Government

Venezuela is governed under the 1999 constitution. The president is popularly elected for a six-year term and may be elected to a second term. Members of the 167-seat unicameral National Assembly are elected for five-year terms. The major parties are the Fifth Republic Movement (MVR), the Democratic Action party, and the Social Christian party (COPEI). Administratively, Venezuela consists of 23 states, a federal district, of which Caracas is a part, and a federal dependency, which includes 11 island groups.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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