84 Facts About Venezuela

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on South America's northern coast.

Tropical resort islands such as Isla de Margarita and the Los Roques archipelago line its Caribbean coast. The Andes Mountains and the colonial town of Mérida, a base for visiting Sierra Nevada National Park, are to the northwest. The capital, Caracas, is located to the north.

Venezuela has a magnificent and diverse geography. It has islands in the Caribbean, rivers, marshlands, mountains, glaciers, highlands, grasslands (los llanos), deserts, canyons, mesas, forests, and jungles.

The habitats of the country range from the Andes Mountains in the west to the Amazon Basin rainforest in the south to the Caribbean coast in the north, via the extensive llanos plains in the centre to the Orinoco River Delta (east).

The Amazon Basin's northern boundary is located in southern Venezuela.

Venezuela is home to South America's largest lake. Lake Maracaibo is also one of the world's oldest lakes, dating back 20 to 40 million years.

Catatumbo lightning is a meteorological phenomenon that occurs only at the Catatumbo River's mouth, where it joins Lake Maracabio. Lightning strikes the lake up to 160 days a year, for up to ten hours at a time in the evening.

The country, which is entirely located in the tropics, has two types of seasonal weather: hot-humid season and hot-dry season. The difference is due to the amount of rain that fell during the season.

Venezuela is one of the world's 17 most biodiverse countries (a megadiverse country).

The biodiversity of scrublands, mangrove and cloud forests, and rainforests is particularly rich.

Venezuela is one of the top 20 countries in the world in terms of endemic (one-of-a-kind) animals and plants.

Venezuela is home to 50 percent of the amphibians and 23 percent of the reptiles. 38 percent of plant species and 48 percent of bird species are.

The cloud forests of Venezuela are home to over 25,000 orchid species, including the 'flor de mayo,' the country's national flower.

Over 3,900 fungi species have been discovered and recorded in Venezuela.

Three-toed and two-toed sloths, Amazon river dolphins, Orinoco crocodiles (up to 22 ft/6.6 m in length), giant anteaters, jaguars, and capybaras are among Venezuela's animal species.

The Amazon forests south of the Orinoco River basin are home to more than half of Venezuela's mammal and bird species, including the troupial, the country's national bird.

Venezuela has 43 national parks and protects up to 33% of its forested land.

A 32,000 square mile (82,880 km) reserve for the Yanomami tribes in the country's far south is off-limits to miners, farmers, and all non-Yanomami settlers.

The ancient Timoto-Cuica culture had permanent villages, irrigated and terraced fields, and even stored their water in tanks before Europeans arrived. Many died as a result of diseases brought by the Europeans after the conquest.

In 1497 on his third voyage to the Americas, Christopher Columbus sailed to the Orinoco Delta and declared he had found "Heaven on Earth". He dubbed this region "Land of Grace," which is still the country's nickname today.

The country's coast was visited by Alonso de Ojeda's expedition in 1499, and the stilt houses around Lake Maracaibo were discovered. Amerigo Vespucci named the region Veneziola ("Little Venice") because it reminded him of the city of Venice.

Spain colonised the territory in 1522. It was one of the first Spanish-American colonies to declare independence in 1811, and it finally obtained it in 1821 as part of Gran Columbia under Simón Bolívar.

The country seceded from Colombia in 1830 to form an independent republic. Páez was elected as the country's first president.

Venezuela experienced revolutions, dictatorships, counter-revolutions, and military juntas between 1830 and 1958.

Hugo Chavez attempted two coups in 1992, both of which failed.

Chavez was elected president by a landslide in December 1998, and he immediately began circumventing Congress and the constitution in order to control the economy and extend his term.

After Chavez was re-elected in a landslide in 2000, more turmoil ensued, including coup attempts, general strikes, a recall attempt, and sanctions from other countries. He was re-elected in 2006 and 2012, but died while still in office in March 2013.

In September 2013, President Nicolas Madura expelled US diplomats. In March 2015, US President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Venezuela and declared it a national security threat.

Venezuela is one of Latin America's most urbanised countries. Caracas is the country's capital.

The Bolivar Fuerte is the local currency. You can't change your money back to dollars or euros once you've converted it to this currency, so be aware of this and plan accordingly.

Venezuela has been one of the world's leading oil exporters since the discovery of massive oil deposits in the Lake Maracaibo area in the early twentieth century.

Venezuela is a founding member of OPEC and has the world's largest oil reserves.

The country is consistently ranked among the top ten crude oil producers in the world, and it has the eighth largest natural gas reserves.

The petroleum sector is the most important economic force, accounting for roughly 80% of their exports. Price controls instituted by Chavez and maintained by President Maduro have resulted in nationwide shortages of basic supplies such as milk and diapers.

The Guri Dam, one of the world's largest, provides all of the country's hydroelectric power.

Following the declaration of an economic emergency in January 2016 due to food and basic needs shortages, Maduro declared a constitutional state of emergency in May when a drought caused a power outage. He imposed nationwide rolling blackouts and reduced work hours.

According to some experts, Venezuelan inflation could reach 2000% in 2017 due to a chronic shortage of basic foods, goods, and medicines.

On December 12, 2016, President Nicolás Maduro demonetized the 100 bolivar note, giving people only 72 hours to exchange their old currency for the new one at banks. The president accused'mafias' based in the United States of attempting to destabilise the economy by hoarding Venezuelan bank notes.

The majority of Venezuelans are of mestizo, or mixed, ethnic ancestry. In the country, ethnic minorities are groups descended primarily from African or indigenous peoples.

According to a DNA genetic study conducted by the University of Brasilia in 2008, the population is nearly 61 percent European, 23 percent indigenous, and slightly more than 16 percent African.

The national language is Spanish, but the Constitution recognises more than 30 indigenous languages for use by the people. Furthermore, immigrants speak their native languages.

