Venezuela <div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em"> <table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="border: 1px solid #9866FF; background-color: #f3f3ff" width="200"> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; border-bottom: 1px solid #C9AFFF; background-color: #ddddff">Flag</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; padding: 2px">Image:ve-flag.png</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; border-bottom: 1px solid #C9AFFF; border-top: 1px solid #C9AFFF; background-color: #ddddff">Quick Facts</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Capital'''</td><td>Caracas</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Government'''</td><td>federal republic </td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Currency'''</td><td>bolivar (VEB)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Area'''</td><td>''total:'' 912,050 sq km ''land:'' 882,050 sq km ''water:'' 30,000 sq km</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Population'''</td><td>24,287,670 (July 2002 est.)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Language'''</td><td>Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Religion'''</td><td>nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%</td></tr> </table> </div>  '''Venezuela''' is a country in Northern South America. With a Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean northern coast, it has Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south. Venezuela lies on the major sea and air routes linking North and South America. The Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall. WikiPedia:{{PAGENAME}} ==Regions== Image:ve-map.png|frame|Map of Venezuela *Amazonas (Venezuela)|Amazonas *Andes (Venezuela)|Andes *Caribbean Islands (Venezuela)|Caribbean Islands *Central (Venezuela)|Central *Guayana *Llanos (Venezuela)|Llanos *Northeast (Venezuela)|Northeast *Northwest (Venezuela)|Northwest *Orinoco Delta *Gran Sabana ; '''Administrative divisions''' : 23 states (estados, singular - estado), 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 (Venezuela)|Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia ''note:'' the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands ==Cities== *Caracas - the capital. ; '''Ports and harbors''' : Amuay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, La Salina, Maracaibo, Matanzas, Palua, Puerto Cabello, Puerto la Cruz, Puerto Ordaz, Puerto Sucre, Punta Cardon ==Other destinations== ==Understand== ===Climate=== Tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands ===Terrain=== Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast ; ''highest point'' : Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 4,981 m ===History=== 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. ==Get in== ===By plane=== ===By train=== ===By car=== ===By bus=== ===By boat=== ==Get around== ==Talk== ; '''Languages''' : Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects ==Buy== ==Eat== ==Drink== ==Sleep== ==Learn== ==Work== ==Stay safe== ==Stay healthy== ==Respect== ==Contact== {{msg:stub}} ---- ''The rest of this article is an Wikitravel:CIA World Factbook 2002 import|import from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a more presentable Wikitravel country article according to our Wikitravel:country article template|country article template. Please Wikitravel:plunge forward|plunge forward and integrate it into the article above.'' ---- ==Geography== ; '''Geographic coordinates''' : 8 00 N, 66 00 W ; '''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 ; '''Coastline''' : 2,800 km ; '''Maritime claims''' : ''contiguous zone:'' 15 NM ''territorial sea:'' 12 NM ''continental shelf:'' 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation ''exclusive economic zone:'' 200 NM ; '''Natural resources''' : petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds ; '''Land use''' : ''arable land:'' 2.99% ''permanent crops:'' 0.96% ''other:'' 96.05% (1998 est.) ; '''Irrigated land''' : 540 sq km (1998 est.) ; '''Natural hazards''' : subject to floods, earthquakes, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts ; '''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; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations ==People== ; '''Population''' : 24,287,670 (July 2002 est.) ; '''Age structure''' : ''0-14 years:'' 31.6% (male 3,955,132; female 3,710,159) ''15-64 years:'' 63.6% (male 7,756,362; female 7,695,738) ''65 years and over:'' 4.8% (male 533,559; female 636,720) (2002 est.) ; '''Population growth rate''' : 1.52% (2002 est.) ; '''Birth rate''' : 20.22 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) ; '''Death rate''' : 4.91 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) ; '''Net migration rate''' : -0.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) ; '''Sex ratio''' : ''at birth:'' 1.07 male(s)/female ''under 15 years:'' 1.07 male(s)/female ''15-64 years:'' 1.01 male(s)/female ''65 years and over:'' 0.84 male(s)/female ''total population:'' 1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.) ; '''Infant mortality rate''' : 24.