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Compare Venezuela (2003) - United Kingdom (2001)

Compare Venezuela (2003) z United Kingdom (2001)

 Venezuela (2003)United Kingdom (2001)
 VenezuelaUnited Kingdom
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
England - 47 boroughs, 36 counties*, 29 London boroughs**, 12 cities and boroughs***, 10 districts****, 12 cities*****, 3 royal boroughs******; Barking and Dagenham**, Barnet**, Barnsley, Bath and North East Somerset****, Bedfordshire*, Bexley**, Birmingham***, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton, Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Bradford***, Brent**, Brighton and Hove, City of Bristol*****, Bromley**, Buckinghamshire*, Bury, Calderdale, Cambridgeshire*, Camden**, Cheshire*, Cornwall*, Coventry***, Croydon**, Cumbria*, Darlington, Derby*****, Derbyshire*, Devon*, Doncaster, Dorset*, Dudley, Durham*, Ealing**, East Riding of Yorkshire****, East Sussex*, Enfield**, Essex*, Gateshead, Gloucestershire*, Greenwich**, Hackney**, Halton, Hammersmith and Fulham**, Hampshire*, Haringey**, Harrow**, Hartlepool, Havering**, Herefordshire*, Hertfordshire*, Hillingdon**, Hounslow**, Isle of Wight*, Islington**, Kensington and Chelsea******, Kent*, City of Kingston upon Hull*****, Kingston upon Thames******, Kirklees, Knowsley, Lambeth**, Lancashire*, Leeds***, Leicester*****, Leicestershire*, Lewisham**, Lincolnshire*, Liverpool***, City of London*****, Luton, Manchester***, Medway, Merton**, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newcastle upon Tyne***, Newham**, Norfolk*, Northamptonshire*, North East Lincolnshire****, North Lincolnshire****, North Somerset****, North Tyneside, Northumberland*, North Yorkshire*, Nottingham*****, Nottinghamshire*, Oldham, Oxfordshire*, Peterborough*****, Plymouth*****, Poole, Portsmouth*****, Reading, Redbridge**, Redcar and Cleveland, Richmond upon Thames**, Rochdale, Rotherham, Rutland****, Salford***, Shropshire*, Sandwell, Sefton, Sheffield***, Slough, Solihull, Somerset*, Southampton*****, Southend-on-Sea, South Gloucestershire****, South Tyneside, Southwark**, Staffordshire*, St. Helens, Stockport, Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent*****, Suffolk*, Sunderland***, Surrey*, Sutton**, Swindon, Tameside, Telford and Wrekin****, Thurrock, Torbay, Tower Hamlets**, Trafford, Wakefield***, Walsall, Waltham Forest**, Wandsworth**, Warrington, Warwickshire*, West Berkshire****, Westminster***, West Sussex*, Wigan, Wiltshire*, Windsor and Maidenhead******, Wirral, Wokingham****, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire*, York*****; Northern Ireland - 24 districts, 2 cities*; Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge, Belfast*, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Down, Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, Derry*, Magherafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Omagh, Strabane; Scotland - 32 council areas; Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, The Scottish Borders, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), West Lothian; Wales - 11 county boroughs, 9 counties*, 2 cities and counties**; Isle of Anglesey*, Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff**, Ceredigion*, Carmarthenshire*, Conwy, Denbighshire*, Flintshire*, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire*, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire*, Powys*, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Swansea**, Torfaen, The Vale of Glamorgan*, Wrexham
Age structure 0-14 years: 31% (male 3,944,749; female 3,700,799)


15-64 years: 64.1% (male 7,931,194; female 7,864,697)


65 years and over: 4.9% (male 552,291; female 660,964) (2003 est.)
0-14 years:
18.89% (male 5,778,415; female 5,486,114)

15-64 years:
65.41% (male 19,712,932; female 19,304,771)

