General Information

Oficial Name: República Bolivariana de Venezuela.

Area: 912.050 Km2.

Coasts: 2.800 Km.

Political Divition : 23 states, 1 Federal District and 1 Federal Dependence.

Population: 25.553.504 inhabitants (2003).

Population Density : 26.4 inHab./Km2

Capital: Caracas

Coin: bolívar (Bs.) 1 bolívar = 2150 USD.

Language(s): (oficial) Spanish; several indigenous dialects.

Religion: 96.0% catholics, 2.0% protestantes; 2.0% others.

National Holiday : 5 of July, Independence Day.

Gentilicio: venezolano/a.

Ofitial Time : GMT -4 hours.

GEOGRAPHY

Venezuela is located in the north side of South America, gently covered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.  Venezuela shares its borders with Colombia to the west and the south, with Brazil to the south-west, with the English Guyana to the East and, to the north side with the Caribbean Sea.  The territory is divided in seven geographic regions:  a) The central mountain range or the Caribbean shore, a torrid zone that goes from the Maracaibo Lake to the Paria Peninsula;  b) The “Los Andes” range (Perijá and Mérida system), where the highest peak of the country is located, the “Bolivar Peak” (5.477658 yards)  and other important summits; c) The western range which is a moist and warm region with a great deal of oil fields;  d) “Los Llanos” a plain or flat, cattle-breed region that occupies one third of the national territory and is surrounded by the magnificent Orinoco river and some of its flows;  e) “La Gran Sabana” a wild zone located at the south-east  where the peculiar escarped shape of its plateaus give birth to wonderful falls, among them there is the great “Angel fall”, the highest of the world with almost one kilometer height  (1063.36 yards); f) The Eastern range, a dreamed land of landscapes where the fishermen develop their work day crossing the Caribbean Sean and the Atlantic Ocean;  g) The Islands:  The country has over 70 islands, including Margarita, “Coche and Cubagua”, and one group of little islands and sand mountains called “Los Roques”.

Venezuela is actually demanding 143.000 square kilometers, which are in current possession of the English Guyana.

Population

Venezuela’s population is mainly racially mixed with a 67%, although the rest of its ethnic composition is divided like this:  21% of white people; 10% of black people and a 2% of native Indians.

This mixed race was even stronger starting in 1940 when a contingent of Italian, Portuguese and Spanish people, who immigrated to Venezuela due to the difficult situation that Europe was going through that time, and also because of the growing oil business.  In the meantime, deep in the south of the continent, dictatorships were taking their places which forced thousands of Argentineans and Chileans to flee from their countries with a one way ticket to Venezuela, nevertheless the mixed race remains as the dominant race in the country.

The Venezuelan population is considered to be young, being the average age 22.6 years (2000) and the life expectation of 64.5 years.

The inhabitants are unevenly distributed between the coasts and the valleys, while a great deal of territory from the southern part of the country is practically abandoned.

Industry

Venezuela is a country that produces one product only, being the extraction, the refine and exploitation of the crude oil and natural gas the main activities that support the Venezuelan economy and place the country in seventh, among the world oil producers.  This part of the Venezuela’s economy was nationalized in 1976 and it has grown world wide.

Beneath the Venezuelan soil, besides oil, important reservoirs of minerals can be found too. Those that have given birth to a great industrial complex, that processes mainly metals and lasting goods, which have been produced to supply the internal demand and are also exported to countries like Colombia, Brazil, Italy and Spain.

A little over 68% of the produced energy comes from the national hydro-electric complexes.

Vegetation and Weather

The Venezuelan flora is characterized by its wealth and diversity.  It counts on marine flowers and palm trees in the coasts and islands; cedar and “jarillo” forests in the tempered medium high zones; a dense, full of trees, savannah and immense graze fields in the plains and jungle species that open the entrance to the magnificent Orinoco river which flows far deep into the south of the country.

Due to its geographical location, the Venezuelan weather is almost the equatorial type; with a great deal of rains during the whole year. Even the altitude and the location in relation to the sea level is a conclusive factor which creates important regional modifications.

In the warm zones, those fewer than 875.2 yards, the average temperature is 86 degrees Fahrenheit. In the medium high tempered zones (between 875.2 and 2188 yards), the temperature descends to 66.2 degrees Fahrenheit and the rains are more often, meanwhile in the summits or cold zones (above 2188 yards)  the environment goes colder and dry and the temperature is below 60.8 degrees Fahrenheit.

Take care of your environment so we can all enjoy this beautiful country

Created by Oxus Studios C.A.

© Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. Oxus Studios C.A.