ne, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee,
beef, pork, milk, eggs, fish; not self-sufficient in food other than meat

_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis and coca leaf
for the international drug trade on a small scale; however, large
quantities of cocaine do transit the country

_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-86), $488
million; Communist countries (1970-89), $10 million

_#_Currency: bolivar (plural--bolivares);
1 bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimos

_#_Exchange rates: bolivares (Bs) per US$1--51.331 (January 1991),
46.900 (1990), 34.6815 (1989), 14.5000 (fixed rate 1987-88), 8.0833
(1986), 7.5000 (1985)

_#_Fiscal year: calendar year

_*_Communications
_#_Railroads: 542 km total; 363 km 1.435-meter standard gauge all
single track, government owned; 179 km 1.435-meter gauge, privately owned

_#_Highways: 77,785 km total; 22,780 km paved, 24,720 km gravel,
14,450 km earth roads, and 15,835 km unimproved earth

_#_Inland waterways: 7,100 km; Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo
accept oceangoing vessels

_#_Pipelines: 6,370 km crude oil; 480 km refined products;
4,010 km natural gas

_#_Ports: Amuay Bay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, Puerto
Cabello, Puerto Ordaz

_#_Merchant marine: 58 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 811,650
GRT/1,294,077 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 1 passenger cargo,
22 cargo, 1 container, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 17 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 9 bulk,
1 vehicle carrier, 1 combination bulk

_#_Civil air: 58 major transport aircraft

_#_Airports: 296 total, 277 usable; 137 with permanent-surface
runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
88 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

_#_Telecommunications: modern and expanding; 1,440,000 telephones;
stations--181 AM, no FM, 59 TV, 26 shortwave; 3 submarine coaxial cables;
satellite communications ground stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3
domestic

_*_Defense Forces
_#_Branches: Ground Forces (Army), Naval Forces (including Navy,
Marines, Coast Guard), Air Forces, Armed Forces of Cooperation (National
Guard)

_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 5,220,183; 3,782,548 fit for
military service; 216,132 reach military age (18) annually

_#_Defense expenditures: $1.9 billion, 4.3% of GDP (1991)
_%_
_@_Vietnam
_*_Geography
_#_Total area: 329,560 km2; land area: 325,360

_#_Comparative