65 years and over:
15.7% (male 3,895,921; female 5,469,637) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish
Airports 373 (2002) 489 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 127


over 3,047 m: 5


2,438 to 3,047 m: 11


1,524 to 2,437 m: 32


914 to 1,523 m: 61


under 914 m: 18 (2002)
total:
349

over 3,047 m:
10

2,438 to 3,047 m:
33

1,524 to 2,437 m:
162

914 to 1,523 m:
89

under 914 m:
55 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 246


1,524 to 2,437 m: 10


914 to 1,523 m: 97


under 914 m: 139 (2002)
total:
140

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
23

under 914 m:
116 (2000 est.)
Area total: 912,050 sq km


land: 882,050 sq km


water: 30,000 sq km
total:
244,820 sq km

land:
241,590 sq km

water:
3,230 sq km

note:
includes Rockall and Shetland Islands
Area - comparative slightly more than twice the size of California slightly smaller than Oregon
Background 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: an embattled president who is losing his once solid support among Venezuelans, 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. Great Britain, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its integration with continental Europe. A member of the EU, it chose to remain outside of the European Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. Regional assemblies with varying degrees of power opened in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in 1999.
Birth rate 19.78 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 11.54 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $21.5 billion


expenditures: $27 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
revenues:
$555.2 billion

expenditures:
$510.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $37.7 billion (FY00)
Capital Caracas London
Climate tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
Coastline 2,800 km 12,429 km
Constitution 30 December 1999 unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Country name conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela


conventional short form: Venezuela


local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela


local short form: Venezuela
conventional long form:
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

conventional short form:
United Kingdom

abbreviation:
UK
Currency bolivar (VEB) British pound (GBP)
Death rate 4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 10.35 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $38.2 billion (2000) $NA
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Charles S. SHAPIRO


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
chief of mission:
Ambassador Philip LADER

embassy:
24/31 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A1AE

mailing address:
PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040

telephone:
[44] (0) 207499-9000 (switchboard)

FAX:
[44] (171) 409-1637

consulate(s) general:
Belfast, Edinburgh
Diplomatic representation in the 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)
chief of mission:
Ambassador Sir Christopher J. R. MEYER

chancery:
3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 588-6500

FAX:
[1] (202) 588-7870

consulate(s) general:
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco

consulate(s):
Dallas, Denver, Miami, Orlando (reports to Atlanta), San Juan, and Seattle
Disputes - international claims all of Guyana west of the Essequibo River; 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 the claim and other states' recognition of it Northern Ireland issue with Ireland (historic peace agreement signed 10 April 1998); Gibraltar issue with Spain; Argentina claims Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas); Argentina claims South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Mauritius and the Seychelles claim Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory); Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark and Iceland; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claim; disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM
Economic aid - donor - ODA, $3.4 billion (1997)
Economic aid - recipient $74 million (2000) -
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 two-month national oil strike from December 2002 to February 2003, temporarily halted economic activity. The economy is likely to remain in a recession in 2003, after sinking an estimated 8.9 percent in 2002. The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, deploys an essentially capitalistic economy, one of the quartet of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. Over the past two decades the government has greatly reduced public ownership and contained the growth of social welfare programs. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with only 1% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in importance. The economy has grown steadily, at just above or below 3%, for the last several years. The BLAIR government has put off the question of participation in the euro system until after the next election, in June of 2001; Chancellor of the Exchequer BROWN has identified some key economic tests to determine whether the UK should join the common currency system, but it will largely be a political decision. A serious short-term problem is foot-and-mouth disease, which by early 2001 had broken out in nearly 600 farms and slaughterhouses and had resulted in the killing of 400,000 animals.
Electricity - consumption 81.47 billion kWh (2001) 333.012 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 265 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 14.5 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 87.6 billion kWh (2001) 342.771 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 31.7%


hydro: 68.3%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
fossil fuel:
69.38%

hydro:
1.55%

nuclear:
26.68%

other:
2.39% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m
lowest point:
Fenland -4 m

highest point:
Ben Nevis 1,343 m
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 continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has meet Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5% reduction from 1990 levels and hopes to reduce even more); small particulate emissions, largely from vehicular traffic, remain a problem; solid waste continues to rise and recycling is very limited
Environment - international agreements party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping
party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Ethnic groups Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%, Ulster 1.8%, West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other 2.8%
Exchange rates bolivares per US dollar - 1,160.44 (2002), 723.67 (2001), 679.96 (2000), 605.72 (1999), 547.56 (1998) British pounds per US dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996)
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%
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948)

head of government:
Prime Minister Anthony C. L. (Tony) BLAIR (since 2 May 1997)

