Mayotte (2001) | Venezuela (2005) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (territorial collectivity of France) | 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 |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
46.59% (male 38,188; female 37,920) 15-64 years: 51.73% (male 46,132; female 38,378) 65 years and over: 1.68% (male 1,361; female 1,387) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 29.9% (male 3,909,876/female 3,667,958)
15-64 years: 65% (male 8,287,255/female 8,209,599) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 590,236/female 710,357) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra | corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish |
Airports | 1 (2000 est.) | 369 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 127
over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 31 914 to 1,523 m: 61 under 914 m: 19 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 242
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 88 under 914 m: 144 (2004 est.) |
Area | total:
374 sq km land: 374 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 912,050 sq km
land: 882,050 sq km water: 30,000 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC | slightly more than twice the size of California |
Background | Mayotte was ceded to France along with the other Comoros in 1843. It was the only island in the archipelago that voted in 1974 to retain its link with France and forgo independence. | 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 politicized military, drug-related violence 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. |
Birth rate | 44.39 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 18.91 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$NA expenditures: $73 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.) |
revenues: $26.91 billion
expenditures: $30.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.6 billion (2004 est.) |
Capital | Mamoutzou | Caracas |
Climate | tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November) | tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands |
Coastline | 185.2 km | 2,800 km |
Constitution | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) | 30 December 1999 |
Country name | conventional long form:
Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte conventional short form: Mayotte |
conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
conventional short form: Venezuela local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela local short form: Venezuela |
Currency | French franc (FRF); euro (EUR) | - |
Death rate | 8.84 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $33.29 billion (2004 est.) |
Dependency status | territorial collectivity of France | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territorial collectivity of France) | 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 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territorial collectivity of France) | chief of mission: Ambassador Bernardo ALVAREZ Herrera
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) |
Disputes - international | claimed by Comoros | claims all of the area west of the Essequibo River in Guyana, 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; dispute with Colombia over Los Monjes islands and maritime boundary near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Venezuela's shared border region resulting in several thousand residents migrating away from the border; 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 |
Economic aid - recipient | $107.7 million (1995); note - extensive French financial assistance | $74 million (2000) |
Economy - overview | Economic activity is based primarily on the agricultural sector, including fishing and livestock raising. Mayotte is not self-sufficient and must import a large portion of its food requirements, mainly from France. The economy and future development of the island are heavily dependent on French financial assistance, an important supplement to GDP. Mayotte's remote location is an obstacle to the development of tourism. | Venezuela continues to be highly dependent on the petroleum sector, accounting for roughly one-third of GDP, around 80% of export earnings, and over half of government operating revenues. 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. Despite continued domestic instability, output recovered strongly in 2004, aided by high oil prices. Both inflation and unemployment remain fundamental problems. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 89.3 billion kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | - | 450 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | - | 30 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | 89.7 billion kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Benara 660 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed but not ratified:: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | NA | Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996) | bolivares per US dollar - 1,891.3 (2004), 1,607 (2003), 1,161 (2002), 723.7 (2001), 680 (2000) |
Executive branch | chief of state:
President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Pierre BAYLE (since 15 July 1998) head of government: President of the General Council Younoussa BAMANA (since NA 1977) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; president of the General Council elected by the members of the General Council for a six-year term |
chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL Vale (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 Vale (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 |
Exports | $3.44 million (f.o.b., 1997) | 2.1 million bbl/day (2004 est.) |
Exports - commodities | ylang-ylang (perfume essence), vanilla, copra, coconuts, coffee, cinnamon | petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures |
Exports - partners | France 80%, Comoros 15%, Reunion | US 55.6%, Netherlands Antilles 4.7%, Dominican Republic 2.8% (2004) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of France is used | 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 |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $85 million (1998 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 46.5% services: 53.4% (2004 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $600 (1998 est.) | purchasing power parity - $5,800 (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | 16.8% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 12 50 S, 45 10 E | 8 00 N, 66 00 W |
Geography - note | part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands | on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall |
Highways | total:
93 km paved: 72 km unpaved: 21 km |
total: 96,155 km
paved: 32,308 km unpaved: 63,847 km (1999 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 0.8%
highest 10%: 36.5% (1998) |
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 |
