Compare Venezuela (2006) - Liberia (2007)

Compare Venezuela (2006) z Liberia (2007)

	Venezuela (2006)	Liberia (2007)

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	15 counties; Bomi, Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, River Gee, Sinoe
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: 43.6% (male 698,382/female 695,409) 15-64 years: 53.6% (male 848,951/female 865,380) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 42,745/female 45,064) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish	rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber
Airports	375 (2006)	53 (2007)
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: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
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: 51 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 38 (2007)
Area	total: 912,050 sq km land: 882,050 sq km water: 30,000 sq km	total: 111,370 sq km land: 96,320 sq km water: 15,050 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly more than twice the size of California	slightly larger than Tennessee
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.	Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and political gaps between the descendents of the original settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by Samuel DOE ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In December 1989, Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion against DOE's regime that led to a prolonged civil war in which DOE himself was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 allowed for elections that brought TAYLOR to power, but major fighting resumed in 2000. An August 2003, peace agreement ended the war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who was exiled to Nigeria. After two years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF to power. The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), which maintains a strong presence throughout the country, completed a disarmament program for former combatants in late 2004, but the security situation is still volatile and the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country remains sluggish.
Birth rate	18.71 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)	43.75 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $39.63 billion expenditures: $41.27 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.6 billion (2005 est.)	revenues: $85.4 million expenditures: $90.5 million (2000 est.)
Capital	name: Caracas geographic coordinates: 10 30 N, 66 56 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	name: Monrovia geographic coordinates: 6 18 N, 10 48 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands	tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
Coastline	2,800 km	579 km
Constitution	30 December 1999	6 January 1986
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 Liberia conventional short form: Liberia
Death rate	4.92 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)	22.24 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$41.51 billion (2005 est.)	$3.2 billion (2005 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	chief of mission: Ambassador Donald E. BOOTH embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, P. O. Box 10-0098, Mamba Point, 1000 Monrovia, 10 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [231] 226-370 through 226-380 FAX: [231] 226-148
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)	chief of mission: Ambassador Charles A. MINOR chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437 FAX: [1] (202) 723-0436 consulate(s) general: New York
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	although civil unrest continues to abate with the assistance of 18,000 UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) peacekeepers, as of January 2007, Liberian refugees still remain in Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and Ghana; Liberia, in turn, shelters refugees fleeing turmoil in Cote d'Ivoire; despite the presence of over 9,000 UN forces (UNOCI) in Cote d'Ivoire since 2004, ethnic conflict continues to spread into neighboring states who can no longer send their migrant workers to Ivorian cocoa plantations; UN sanctions ban Liberia from exporting diamonds and timber
Economic aid - recipient	$74 million (2000)	$236.2 million (2005)
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.	Civil war and government mismanagement have destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around the capital, Monrovia. Many businessmen have fled the country, taking capital and expertise with them. Some have returned, but many will not. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and exporter of basic products - primarily raw timber and rubber. Local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small in scope. President JOHNSON SIRLEAF, a Harvard-trained economist, has taken steps to reduce corruption, build support from international donors, and encourage private investment. An embargo on timber exports has been lifted, opening a source of revenue for the government, but diamonds remain under UN sanctions. The reconstruction of infrastructure and the raising of incomes in this ravaged economy will largely depend on generous financial support and technical assistance from donor countries.
Electricity - consumption	81.32 billion kWh (2003)	296.9 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2003)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2003)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	87.44 billion kWh (2003)	319.3 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 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	tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups	Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people	indigenous African 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, Dei, Bella, Mandingo, and Mende), Americo-Liberians 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the US who had been slaves), Congo People 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean who had been slaves)
Exchange rates	bolivares per US dollar - 2,089.8 (2005), 1,891.3 (2004), 1,607 (2003), 1,161 (2002), 723.7 (2001)	Liberian dollars per US dollar - 59.43 (2006), 53.098 (2005), 54.906 (2004), 59.379 (2003), 61.754 (2002)
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: President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF (since 16 January 2006); note - the President is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF (since 16 January 2006) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 November 2005 (next to be held in 2011) election results: Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF elected president; percent of vote, second round - Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF 59.6%, George WEAH 40.4%
Exports	2.1 million bbl/day (2004 est.)	23.31 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities	petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures	rubber, timber, iron, diamonds, cocoa, coffee
Exports - partners	US 51.2%, Netherlands Antilles 7.3%, Canada 2.4% (2005)	Germany 22.6%, South Africa 15.5%, Poland 15.1%, US 11%, Spain 10.6%, South Korea 4.1% (2006)
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	11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the design was based on the US flag
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 4% industry: 41.9% services: 54.1% (2005 est.)	agriculture: 76.9% industry: 5.4% services: 17.7% (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	9.3% (2005 est.)	7.8% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates	8 00 N, 66 00 W	6 30 N, 9 30 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	facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture
Heliports	1 (2006)	-
