Introduction to Geography of Venezuela
Venezuela, or Republic of Venezuela, a country in northern South America. It was given its name, meaning “Little Venice,” by an early Spanish explorer after he saw native huts built on posts in Lake Maracaibo. The country lies entirely within the tropical zone of the Northern Hemisphere. It is bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; on the east by Guyana; on the south by Brazil; and on the west by Colombia.
There are 72 Caribbean islands that belong to Venezuela. Margarita, with an area of 440 square miles (1,140 km 2), is the largest.
Facts in brief about VenezuelaCapital: Caracas.Official language: Spanish.Official name: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela).Area: 352,145 mi2 (912,050 km2). Greatest distances—north-south, 790 mi (1,271 km); east-west, 925 mi (1,489 km). Coastline—1,750 mi (2,816 km).Elevation: Highest—Pico Bolívar, 16,411 ft (5,002 m) above sea level. Lowest—sea level along the coast.Population: Current estimate—28,112,000; density, 80 per mi2 (31 per km2); distribution, 88 percent urban, 12 percent rural. 2001 census—23,054,210.Chief products: Agriculture—bananas, beef cattle, chickens and eggs, coffee, milk. Manufacturing—aluminum, petrochemicals, pig iron, processed foods, refined petroleum, steel. Mining—alumina, coal, iron ore, natural gas, petroleum.National anthem: "Gloria al Bravo Pueblo" ("Glory to the Brave People").Flag: Venezuela's state flag, adopted in 1954, has three horizontal stripes, yellow, blue, and red (top to bottom). The blue stripe has seven stars. The civil flag has no coat of arms. On the coat of arms, the running horse symbolizes liberty; the wheat sheaf, unity; and the swords, independence.Money: Basic unit—bolívar. One hundred centimos equal one bolívar.Physical Geography
Venezuela lies on the north coast of South America along the Caribbean Sea.LandVenezuela has four major regions—the Venezuelan Highlands, the Lake Maracaibo Basin, the Orinoco Lowlands, and the Guiana Highlands.
The Venezuelan Highlands, in the north and west, consist of an almost unbroken mountain chain. The highest range is Cordillera de Mérida, an arm of the Andes cresting at 16,427 feet (5,007 m) above sea level. Most of Venezuela's population is centered in or near this highland region, especially in the elevated valleys.
The Lake Maracaibo Basin, in the northwest, is an oil-rich, nearly level lowland surrounding Lake Maracaibo.
The Orinoco Lowlands, or the Llanos, are largely grassy plains between the Orinoco River and the Venezuelan Highlands. Much of the region is sparsely settled and subject to alternating periods of drought and flood. The Orinoco's delta is primarily swamp.
The Guiana Highlands, in the south and southeast, are remote and virtually uninhabited. This region, rich in minerals and timber, consists of rolling hills and high plateaus. Here the spectacular Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall, plunges 3,212 feet (979 m).
WaterOrinoco River, with one of the largest flows in the world, drains four-fifths of the country and provides an important route to the interior. Major tributaries include the Apure, Caroní, Caura, and Meta rivers. Lake Maracaibo and the Gulf of Venezuela cut deeply into the land and provide an excellent waterway for exporting oil. The Caribbean coast (about 1,750 miles [2,816 km] long) has many fine harbors, including those at Puerto Cabello and La Guaira, the chief port for Caracas.
ClimateAlthough Venezuela lies in the tropics, the climate varies greatly with altitude. The Maracaibo Basin is hot and humid, with all months averaging more than 80° F. (27° C.). Temperatures drop sharply in the mountains, which is why most of the people live between 1,500 and 6,000 feet (450 and 1,800 m) above sea level. Caracas, the capital, is situated at more than 3,000 feet (900 m) and has average monthly temperatures varying from 65° to 71° F. (18° to 22° C.). Permanent snow occurs at about 15,000 feet (4,500 m). Rainfall varies greatly. In the Maracaibo Basin and along the northern coast it is relatively light. But it increases inland. The low-lying Llanos are hot and rainy in summer, warm and dry in winter. Virtually all sections of Venezuela have rainy summers and dry winters.
Animals and PlantsVenezuela's plant life is extremely varied. Most of the country is covered by either tropical forests (in the Guiana Highlands) or savannas and other grasslands (in the Llanos). In the Venezuelan Highlands the vegetation ranges from tropical to alpine, depending on elevation. There are also sizable areas of swamp and marsh vegetation.
Wildlife abounds, especially in the Llanos and the Guiana Highlands, where large areas provide unaltered natural habitats. Among the mammals are jaguars, pumas, ocelots, bears, deer, wild pigs, sloths, anteaters, capybaras, and monkeys. Alligators, anacondas, and boa constrictors are among the many reptiles. Birds, fish, and insects are almost countless in variety.
Economy
Venezuela is a developing, potentially rich nation. Petroleum, the mainstay of the economy, has made possible substantial economic growth. Benefits from the industry, however, have not been widely distributed, and a large percentage of the nation's rapidly growing population is poorly housed, fed, clothed, and educated. Rural areas, in general, have made little progress. Most of the wealth centers in the cities, especially Caracas, the capital, to which many of the rural poor have been drawn in search of a better life. To improve conditions nationwide and to diversify the economy, the government has undertaken numerous development programs and the nationalization of key industries.
