Venezuela
Venezuela facts and figures
Venezuela's Independence Day
05 July
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela lies along South America’s Caribbean Coast. It is bordered by Brazil, Colombia and Guyana. The country covers an area of 916,000 square kilometres, excluding the Esequibo area, and has a population of more than 28 million. Around four million people live in the capital, Caracas, and Spanish is the country’s official language.
Venezuela’s oil revenues account for roughly 94 per cent of export earnings, more than 50 per cent of federal budget revenues, and around 30 per cent of gross domestic product. Apart from petroleum, the country’s natural resources include natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, diamonds and other minerals. The national currency is the bolivar.
Venezuela’s President is Hugo Chavez Frias and the country is a Founder Member of OPEC.
Did you know?
- There are 43 national parks in Venezuela, making up 15 per cent of the country’s land mass.
- Venezuela has been an oil producer since 1914 when the first commercial oil well, Zumaque I, was drilled in the Mene Grande field on the eastern shores of Lake Maracaibo.
| Population (million inhabitants) | 28.95 |
|---|---|
| Land area (1,000 sq km) | 916 |
| Population density (inhabitants per sq km) | 32 |
| GDP per capita ($) | 10,223 |
| GDP at market prices (billion $) | 295.96 |
| Value of exports (billion $) | 65.79 |
| Value of petroleum exports (billion $) | 62.32 |
| Current account balance (billion $) | 14.38 |
| Proven crude oil reserves (billion barrels) | 296.50 |
| Proven natural gas reserves (billion cu. m.) | 5,525 |
| Crude oil production (1,000 b/d) | 2,854 |
| Marketed production of natural gas (billion cu. m.) | 19.73 |
| Refinery capacity (1,000 b/d) | 982 |
| Output of petroleum products (1,000 b/d) | 1,414.8 |
| Consumption of petroleum products (1,000 b/d) | 675 |
| Crude oil exports (1,000 b/d) | 1,562 |
| Exports of petroleum products (1,000 b/d) | 751.1 |
| Natural gas exports (billion cu. m.) | -- |
- b/d (barrels per day)
- cu. m. (cubic metres)
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Dr. Bernard Mommer
Governor for OPEC
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Mr. Fadi Kabboul
National Representative