Population: 23,203,466 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 33% (male 3,988,499; female 3,741,568)
15-64 years: 62% (male 7,231,546; female 7,184,769)
65 years and over: 5% (male 484,071; female 573,013) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.71% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 22.25 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 4.93 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 26.51 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.95 years
male: 69.97 years
female: 76.16 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.61 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Venezuelan(s)
adjective: Venezuelan

Ethnic groups: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people

Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%

Languages: Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects

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

 

In a barrio near the center of Barcelona, boys pass an afternoon with a kite made from a plastic bag.

With it's post card beauty, the town of Puerto la Cruz faces the Caribbean Sea. The small white building to the left of the center mountain is Dr. Luiz Razetti Hospital.

 

Barcelona buildings are colorful and close to the streets. Local men watch a motorcycle parked outside a business.

Map from CIA World Factbook, 1999

Venezuela Links:

Destination Venezuela -- From the Lonely Planet web site

Venezuela Web Server -- From MIT

Embassy of the Republic of Venezuela in the United States of America