Petroleum and MiningVenezuela has long been one of the world's leading oil producing and exporting nations. Crude oil and refinery products make up the bulk of the nation's exports and earn most of its foreign exchange. Production comes mainly from the Lake Maracaibo area and, to a lesser extent, the northeastern part of the Llanos. Of greater potential importance, though difficult and costly to extract, are the enormous oil reserves locked in the sands of the Orinoco tar belt. To provide more revenue for use in the nation's development, the petroleum industry was nationalized in 1976. Venezuela is also a large producer of natural gas, bauxite, and iron ore. Diamonds, gold, and coal are also produced.
ManufacturingVenezuela has made substantial gains in manufacturing, both in variety and in value of output, but remains dependent on many foreign-made goods. Caracas is the chief manufacturing and industrial center, though other cities in the north are also important. Together, they produce many kinds of products, including steel, aluminum, processed foods, beverages, textiles, motor vehicles, petroleum products, chemicals, petrochemicals, fertilizers, and cement.
Petroleum refining and the petrochemical industry are largely in the Lake Maracaibo area and along the Caribbean coast. The chief city for heavy industry, however, is Ciudad Guayana, which lies on the Orinoco River near rich mineral resources and Guri (or Raúl Leoni) Dam, one of the largest hydroelectric installations in the world. Ciudad Guayana produces iron, steel, and aluminum.
Agriculture and FishingAgriculture is one of the weakest sectors of Venezuela's economy, and large amounts of food must be imported. Problems have included poor farming practices and lack of modern equipment. Since about 1960 the government has undertaken many programs in an attempt to make the nation self-sufficient in food and improve the rural standard of living. These measures include land reform and the completion of large irrigation and reclamation projects.
Most of the farming is done in or near the northern highlands, where, depending on elevation, many tropical and temperate crops are grown. Agricultural land in the Llanos is devoted primarily to cattle ranching, though some areas are being opened to farming. Principal food crops include corn, rice, beans, cassava, sweet potatoes, yams, and white potatoes. Coffee and cacao are important export crops. Other agricultural products include sugarcane, bananas, tobacco, oranges, and cotton.
Commercial fishing is a significant and increasingly important industry. Sardines, tuna, herring, red snapper, and shellfish make up most of the catch.
Transportationis best developed in the Venezuelan Highlands and the Maracaibo Basin and is being extended into the Llanos. Venezuela's section of the Pan American Highway extends in a great arc across the country, passing through Caracas. Venezuela has one of the best road systems in South America. Railway trackage amounts to about 250 miles (400 km). Caracas has Venezuela's only subway system.
Many parts of the interior, especially in the Guiana Highlands, are inaccessible except by air. The Orinoco River is navigable to large oceangoing ships as far as Ciudad Bolívar and to small vessels beyond.
The chief seaports are Puerto Cabello, Maracaibo, and La Guaira. Simón Bolívar International Airport, near Caracas, is the country's main international airport.
The People
PopulationDuring recent decades the population has been growing at one of the highest rates in the world. More than three-fourths of the people live in urban areas, about one-fifth in Greater Caracas.
About 70 per cent of the people are mulatto-mestizos, of mixed Spanish, Indian, and African descent. The rest include Indians in the remote areas, blacks along the Caribbean coast, and people of unmixed European descent in the larger cities.
Venezuela's largest cities are Caracas, the capital, Maracaibo, Valencia, and Maracay.
Language, Religion, and CultureExcept among the Indian tribes, which have their own languages, Spanish is the dominant language. There is complete religious freedom, but nearly all the people are Roman Catholics.
Venezuelan handicrafts include ceramics, gold and pearl jewelry, hand-woven hammocks, and laces and embroideries. In the arts, the 18th-century religious composer José Angel Lamas and the 19th-century historical painter Martín Tovar y Tovar are outstanding. Venezuela's best-known novelist is Rómulo Gallegos, whose Doña Bárbara (1929) won worldwide attention.
EducationAll public education is free. Six years of elementary schooling are required by law, and most children have access to a school. Secondary education offers three programs: preparation for college; training for elementary school teaching; and vocational training. Special schools provide technical and vocational instruction for adults, with emphasis on training intended to produce skilled workers for industry.
Venezuela's oldest university is Central University, founded in 1725, at Caracas. Simón Bolívar University, opened in 1970 at Caracas, was the first to stress scientific and technological training. There are also schools for commercial, agricultural, nurses', and teachers' training, as well as private universities.
Government
Venezuela, a federal republic, is governed under the 1999 constitution. The country is divided into 23 states; a federal district, which contains the capital of Caracas; and federal dependencies, which encompass 72 islands.
Executive power in the federal government is vested in the president, who is elected by direct popular vote for a six-year term. The president appoints ministers to serve in the Council of Ministers. Venezuela's National Assembly, the legislative branch, is unicameral. Members of the National Assembly are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms.
The judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Court of Justice; magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for twelve-year terms. The states have several levels of courts.
Each of the 23 states have a governor, who is elected by direct popular vote. Members of the state legislative assemblies are also elected.