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Other sectors The service industries employ 60% of the working population and contribute 53% of the GNP. 7 - Population There are 24.1 million inhabitants in Venezuela, 24 inhabitants per sq. km. The population is made up of 66% halfcasts, 22% whites, 10% blacks and 2% Indians. It is estimated that the population will increase by 60% to 34.8 million by 2025. The major part of the population is concentrated in the north west of the country in the mountain plateaus. Half of the population is under 20 years old. Only 12% of the population live in the countryside, 88% being concentrated in towns. Developement: Demographic growth 1997 - 2015 (%) ........ +1.5 Towns population (% total population) ............ 88 Percentage of under 15s .....................................34.4 Life expectation (years) ...................................... 73 Infant mortality (%) ............................................ 21 Energy consump. pp TOE .................................... 2.46 Population without drinking water (% po........ 21 Population without sanitation (% pop) ............. 42 N° of doctors for1000 inhabitants ..................... 1.6 Telephone lines for 1000 inhabitants ...............116 Mobile telephones for 1000 inhabitants ........... 46 Private cars for 1000 inhabitants ...................... 68 N° of computers for 1000 inhabitants ............... 36.6 Illiteracy rate in adults (%) ................................. 8 Secondary schooling (%) ................................... 40 University students (%) ...................................... 25 8 - Language The official language is Spanish. English is spoken for business and in the big hotels, French is rarely spoken except in the upper circles of society.  9 - Religion The main religious affiliation is Roman Catholic, practised by 91.7% of the population. The other 8.3% practise various other religions. 10 - Weights, measures and voltage The metric system is used generally. However in the industrial and hydro-carbon sectors the anglo-saxon system is in use. The electrical current is 110-120 volts throughout the country. The plugs are the same as the North American ones. 11 - Money The official currency is the Bolivar. The exchange rate of the boliver fluctuates on a daily basis of demand and supply. It is calculated in relation to the dollar. One French franc is approximately equivalent to 100 bolivars (Bs). Travellers cheques are generally accepted everywhere, in airports, exchange bureaus and banks. Credit cards are also generally accepted everywhere (Visa Master Card, Diner's Club, American Express...) 13 - Climate Temperature averages (max/min) : ...................J ...F ..M .A .M ..J ...J ..A ..S .O .N .D Caracas .....24 25 26 26 27 26 26 26 27 26 25 26 Maracaibo .32 32 33 33 33 34 34 34 34 33 33 33 n° of hours per day - rainfall (height in mm/n° of days) : .........................J...F...M...A...M...J...J...A...S...O...N...D Caracas ..........8 ..8 ..8 ...7 ..6 ...7 ...7 ..7 ...7 ..7 ...7 ...7 Maracaibo ......9 ..9 ..8 ...7 ..6 ...7 ...8 ..8 ...7 ..6 ...7 ...8 Barcelona ....10 10 10 ..9 ...9 ..7 ...7 ..7 ...8 ..9 ...9 ...9 Merida ............8 ..8 ..7 ..6 ...6 ...6 ...6 ..7 ...6 ..6 ...7 ...8 San Fernando 9 10 ..9.. 8 ...6 ...5 ...5 ..6 ...7 ..8 ...9 ...9 The climate in the north is nearly identical to the climate in the West Indies and the south is eqatorial. The year is divided into two seasons : the dry and the rainy season. The dry season (El Verano) goes from mid-December to mid-April and most of the country is affected. This season is the best one for travelling in Venezuela. Maracaibo, the Marguarita Islands, Tortuga and the north coast do not suffer from a very muggy heat, the temperatures do not go very high and the heat is less oppressive than in the rainy season. It is always sunny on the islands and on the coast to the east of Barcelona. It is cooler in Caracas and Merida because of the altitude. It rains even during the dry season, especially in Merida and in Venezuelan Guyana. There is everlasting snow above 3000 meters, the air is cold and damp. The rainy season lasts from the end of April to the beginning of November. During this period the heat is intense, particularly on the coast and in Maracaibo where the it doesn't rain very often. There are often floods in Caracas during the rainy season provoked by the aguaceros. And the Llanos are transformed from plains into marshes, making them difficult, if not impossible to cross. Certain regions are covered with over 4 meters of water. The Ouroque, Merida and Guyana are the most temperate regions. In December 1999 floods devastated the coastal regions, particularly around Vargas. These natural catastrophies had serious repercussions on the economy. The World Bank gave a donation of 50,000 dollars and made a reallocation of 200 million dollars. 14 - Insects and animals There are numerous snakes, you must be careful when walking in the countryside and on plantations. The forests and low lying land are plagued by mosquitoes day and night all through the year. Piranha - Ve-online - Radio : Morfeo Heure : World clock - WebCam - Isla Margarita Globovision

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