Part 105

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 98% female: 96% (1989 est.)

@Uzbekistan:Government

Country name: conventional long form : Republic of Uzbekistan conventional short form: Uzbekistan local long form: Uzbekiston Respublikasi local short form: none former : Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic

Data code: UZ

Government type: republic

National capital: Tashkent (Toshkent)

Administrative divisions: 12 wiloyatlar (singular - wiloyat), 1 autonomous republic* (respublikasi), and 1 city** (shahri); Andijon Wiloyati, Bukhoro Wiloyati, Jizzakh Wiloyati, Farghona Wiloyati, Qoraqalpoghiston* (Nukus), Qashqadaryo Wiloyati (Qarshi), Khorazm Wiloyati (Urganch), Namangan Wiloyati, Nawoiy Wiloyati, Samarqand Wiloyati, Sirdaryo Wiloyati (Guliston), Surkhondaryo Wiloyati (Termiz), Toshkent Shahri**, Toshkent Wiloyati note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

Independence: 31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 September (1991)

Constitution: new constitution adopted 8 December 1992

Legal system: evolution of Soviet civil law; still lacks independent judicial system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Islom KARIMOV (since 24 March 1990, when he was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet) head of government: Prime Minister Utkur SULTONOV (since December 1995); First Deputy Prime Minister Ismoil JURABEKOV (since NA); First Deputy Prime Minister for Agriculture Qobiljon OBIDOV (since NA); Deputy Prime Ministers Viktor CHIZHEN (since NA), Bakhtiyor HAMIDOV (since NA), Kayim HAQQULOV (since NA), Dilbar GHOLOMOVA (since NA), Alisher AZIZKHOJAYEV (since NA), Mirabror USMONOV (since NA), Murat SHARIFKHOJAYEV (since NA), Rustam YUNUSOV (since NA) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with approval of the Supreme Assembly elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 29 December 1991 (next to be held NA 2000; note - extension of President KARIMOV's term for an additional four years overwhelmingly approved - 99.6% of total vote in favor - by national referendum held 26 March 1995); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: Islom KARIMOV elected president; percent of vote - Islom KARIMOV 86%, Mukhammad SOLIKH 12%, other 2%

Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis (250 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 25 December 1994 (next to be held NA 1999) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Democratic Party 207, Fatherland Progress Party 12, other 31; note - final runoffs were held 22 January 1995; seating was as follows: People's Democratic Party 69, Fatherland Progress Party 14, Social Democratic Party 47, local government 120 note: all parties in parliament support President KARIMOV

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Supreme Assembly

Political parties and leaders: People's Democratic Party or PDP (formerly Communist Party) [Islom A. KARIMOV, chairman]; Fatherland Progress Party or FPP [Anwar YULDASHEV, chairman]; Social Democratic Party [Anvar JORABAYEV, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Birlik (Unity) People's Movement or BPM [Ibrahim BURIYEV, chairman]; Islamic Rebirth Party or IRP [Abdullah UTAYEV, chairman]; Erk (Freedom) Democratic Party was banned 9 December 1992 note: UTAYEV or IRP is either in prison or in exile

International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NACC, NAM, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Sodyk SAFAYEV chancery: 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 887-5300 FAX: [1] (202) 293-6804 consulate(s) general : New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Stanley T. ESCUDERO embassy: 82 Chilanzarskaya, Tashkent mailing address: use embassy street address telephone : [7] (3712) 77-14-07, 77-10-81, 77-69-86 FAX: [7] (3712) 40-63-35

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green separated by red fimbriations with a crescent moon and 12 stars in the upper hoist-side quadrant

Economy

Economy - overview: Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of which 10% consists of intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys. It was one of the poorest areas of the former Soviet Union with more than 60% of its population living in overpopulated rural communities. Uzbekistan is now the world's third largest cotton exporter, a major producer of gold and natural gas, and a regionally significant producer of chemicals and machinery. Following independence in December 1991, the government sought to prop up its Soviet-style command economy with subsidies and tight controls on production and prices. Faced with high rates of inflation, however, the government stepped up the pace of reform in mid-1994, by introducing tighter monetary policies, expanding privatization, slightly reducing the role of the state in the economy, and improving the environment for foreign investors. Nevertheless, the state continues to be a dominating influence in the economy, and reforms have so far failed to bring about much-needed structural changes. The IMF suspended Uzbekistan's $185 million standby arrangement in late 1996 because of governmental steps that made impossible fulfillment of Fund conditions.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $57 billion (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)

GDP - real growth rate: 1.6% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,430 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 29% industry: 24% services: 47% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 55% (1996 est.)

Labor force: total: 8.2 million by occupation: agriculture and forestry 44%, industry and construction 20%, other 36% (1995)

Unemployment rate: 0.3% includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers (December 1996)

Budget: revenues : $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries: textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, natural gas

Industrial production growth rate: 6% (1996 est.)

