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Compare Venezuela (2006) - Iraq (2003)
Compare Venezuela (2006) z Iraq (2003)
| Venezuela (2006) | Iraq (2003) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative 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 |
18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah, At Ta'mim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala', Maysan, Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 29.1% (male 3,860,116/female 3,620,440)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 8,494,944/female 8,410,874) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 609,101/female 734,960) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 40.7% (male 5,103,669; female 4,946,443)
15-64 years: 56.3% (male 7,033,268; female 6,855,644) 65 years and over: 3% (male 348,790; female 395,499) (2003 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish | wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep |
| Airports | 375 (2006) | 150 (2002); note - unknown number were damaged during the March-April 2003 war |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 129
over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 60 under 914 m: 19 (2006) |
total: 77
over 3,047 m: 21 2,438 to 3,047 m: 36 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 9 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 246
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 90 under 914 m: 147 (2006) |
total: 73
over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 24 914 to 1,523 m: 28 under 914 m: 11 (2002) |
| Area | total: 912,050 sq km
land: 882,050 sq km water: 30,000 sq km |
total: 437,072 sq km
land: 432,162 sq km water: 4,910 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly more than twice the size of California | slightly more than twice the size of Idaho |
| Background | Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and New Granada, which became Colombia). 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. Hugo CHAVEZ, president since 1999, has promoted a controversial policy of "democratic socialism," which purports to alleviate social ills while at the same time attacking globalization and undermining regional stability. Current concerns include: a weakening of democratic institutions, political polarization, 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. | Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of military strongmen have ruled the country since then, the latest being SADDAM Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait, but was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years resulted in the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. Coalition forces remain in Iraq, helping to restore degraded infrastructure and facilitating the establishment of a freely elected government. |
| Birth rate | 18.71 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 33.66 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $39.63 billion
expenditures: $41.27 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.6 billion (2005 est.) |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
| Capital | name: Caracas
geographic coordinates: 10 30 N, 66 56 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Baghdad |
| Climate | tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands | mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq |
| Coastline | 2,800 km | 58 km |
| Constitution | 30 December 1999 | in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| 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: Republic of Iraq
conventional short form: Iraq local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah local short form: Al Iraq |
| Currency | - | Iraqi dinar (IQD) |
| Death rate | 4.92 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 5.84 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Debt - external | $41.51 billion (2005 est.) | $120 billion (2002 est.) |
| Diplomatic representation from the 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 |
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | 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, San Juan (Puerto Rico) |
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| Disputes - international | 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 the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that 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 | despite restored diplomatic relations in 1990, disputes with Iran over maritime and land boundaries, navigation channel, and other issues from eight-year war persist; land and Shatt al Arab boundary demarcation put an end to claims to Kuwait and to Bubiyan and Warbah islands, but no maritime boundary exists with Kuwait in the Persian Gulf; Iraq protests Turkey's hydrological projects to regulate the Tigris and Euphrates rivers upstream |
| Economic aid - recipient | $74 million (2000) | $327.5 million (1995) |
| Economy - overview | 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. Government revenue also has been bolstered by increased tax collection, which has surpassed its 2005 collection goal by almost 50%. Tax revenue is the primary source of non-oil revenue, which accounts for 53% of the 2006 budget. 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. Output recovered strongly in 2004-2005, aided by high oil prices and strong consumption growth. Venezuela continues to be an important source of crude oil for the US market. Both inflation and unemployment remain fundamental problems. | Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector, which has traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings. In the 1980s financial problems caused by massive expenditures in the eight-year war with Iran and damage to oil export facilities by Iran led the government to implement austerity measures, borrow heavily, and later reschedule foreign debt payments; Iraq suffered economic losses from the war of at least $100 billion. After hostilities ended in 1988, oil exports gradually increased with the construction of new pipelines and restoration of damaged facilities. Iraq's seizure of Kuwait in August 1990, subsequent international economic sanctions, and damage from military action by an international coalition beginning in January 1991 drastically reduced economic activity. Although government policies supporting large military and internal security forces and allocating resources to key supporters of the regime have hurt the economy, implementation of the UN's oil-for-food program beginning in December 1996 