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venezuela |
2 definitions found From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: Venezuela n : a republic in northern South America on the Caribbean; rich in oil [syn: {Venezuela}] From The CIA World Factbook (1995) [world95]: Venezuela Venezuela:Geography Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana Map references: South America Area: total area: 912,050 sq km land area: 882,050 sq km comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of California Land boundaries: total 4,993 km Brazil 2,200 km Colombia 2,050 km Guyana 743 km Coastline: 2,800 km Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 15 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International 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); Guiana Highlands in southeast Natural resources: petroleum, 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% Irrigated land: 2,640 sq km (1989 est.) 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 natural hazards: subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping Note: on major sea and air routes linking North and South America Venezuela:People Population: 21,004,773 (July 1995 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 35% (female 3,650,705; male 3,795,032) 15-64 years: 60% (female 6,350,466; male 6,313,887) 65 years and over: 5% (female 486,020; male 408,663) (July 1995 est.) Population growth rate: 2.1% (1995 est.) Birth rate: 25.11 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) Death rate: 4.57 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) Net migration rate: 0.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) Infant mortality rate: 26.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.31 years male: 70.48 years female: 76.29 years (1995 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.97 children born/woman (1995 est.) Nationality: noun: Venezuelan(s) adjective: Venezuelan Ethnic divisions: mestizo 67%, white 21%, black 10%, Amerindian 2% Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2% Languages: Spanish (official), native dialects spoken by about 200,000 Amerindians in the remote interior Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 90% male: 91% female: 89% Labor force: 7.6 million by occupation: services 63%, industry 25%, agriculture 12% (1993) Venezuela:Government Names: conventional long form: Republic of Venezuela conventional short form: Venezuela local long form: Republica de Venezuela local short form: Venezuela Digraph: VE Type: republic Capital: Caracas Administrative divisions: 21 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 territory* (territorio), 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 Yaracuy Zulia note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands 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: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: President Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez (since 2 February 1994); election last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1998); results - Rafael CALDERA (National Convergence) 30.45%, Claudio FERMIN AD 23.59%, Oswaldo ALVAREZ PAZ (COPEI) 22.72%, Andres VELASQUEZ (Causa R) 21.94%, other 1.3% cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president Legislative branch: bicameral Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica) Senate (Senado): elections last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA seats - (53 total) AD 18, COPEI 15, Causa R 9, MAS 5, National Convergence 6; note - 3 former presidents (2 from AD 1 from COPEI) hold lifetime senate seats Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados): elections last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1998); results - AD 27.9%, COPEI 26.9%, MAS 12.4%, National Convergence 12.9%, Causa R 19.9%; seats - (203 total) AD 55, COPEI 53, MAS 24, National Convergence 26, Causa R 40, other 5 Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia) Roberto YEPES, President Political parties and leaders: National Convergence (Convergencia), Jose Miguel UZCATEGUI president, Juan Jose CALDERA, national coordinator; Social Christian Party (COPEI), Luis HERRERA Campins, president, and Donald RAMIREZ secretary general; Democratic Action (AD), Pedro PARIS Montesinos president, and Luis ALFARO Ucero, secretary general; Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), Gustavo MARQUEZ, president, and Enrique OCHOA Antich, secretary general; Radical Cause (La Causa R), Pablo MEDINA, secretary general Other political or pressure groups: FEDECAMARAS a conservative business group Venezuelan Confederation of Workers (CTV, labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action); VECINOS groups Member of: AG BCIE, CARICOM (observer), CDB, CG ECLAC FAO, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, MINURSO NAM, OAS, ONUSAL OPANAL OPEC, PCA, RG UN UNCTAD UNESCO, UNHCR UNIDO UNIKOM UNMIH UNPROFOR UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU WHO WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Pedro Luis ECHEVERRIA chancery: 1099 30th Street NW Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Jeffrey DAVIDOW embassy: Avenida Francisco de Miranda and Avenida Principal de la Floresta Caracas mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037 telephone: [58] (2) 285-2222, 3111 FAX: [58] (2) 285-0366 Flag: 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: Despite efforts to broaden the base of the economy, petroleum continues to play a dominant role. In 1994, as GDP declined 3.3%, the oil sector - which accounts for 24% of the total - enjoyed a 6% expansion, provided 45% of the budget revenues, and generated 70% of the export earnings. President CALDERA, who assumed office in February 1994, has used an interventionist reactive approach to managing the economy, instituting price and foreign exchange controls in mid-year to slow inflation and stop the loss of foreign exchange reserves. The government claims it will remove these controls once inflationary pressures abate, but the $8 billion bailout of the banking sector in 1994 has made it difficult for the government to make good on its promise. Economic controls, coupled with political uncertainty driven by recurrent coup rumors, continue to deter foreign and domestic investment; private forecasters see the recession persisting for a third year in 1995. National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $178.3 billion (1994 est.) National product real growth rate: -3.3% (1994 est.) National product per capita: $8,670 (1994 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 71% (1994 est.) Unemployment rate: 9% (1994 est.) Budget: revenues: $10.3 billion expenditures: $14.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $103 million (1994 est.) Exports: $15.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: petroleum 72%, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures partners: US and Puerto Rico 55%, Japan, Netherlands, Italy Imports: $7.6 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials partners: US 40%, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Canada External debt: $40.1 billion (1994) Industrial production: growth rate -1.4% (1993 est.); accounts for 41% of GDP Electricity: capacity: 18,740,000 kW production: 72 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,311 kWh (1993) Industries: petroleum, iron-ore mining, construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly Agriculture: accounts for 6% of GDP; products - corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee, beef, pork, milk, eggs, fish; not self-sufficient in food other than meat Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, opium, and coca leaf for the international drug trade on a small scale; however, large quantities of cocaine and heroin transit the country from Colombia; important money-laundering hub Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-86), $488 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $10 million Currency: 1 bolivar Bs = 100 centimos Exchange rates: bolivares Bs per US$1 - 169.570 (January 1995), 148.503 (1994), 90.826 (1993), 68.38 (1992), 56.82 (1991), 46.90 (1990) Fiscal year: calendar year Venezuela:Transportation Railroads: total: 542 km (363 km single track; 179 km privately owned) standard gauge: 542 km 1.435-m gauge Highways: total: 81,000 km paved: 31,200 km unpaved: gravel 24,800 km earth and unimproved earth 25,000 km Inland waterways: 7,100 km Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing vessels Pipelines: crude oil 6,370 km petroleum products 480 km natural gas 4,010 km Ports: 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: 39 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 686,811 GRT/1,110,829 DWT ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 11, combination bulk 1, liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 15, passenger-cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 4, short-sea passenger 1 Airports: total: 431 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 4 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 65 with paved runways under 914 m: 191 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 12 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 114 Venezuela:Communications Telephone system: 1,440,000 telephones; modern and expanding local: NA intercity: 3 domestic satellite earth stations international: 3 submarine coaxial cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station Radio: broadcast stations: AM 181, FM 0, shortwave 26 radios: NA Television: broadcast stations: 59 televisions: NA Venezuela:Defense Forces 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 Cooperation or Guardia Nacional) Manpower availability: males age 15-49 5,491,524; males fit for military service 3,981,190; males reach military age (18) annually 227,292 (1995 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $1.95 billion, 4% of GDP (1991)
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