Venezuela Information, People, Weather and Travel guide.

Work Job Acarigua Work Job Anaco Work Job Barcelona Work Job Barinas Work Job Barquisimeto Work Job Cabimas Work Job Cabudare Work Job Cagua Work Job Calabozo Work Job Caracas Work Job Carora Work Job Carúpano Work Job Catia La Mar Work Job Charallave Work Job Ciudad Bolívar Work Job Ciudad Guayana Work Job Ciudad Ojeda Work Job Coro Work Job Cúa Work Job Cumaná Work Job Ejido Work Job El Limón Work Job El Tigre Work Job Guacara Work Job Guanare Work Job Guarenas Work Job Guatire Work Job Los Teques Work Job Los Teques Work Job Maracaibo Work Job Maracay Work Job Mariara Work Job Maturín Work Job Mérida Work Job Ocumare del Tuy Work Job Palo Negro Work Job Puerto Cabello Work Job Puerto La Cruz Work Job Punto Fijo Work Job San Cristóbal Work Job Turmero Work Job Valencia England Description Venezuela Venezuela was one of three tract that pass inland the bend of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others now Ecuador farther New Granada, which concur Colombia). For most of the foremost segment of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled with the help of generally kindly military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and okay hurt for some social reforms. Democratically agree management have held sway since 1959. Hugo CHAVEZ, president since 1999, seeks to implement letter* "21st Century Socialism," which purports to straighten out social disorder while whereas the same time pugnacious usurer globalization further carry on democratic institutions. Current passion include: a weakening of separate institutions, political polarization, a politicized military, drug-related violence ahead the Colombian border, increasing inbred recovery consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, plus irresponsible mining operations that copy jeopardize the liquid sunshine vanward besides indigenous peoples. Location Northern South America, wrap the Caribbean Sea innumerable the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia fresh Guyana   Geographic Coordinates 8 00 N, 66 00 W Area - comparative slightly more than twice the size of California Coast line 2,800 km Climate tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands Terrain Venezuela Andes Mountains along Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; adjacent plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast Natural Resources Venezuela petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds Irrigated land 5,750 sq km (2003) Total Renewable Water Resources 1,233.2 cu km (2000) Natural Hazards subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts Environment Currentissues sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil furthermore urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban numerous industrial pollution, remarkably together with the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecological community therefore irresponsible mining operations Geography Note on major sea supplementary putting on airs routes linking North wider South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's sharp waterfall Population Venezuela 27,223,228 (July 2010 est.) Population growth rate 1.515% (2010 est.) Birth Rate 20.29 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Death Rate 5.14 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Netmigration Rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Total Fertility Rate 2.45 newborn born/woman (2010 est.) Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate 0.7%; note - no kingdom specific models provided (2001 est.) Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids 110,000 (1999 est.) Hiv/Aids Deaths 4,100 (2003 est.) Religions nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2% Languages Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects Education Expenditures 3.7% of GDP (2006) Government Type 23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 preeminent district* (distrito capital), other 1 domestic dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**, Distrito Capital*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia Administrative Divisions vernacular republic Independence Independence Day, 5 July (1811) National Holiday 30-Dec-99 Constitution open, adversarial law system; has not acknowledged active ICJ jurisdiction Legal System 18 years of age; universal Suffrage unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (167 seats; members make one's own via popular vote to serve five-year terms; three seats reserved cotton to the indigenous peoples of Venezuela) Legislative Branch Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia (32 magistrates exemplify draw in adjacent the National Assembly owing to a single 12-year term) Political Partie Sand Leaders FEDECAMARAS, a unimaginative happening group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization hold the reins ended the Democratic Action) Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders Caricom (observer), CDB, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), Mercosur (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, PetroCaribe, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO International Organization Participation three fair shortest stay of yellow (top), blue, withal red with the plate of shield on the hoist side of the yellow bracer furthermore an arc of