Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Venezuela: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCB, ranked #88 of 195).
Venezuela — in Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana. Political status: federal presidential republic. The country's capital is Caracas; it covers 912,050 sq km. Independence: 5 July 1811 (from Spain). Terrain: Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast. Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands. Population: 31.8 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +0.88% per year. Median age: 31.3 years. Life expectancy: 74.5 years (2024 est.). Languages: Spanish (official) 98.2%, indigenous 1.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.4% (2023 est.) Religions: …
| Capital | Caracas |
|---|---|
| Population | 31,755,435 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $110.943 billion (2023 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $4,900 (2023 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | -19.67% (2018 est.) |
| Inflation | 200.9% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% |
| Public debt | 38.9% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| Exports | $83.401 billion (2018 est.) |
| Imports | $18.432 billion (2018 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 74.5 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 31.3 |
| Urbanization | 88.4% of total population (2023) |
| Government | federal presidential republic |
| Independence | 5 July 1811 (from Spain) |
| Languages | Spanish (official) 98.2%, indigenous 1.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.4% (2023 est.) |
MCB · 50/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
No single event defined Jul–Sep 2026. The country's position is the product of long-cycle forces — geography, trade, neighbours — all of which held steady.
Momentum at zero is not stagnation; it is the accurate record of a quarter without a catalyst.
Oil, Natural gas, Iron ore, Gold, Bauxite, Hydropower, Diamonds.
Delcy Rodríguez — Interim President. Interim President Delcy Eloína RODRÍGUEZ Gómez (since 5 January 2026)
Venezuela maintains 89 embassies and 21 consulates abroad, hosts 57 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, OAS Washington. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 89 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 21 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 57 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, OAS Washington |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, diplomatic & consular networks database, Mar 2026 report (of-country ranking) https://zenodo.org/records/18917562 ; Jan 2026 report (in-country ranking) https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 2800 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 509 + 88 heliports (registration prefix YV) |
| Major seaports | Amuay (Bahia de Amuay), Bahia de Pertigalete, Ciudad Bolivar, Guanta, La Guaira, La Salina, Las Piedras, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Puerto de Hierro, Puerto la Cruz, Puerto Miranda, Puerto Ordaz, Punta Cardon |
| Railways | 447 km |
| Pipelines | 981 km extra heavy crude, 5941 km gas, 7,588 km oil, 1,778 km refined products (2013) |
Arturo Michelena International Airport (VLN) — Valencia; Del Caribe Santiago Mariño International Airport (PMV) — Isla Margarita; General José Antonio Anzoategui International Airport (BLA) — Barcelona; General Manuel Carlos Piar International Airport (PZO) — Guyana City; Jacinto Lara International Airport (BRM) — Barquisimeto; La Chinita International Airport (MAR) — Maracaibo; Maiquetía Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS) — Maiquetía; Antonio José de Sucre Airport (CUM) — Cumaná; Barinas Airport (BNS) — Barinas; Canaima Airport (CAJ) — Canaima.
Showing 10 of 15 major airports.
| Oil terminals | Jose terminal |
|---|
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | federal presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCB · 50 Ranked #88 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Venezuela.
Historical timeline of Venezuela