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	transshipment point for Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine for the European and US markets; corruption, criminal activity, arms-dealing, and diamond trade provide significant potential for money laundering, but the lack of well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center
Imports	NA bbl/day	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials	fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; foodstuffs
Imports - partners	US 31.6%, Colombia 11%, Brazil 9.1%, Mexico 6.9% (2005)	South Korea 43.2%, Singapore 15%, Japan 12.8%, China 8.2% (2006)
Independence	5 July 1811 (from Spain)	26 July 1847
Industrial production growth rate	7.2% (2005 est.)	NA%
Industries	petroleum, construction materials, food processing, textiles; iron ore mining, steel, aluminum; motor vehicle assembly	rubber processing, palm oil processing, timber, diamonds
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: 149.73 deaths/1,000 live births male: 165.65 deaths/1,000 live births female: 133.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	16% (2005 est.)	15% (2003 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	ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, ITUC, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Irrigated land	5,750 sq km (2003)	30 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia (magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single 12-year term)	Supreme Court
Labor force	12.31 million (2005 est.)	-
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 13% industry: 23% services: 64% (1997 est.)	agriculture: 70% industry: 8% services: 22% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries	total: 4,993 km border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km	total: 1,585 km border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km
Land use	arable land: 2.85% permanent crops: 0.88% other: 96.27% (2005)	arable land: 3.43% permanent crops: 1.98% other: 94.59% (2005)
Languages	Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects	English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence
Legal system	open, adversarial court system	dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices for indigenous sector; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
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	bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (30 seats; note - number of seats changed in 11 October 2005 elections; members elected by popular vote to serve nine-year terms) and the House of Representatives (64 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 11 October 2005 (next to be held in 2011); House of Representatives - last held 11 October 2005 (next to be held in 2011) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - COTOL 7, NPP 4, CDC 3, LP 3, UP 3, APD 3, other 7; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDC 15, LP 9, COTOL 8, UP 8, APD 5, NPP 4, other 15 note: junior senators - those who received the second most votes in each county in the 11 October 2005 election - will only serve a six-year first term because the Liberian constitution mandates staggered Senate elections to ensure continuity of government; all senators will be eligible for nine-year terms thereafter
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 74.54 years male: 71.49 years female: 77.81 years (2006 est.)	total population: 40.39 years male: 38.93 years female: 41.89 years (2007 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: 57.5% male: 73.3% female: 41.6% (2003 est.)
Location	Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana	Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone
Map references	South America	Africa
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	territorial sea: 200 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: 1,948 ships (1000 GRT or over) 71,387,243 GRT/109,450,945 DWT by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 338, cargo 91, chemical tanker 211, combination ore/oil 9, container 614, liquefied gas 81, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 455, refrigerated cargo 91, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 35 foreign-owned: 1,904 (Argentina 3, Australia 2, Belgium 1, Brazil 3, Canada 3, China 32, Croatia 5, Cyprus 5, Denmark 12, Estonia 1, France 5, Germany 728, Gibraltar 7, Greece 311, Hong Kong 21, India 2, Indonesia 1, Israel 9, Italy 31, Japan 111, South Korea 4, Kuwait 1, Latvia 15, Lebanon 2, Mexico 1, Monaco 8, Netherlands 28, Norway 42, Poland 14, Qatar 2, Russia 87, Saudi Arabia 24, Singapore 42, Slovenia 1, Sweden 11, Switzerland 11, Taiwan 82, Turkey 7, Ukraine 24, UAE 22, UK 74, US 103, Uruguay 3, Vietnam 3) (2007)
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)	Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL): Army, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$1.61 billion (2005 est.)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.2% (2005 est.)	1.3% (2006 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 5 July (1811)	Independence Day, 26 July (1847)
Nationality	noun: Venezuelan(s) adjective: Venezuelan	noun: Liberian(s) adjective: Liberian
Natural hazards	subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts	dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March)
Natural resources	petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds	iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)	26.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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)	-
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]	Alliance for Peace and Democracy or APD [Togba-na TIPOTEH]; Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia or COTOL; Congress for Democratic Change or CDC [George WEAH]; Liberian Action Party or LAP [H. Varney SHERMAN]; Liberty Party or LP [Charles BRUMSKINE]; National Patriotic Party or NPP [Cyril ALLEN]; Unity Party or UP [Charles CLARKE]
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)	Demobilized former military officers
Population	25,730,435 (July 2006 est.)	3,195,931 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	47% (1998 est.)	80% (2000 est.)
Population growth rate	1.38% (2006 est.)	4.836% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998)	AM 0, FM 7, shortwave 2 (2001)
Railways	total: 682 km standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)	total: 490 km standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 145 km 1.067-m gauge note: railway is inoperable because of damage suffered during the civil war (2006)
Religions	nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%	Christian 40%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 40%
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: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.004 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.981 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.949 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2007 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: 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: the limited services available are found almost exclusively in the capital Monrovia; coverage extended to a number of other towns and rural areas by four mobile-cellular network operators domestic: combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity only about 5 per 100 persons international: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	3,605,500 (2005)	6,900 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	12.496 million (2005)	160,000 (2005)
Television broadcast stations	66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)	1 (plus 4 repeaters) (2001)
Terrain	Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast	mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast
Total fertility rate	2.23 children born/woman (2006 est.)	5.94 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	12.2% (2005 est.)	85% (2003 est.)
Waterways	7,100 km note: Orinoco River and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels, Orinoco for 400 km (2005)	-

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