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Venezuela
Capital Caracas
(and largest city) 10°30′N 66°58′W
Demonym Venezuelan
Independence
Area
Population
GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate
Gini (2007) [2]
41 (high)
HDI (2010) [3]
0.696 (high) (75th)
Currency [4]
Bolívar fuerte (VEF)
ISO 3166 code VE
The "Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela" has been the full official title since the adoption of the new Constitution of 1999, when the
state was renamed in honor of Simón Bolívar.
The Constitution also recognizes all indigenous languages spoken in the country.
Area totals include only Venezuelan-administered territory.
On 1 January 2008 a new bolivar, the bolívar fuerte (ISO 4217 code VEF), worth 1,000 VEB, was introduced.
Venezuela (pronounced /ˌvɛnɨˈzweɪlə/ ( listen); Spanish: [beneˈswela]), officially called the Bolivarian Republic of
Venezuela (Spanish: República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a tropical country on the northern coast of South
America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south. Its roughly 2800 kilometres
(1700 mi) northern coastline includes numerous islands in the Caribbean Sea, and in the north east borders the
northern Atlantic Ocean. Caribbean islands such as Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Curaçao, Aruba and the Leeward
Antilles lie near the Venezuelan coast. Venezuela's territory covers around 916445 square kilometres ( sq mi) with
an estimated population of 29,105,632. Venezuela is considered a country with extremely high biodiversity, with
habitats ranging from the Andes mountains in the west to the Amazon Basin rainforest in the south, via extensive
llanos plains and Caribbean coast in the center and the Orinoco River Delta in the east.
Venezuela was colonized by Spain in 1522, overcoming resistance from indigenous peoples. It became the first
Spanish American colony to declare independence (in 1811), but did not securely establish independence until 1821
(initially as a department of the federal republic of Gran Colombia, gaining full independence in 1830). During the
19th century Venezuela suffered political turmoil and dictatorship, and it was dominated by regional caudillos
(military strongmen) into the 20th century. It first saw democratic rule from 1945 to 1948, and after a period of
dictatorship has remained democratic since 1958, during which time most countries of Latin America suffered one or
more military dictatorships. Economic crisis in the 1980s and 1990s led to a political crisis which saw hundreds dead
in the Caracazo riots of 1989, two attempted coups in 1992, and the impeachment of President Carlos Andrés Pérez
Venezuela 3
for corruption in 1993. A collapse in confidence in the existing parties saw the 1998 election of former career officer
Hugo Chávez, and the launch of a "Bolivarian Revolution", beginning with a 1999 Constituent Assembly to write a
new Constitution of Venezuela.
Venezuela is a federal presidential republic consisting of 23 states, the Capital District (covering Caracas), and
Federal Dependencies (covering Venezuela's offshore islands). Venezuela is among the most urbanized countries in
Latin America;[4] [5] the vast majority of Venezuelans live in the cities of the north, especially in the capital, Caracas,
which is also the largest city. Venezuela is a founder member of the United Nations (1945), the Organization of
American States (1948), the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) (1960), the Group of 15
(1989), the World Trade Organization (1995), the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) (2004) and the
Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) (2008). Since the discovery of oil in the early 20th century,
Venezuela has been one of the world's leading exporters of oil. Previously an underdeveloped exporter of
agricultural commodities such as coffee and cocoa, oil quickly came to dominate exports and government revenues.
The 1980s oil glut led to an external debt crisis and a long-running economic crisis, which saw inflation peak at
100% in 1996 and poverty rates rise to 66% in 1995[6] as (by 1998) per capita GDP fell to the same level as 1963,
down a third from its 1978 peak.[7] The recovery of oil prices after 2001 boosted the Venezuelan economy and
facilitated social spending, although the fallout of the 2008 global financial crisis saw a renewed economic
downturn.
Etymology
In 1498, during his third voyage to the Americas, Christopher
Columbus sailed near the Orinoco Delta and then landed in the Gulf of
Paria. Amazed, Columbus expressed in his moving letter to Isabella
and Ferdinand that he had reached the heaven on Earth (the paradise),
and confused by the unusual saltiness of the water, he wrote:
Great signs are these of the Terrestrial Paradise, for the site
conforms to the opinion of the holy and wise theologians whom I
have mentioned. And likewise, the [other] signs conform very
A palafito, a village or dwelling erected on bodies
well, for I have never read or heard of such a large quantity of
[8] fresh water being inside and in such close proximity to salt
of water.
water; the very mild temperateness also corroborates this; and if
the water of which I speak does not proceed from Paradise then it is an even greater marvel, because I do not
believe such a large and deep river has ever been known to exist in this world.[9]
His certainty of having attained Paradise made him name this region Land of Grace, a phrase which has become the
country's nickname.
