Venezuela vacations
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Introduction
General Informations:
 |
Venezuela was one of 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. Current concerns include: a polarized political environment, a divided military, drug-related conflicts along the Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples. |
Geography
|
Location:
|
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana |
| 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 |
| Land Boundaries: | total: 4,993 km
border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 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 Extremes: | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m |
| Natural Resources: | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds |
| Land Use: | arable land: 2.95%
permanent crops: 0.92% other: 96.13% (2001) |
| Irrigated Land: | 540 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural Hazards: | subject to floods, 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 |
| Environment International Agreements: | party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands |
| 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
|
Population:
|
25,017,387 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age Structure: | total: 25.2 years
male: 24.6 years female: 25.8 years (2004 est.) |
| Population Growth Rate: | 1.44% (2004 est.) |
| Birth Rate: | 19.34 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death Rate: | 4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Migration Rate: | -0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex Ratio: | at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
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 total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant Mortality Rate: | total: 22.99 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.18 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
| Expectancy Birth: | total population: 74.06 years
male: 71.02 years female: 77.32 years (2004 est.) |
| Fertility Rate: | 2.31 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV Adult Prevalence Rate: | 0.5% - note: no country specific models provided (2001 est.) |
| People Living HIV: | 62,000 (1999 est.) |
| HIV Deaths: | 2,000 (2001 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% |
| 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.) |
Gouvernment
|
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: | Caracas |
| 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, Vargas, 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: | 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 |
| Executive Branch: | chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL (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 (since 28 April 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 30 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president; percent of vote - 60% note: a special presidential recall vote on 15 August 2004 resulted in a victory for CHAVEZ; percent of vote - 58% in favor of CHAVEZ fulfilling the remaining two years of his term, 42% in favor of terminating his presidency immediately |
| Legislative Branch: | unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (165 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; three seats reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela)
elections: last held 30 July 2000 (next to be held July 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - pro-government 108 (MVR 92, MAS 6, indigenous 3, other 7), opposition 57 (AD 33, COPEI 6, Justice First 5, other 13) |
| 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 Leaders: | Democratic Action or AD [Henry RAMOS Allup]; Fifth Republic Movement or MVR [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Homeland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNOZ]; Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector MUJICA]; National Convergence or Convergencia [Juan Jose CALDERA]; Radical Cause or La Causa R [Andres VELASQUEZ]; Social Christian Party or COPEI [Eduardo FERNANDEZ]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer] |
| Political Pressure Groups Leaders: | FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action) |
| International Organization Participation: | CAN, CDB, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
| Diplomatic in US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Bernardo ALVAREZ
chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214 FAX: [1] (202) 342-6820 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) |
| Diplomatic from US: | chief of mission: Ambassador William R. BROWNFIELD
embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Urbanizacion Colinas de Valle Arriba, Caracas 1080 mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037 telephone: [58] (212) 975-9234, 975-6411 FAX: [58] (212) 975-8991 |
| 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
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Economy Overview:
|
Venezuela continues to be highly dependent on the petroleum sector, which accounts for roughly one-third of GDP, around 80% of export earnings, and more than half of government operating revenues. Despite higher oil prices at the end of 2002 and into 2003, domestic political instability, culminating in 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. In late 2003, President CHAVEZ committed himself to $1 billion in new social programs, money the government does not have. |
| GDP: | purchasing power parity - $117.9 billion (2003 est.) |
| GDP Growth Rate: | -9.2% (2003 est.) |
| GDP Capital: | purchasing power parity - $4,800 (2003 est.) |
| GDP Composition: | agriculture: 5%
industry: 50% services: 45% (2004 est.) |
| Investment: | 12.6% of GDP (2003) |
| Population Below Poverty Line: | 47% (1998 est.) |
| Household Income: | lowest 10%: 0.8%
highest 10%: 36.5% (1998) |
| Gini Index: | 49.5 (1998) |
| Inflation Rate: | 31.1% (2003 est.) |
| Labor Force: | 11.38 million (2003) |
