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

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998)

Radios:
10.75 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
4.1 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.ve

Internet hosts:
35,301 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)

Internet users:
1,274,400 (2002)

Transportation Venezuela

Railways:
total: 682 km
standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)

Highways:
total: 96,155 km
paved: 32,308 km
unpaved: 63,847 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
7,100 km
note: Orinoco River and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing
vessels, Orinoco for 400 km (2004)

Pipelines:
extra heavy crude 992 km; gas 5,262 km; oil 7,360 km; refined
products 1,681 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Amuay, La Guaira, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Punta Cardon

Merchant marine:
total: 56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 740,919 GRT/1,191,483 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 16, chemical tanker 1, container 1,
liquefied gas 5, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 19, roll
on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 9 (Denmark 2, Greece 1, Hong Kong 2, Mexico 1, Russia
2, Spain 1)
registered in other countries: 20 (2005)

Airports:
369 (2004 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: 31
914 to 1,523 m: 61
under 914 m: 19 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 242
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 88
under 914 m: 144 (2004 est.)

Military Venezuela

Military branches:
National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales, 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 Cooperat