Electricity - capacity: 11.82 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production: 45.15 billion kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 1,970 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products: cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock

Exports: total value: $3.2 billion (1996) commodities: cotton, gold, natural gas, mineral fertilizers, ferrous metals, textiles, food products, autos partners: Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Western Europe

Imports: total value: $3.2 billion (1996) commodities : grain, machinery and parts, consumer durables, other foods partners: principally other FSU, Czech Republic, Western Europe

Debt - external: $1.285 billion (of which $510 million to Russia)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $71 million (1993) note: commitments, $2,915 million ($135 million in disbursements) (1992-95)

Currency: introduced provisional som-coupons 10 November 1993 which circulated parallel to the Russian rubles; became the sole legal currency 31 January 1994; was replaced in July 1994 by the som currency

Exchange rates: Uzbekistani soms (UKS) per US$1 - 51.1 (January 1997), 35.8 (end December 1995), 25 (yearend 1994)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Uzbekistan:Communications

Telephones: 1.458 million (1995 est.)

Telephone system: poorly developed domestic: NMT-450 analog cellular network established in Tashkent international: linked by landline or microwave radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; new Intelsat links to Tokyo and Ankara give Uzbekistan international access independent of Russian facilities; satellite earth stations - NA Orbita and NA Intelsat

Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note - there is at least one state-owned broadcast station of NA type

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 2 national, many local

Televisions: NA

@Uzbekistan:Transportation

Railways: total: 3,380 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines broad gauge: 3,380 km 1.520-m gauge (300 km electrified) (1993)

Highways: total: 80,000 km paved : 69,760 km (note - these roads are said to be hard surfaced, meaning that some are paved and some are all-weather gravel surfaced) unpaved: 10,240 km dirt (1995 est.)

Waterways: 1,100 (1990)

Pipelines: crude oil 250 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 810 km (1992)

Ports and harbors: Termiz (Amu Darya river)

Airports: 261 (1994 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 35 over 3,047 m : 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 14 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 5 (1994 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total : 226 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m : 216 (1994 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Air and Air Defense, Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49 : 5,833,862 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 4,748,539 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 239,978 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: 164 million soms (1993); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.7% (1993)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: limited illicit cultivator of cannabis and small amounts of opium poppy; mostly for domestic consumption; limited government eradication program; increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Russia and Western Europe ______________________________________________________________________

VANUATU

@Vanuatu:Geography

Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Geographic coordinates: 16 00 S, 167 00 E

Map references: Oceania

Area: total : 14,760 sq km land: 14,760 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes more than 80 islands

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 2,528 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea : 12 nm

Climate: tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds

Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Tabwemasana 1,877 m

Natural resources: manganese, hardwood forests, fish

Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 10% permanent pastures : 2% forests and woodland: 75% other: 11% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes

Environment - current issues: a majority of the population does not have access to a potable and reliable supply of water; deforestation

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Law of the Sea

@Vanuatu:People

Population: 181,358 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 40% (male 36,655; female 35,359) 15-64 years: 57% (male 53,506; female 50,508) 65 years and over: 3% (male 2,904; female 2,426) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.12% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 29.87 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 8.63 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 1.2 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 62.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 60.56 years male: 58.65 years female: 62.58 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.88 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural) adjective: Ni-Vanuatu

Ethnic groups: indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, Vietnamese, Chinese, Pacific Islanders

Religions: Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Catholic 15%, indigenous beliefs 7.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ 3.8%, other 15.7%

Languages: English (official), French (official), pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 53% male: 57% female: 48% (1979 est.)

@Vanuatu:Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu conventional short form: Vanuatu former: New Hebrides

Data code: NH

Government type: republic

National capital: Port-Vila

Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, Torba

Independence: 30 July 1980 (from France and UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

Constitution: 30 July 1980

Legal system: unified system being created from former dual French and British systems

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Jean Marie LEYE (since 2 March 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Rialuth Serge VOHOR (since 30 September 1996); Deputy Prime Minister Donald KALPOKAS (since 25 October 1996) cabinet : Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils for a five-year term; election for president last held 2 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime minister last held 30 September 1996 (next to be held NA November 1999); note - the general legislative elections in November 1995 did not give a majority to any of the political parties; since the election, there have been three changes of government - all of which have been coalitions formed by Parliamentary vote; Rialuth Serge VOHOR was prime minister from November 1995 until he resigned 7 February 1996 when faced with a no-confidence vote in Parliament; Maxime Carlot KORMAN was then elected prime minister and served until he was ousted in a no-confidence motion on 30 September 1996; VOHOR was then elected prime minister for a second time election results: Jean Marie LEYE elected president; percent of electoral college vote - NA; Serge VOHOR elected prime minister by a Parliamentary vote of 28 to 22

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections : last held 30 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 1999) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 17, VP 14, NUP 9, MPP 5, TU 2, Na-Griamel Movement 1, Friend Melanesian Party 1, independent 1; note - political party associations are fluid; there have been three changes of government since the November 1995 elections note : the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chief justice is appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, three other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission

Political parties and leaders: Union of Moderate Parties (UMP), Serge VOHOR; National United Party (NUP), Walter LINI; Vanuatu Party (VP), Donald KALPOKAS; Melanesian Progressive Party (MPP), Barak SOPE; Tan Union (TU), Vincent BOULEKONE; Na-Griamel Movement, Frankie STEVENS; Friend Melanesian Party, Albert RAUUTIA

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NAM, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US: Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle); centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed namele leaves, all in yellow

Economy

Economy - overview: The economy is based primarily on subsistence or small-scale agriculture which provides a living for 65% of the population. Fishing and tourism are the other mainstays of the economy, with 43,000 visitors in 1992. Mineral deposits are negligible; the country has no known petroleum deposits. A small light industry sector caters to the local market. Tax revenues come mainly from import duties. Economic development is hindered by dependence on relatively few commodity exports, vulnerability to natural disasters, and long distances from main markets and between constituent islands.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $219 million (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2% (1995)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,230 (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture : 25% industry: 9% services: 66%

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 4% (1995)

Labor force: total: 66,597 (1989 est.) by occupation: agriculture 65%, services 32%, industry 3% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues : $74.8 million expenditures: $76.1 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)

Industries: food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning

Industrial production growth rate: 3.4% (1993 est.)

Electricity - capacity: 11,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - production: 30 million kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh

Agriculture - products: copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, vegetables; fish, beef

Exports: total value: $28 million (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: copra, beef, cocoa, timber, coffee partners : EU 32%, Japan 29%, Australia 11%, New Caledonia 7% (1993)

Imports: total value: $93 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: machines and vehicles, food and beverages, basic manufactures, raw materials and fuels, chemicals partners: Australia 41%, France 15%, NZ 11%, Japan 9%, Fiji 6% (1992)

Debt - external: $38.2 million (yearend 1993)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $9.6 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.); $3.1 million from NZ (FY95/96)

Currency: 1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: vatu (VT) per US$1 - 112.36 (January 1997), 111.72 (1996), 112.11 (1995), 116.41 (1994), 121.58 (1993), 113.39 (1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Vanuatu:Communications

Telephones: 3,000 (1987 est.)

Telephone system: domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 0

Televisions: 2,000 (1992 est.)

@Vanuatu:Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total : 1,050 km paved: 250 km unpaved: 800 km (1995 est.)

Ports and harbors: Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)

Merchant marine: total : 100 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,451,548 GRT/1,945,514 DWT ships by type: bulk 32, cargo 30, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk 1, container 2, liquefied gas tanker 5, oil tanker 7, refrigerated cargo 13, vehicle carrier 8 note : a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 17 countries among which are Japan 31, India 10, Greece 7, Netherlands 7, US 7, Hong Kong 6, Canada 4, France 4, Australia 2, and Singapore 2 (1996 est.)

Airports: 30 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 19 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 17 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m : 10 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: no regular military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF; includes the paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile Force or VMF)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: NA

Military manpower - fit for military service: males: NA

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: claims Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia ______________________________________________________________________

VENEZUELA

@Venezuela:Geography

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: contiguous zone: 15 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea : 12 nm

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: arable land : 4% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures : 20% forests and woodland: 34% other: 41% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,900 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: subject to floods, rockslides, mud slides; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues: sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast

Environment - international agreements: party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Tropical Timber 94

Geography - note: on major sea and air routes linking North and South America

@Venezuela:People

Population: 22,396,407 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years : 34% (male 3,964,886; female 3,720,984) 15-64 years: 61% (male 6,877,890; female 6,838,799) 65 years and over: 5% (male 456,182; female 537,666) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.83% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 23.67 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 5.03 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 28.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population : 72.37 years male: 69.4 years female : 75.58 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.78 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Venezuelan(s) adjective: Venezuelan

Ethnic groups: mestizo 67%, white 21%, black 10%, Amerindian 2%

Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%

Languages: Spanish (official), native dialects spoken by about 200,000 Amerindians in the remote interior

Literacy: definition : age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91.1% male: 91.8% female: 90.3% (1995 est.)

@Venezuela:Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Venezuela conventional short form: Venezuela local long form: Republica de Venezuela local short form : Venezuela

Data code: VE

Government type: republic

National capital: Caracas

Administrative divisions: 22 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, Yaracuy, Zulia note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands

Independence: 5 July 1811 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1811)

Constitution: 23 January 1961

Legal system: based on Napoleonic code; judicial review of legislative acts in Cassation Court only; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez (since 2 February 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez (since 2 February 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1998) election results : Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez elected president; percent of vote - Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez (National Convergence) 30.45%, Claudio FERMIN (AD) 23.59%, Oswaldo ALVAREZ PAZ (COPEI) 22.72%, Andres VELASQUEZ (Causa R) 21.94%, other 1.3%