| Labor Force Occupation: | agriculture 13%, industry 23%, services 64% (1997 est.) |
| Unemployment Rate: | 18% (2003 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $19.33 billion
expenditures: $24.34 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.6 billion (2003) |
| Public Debt: | 38.8% of GDP (2003) |
| Agriculture Products: | corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish |
| Industries: | petroleum, iron ore mining, construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly |
| Industry Production Growth Rate: | -15.4% (2003 est.) |
| Electricity Production: | 87.6 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity Consumption: | 81.47 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity Exports: | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity Imports: | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Oil Production: | 3.08 million bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil Consumption: | 505,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil Exports: | NA (2001) |
| Oil Imports: | NA (2001) |
| Oil Proved Reserves: | 63.95 billion bbl (1 January 2002) |
| Natural Gas Production: | 31.71 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Consumption: | 31.71 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Exports: | 0 cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Imports: | 0 cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Proved Reserves: | 4.202 trillion cu m (1 January 2002) |
| Current Account Balance: | $9.659 billion (2003) |
| Exports: | $25.86 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
| Exports Commodities: | petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures |
| Exports Partners: | US 52.9%, Netherlands Antilles 5%, Dominican Republic 3% (2003) |
| Imports: | $10.71 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
| Imports Commodities: | raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials |
| Imports Partners: | US 28.8%, Colombia 7%, Brazil 6.6%, Mexico 4.3% (2003) |
| Reserves: | $20.67 billion (2003) |
| Debt External: | $32.51 billion (2003) |
| Currency: | bolivar (VEB) |
| Currency Code: | VEB |
| Exchange Rates: | bolivares per US dollar - 1,607.79 (2003), 1,160.95 (2002), 723.666 (2001), 679.96 (2000), 605.717 (1999) |
| Fiscal Year: | calendar year |
Communications
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Telephones Lines Use:
|
2,841,800 (2002) |
| Mobile Cellular: | 6,463,600 (2002) |
| 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: 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 Stations: | AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998) |
| Television Stations: | 66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997) |
| Internet Code: | .ve |
| Internet Hosts: | 35,301 (2003) |
| Internet Users: | 1,274,400 (2002) |
Military
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Military Branches:
|
National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales or FAN) includes Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada - including marines and Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional) |
| Military Age Obligation: | 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 30 months (2004) |
| Military Availability: | males age 15-49: 6,886,775 (2004 est.) |
| Fit Military Service: | males age 15-49: 4,953,803 (2004 est.) |
| Reaching Military Age Annually: | males: 250,730 (2004 est.) |
| Military Expenditures Dollar Figure: | $1,125.6 million (2003) |
| Military Expenditures Percent GDP: | 1.3% (2003) |
Transnational Issues
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Disputes International:
|
claims all of the area west of the Essequibo River, preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UNCLOS that the Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; maritime boundary dispute with Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela and the Caribbean Sea; 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 |
| Illicit Drugs: | small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing of opiates and coca derivatives; however, large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe; significant narcotics-related money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia and on Margarita Island; active eradication program primarily targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on border |
Venezuela - Travel Guides by Cities
Acarigua
Achaguas
Agua Blanca
Amuay
Anaco
Apartaderos
Araure
Barcelona
Barinas
Barquisimeto
Bruzual
Cabimas
Cabudare
Calabozo
Camatagua
Caracas
Caripe
Carora
Carupano
Catia La Mar
Chivacoa
Ciudad Bolivar
Ciudad Guayana
Colon
Coro
Cumana
Ejido
Achaguas
Agua Blanca
Amuay
Anaco
Apartaderos
Araure
Barcelona
Barinas
Barquisimeto
Bruzual
Cabimas
Cabudare
Calabozo
Camatagua
Caracas
Caripe
Carora
Carupano
Catia La Mar
Chivacoa
Ciudad Bolivar
Ciudad Guayana
Colon
Coro
Cumana
Ejido
El Callao
El Dorado
El Tigre
El Tocuyo
Elorza
Guanare
Guasdualito
La Asuncion
La Guaira
Lagunillas
Los Teques
Machiques
Macuto
Maiquetia
Maracaibo
Maracay
Margarita
Maturin
Merida
Naguanagua
Ocumare Del Tuy
Pampatar
Pedro Gonzalez
Porlamar
Puerto Ayacucho
Puerto Cabello
Puerto Escondido
El Dorado
El Tigre
El Tocuyo
Elorza
Guanare
Guasdualito
La Asuncion
La Guaira
Lagunillas
Los Teques
Machiques
Macuto
Maiquetia
Maracaibo
Maracay
Margarita
Maturin
Merida
Naguanagua
Ocumare Del Tuy
Pampatar
Pedro Gonzalez
Porlamar
Puerto Ayacucho
Puerto Cabello
Puerto Escondido
Puerto La Cruz
Puerto Ordaz
Puerto Piritu
Punto Fijo
Rubio
San Antonio
San Casimiro
San Cristobal
San Diego
San Felix
San Fernando
San Fernando De Apure
San Juan De Los Morros
San Mateo
San Sebastian
Santa Barbara
Santa Elena
Santo Domingo
Trujillo
Tucupita
Turen
Turmero
Urena
Valencia
Valera
Zaraza
Puerto Ordaz
Puerto Piritu
Punto Fijo
Rubio
San Antonio
San Casimiro
San Cristobal
San Diego
San Felix
San Fernando
San Fernando De Apure
San Juan De Los Morros
San Mateo
San Sebastian
Santa Barbara
Santa Elena
Santo Domingo
Trujillo
Tucupita
Turen
Turmero
Urena
Valencia
Valera
Zaraza
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