Nevertheless, the following year of 1499, an expedition led by Alonso de Ojeda visited the Venezuelan coast. The
stilt houses in the area of Lake Maracaibo reminded the navigator Amerigo Vespucci of the city of Venice, (Italian:
Venezia), so he named the region "Venezuela,"[10] meaning "little Venice" in Italian. The word has the same meaning
in Spanish, where the suffix -uela is used as a diminutive term (e.g., plaza / plazuela, cazo / cazuela); thus, the term's
original sense would have been that of a "little Venice".[11]
Nonetheless, although the Vespucci story remains the most popular and accepted version of the origin of the
country's name, a different reason for the name comes up in the account of Martín Fernández de Enciso, a member of
the Vespucci and Ojeda crew. In his work Summa de Geografía, he states that they found an indigenous population
who called themselves the "Veneciuela," which suggests that the name "Venezuela" may have evolved from the
native word.[12]
Venezuela 4
History
Human habitation of Venezuela could have commenced at least
15,000 years ago from which period leaf-shaped tools, together
with chopping and plano-convex scraping implements, have been
found exposed on the high riverine terraces of the Rio Pedregal in
western Venezuela.[13] Late Pleistocene hunting artifacts,
including spear tips, have been found at a similar series of sites in
northwestern Venezuela known as "El Jobo"; according to
radiocarbon dating, these date from 13,000 to 7000 BC.[14]
Colonization
Spain's colonization of mainland Venezuela started in 1522, establishing its first permanent South American
settlement in the present-day city of Cumaná. The 16th century also saw fitful attempts at German colonization.
Indian caciques (leaders) such as Guaicaipuro (c. 1530–1568) and Tamanaco (died 1573) attempted to resist Spanish
incursions, but the newcomers ultimately subdued them; Tamanaco was put to death by order of Caracas' founder
Diego de Losada.[16] In the 16th century, during the Spanish colonization, indigenous peoples such as many of the
Mariches, themselves descendants of the Caribs rejected paganism and embraced Roman Catholicism. Some of the
resisting tribes or leaders are commemorated in place names, including Caracas, Chacao, and Los Teques. The early
colonial settlements focussed on the northern coast,[15] but in the mid-18th century the Spanish pushed further inland
along the Orinoco River. Here the Ye'kuana (then known as the Makiritare) organised serious resistance in 1775 and
1776.[17]
Spain's eastern Venezuelan settlements were incorporated into New Andalusia Province. Administered by the Royal
Audiencia of Santo Domingo from the early 16th century, most of Venezuela became part of the Viceroyalty of New
Granada in the early 18th century, and was then reorganized as an autonomous Captaincy General starting in 1776.
The town of Caracas, founded in the central coastal region in 1567, was well-placed to become a key location, being
near the coastal port of La Guaira whilst itself being located in a valley in a mountain range, providing defensive
strength against pirates and a more fertile and healthy climate.[18]
Venezuela 5
Independence
After a series of unsuccessful uprisings,
Venezuela—under the leadership of Francisco de
Miranda, a Venezuelan marshal who had fought in the
American Revolution and the French
Revolution—declared independence on 5 July 1811.
This began the Venezuelan War of Independence.
However, a devastating earthquake that struck Caracas
in 1812, together with the rebellion of the Venezuelan
llaneros, helped bring down the first Venezuelan
republic.[19] A second Venezuelan republic, proclaimed
The signing of Venezuela's independence, by Martín Tovar y Tovar.
on 7 August 1813, lasted several months before being
crushed as well.
The colors of the Venezuelan flag are yellow, blue and red, in that order: the yellow stands for land wealth, the blue
for the sea that separates Venezuela from Spain, and the red for the blood shed by the heroes of independence.[22]
Venezuela 6
19th century
Much of Venezuela's 19th century history was characterized by political turmoil
and dictatorial rule,[23] including Independence leader José Antonio Páez, who
gained the presidency three times and served a total of eleven years between
1830 and 1863. This culminated in the Federal War (1859–1863), a civil war in
which hundreds of thousands died, in a country with a population of not much
more than a million people. In the latter half of the century Antonio Guzmán
Blanco, another caudillo, served a total of thirteen years between 1870 and 1887,
with three other presidents interspersed.
