al Issues Vanuatu

Disputes - international:
Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by Vanuatu
and France

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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@Venezuela

Introduction Venezuela

Background:
Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse
of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being 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, has promoted a
controversial policy of "democratic 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:
ar