tion 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 Service Providers (ISPs): 11 (1999)

@Venezuela:Transportation

Railways:
total: 584 km (248 km privately owned)
standard gauge: 584 km 1.435-m gauge

Highways:
total: 96,155 km
paved: 32,308 km
unpaved: 63,847 km (1997 est.)

Waterways: 7,100 km; Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept
oceangoing vessels

Pipelines: crude oil 6,370 km; petroleum products 480 km; natural gas
4,010 km

Ports and harbors: Amuay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, La
Salina, Maracaibo, Matanzas, Palua, Puerto Cabello, Puerto la Cruz,
Puerto Ordaz, Puerto Sucre, Punta Cardon

Merchant marine:
total: 34 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 488,584 GRT/888,764 DWT
ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 10, combination bulk 1, liquified gas 2,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 7, roll-on/roll-off 7, short-sea
passenger 1 (1999 est.)

Airports: 366 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 122
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 32
914 to 1,523 m: 58
under 914 m: 17 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 244
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 93
under 914 m: 141 (1999 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)

@Venezuela:Military

Military branches: National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales
or FAN) includes Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or
Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada), Air Force
(Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or National
Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional)

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 6,398,169 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 4,612,754 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 244,350 (2000 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $934 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.9% (FY99)

@Venezuela:Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: claims all of Guyana west of the Essequibo
River; maritime boundary dispute with Colombia in the Gulf of

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium for the international drug
trade on a small scale; however, large quan