In 1895 a longstanding dispute with Great Britain about the territory of Guayana
Esequiba, which Britain claimed as part of British Guiana and Venezuela saw as
Venezuelan territory, erupted into the Venezuela Crisis of 1895. The dispute
became a diplomatic crisis when Venezuela's lobbyist William L. Scruggs sought José Antonio Páez
to argue that British behaviour over the issue violated the United States' Monroe
Doctrine of 1823, and used his influence in Washington, D.C. to pursue the matter. Then US President Grover
Cleveland adopted a broad interpretation of the Doctrine that did not just simply forbid new European colonies but
declared an American interest in any matter within the hemisphere.[24] Britain ultimately accepted arbitration, but in
negotiations over its terms was able to persuade the US on much of the details. A tribunal convened in Paris in 1898
to decide the issue, and in 1899 awarded the bulk of the disputed territory to British Guiana.[25]
20th century
The discovery of massive oil deposits in Lake Maracaibo during World War I would prove pivotal for Venezuela,
and soon transformed the basis of its economy, from a heavy dependence on agricultural exports. It prompted an
economic boom that would last into the 1980s; by 1935, Venezuela's per capita gross domestic product was Latin
America's highest.[26] Gómez benefited handsomely from this, as corruption thrived, but at the same time, the new
source of income helped him centralise the Venezuelan state and develop its authority. He remained the most
powerful man in Venezuela until his death in 1935, although at times he ceded the Presidency to others. The
gomecista dictatorship system largely continued under Eleazar López Contreras, but from 1941, under Isaías Medina
Angarita, was relaxed, with the latter granting a range of reforms, including the legalization of all political parties.
After World War II the globalization and heavy immigration from Southern Europe (mainly from Spain, Italy,
Portugal and France) and poorer Latin American countries markedly diversified Venezuelan society.
Venezuela 7
In 1945 a civilian-military coup overthrew Medina Angarita and ushered in a three-year period of democratic rule
under the mass membership Democratic Action, initially under Rómulo Betancourt, until Rómulo Gallegos won the
Venezuelan presidential election, 1947 (generally believed to be the first free and fair elections in Venezuela).
Gallegos governed until overthrown by a military junta led by Marcos Pérez Jiménez and Gallegos' Defense Minister
Carlos Delgado Chalbaud in the 1948 Venezuelan coup d'état. Pérez Jiménez was the most powerful man in the junta
(though Chalbaud was its titular President), and was suspected of being behind the death in office of Chalbaud, who
died in a bungled kidnapping in 1950. When the junta unexpectedly lost the election it held in 1952, it ignored the
results and Pérez Jiménez was installed as President, where he remained until 1958.
The election of Carlos Andrés Pérez in 1973 coincided with the 1973 oil crisis, which saw Venezuela's income
explode as oil prices soared. This led to massive increases in public spending, but also increases in external debts,
which continued into the 1980s when the collapse of oil prices during the 1980s crippled the Venezuelan economy.
As the government started to devalue the currency in February 1983 in order to face its financial obligations,
Venezuelans' real standard of living fell dramatically. A number of failed economic policies and increasing
corruption in government led to rising poverty and crime, worsening social indicators, and increased political
instability.[27] Corruption remains a problem; Venezuela was ranked near the bottom of countries in the Corruptions
Perceptions Index in 2009.[28]
Economic crisis in the 1980s and 1990s led to a political crisis which saw hundreds dead in the Caracazo riots of
1989, two attempted coups in 1992,[29] and the impeachment of President Carlos Andrés Pérez (re-elected in 1988)
for corruption in 1993. Coup leader Hugo Chávez was pardoned in March 1994 by president Rafael Caldera, with a
clean slate and his political rights intact. A collapse in confidence in the existing parties saw Chávez elected
President in 1998, and the subsequent launch of a "Bolivarian Revolution", beginning with a 1999 Constituent
Assembly to write a new Constitution of Venezuela.