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) ; '''Life expectancy at birth''' : ''total population:'' 73.56 years ''female:'' 76.81 years (2002 est.) ''male:'' 70.53 years ; '''Total fertility rate''' : 2.41 children born/woman (2002 est.) ; '''HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate''' : 0.49% (1999 est.) ; '''Nationality''' : ''noun:'' Venezuelan(s) ''adjective:'' Venezuelan ; '''Ethnic groups''' : Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people ; '''Religions''' : nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2% ; '''Literacy''' : ''definition:'' age 15 and over can read and write ''total population:'' 91.1% ''male:'' 91.8% ''female:'' 90.3% (1995 est.) ==Government== ; '''Country name''' : ''conventional long form:'' Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ''conventional short form:'' Venezuela ''local short form:'' Venezuela ''local long form:'' Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela ; '''Government type''' : federal republic ; '''Independence''' : 5 July 1811 (from Spain) ; '''National holiday''' : Independence Day, 5 July (1811) ; '''Constitution''' : 30 December 1999 ; '''Legal system''' : based on organic laws as of July 1999; open, adversarial court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction ; '''Suffrage''' : 18 years of age; universal ; '''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== ; '''Economy - overview''' : The petroleum sector dominates the economy, accounting for roughly a third of GDP, around 80% of export earnings, and more than half of government operating revenues. Venezuelan officials estimate that GDP grew by 2.7% in 2001. A strong rebound in international oil prices fueled the recovery from the steep recession in 1999. Nevertheless, a weak nonoil sector and capital flight - and a temporary fall in oil prices - undercut the recovery. In early 2002, President Chávez changed the exchange rate regime from a crawling peg to a free floating exchange rate, causing the bolivar to depreciate significantly. ; '''Population below poverty line''' : 67% (1997 est.) ; '''Labor force''' : 9.9 million (1999) (1999) ; '''Labor force - by occupation''' : services 64%, industry 23%, agriculture 13% (1997 est.) ; '''Unemployment rate''' : 14.1% (2001 est.) ; '''Industries''' : petroleum, iron ore mining, construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly ; '''Electricity - production''' : 80.754 billion kWh (2000) ; '''Electricity - production by source''' : ''fossil fuel:'' 23% ''hydro:'' 77% ''other:'' 0% (2000) ''nuclear:'' 0% ; '''Electricity - consumption''' : 75.101 billion kWh (2000) ; '''Agriculture - products''' : corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish ; '''Exports - commodities''' : petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures ; '''Imports - commodities''' : raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials ; '''Currency''' : bolivar (VEB) ; '''Currency code''' : VEB ; '''Exchange rates''' : bolivares per US dollar - 761.225 (January 2002), 723.666 (2001), 679.960 (2000), 605.717 (1999), 547.556 (1998), 488.635 (1997) ; '''Fiscal year''' : calendar year ==Communications== ; '''Telephones - main lines in use''' : 2.6 million (however, 3,500,000 have been installed) (1998) ; '''Telephones - mobile cellular''' : 2 million (1998) ; '''Telephone system''' : ''general assessment:'' modern and expanding ''domestic:'' domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas; substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines; installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of digital multimedia services ''international:'' 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) ; '''Internet country code''' : .ve ; '''Internet Service Providers (ISPs)''' : 16 (2000) ; '''Internet users''' : 1.3 million (2002) ==Transportation== ; '''Railways''' : ''total:'' 682 km ''standard gauge:'' 682 km 1.435-m gauge ''note:'' 248 km of the existing system are privately owned; passenger services are nonexistent; however, a National Railways Plan, intended to provide a significant railway system, has been initiated (2001) ; '''Highways''' : ''total:'' 96,155 km ''paved:'' 32,308 km ''unpaved:'' 63,847 km (1997 est.) ; '''Waterways''' : 7,100 km ''note:'' Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing vessels ; '''Pipelines''' : crude oil 6,370 km; petroleum products 480 km; natural gas 4,010 km ; '''Airports''' : 372 (2001) ; '''Airports - with paved runways''' : ''total:'' 127 ''over 3,047 m:'' 5 ''2,438 to 3,047 m:'' 11 ''914 to 1,523 m:'' 61 ''under 914 m:'' 18 (2002) ''1,524 to 2,437 m:'' 32 ; '''Airports - with unpaved runways''' : ''total:'' 246 ''1,524 to 2,437 m:'' 10 ''914 to 1,523 m:'' 97 ''under 914 m:'' 139 (2002) ; '''Heliports''' : 1 (2002) ==External Links== *[http://www.venezuelatuya.com Venezuela Tuya (Venezuela Yours - Le Venezuela Votre): A Country To Love] - Venezuelan touristic portal. fr:Venezuela de:Venezuela First page | Prev | Next | Last page |

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