Ethnic divisions: mestizo 67%, white 21%, black 10%, Indian 2%
Religion: nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%
Language: Spanish (official); Indian dialects spoken by about
200,000 Amerindians in the remote interior
Literacy: 88% (male 87%, female 90%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1981 est.)
Labor force: 5,800,000; services 56%, industry 28%, agriculture 16%
(1985)
Organized labor: 32% of labor force
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: Republic of Venezuela
Type: republic
Capital: Caracas
Administrative divisions: 20 states (estados, singular--estado),
2 territories* (territorios, singular--territorio), 1 federal district**
(distrito federal), and 1 federal dependence*** (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
dependence consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total
of 72 individual islands
Independence: 5 July 1811 (from Spain)
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
National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress of the Republic
(Congreso de la Republica) consists of an upper chamber or Senate
(Senado) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de
Diputados)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de
Justica)
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Carlos Andres
PEREZ (since 2 February 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
Social Christian Party (COPEI), Eduardo FERNANDEZ, secretary general;
Democratic Action (AD), Gonzalo BARRIOS, president, and Humberto CELLI,
secretary general;
Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), Argelia LAYA, president, and
Freddy MUNOZ, secretary general
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18, though poorly
enforced
Elections:
President--last held 4 December 1988 (next to be held
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 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--last held 4 December 1988
(next to be held December 1993);
results--AD 43.7%, COPEI 31.4%, MAS 10.3%, other 14.6%;
seats--(201 total) AD 97, COPEI 67, MAS 18, other 19
Communists: 10,000 members (est.)
Other political or pressure groups: FEDECAMARAS, a conservative
business group; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers, the Democratic
Action-dominated labor organization
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Simon Alberto CONSALVI
Bottaro; Chancery at 2445 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 797-3800; there are Venezuelan Consulates General in
Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York,
Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico);
US--Ambassador Michael Martin SKOL; Embassy at Avenida Francisco
de Miranda and Avenida Principal de la Floresta, Caracas (mailing address
is P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A, or APO Miami 34037);
telephone 58 (2) 285-3111 or 2222; there is a US Consulate in Maracaibo
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: Petroleum is the cornerstone of the economy and accounted
for 21% of GDP, 60% of central government revenues, and 81% of export
earnings in 1989. 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 have thrown the economy into confusion, causing about an 8%
decline in GDP in 1989, but the economy recovered part way in 1990.
GDP: $42.4 billion, per capita $2,150; real growth rate 4.4%
(1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 40.7% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 10.4% (1990)
Budget: revenues $8.4 billion; expenditures $8.6 billion,
including capital expenditures of $5.9 billion (1989)
Exports: $12.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--petroleum 81%, bauxite and aluminum, iron ore,
agricultural products, basic manufactures;
partners--US 50.7%, Europe 13.7%, Japan 4.0% (1989)
Imports: $8.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--foodstuffs, chemicals, manufactures, machinery and
transport equipment;
partners--US 44%, FRG 8.0%, Japan 4%, Italy 7%, Canada 2% (1989)
External debt: $33.2 billion (1990)
Industrial production: growth rate - 11% (1989 est.); accounts for
one-fourth of GDP, including petroleum
Electricity: 19,733,000 kW capacity; 54,660 million kWh produced,
2,780 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries: petroleum, iron-ore mining, construction materials,
food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly
Agriculture: 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
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis and coca leaf
for the international drug trade on a small scale; however, large
quantities of cocaine do transit the country
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-86), $488
million; Communist countries (1970-89), $10 million
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 542 km total; 363 km 1.435-meter standard gauge all
single track, government owned; 179 km 1.435-meter gauge, privately owned
Highways: 77,785 km total; 22,780 km paved, 24,720 km gravel,
14,450 km earth roads, and 15,835 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 7,100 km; Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo
accept oceangoing vessels
Pipelines: 6,370 km crude oil; 480 km refined products;
4,010 km natural gas
Ports: Amuay Bay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, Puerto
Cabello, Puerto Ordaz
Airports: 296 total, 277 usable; 137 with permanent-surface
runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
88 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: modern and expanding; 1,440,000 telephones;
stations--181 AM, no FM, 59 TV, 26 shortwave; 3 submarine coaxial cables;
satellite communications ground stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3
domestic