Chávez' "Bolivarian Revolution" reform program was aimed at redistributing the benefits of Venezuela's oil wealth
to the lower socio-economic groups by using it to fund programs such as health care and education. In April 2002,
Chávez was briefly ousted from power in a coup d'état,[30] but he was returned to power after two days as a result of
popular demonstrations in his favour and actions by the military.[31] Chávez also remained in power after an all-out
national strike that lasted more than two months in December 2002 – February 2003, including a strike/lockout in
the state oil company PDVSA, and an August 2004 recall referendum. He was elected for another term in December
2006.
Venezuela 8
Geography
Venezuela is located in the north of South
America; geologically its mainland rests on
the South American Plate. It has a total area
of 916445 square kilometres ( sq mi) and a
land area of 882050 square kilometres (
sq mi), making it the 33rd largest country.
The territory it controls lies between
latitudes 0° and 13°N, and longitudes 59°
and 74°W.
The northern mountains are the extreme northeastern extensions of South America's
Andes mountain range reach. Pico Bolívar, the nation's highest point at 4979 metres
(16335 ft), lies in this region. To the south, the dissected Guiana Highlands contains the
northern fringes of the Amazon Basin and Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall as
well as tepuis, large table-like mountains. The country's center is characterized by the
llanos, which are extensive plains that stretch from the Colombian border in the far west
to the Orinoco River delta in the east. The Orinoco, with its rich alluvial soils, binds the
largest and most important river system of the country; it originates in one of the largest
watersheds in Latin America. The Caroní and the Apure are other major rivers.
Angel Falls, the tallestVenezuela borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south.
waterfall in the world Caribbean islands such as Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Curaçao, Aruba and the
Leeward Antilles lie near the Venezuelan coast. Venezuela has territorial disputes with
Guyana (formerly United Kingdom), largely concerning the Essequibo area, and with Colombia concerning the Gulf
of Venezuela. In 1895, after years of diplomatic attempts to solve the border dispute, from Venezuela, the dispute
over the Essequibo River border flared up, it was submitted to a "neutral" commission (composed of United
Kingdom, United States and Russian representatives and without a direct Venezuelan representative), which in 1899
decided mostly against Venezuela's claim.[32]
Venezuela most significant natural resources are petroleum and natural gas, iron ore, gold and other minerals. It also
has large areas of arable land and water.
Venezuela 9
Climate
Though Venezuela is entirely situated in the tropics, its climate varies
from humid low-elevation plains, where average annual temperatures
range as high as 28 °C (82.4 °F), to glaciers and highlands (the
páramos) with an average yearly temperature of 8 °C (46.4 °F). Annual
rainfall varies between 430 millimetres (16.9 in) in the semiarid
portions of the northwest to 1000 millimetres (39.4 in) in the Orinoco
Delta of the far east. Most precipitation falls between June and October
(the rainy season or "winter"); the drier and hotter remainder of the
Los Roques Archipelago
year is known as "summer", though temperature variation throughout
the year is not as pronounced as at temperate latitudes.[23]
Biodiversity
Venezuela lies within the Neotropic ecozone; large portions of the
country were originally covered by moist broadleaf forests. One of
seventeen megadiverse countries,[36] and among the top twenty
countries in terms of endemism, some 38% of the over 21,000 plant
species are unique to the country; 23% of reptilian and 50% of
amphibian species are also endemic.[37]
Venezuela's habitats range from the Andes mountains in the west to the Amazon
Basin rainforest in the south, via extensive llanos plains and Caribbean coast in
the center and the Orinoco River Delta in the east. They include xeric scrublands
in the extreme northwest and coastal mangrove forests in the northeast.[23] Its
cloud forests and lowland rainforests are particularly rich, for example hosting
over 25,000 species of orchids.[38] These include the flor de mayo orchid
(Cattleya mossiae), the national flower. Venezuela's national tree is the
araguaney, whose characteristic lushness after the rainy season led novelist
Rómulo Gallegos to name it «[l]a primavera de oro de los araguaneyes» ("the
golden spring of the araguaneyes").
yellow-orange turpial, the national bird. Notable mammals include the Giant
Anteater, jaguar, and the capybara, the world's largest rodent. More than half of Venezuelan avian and mammalian
species are found in the Amazonian forests south of the Orinoco.[40]
Environment
In recent decades, logging, mining, shifting cultivation, development, and other human activities have posed a major
threat to Venezuela's wildlife; between 1990 and 2000, 0.40% of forest cover was cleared annually.[37] In response,
federal protections for critical habitat were implemented; for example, 20% to 33% of forested land is protected.[40]
The country has a biosphere reserve that is part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves; five wetlands are
registered under the Ramsar Convention.[41] In 2003, 70% of the nation's land was under conservation management
in over 200 protected areas, including 43 national parks.[42] Venezuela's 43 national parks include Canaima National
Park, Morrocoy National Park and Mochima National Park.