helped improve conditions for the average Iraqi citizen. Iraq was allowed to export limited amounts of oil in exchange for food, medicine, and some infrastructure spare parts. In December 1999 the UN Security Council authorized Iraq to export under the program as much oil as required to meet humanitarian needs. Oil exports have recently been more than three-quarters prewar level. However, 28% of Iraq's export revenues under the program have been deducted to meet UN Compensation Fund and UN administrative expenses. The drop in GDP in 2001-02 was largely the result of the global economic slowdown and lower oil prices. Per capita food imports increased significantly, while medical supplies and health care services steadily improved. Per capita output and living standards were still well below the prewar level, but any estimates have a wide range of error. The military victory of the US-led coalition in March-April 2003 resulted in the shutdown of much of the central economic administrative structure and the loss of a comparatively small amount of capital plant. |
| Electricity - consumption | 81.32 billion kWh (2003) | 33.49 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 87.44 billion kWh (2003) | 36.01 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 98.4%
hydro: 1.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m |
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: unamed peak 3,611 m; note - this peak is not Gundah Zhur 3,607 m or Kuh-e Hajji-Ebrahim 3,595 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 | government water control projects have drained most of the inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh Arabs, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate supplies of potable water; development of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers system contingent upon agreements with upstream riparian Turkey; air and water pollution; soil degradation (salination) and erosion; desertification |
| 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 |
party to: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification |
| Ethnic groups | Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people | Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5% |
| Exchange rates | bolivares per US dollar - 2,089.8 (2005), 1,891.3 (2004), 1,607 (2003), 1,161 (2002), 723.7 (2001) | Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 0.31 (2002), 0.31 (2001), 0.31 (2000), 0.31 (1999), 0.31 (1998), note: fixed official rate since 1982; market rate subject to wide fluctuations |
| Executive branch | 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) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 3 December 2006 (next to be held December 2012) note: in 1999, a National Constituent Assembly drafted a new constitution that increased the presidential term to six years; an election was subsequently held on 30 July 2000 under the terms of this new constitution election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president; percent of vote - Hugo CHAVEZ Frias 63%, Manuel ROSALES 37% |
chief of state: in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| Exports | 2.1 million bbl/day (2004 est.) | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures | crude oil |
| Exports - partners | US 51.2%, Netherlands Antilles 7.3%, Canada 2.4% (2005) | US 40.9%, Canada 8.2%, France 8.2%, Jordan 7.5%, Netherlands 6.4%, Italy 5.4%, Morocco 4.7%, Spain 4.4% (2002) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| 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 eight white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band | three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; the phrase ALLAHU AKBAR (God is Great) in green Arabic script - Allahu to the right of the middle star and Akbar to the left of the middle star - was added in January 1991 during the Persian Gulf crisis; similar to the flag of Syria which has two stars but no script and the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt which has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $58 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 4%
industry: 41.9% services: 54.1% (2005 est.) |
agriculture: 6%
industry: 13% services: 81% (1993 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $2,400 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 9.3% (2005 est.) | -3% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 8 00 N, 66 00 W | 33 00 N, 44 00 E |
| 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 | strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf |
| Heliports | 1 (2006) | 5 (2002) |
| Highways | - | total: 45,550 km
paved: 38,399 km unpaved: 7,151 km (2000 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 0.8%
highest 10%: 36.5% (1998) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| 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 | NA bbl/day | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials | food, medicine, manufactures |
| Imports - partners | US 31.6%, Colombia 11%, Brazil 9.1%, Mexico 6.9% (2005) | Jordan 11%, France 8.8%, China 8.4%, Germany 7.6%, Russia 7.3%, Australia 7.2%, Vietnam 6.6%, Italy 6.4%, Japan 5.6% (2002) |
| Independence | 5 July 1811 (from Spain) | 3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 7.2% (2005 est.) | NA% |
| Industries | petroleum, construction materials, food processing, textiles; iron ore mining, steel, aluminum; motor vehicle assembly | petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 21.54 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 24.58 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
total: 55.16 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 61.09 deaths/1,000 live births female: 48.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 16% (2005 est.) | 70% (2002 est.) |
| International organization participation | 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, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, EAPC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 5,750 sq km (2003) | 35,250 sq km (1998 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) | in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| Labor force | 12.31 million (2005 est.) | 6.5 million (2002 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 13%
industry: 23% services: 64% (1997 est.) |
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
| Land boundaries | total: 4,993 km
border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km |
total: 3,650 km
border countries: Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 352 km |
