illicit producer of cannabis, opium, and coca leaf for
the international drug trade on a small scale; however, large
quantities of cocaine and heroin transit the country from Colombia;
important money-laundering hub

Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-86), $488 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $10 million

Currency: 1 bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimos

Exchange rates: bolivares (Bs) per US$1 - 169.570 (January 1995),
148.503 (1994), 90.826 (1993), 68.38 (1992), 56.82 (1991), 46.90
(1990)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Venezuela:Transportation

Railroads:
total: 542 km (363 km single track; 179 km privately owned)
standard gauge: 542 km 1.435-m gauge

Highways:
total: 81,000 km
paved: 31,200 km
unpaved: gravel 24,800 km; earth and unimproved earth 25,000 km

Inland 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: 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: 39 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 686,811 GRT/1,110,829 DWT

ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 11, combination bulk 1, liquefied gas
tanker 2, oil tanker 15, passenger-cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 4,
short-sea passenger 1

Airports:
total: 431
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 4
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 65
with paved runways under 914 m: 191
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 12
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 114

@Venezuela:Communications

Telephone system: 1,440,000 telephones; modern and expanding
local: NA
intercity: 3 domestic satellite earth stations
international: 3 submarine coaxial cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean)
earth station

Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 181, FM 0, shortwave 26
radios: NA

Television:
broadcast stations: 59
televisions: NA

@Venezuela:Defense Forces

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 Cooperation or Guardia Nacional)

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