The population is 88 percent Christian, with the majority being Roman Catholic. Small but powerful Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist communities exist.

The language, bullfights, food, architecture, religion, and food all have a strong Spanish influence.

The African influence can be found in cuisine as well as the arts, particularly music and dance. Baseball has gained popularity in the United States.

Baseball was first played in Venezuela in the late nineteenth century. North American immigrants who came to work in the oil industry in the 1930s helped popularise it in the twentieth century.

Venezuela has had a National Professional Baseball League since 1945, and baseball is now the most popular sport in the country.

Famous Venezuelan baseball players who have played in the United States include Bo Diaz, Manny Trillo, Cesar Tovar, Luis Sojo, and Dave Concepcion.

Basketball is another popular sport. Venezuela hosted the FIBA Basketball Americas Championship in 2013 as well as the Basketball World Olympic Qualifying Tournament in 2012.

Soccer (football) is also popular.

Venezuelan music is a fusion of African and Spanish styles, with a heavy emphasis on percussion instruments and guitars.

The national instrument is a small guitar known as a cuatro (for its four strings).

Venezuela's national dance is joropo, a waltz-like dance.

Its musical styles and dances are diverse and include the bambuco and callipso.

Visit Funducon Bigott in Petare for workshops in popular arts and artisan crafts if you want to immerse yourself in the visual arts.

On Corpus Christi Day, the annual Red Devils of Yare Festival depicts Christianity triumphing over Satan.

Venezuela is well-known throughout the world for its beautiful women. Its Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth winners have won seven Miss Universe crowns, six Miss World crowns, seven Miss International crowns, and two Miss Earth crowns. The Miss Venezuela Pageant is a well-known annual event in Venezuela.

Venezuelans consume the majority of their food between noon and three o'clock in the afternoon. Many people return home to eat lunch with their families. They eat a light supper at eight o'clock or later at night.

Arepas are popular in Colombia and Venezuela, and they can be eaten at any time of day. These are popular all over the world and are made of thick corn tortillas stuffed with cheese and a variety of shredded meats and other fillings.

Lunch staples include 'pabellón' (rice, black beans, and meat served with plantain slices) and'reina pepiada'.

'Cachapas' are corn pancakes with a salty cheese called "queso de mano" or "telita" on top.

'Hallacas' are the country's take on tamales. Meat, olives, and raisins are wrapped in cornmeal, wrapped in plantain leaves, and steamed.

A popular local beverage is 'chicha andina,' which is made from rice or corn flour. Venezuelan coffee is delicious.

Venezuela's northern Caribbean coastline is the longest of any country's Caribbean coastline. Relax on the fine white sand while overlooking the clear blue sea, or go scuba diving, snorkelling, scuba diving, kite surfing, paragliding, and other ocean activities.

Cayo de Aqua, Cayo Francisqui, Isla Coche, Playa El Yaque, Praia Crasky, and Cayo Sombrero are among the most popular and highly recommended beaches. These can be found, among other places, in Los Roques National Park, Margarita Island, Mérida, and Isla el Gran Roque.

The Los Roques archipelago is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Morrocoy National Park, with its islets and mangrove groves, is located there. See turtles, birds, dolphins, and hundreds of pelicans, among other things.

Canaima National Park, at over 30,000 square kilometres, is the world's sixth largest national park. There are numerous rock mesa plateaus known as tepuis in the park that are of geological interest. Its cliffs, waterfalls, and lagoon provide breathtaking views.

Angel Falls, the world's tallest continuous fall (979 m), is located in Canaima and is only accessible by curiara (canoe), aeroplane, or helicopter. It stands sixteen times the height of Niagara Falls and was named after bush pilot Jimmy Angel, who crashed landed there in the 1930s.

The Sierra Nevada National Park contains half of Venezuela's highest mountains, including the highest, Pico Bolivar (5007m/16,427 ft). Bundle up and register at Pico de Aguila to enter the park for hiking. Take a tour. Near the peaks, the climate becomes polar.

Because of the country's electricity shortage, Venezuela's president has ordered women to refrain from using hair dryers. In April of 2016, the country was on the verge of a total power outage.

Christopher Columbus is credited with discovering the country.

In Venezuela, mothers must carry their children's birth certificates with them when purchasing diapers and other baby products.

Venezuelan police officers are sometimes forced to hire security because so many have been killed while performing their duties.

In 2009, Venezuela banned Coke Zero.

Venezuelans have the world's cheapest gasoline (petrol) because the government subsidises their oil industry. At a penny a litre, you can literally fill your tank with your spare change. In Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, oil is cheaper than water.

In Venezuela, students can choose when they want to go to school. They can go to school in the morning, afternoon, or evening.

Slavery was abolished in Venezuela in 1854, freeing approximately 25,000 slaves, or 3% of the population at the time.

Crime is prevalent in cities at all hours of the day and night, as well as on the roads after dark. Kidnappings are fairly common.

Venezuela has the world's highest murder rate. Robbers murder their victims quickly.

Because violent crime has become so prevalent in Venezuela, the government no longer produces or releases crime data.

There are approximately 33 prisons that house approximately 50,000 inmates. Its prisons can only house 14,000 inmates.

Venezuela is fourth in the world in terms of cocaine seizures, trailing only Colombia, the United States, and Panama. It is heavily involved in drug trafficking, particularly with Colombian cocaine.

Because of the country's troubled economy and high crime rate, many Venezuelan graduates seek opportunities elsewhere. It is estimated that nearly 12% of Venezuelans live in other countries.

Violent crime, unstable economic and political situations, and deterioration in basic living conditions, including shortages of medication, food, and water, have all contributed to social unrest in the country.

The CDC has identified Venezuela as a Zika outbreak location.