on of a small amount of mosaics and
staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities

Currency: Vatican lira (plural--lire);
1 Vatican lira (VLit) = 100 centesimi

Exchange rates: Vatican lire (VLit) per US$1--1,262.5 (January 1990),
1,372.1 (1989), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987), 1,490.8 (1986), 1,909.4 (1985);
note--the Vatican lira is at par with the Italian lira which circulates freely

Fiscal year: calendar year

- Communications
Railroads: 850 m, 750 mm gauge (links with Italian network near the Rome
station of St. Peter's)

Highways: none; all city streets

Telecommunications: stations--3 AM, 4 FM, no TV; 2,000-line automatic
telephone exchange; no communications satellite systems

- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of Italy; Swiss Papal Guards are
posted at entrances to the Vatican City
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Venezuela
- Geography
Total area: 912,050 km2; land area: 882,050 km2

Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of California

Land boundaries: 4,993 km total; Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km,
Guyana 743 km

Coastline: 2,800 km

Maritime claims:

Contiguous zone: 15 nm;

Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;

Extended economic zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Disputes: claims Essequibo area of Guyana; maritime boundary disputes with
Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela and with Trinidad and Tobago in the
Gulf of Paria

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Terrain: Andes mountains and Maracaibo lowlands in northwest;
central plains (llanos); Guyana highlands in southeast

Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other
minerals, hydropower, diamonds

Land use: 3% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 20% meadows and pastures;
39% forest and woodland; 37% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Environment: subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic
droughts; increasing industrial pollution in Caracas and Maracaibo

Note: on major sea and air routes linking North and South America

- People
Population: 19,698,104 (July 1990), growth rate 2.5% (1990)

Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 4 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 27 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male, 77 years female (1990)

Tot