Venezuela     [92]
(Independent in 1821 from Spain)
ISO COUNTRY CODE: VE
LAND AREA: 912050 sq. km
NUMBER OF ISLANDS BY SIZE (sq. km):

>17,000	>10,000	>1,000	>100	>10	>1	<1	Unknown	TOTAL
0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

DEMOGRAPHY
  POPULATION: 22311000 (1996)
  DENSITY: 24 persons/sq. km    GROWTH RATE: 3%/year
  POP AGR/FISH/MINING: 15%
  URBAN POP: 92% (1994), versus 67% (1960), Annual Growth: 2.5%
  LIFE EXPECTANCY: 72.1 years,  ADULT LITERACY: 91.0%
  INFANT MORTALITY: 22 per/1000 (1994), versus 81 (1960)
  HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX: 0.861

ECONOMY
  GNP: US$59.0 billion, Annual GNP Growth Rate 1980-1993: 1.6%
  GDP/Capita: $2651  GDP/Capita PPP: $8120
  GDP/Capita: 1960 $2815, 1970 $3261, 1980 $3022, 1990 $2537
  OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE: $81 million  ODA%GNP: 0.1%
  ODA/Capita: $4

ENVIRONMENT (see also individual islands)
  TOTAL FOREST AREA: 43995,000 ha, 49.9% of land area, 2.0 ha/capita
  NATURAL FOREST AREA: 43742,000 ha
  ARABLE LAND: 3.5% of land area
NATURE CONSERVATION INTEREST:

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
  ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION: 3405 kw-hr/capita, versus 1237 kw-hr/cap (1970)
  TRADITIONAL FUEL CONSUMPTION: 1% (1993), versus 2% (1973)
  INTERNAL RENEWABLE WATER RESOURCES: 60.3,000 cu.m/cap/year
  SEAFOOD CONSUMPTION (1990-92): 13 kg/cap/year
  CHANGE IN ANNUAL MARINE CATCH 1980-82 to 1990-92: 74%

INSTITUTIONS
GOVERNMENT ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY: