Brief Introduction Capital: Caracas Area: total: 916700sq km The important Festival: National day: July 5 Population: 24630000 Language: Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects Currency: VEB

Venezuela

Geography

Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana.

Administrative divisions

23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 federal district* (distrito federal), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**, Distrito Federal*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia

Economy – overview

Venezuela continues to be highly dependent on the petroleum sector, which accounts for roughly one-third of GDP, around 80% of export earnings, and more than half of government operating revenues. Despite higher oil prices at the end of 2002 and into 2003, domestic political instability, culminating in a two-month national oil strike from December 2002 to February 2003, temporarily halted economic activity. The economy is likely to remain in a recession in 2003, after sinking an estimated 8.9 percent in 2002.

Culture and media

Newspaper:

Corriere di Caracas, Il, Daily Journal, the, Economía Hoy, Globo, El, Meridiano, Meridiano, Mundo, El.

Broadcast:

Radio Nacional de Venezuela, Union Radio