FACTBOX: Venezuela's nationalizations under Hugo Chavez

(Reuters) - Venezuela said on Wednesday it would nationalize the OPEC country's largest steelmaker Ternium Sidor, extending President Hugo Chavez's wave of state takeovers meant to create a socialist state.

The self-styled revolutionary last week also launched a cement industry takeover that will affect the world's top three producers following last year's broad nationalization campaign to boost government control over the economy.

The following are the main nationalizations that have been carried out by the Chavez government:

STEEL

The Ternium Sidor takeover will affect majority stakeholder Argentine steelmaker Ternium, which is a subsidiary of Argentina-controlled conglomerate Techint.

CEMENT

After a shock nationalization announcement by Chavez last week, the government has begun negotiations with the world's top three cement producers to take at least a 60 percent stake in their Venezuelan units.

The targeted companies, Mexico's Cemex, Switzerland's Holcim and France's Lafarge, dominate the Venezuelan industry.

OIL

During the second half of last year, Venezuela took a majority stake in four heavy oil projects operating in the Orinoco river basin worth an estimated total of $30 billion.

U.S. companies Exxon and ConocoPhillips quit the nation over the move and filed arbitration claims against Venezuela seeking compensation.

France's Total and Norway's StatoilHydro received a combined total of about $1 billion in compensation after agreeing to reduce their holdings to stay on in the projects.

Britain's BP and America's Chevron remained as minority partners without losing share in their projects.

Industry analysts said those companies who chose to stay were mainly motivated by a desire to keep a foothold in a country with some of the largest reserves outside the Middle East.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The Chavez government early last year nationalized CANTV, the nation's largest telecommunications company, buying out U.S.-based Verizon Communications' 28.5 stake for $572 million. Analysts said Verizon received fair compensations for its assets.