cabinet:
Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister

elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; the prime minister is the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons (assuming there is no majority party, a prime minister would have a majority coalition or at least a coalition that was not rejected by the majority)
Exports NA (2001) $282 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco
Exports - partners US 53.4%, Netherlands Antilles 17.3%, Canada 2.9% (2002) EU 58% (Germany 12%, France 10%, Netherlands 8%), US 15% (1999)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 April - 31 March
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 blue with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland) and which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); known as the Union Flag or Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, as well as British overseas territories
GDP purchasing power parity - $131.7 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $1.36 trillion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 5%


industry: 50%


services: 45% (2001)
agriculture:
1.7%

industry:
24.9%

services:
73.4% (1999)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $5,400 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $22,800 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -8.9% (2002 est.) 3% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 8 00 N, 66 00 W 54 00 N, 2 00 W
Geography - note on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and now linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters
Heliports 1 (2002) 11 (2000 est.)
Highways total: 96,155 km


paved: 32,308 km


unpaved: 63,847 km (1999 est.)
total:
371,603 km

paved:
371,603 km (including 3,303 km of expressways)

unpaved:
0 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.8%


highest 10%: 36.5% (1998)
lowest 10%:
2.6%

highest 10%:
27.3% (1991)
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 gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market; major consumer of synthetic drugs, producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering center
Imports NA (2001) $324 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs
Imports - partners US 27.5%, Colombia 6.9%, Brazil 5.7%, Mexico 4.4% (2002) EU 53% (Germany 14%, France 9%, Netherlands 7%), US 13%, Japan 5% (1999)
Independence 5 July 1811 (from Spain) England has existed as a unified entity since the 10th century; the union between England and Wales was enacted under the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284; in the Act of Union of 1707, England and Scotland agreed to permanent union as Great Britain; the legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was implemented in 1801, with the adoption of the name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 formalized a partition of Ireland; six northern Irish counties remained part of the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland and the current name of the country, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was adopted in 1927
Industrial production growth rate -5.4% (2002 est.) 2% (2000)
Industries petroleum, iron ore mining, construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, and other consumer goods
Infant mortality rate total: 23.79 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 27.05 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 20.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
5.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 31.2% (2002 est.) 2.4% (2000 est.)
International organization participation CAN, Caricom (observer), CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-19, 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, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 16 (2000) 245 (2000)
Irrigated land 540 sq km (1998 est.) 1,080 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia (magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single 12-year term) House of Lords (highest court of appeal; several Lords of Appeal in Ordinary are appointed by the monarch for life); Supreme Courts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (comprising the Courts of Appeal, the High Courts of Justice, and the Crown Courts); Scotland's Court of Session and Court of the Justiciary
Labor force 9.9 million (1999) 29.2 million (1999)
Labor force - by occupation services 64%, industry 23%, agriculture 13% (1997 est.) agriculture 1%, industry 19%, services 80% (1996 est.)
Land boundaries total: 4,993 km


border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km
total:
360 km

border countries:
Ireland 360 km
Land use arable land: 2.99%


permanent crops: 0.96%


other: 96.05% (1998 est.)
arable land:
25%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
46%

forests and woodland:
10%

other:
19% (1993 est.)
Languages Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)
Legal system based on organic laws as of July 1999; open, adversarial court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; no judicial review of Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; British courts and legislation are increasingly subject to review by European Union courts
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 NA 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)
bicameral Parliament comprised of House of Lords (consists of approximately 500 life peers, 92 hereditary peers and 26 clergy) and House of Commons (659 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier)

elections:
House of Lords - no elections (some proposals for further reform include elections); House of Commons - last held 7 June 2001 (next to be held by NA May 2006)

election results:
House of Commons - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Labor 412, Conservative and Unionist 166, Liberal Democrat 52, other 29

note:
in 1998 elections were held for a Northern Ireland Parliament (because of unresolved disputes among existing parties, the transfer of power from London to Northern Ireland came only at the end of 1999 and was rescinded in February 2000); in 1999 there were elections for a new Scottish Parliament and a new Welsh Assembly
Life expectancy at birth total population: 73.81 years


male: 70.78 years


female: 77.07 years (2003 est.)
total population:
77.82 years

male:
75.13 years

female:
80.66 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 93.4%


male: 93.8%


female: 93.1% (2003 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling

total population:
99% (1978 est.)