| Land use | arable land: 2.85%
permanent crops: 0.88% other: 96.27% (2005) |
arable land: 11.89%
permanent crops: 0.78% other: 87.33% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects | Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian |
| Legal system | open, adversarial court system | in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (167 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; three seats reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela)
elections: last held 4 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - pro-government 167 (MVR 114, PODEMOS 15, PPT 11, indigenous 2, other 25), opposition 0 |
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 74.54 years
male: 71.49 years female: 77.81 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 67.81 years
male: 66.7 years female: 68.99 years (2003 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 can read and write
total population: 40.4% male: 55.9% female: 24.4% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait |
| Map references | South America | Middle East |
| 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 |
continental shelf: not specified
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | total: 56 ships (1000 GRT or over) 824,941 GRT/1,327,924 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 10, chemical tanker 2, container 1, liquefied gas 6, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 18 foreign-owned: 13 (Denmark 3, Greece 3, India 1, Mexico 3, Panama 1, Russia 1, Spain 1) registered in other countries: 15 (Bahamas 1, Panama 14) (2006) |
total: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 119,433 GRT/170,221 DWT
ships by type: cargo 9, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 6, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.) |
| Military branches | National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales or 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) | Army, Republican Guard, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Border Guard Force, Fedayeen Saddam; note - with the defeat of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003, the data listed in the following entries for Iraq is invalid, but is retained here for historical purposes and until replaced by valid information related to the future Iraqi Government (April 2003) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $1.61 billion (2005 est.) | $1.3 billion (FY00) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.2% (2005 est.) | NA% |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 6,339,458 (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 3,541,467 (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 292,930 (2003 est.) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 5 July (1811) | Revolution Day, 17 July (1968) |
| Nationality | noun: Venezuelan(s)
adjective: Venezuelan |
noun: Iraqi(s)
adjective: Iraqi |
| Natural hazards | subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts | dust storms, sandstorms, floods |
| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds | petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Pipelines | extra heavy crude 992 km; gas 5,369 km; oil 7,607 km; refined products 1,681 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km (2006) | gas 1,739 km; oil 5,418 km; refined products 1,343 km (2003) |
| Political parties and leaders | Christian Democrats or COPEI [Eduardo FERNANDEZ]; Democratic Action or AD [Jesus MENDEZ Quijada]; Fatherland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNOZ]; Fifth Republic Movement or MVR [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector MUJICA]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer]; We Can or PODEMOS [Ismael GARCIA] | in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| 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) | in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| Population | 25,730,435 (July 2006 est.) | 24,683,313 (July 2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 47% (1998 est.) | NA |
| Population growth rate | 1.38% (2006 est.) | 2.78% (2003 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Umm Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr, and Al Basrah have limited functionality |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998) | AM 19 (5 are inactive), FM 51, shortwave 4 (1998) |
| Railways | total: 682 km
standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2005) |
total: 1,963 km
standard gauge: 1,963 km 1.435-m gauge (2003) |
| Religions | nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2% | Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3% |
| 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 (2006 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | formerly 18 years of age; universal; note - in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| 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 |
general assessment: an unknown number of telecommunication facilities were damaged during the March-April 2003 war
domestic: the network consists of coaxial cables and microwave radio relay links international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Arabsat (inoperative); coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey; Kuwait line is probably nonoperational |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 3,605,500 (2005) | 675,000 (1997); note - an unknown number of telephone lines were damaged or destroyed during the March-April war |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 12.496 million (2005) | NA; service available in northern Iraq (2001) |
| Television broadcast stations | 66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997) | 13 (1997); note - unknown number were destroyed during the March-April 2003 war |
| Terrain | Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast | mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey |
| Total fertility rate | 2.23 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 4.52 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 12.2% (2005 est.) | NA% |
| Waterways | 7,100 km
note: Orinoco River and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels, Orinoco for 400 km (2005) |
1,015 km
note: Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 m and is in use; Tigris and Euphrates Rivers have navigable sections for shallow-draft boats; Shatt al Basrah canal was navigable by shallow-draft craft before closing in 1991 because of the Gulf war |
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