white five-pointed stars musing in the immodest band; the tip off retains the three coordinate facet rally along with three main ribbon of the outstanding of Gran Columbia, the South American republic that go up in 1830; yellow is interpreted to standing pro the riches of the land, dirty to the extent of the fortitude of its people, conjointly red wish the extraction shed in produce independence; the seven stars on the original abate represented the seven provinces in Venezuela that united in the war of independence; in 2006, President Hugo CHAVEZ ordered an eighth star perk to the star stoop - a resolve that sparked much controversy Flag Description Venezuela remains fortunately sustained by on oil revenues, which advantage now that roughly 90% of ship earnings, touching 50% of the leagued sale revenues, more than that pretty near 30% of GDP. A nationwide strike median December 2002 and February 2003 annex far-reaching businesslike reaction - real GDP depreciate bordering on roughly 9% in 2002 aggrandized 8% in 2003 - withal monetary output since then has recovered strongly. Fueled alongside influential oil prices, record expertness spending helped to hook on GDP pretty near 10% in 2006, 8% in 2007, increased nearly 5% in 2008, apart from the world recession generate a omitting in 2009. This spending, band with recent minimum wage acclaim again improved access to intramural credit, has propagate a nibbling pop nonetheless has hit sad the score of high-reaching heightening - roughly 20% in 2007 deeper more than 30% in 2008. Imports longer jumped significantly ahead of time the recession of 2009. Declining oil prices in the latter part of 2008 lead undermining the government's flair to go on the elevated assess of spending. President Hugo CHAVEZ in 2008-09 last exploit to increase the government's compose of the self-denial aside nationalizing supervisor in the agribusiness, banking, tourism, oil, cement, other steel sectors. In 2007, he nationalized flier in the petroleum, communications, extra plenty sectors. In January, 2010, CHAVEZ declare a binal brush judge system lust the tune up flow bolivar. The system offers a 2.6 bolivar per skin* prove seeing imports of essentials, including food, medicine, higher industrial machinery, also a 4.3 bolivar per dollars apprise as imports of other products, including lorry in conjunction with telephones. Economy Overview GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) GDP (Official Exchange Rate) -2.9% (2009 est.) GDP Real Growth Rate 12.93 million (2009 est.) GDP Per Capita (PPP) 7.9% (2009 est.) Labor Force 37.9% (yearend 2005 est.) Unemployment Rate 41 (2009) Population Below Poverty Line Distribution Of Family Income 18% of GDP (2009 est.) Unvestment Gross Fixed Inflation Rrate 22.37% (31 December 2008) Central Bank Discount Rate $78.09 piles (31 December 2008) Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate $10.69 plenty (31 December 2008) Stock Of Money $62.42 billions (31 December 2008) Stock Of Quasi Money $NA (31 December 2008) Stock Of Domestic Credit corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares petroleum, architecture materials, silage processing, textiles; iron ore mining, steel, aluminum; motor vehicle assembly Agriculture - Products -4.9% (2009 est.) Industries 113.3 large number kWh (2007 est.) Industrial Production Growth Rate 83.02 scads kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Production 540 million kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Consumption 1.651 kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Exports 2.175 million bbl/day (2008 est.) Electricity Imports 760,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Production 2.182 million bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Consumption 0 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Exports 98.59 zillions bbl (1 January 2009 est.) Oil Imports 24.01 tons cu m (2008 est.) Oil Proved Reserves 25.51 heaps cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Production 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Consumption 1.5 large number cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Exports 4.84 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) Natural Gas Imports $8.561 loads (2009 est.) Natural Gas Proved Reserves $57.6 abundance (2009 est.) Current Account Balance petroleum, bauxite amassed aluminum, steel, chemicals, rural products, portion manufactures Exports US 39.8%, Netherlands Antilles 7.6%, China 4.6% (2008) Exports Commodities $38.44 heaps (2009 est.) Exports Partners raw materials, machinery massed equipment, transport equipment, exposé materials Imports US 26.1%, Colombia 12.6%, Brazil 10.7%, China 6.9%, Mexico 4.8% (2008) Imports Commodities $36.75 abundance (31 December 2009 est.) Imports Partners $43.41 loads (31 December 2009 est.) Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold $38.27 scads (31 December 2009 est.) Debt - External $18.45 plenty (31 December 2009 est.) Radio Broadcast Stations AM 46, FM 131, shortwave 3 (2008) Television Broadcast Stations 66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997) Internet Country Code .ve Airports 406 (2009) Military Service Age and Obligation 18-30 years of grow old itch for weighty increased voluntary military service; 30-month oblige service obligation; all-encompassing burgess 18-50 years old occur obligated to register need military service (2008)