Part 882

Agriculture - products: corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish

Exports: total value : $22.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: petroleum 72%, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures partners: US and Puerto Rico 55%, Japan, Netherlands, Italy

Imports: total value : $10.2 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials partners: US 40%, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Canada

Debt - external: $26.5 billion (1996)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $46 million (1993)

Currency: 1 bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimos

Exchange rates: bolivares (Bs) per US$1 - 476.840 (January 1997), 417.333 (1996), 176.843 (1995), 148.503 (1994), 90.826 (1993), 68.376 (1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Venezuela:Communications

Telephones: 1.44 million (1987 est.)

Telephone system: modern and expanding domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations international: 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

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

Radios: 9.04 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 59

Televisions: 3.3 million (1992 est.)

@Venezuela:Transportation

Railways: total : 584 km (336 km single track; 248 km privately owned) standard gauge: 584 km 1.435-m gauge

Highways: total: 82,700 km paved: 32,501 km unpaved: 50,199 km (1995 est.)

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 and harbors: 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: 28 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 525,123 GRT/933,016 DWT ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 7, combination bulk 1, container 1, liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 9, passenger-cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea passenger 1 (1996 est.)

Airports: 360 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total : 261 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 35 914 to 1,523 m: 58 under 914 m: 153 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 99 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 92 (1996 est.)

Military

Military 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 Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional)

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age