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 - including marines and
Coast Guard), 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 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 6,647,718 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 4,786,849 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 246,185 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $934 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.9% (FY99)
Transnational Issues Venezuela
Disputes - international: claims all of Guyana west of the Essequibo (river); maritime boundary dispute with Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela; several Caribbean states protest Venezuela's claim to Islas des Aves (Bird Islands), 565 km from Venezuelan mainland
Illicit drugs: small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing of opiates and coca derivatives; however, large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe; important money-laundering center; active eradication program primarily targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on border