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
Location Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France
Map references South America Europe
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 15 NM


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf:
as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries

exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine total: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 714,073 GRT/1,256,667 DWT


ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 8, chemical tanker 1, container 1, liquefied gas 4, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll off 10, short-sea passenger 1


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Denmark 1, Greece 1, Italy 1, UK 1, US 2 (2002 est.)
total:
200 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,934,776 GRT/3,760,240 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 4, cargo 31, chemical tanker 11, combination ore/oil 1, container 47, liquefied gas 3, passenger 14, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 52, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 19, short-sea passenger 10, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 2

note:
includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Denmark 1 (2000 est.)
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) Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $934 million (FY99) $36.884 billion (FY97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.9% (FY99) 2.7% (FY97)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 6,767,862 (2003 est.) males age 15-49:
14,599,199 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 4,870,751 (2003 est.) males age 15-49:
12,139,930 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 249,319 (2003 est.) -
National holiday Independence Day, 5 July (1811) Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, celebrated on the second Saturday in June (1926)
Nationality noun: Venezuelan(s)


adjective: Venezuelan
noun:
Briton(s), British (collective plural)

adjective:
British
Natural hazards subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts NA
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica, arable land
Net migration rate -0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) 1.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines extra heavy crude 992 km; gas 5,262 km; oil 7,484 km; refined products 1,681 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km (2003) crude oil (almost all insignificant) 933 km; petroleum products 2,993 km; natural gas 12,800 km
Political parties and leaders Democratic Action or AD [Claudio FERMIN]; Fifth Republic Movement or MVR [Garcia PONCE]; Homeland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNIZ]; Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector MUJICA]; National Convergence or Convergencia [Juan Jose CALDERA]; Radical Cause or La Causa R [Antonio HERRERA]; Social Christian Party or COPEI [Oswaldo ALVAREZ Paz]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer] Conservative and Unionist Party [William HAGUE]; Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Rev. Ian PAISLEY]; Labor Party [Anthony (Tony) Blair]; Liberal Democrats [Charles KENNEDY]; Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Ieuan Wyn JONES]; Scottish National Party or SNP [John SWINNEY]; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS]; Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [John HUME]; Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [David TRIMBLE]
Political pressure groups and leaders FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action) Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Confederation of British Industry; National Farmers' Union; Trades Union Congress
Population 24,654,694 (July 2003 est.) 59,647,790 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line 47% (1998 est.) 17%
Population growth rate 1.48% (2003 est.) 0.23% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Amuay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, La Salina, Maracaibo, Matanzas, Palua, Puerto Cabello, Puerto la Cruz, Puerto Ordaz, Puerto Sucre, Punta Cardon Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Dover, Falmouth, Felixstowe, Glasgow, Grangemouth, Hull, Leith, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Peterhead, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Scapa Flow, Southampton, Sullom Voe, Tees, Tyne
Radio broadcast stations AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998) AM 219, FM 431, shortwave 3 (1998)
Radios - 84.5 million (1997)
Railways total: 682 km


standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2002)
total:
16,878 km

broad gauge:
342 km 1.600-m gauge (190 km double track); note - all 1.600-m gauge track, of which 342 km is in common carrier use, and is in Northern Ireland

standard gauge:
16,536 km 1.435-m gauge (4,928 km electrified; 12,591 km double or multiple track) (1996)
Religions nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2% Anglican 27 million, Roman Catholic 9 million, Muslim 1 million, Presbyterian 800,000, Methodist 760,000, Sikh 400,000, Hindu 350,000, Jewish 300,000 (1991 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: 0.84 male(s)/female


total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.71 male(s)/female

total population:
0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
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: 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
general assessment:
technologically advanced domestic and international system

domestic:
equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optic systems

international:
40 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat; at least 8 large international switching centers
Telephones - main lines in use 2.6 million (however, 3,500,000 have been installed) (1998) 34.878 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 2 million (1998) 13 million (yearend 1998)
Television broadcast stations 66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997) 228 (plus 3,523 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
Total fertility rate 2.36 children born/woman (2003 est.) 1.73 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 17% (2002 est.) 5.5% (2000 est.)
Waterways 7,100 km


note: Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing vessels
3,200 km
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