Imports | $141.3 million (f.o.b., 1997) | NA |
Imports - commodities | food, machinery and equipment, transportation equipment, metals, chemicals | raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials |
Imports - partners | France 66%, Africa 14%, Southeast Asia 11% (1997) | US 28.8%, Colombia 9.9%, Brazil 7%, Mexico 4.1% (2004) |
Independence | none (territorial collectivity of France) | 5 July 1811 (from Spain) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 12.3% (2004 est.) |
Industries | newly created lobster and shrimp industry, construction | petroleum, iron ore mining, construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly |
Infant mortality rate | 69.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 22.2 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 25.31 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | 22.4% (2004 est.) |
International organization participation | FZ | CAN, CDB, CSN, 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 |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | NA | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 540 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel | Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia (magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single 12-year term) |
Labor force | NA | 12.25 million (2004 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 13%, industry 23%, services 64% (1997 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 4,993 km
border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km |
Land use | arable land:
NA% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA% |
arable land: 2.95%
permanent crops: 0.92% other: 96.13% (2001) |
Languages | Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language) spoken by 35% of the population | Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects |
Legal system | French law | open, adversarial court system |
Legislative branch | unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 7 October 2000 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA note: Mayotte elects one member of the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 1995 (next to be held 24 September 2001); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MPM 1; Mayotte also elects one member to the French National Assembly; elections last held 25 May and 1 June 1997 (next to be held as a special election on NA May 2002); results - percent of vote by party - UDF/FD 51.7%, RPR 48.3%; seats by party - UDF/FD 1 |
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) |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
59.83 years male: 57.77 years female: 61.96 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 74.31 years
male: 71.27 years female: 77.58 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.4% male: 93.8% female: 93.1% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique | Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana |
Map references | Africa | South America |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 15 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | total: 56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 740,919 GRT/1,191,483 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 16, chemical tanker 1, container 1, liquefied gas 5, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 19, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 9 (Denmark 2, Greece 1, Hong Kong 2, Mexico 1, Russia 2, Spain 1) registered in other countries: 20 (2005) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France; small contingent of French forces stationed on the island | - |
Military branches | - | National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales, FAN): Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada - includes Marines, Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $1.687 billion (2004) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.5% (2004) |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | Independence Day, 5 July (1811) |
Nationality | noun:
Mahorais (singular and plural) adjective: Mahoran |
noun: Venezuelan(s)
adjective: Venezuelan |
Natural hazards | cyclones during rainy season | subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts |
Natural resources | NEGL | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds |
Net migration rate | 10.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Pipelines | - | extra heavy crude 992 km; gas 5,262 km; oil 7,360 km; refined products 1,681 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km (2004) |
Political parties and leaders | Democratic Front or FD [Youssouf MOUSSA]; Mahoran Popular Movement or MPM [Younoussa BAMANA]; Mahoran Rally for the Republic or RPR [Mansour KAMARDINE]; Movement for Department Status Mayotte or MDM [Henri JEAN-BAPTISTE]; Socialist Party or PS (local branch of French Parti Socialiste) [Ibrahim ABUBACAR]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Henri JEAN-BAPTISTE] | Democratic Action or AD [Jesus MENDEZ Quijada]; 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 and leaders | NA | FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action) |
Population | 163,366 (July 2001 est.) | 25,375,281 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 47% (1998 est.) |
Population growth rate | 4.58% (2001 est.) | 1.4% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Dzaoudzi | Amuay, La Guaira, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Punta Cardon |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998) |
Radios | NA | - |
Railways | 0 km | total: 682 km
standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2004) |
Religions | Muslim 97%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) | nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2% |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.2 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
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: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment:
small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications domestic: NA international: microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communications to Comoros and other international connections |
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 |
Telephones - main lines in use | 9,314 (1997) | 2,841,800 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (2000) | 6,463,600 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (1997) | 66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks | Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast |
Total fertility rate | 6.24 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 2.26 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 45% (1997) | 17.1% (2004 est.) |
Waterways | none | 7,100 km
note: Orinoco River and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels, Orinoco for 400 km (2004) |