ing 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, seeks to implement his
"21st Century 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.

Geography
Venezuela

Location:

Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana

Geographic coordinates:

8 00 N, 66 00 W

Map references:

South America

Area:

total: 912,050 sq km
land: 882,050 sq km
water: 30,000 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly more than twice the size of California

Land boundaries:

total: 4,993 km
border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km

Coastline:

2,800 km

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

Climate:

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Terrain:

Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains
(llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m

Natural resources:

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals,
hydropower, diamonds

Land use:

arable land: 2.85%
permanent crops: 0.88%
other: 96.27% (2005)

Irrigated land:

5,750 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

1,233.2 cu km (2000)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 8.37 cu km/yr (6%/7%/47%)
per capita: 313 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:

sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pol