Venezuela

Official Name:

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Venezuela)

Area:

912.050 km ²

Population (2007):

26.023.528 inhabitants

Coastline:

2.800 km

Capital:

Caracas

Maritime Ports and terminals:

Amuay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira,La Salina, Maracaibo, Matanzas, Palua, Puerto Cabello,Puerto la Cruz, Puerto Ordaz, Puerto Sucre, Punta Cardón

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

Political 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 note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands

Language(s):

Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects

National holiday:

Independence Day, 5 July (1811)

Nationality:

Venezuelan(s)

Official time:

UTC-4 .

Member of:

CAN, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Internet country code:

.ve

Economic Profile

Currency:

Bolivar (VEB)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

USD7.200 (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

(2006 est.) USD 149.900.000.000

PIB (Real growth rate:

10,3%(2006 est.)

GDP (Composition by sector): (2006 est.)

• Agriculture: 3,7%
• Industry: 41%
• Services: 55,3%

Labor force:

12.500.000 (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation (1997):

• Agriculture 13%
• Industry: 23%
• Services 64%

Unemployment rate:

8,9% (2006 est.)

Inflation rate (Consumer prices):

15,8% (2006 est)

Investment (Gross Fixed):

19,8% del PIB (2006 est.)

Budget:

• Revenues: USD52.240.000.000
• Expenditures: USD52.900.000.000

Public debt:

28,4% of GDP (2006 est.)

Current account balance:

USD 31.820.000.000 (2006 est.)

Exports:

USD 69.230.000.000 FOB (2006 est.)

Exports - Commodities:

Petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures

Exports - Partners:

US 50,9%, Netherlands Antilles 7,2%, Canada 2,4% (2005)

Imports:

USD 28.810.000.000 FOB (2006 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:

USD 35.950.000.000 (2006 est.)

Debt - external:

USD 35.630.000.000 (2006)