO-controlled National Electoral Council; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros (PSUV) 52%, Edmundo GONZÁLEZ Urrutia (Independent) 43.2%, Luis Eduardo MARTÍNEZ (AD) 1.2%, other 3.6%
2018: Nicolas MADURO Moros reelected president; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros (PSUV) 67.9%, Henri FALCON (AP) 20.9%, Javier BERTUCCI 10.8%
Expected date of next election: 2,030
Note 1: the president is both chief of state and head of government
Note 2: the United States recognizes that Edmundo GONZÁLEZ won the most votes in the 28 July 2024 presidential election because of overwhelming evidence, including more than 80% of the tally sheets received directly from polling stations that indicated GONZÁLEZ received the most votes by an insurmountable margin

Legislative branch
Legislature name: National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)
Legislative structure: unicameral
Number of seats: 277 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: mixed system
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 5 years
Most recent election date: 12/6/2020
Percentage of women in chamber: 32.1%
Expected date of next election: May 2025
Note: in 2020, the National Electoral Council increased the number of seats in the National Assembly from 167 to 277 for the December 2020 election

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red, with the coat of arms on the left side of the yellow band and an arc of eight five-pointed white stars centered on the blue band

National anthem
Title: 'Gloria al bravo pueblo' (Glory to the Brave People)
Lyrics/music: Vicente SALIAS/Juan Jose LANDAETA
History: adopted 1881; lyrics were written in 1810; both SALIAS and LANDAETA were executed in 1814 during Venezuela's fight for independence

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 3 (2 cultural, 1 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: -19.67% (2018 est.); -14% (2017 est.); -15.76% (2017 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: -19.67% (2018 est.); -14% (2017 est.); -15.76% (2017 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Industries: agricultural products, livestock, raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, iron and steel products, crude oil and petroleum products

Labor force: 11.136 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 5.5% (2024 est.); 5.5% (2023 est.); 5.8% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 5.5% (2024 est.); 5.5% (2023 est.); 5.8% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $30 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $76 million (2017 est.)

Exports: $83.401 billion (2018 est.); $93.485 billion (2017 est.); $28.684 billion (2016 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: crude petroleum, petroleum coke, scrap iron, alcohols, fertilizers (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $18.432 billion (2018 est.); $18.376 billion (2017 est.); $25.81 billion (2016 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, soybean meal, corn, plastic products, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 33.493 million kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 56.493 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Exports: 600 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 25.849 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 21.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 78.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Production: 149,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 80,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 124,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 2,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 730.999 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 801,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 203,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 303.806 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 23.873 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 23.873 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 5.674 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 76.73 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 179,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 27.928 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 48.623 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 54.474 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 2.683 million (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 18.8 million (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 63 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 62% (2017 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 2.7 million (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2022 est.)

Military expenditures: 0.6% of GDP (2024 est.); 0.5% of GDP (2023 est.); 0.6% of GDP (2022 est.); 0.3% of GDP (2021 est.); 1.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Airports: 509 (2025)

Heliports: 88 (2025)

Railways
Total: 447 km (2014)
Standard gauge: 447 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (41.4 km electrified)

Merchant marine
Total: 272 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 3, container ship 1, general cargo 26, oil tanker 17, other 225