SPAMfighter information about


The data on this page is obtained from The World Factbook.
 Communications information 
SPAMfighters: 28,605
Internet users: 3.04 million (2005)
Internet hosts: 51,968 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 16 (2000)
Internet country code: .ve
Telephones - main lines in use: 3,605,500 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 12.496 million (2005)
Telephone system: general assessment: modern and expanding


international: country code - 58; 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
Radio broadcast stations: AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998)
Radios: 10.75 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 4.1 million (1997)
 Geographical information 
Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 66 00 W
Map references: South America
Area: total: 912,050 sq km

land: 882,050 sq km

water: 30,000 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of California
Land boundaries: total: 4,993 km

Coastline: 2,800 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 15 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m
Land use: arable land: 2.85%

permanent crops: 0.88%

other: 96.27% (2005)
Irrigated land: 5,750 sq km (2003)

signed but not ratified:: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world´s highest waterfall
 People information 
Population: 25,730,435 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 29.1% (male 3,860,116/female 3,620,440)

15-64 years: 65.7% (male 8,494,944/female 8,410,874)

65 years and over: 5.2% (male 609,101/female 734,960) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 26 years

male: 25.4 years

female: 26.6 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.38% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: 18.71 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 4.92 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate: total: 21.54 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 24.58 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 18.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.54 years

male: 71.49 years

female: 77.81 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.23 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.7% - note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 110,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 4,100 (2003 est.)
Nationality: noun: Venezuelan(s)

adjective: Venezuelan
Languages: Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 93.4%

male: 93.8%

female: 93.1% (2003 est.)
 Governmental information 
Country name: conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

conventional short form: Venezuela

local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela

local short form: Venezuela
Government type: federal republic
Capital: name: Caracas

geographic coordinates: 10 30 N, 66 56 W

Administrative divisions: 23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 capital district* (distrito capital), 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

Independence: 5 July 1811 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
Constitution: 30 December 1999
Legal system: open, adversarial court system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL Vale (since 28 April 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL Vale (since 28 April 2002)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 3 December 2006 (next to be held December 2012)


election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president; percent of vote - Hugo CHAVEZ Frias 63%, Manuel ROSALES 37%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (167 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; three seats reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela)

elections: last held 4 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - pro-government 167 (MVR 114, PODEMOS 15, PPT 11, indigenous 2, other 25), opposition 0
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: Christian Democrats or COPEI [Eduardo FERNANDEZ]; Democratic Action or AD [Jesus MENDEZ Quijada]; Fatherland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNOZ]; Fifth Republic Movement or MVR [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector MUJICA]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer]; We Can or PODEMOS [Ismael GARCIA]
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)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Bernardo ALVAREZ Herrera

chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214

FAX: [1] (202) 342-6820

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William R. BROWNFIELD



telephone: [58] (212) 975-9234, 975-6411

FAX: [58] (212) 975-8991
 Economical information 
Economy - overview: Venezuela continues to be highly dependent on the petroleum sector, accounting for roughly one-third of GDP, around 80% of export earnings, and over half of government operating revenues. Government revenue also has been bolstered by increased tax collection, which has surpassed its 2005 collection goal by almost 50%. Tax revenue is the primary source of non-oil revenue, which accounts for 53% of the 2006 budget. A disastrous two-month national oil strike, from December 2002 to February 2003, temporarily halted economic activity. The economy remained in depression in 2003, declining by 9.2% after an 8.9% fall in 2002. Output recovered strongly in 2004-2005, aided by high oil prices and strong consumption growth. Venezuela continues to be an important source of crude oil for the US market. Both inflation and unemployment remain fundamental problems.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $162.1 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $106.1 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 9.3% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $6,400 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4%

industry: 41.9%

services: 54.1% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 12.31 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 13%

industry: 23%

services: 64% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 12.2% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line: 47% (1998 est.)

highest 10%: 36.5% (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 16% (2005 est.)
Budget: revenues: $39.63 billion

expenditures: $41.27 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.6 billion (2005 est.)
Industrial production growth rate: 7.2% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production: 87.44 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 31.7%

hydro: 68.3%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: 81.32 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production: 3.081 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: 530,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: 2.1 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production: 29.7 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 29.7 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Current account balance: $25.36 billion (2005 est.)
Exports: $52.73 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities: petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures
Exports - partners: US 51.2%, Netherlands Antilles 7.3%, Canada 2.4% (2005)
Imports: $24.63 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities: raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials
Imports - partners: US 31.6%, Colombia 11%, Brazil 9.1%, Mexico 6.9% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $29.64 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external: $41.51 billion (2005 est.)
Currency (code): bolivar (VEB)
Currency code: VEB
Exchange rates: bolivares per US dollar - 2,089.8 (2005), 1,891.3 (2004), 1,607 (2003), 1,161 (2002), 723.7 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
 Transportations information 
Airports: 375 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 129

over 3,047 m: 5

2,438 to 3,047 m: 11

1,524 to 2,437 m: 34

914 to 1,523 m: 60

under 914 m: 19 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 246

1,524 to 2,437 m: 9

914 to 1,523 m: 90

under 914 m: 147 (2006)
Heliports: 1 (2006)
Pipelines: extra heavy crude 992 km; gas 5,369 km; oil 7,607 km; refined products 1,681 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km (2006)
Railways: total: 682 km

standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 96,155 km

paved: 32,308 km

unpaved: 63,847 km (1999)
Waterways: 7,100 km

note: Orinoco River and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels, Orinoco for 400 km (2005)
Merchant marine: total: 56 ships (1000 GRT or over) 824,941 GRT/1,327,924 DWT

by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 10, chemical tanker 2, container 1, liquefied gas 6, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 18

foreign-owned: 13 (Denmark 3, Greece 3, India 1, Mexico 3, Panama 1, Russia 1, Spain 1)

registered in other countries: 15 (Bahamas 1, Panama 14) (2006)
Ports and terminals: Amuay, La Guaira, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Punta Cardon
 Military information 
Military branches: National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales or FAN): Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada; includes Marines, Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 30 months (2004)
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 6,236,012

females age 18-49: 6,137,622 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 4,907,947

females age 18-49: 5,151,843 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 252,396

females age 18-49: 237,300 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.61 billion (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.2% (2005 est.)
 Information about transnational issues 
Disputes - international: claims all of the area west of the Essequibo River in Guyana, preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that Trinidad and Tobago´s maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; dispute with Colombia over Los Monjes islands and maritime boundary near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Venezuela´s shared border region resulting in several thousand residents migrating away from the border; US, France, and the Netherlands recognize Venezuela´s claim to give full effect to Aves Island, which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea; Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines protest Venezuela´s claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation and other states´ recognition of it

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