Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America. Comprising a continental mainland and numerous islands in the Caribbean Sea, Venezuela borders Guyana to the east, Brazil to the south, and Colombia to the west. Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Curaçao, Bonaire, Aruba, and the Leeward Antilles lie just north, off the Venezuelan coast. Falling within the tropics, Venezuela sits close to the Equator, in the Northern Hemisphere.
» Venezuela General Information
Area: 881,050 sq km (340,561 sq miles)
Capital: Caracas
Currency: 1 bolivar = 100 centimos
GNI per capita: US $9,230 (World Bank, 2008)
International dialling code: +58
Population: 28.6 million (UN, 2009)
President: Hugo Chavez
» Venezuela History
A former Spanish colony, Venezuela is a federal republic. Historically, Venezuela has had territorial disputes with Guyana, largely concerning the Essequibo area, and with Colombia concerning the Gulf of Venezuela. Today, Venezuela is known widely for its petroleum industry, the environmental diversity of its territory, and its natural features. Christopher Columbus, upon seeing its eastern coast in 1498, referred to Venezuela as "Tierra de Gracia" ("Land of Grace"), which has become the country?s nickname.
Venezuela is among the most urbanized countries in Latin America; the vast majority of Venezuelans live in the cities of the north, especially in the largest metropolis, Caracas. Other major cities include Maracaibo, Barquisimeto, Valencia, Maracay, and Ciudad Guayana. Although living standards are generally rising, Venezuela continues to battle high levels of poverty and environmental degradation. A pluralistic, multi-lingual, and multi-ethnic nation, Venezuela is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats.
