ron
ore mining, steel, aluminum; motor vehicle assembly

Industrial production growth rate:
7% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
93.03 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 31.7%
hydro: 68.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
86.52 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
3.081 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
560,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
2.1 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:
75.27 billion bbl (2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:
27.2 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
27.2 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
4.276 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance:
$31.82 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$69.23 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural
products, basic manufactures

Exports - partners:
US 50.9%, Netherlands Antilles 7.2%, Canada 2.4% (2005)

Imports:
$28.81 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment,
construction materials

Imports - partners:
US 31.6%, Colombia 11%, Brazil 9.1%, Mexico 6.9% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$35.95 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$35.63 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$74 million (2000)

Currency (code):
bolivar (VEB)

Currency code:
VEB

Exchange rates:
bolivares per US dollar - 2,147 (2006), 2,089.8 (2005), 1,891.3
(2004), 1,607 (2003), 1,161 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Venezuela

Telephones - main lines in use:
3,605,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
12.496 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern and expanding
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