Subdivisions
Venezuela is divided into 23 states (estados), a capital district (distrito capital) corresponding to the city of Caracas,
and the Federal Dependencies (Dependencias Federales, a special territory). Venezuela is further subdivided into
335 municipalities (municipios); these are subdivided into over one thousand parishes (parroquias). The states are
grouped into nine administrative regions (regiones administrativas), which were established in 1969 by presidential
decree; in addition, Venezuela has historically claimed and continues to claim all Guyanese territory west of the
Essequibo River; this 159500 square kilometres (61583 sq mi) tract was dubbed Guayana Esequiba or the Zona en
Reclamación (the "zone to be reclaimed").[43]
Venezuela 11
The country can be further divided into ten geographical areas, some corresponding to climatic and biogeographical
regions. In the north are the Venezuelan Andes and the Coro region, a mountainous tract in the northwest, holds
several sierras and valleys. East of it are lowlands abutting Lake Maracaibo and the Gulf of Venezuela. The Central
Range runs parallel to the coast and includes the hills surrounding Caracas; the Eastern Range, separated from the
Central Range by the Gulf of Cariaco, covers all of Sucre and northern Monagas. The Insular Region includes all of
Venezuela's island possessions: Nueva Esparta and the various Federal Dependencies. The Orinoco Delta, which
forms a triangle covering Delta Amacuro, projects northeast into the Atlantic Ocean.
States
Name Capital
1 Amazonas Puerto Ayacucho
2 Anzoátegui Barcelona
3 Apure San Fernando de Apure
4 Aragua Maracay
5 Barinas Barinas
6 Bolívar Ciudad Bolívar
7 Carabobo Valencia
8 Cojedes San Carlos
9 Delta Amacuro Tucupita
10 Falcón Coro
11 Guárico San Juan de los Morros
12 Lara Barquisimeto
Venezuela 12
Name Capital
13 Mérida Mérida
14 Miranda Los Teques
15 Monagas Maturín
16 Nueva Esparta La Asunción
17 Portuguesa Guanare
18 Sucre Cumaná
19 Táchira San Cristóbal
20 Trujillo Trujillo
21 Vargas La Guaira
22 Yaracuy San Felipe
23 Zulia Maracaibo
Dependencies
Name Capital
• Federal Dependencies (none)
Administrative regions
Venezuela 13
Name Subregions
Andean Barinas, Mérida, Táchira, Trujillo, Páez Municipality of Apure
Capital Miranda, Vargas, Capital District
Central Aragua, Carabobo, Cojedes
Central-Western Falcón, Lara, Portuguesa, Yaracuy
Economy
Venezuela has a mixed economy dominated by the petroleum sector,
which accounts for roughly a third of GDP, around 80% of exports and
more than half of government revenues. It suffers high levels of
corruption. Per capita GDP for 2009 was US$13,000, ranking it 85th in
the world.[44] About 30% of the population of the country live on less
than US $2 per day.[45] Venezuela has the least expensive petrol in the The 20 Venezuelan bolívar fuerte banknote
world because the consumer price of petrol is so heavily subsidised. featuring a portrait of Luisa Cáceres de
Arismendi.
Manufacturing contributed 17% of GDP in 2006. Venezuela
manufactures and exports heavy industry items such as steel,
aluminium and cement, with production concentrated around Ciudad Guayana, near the Guri Dam, one of the largest
in the world and the provider of about three quarters of Venezuela's electricity. Other notable manufacturing includes
electronics and automobiles, as well as beverages, and foodstuffs. Agriculture in Venezuela accounts for
approximately 3% of GDP, 10% of the labor force, and at least one-fourth of Venezuela's land area. Venezuela
exports rice, corn, fish, tropical fruit, coffee, beef, and pork. The country is not self-sufficient in most areas of
agriculture; Venezuela imports about two-thirds of its food needs.
Due to petroleum exports, Venezuela usually posts a trade surplus. The United States is Venezuela's leading trade
partner, whilst trade with the People's Republic of China has grown so rapidly since 1999 that in 2009 China was
Venezuela's second-largest trade partner.
Since the discovery of oil in the early 20th century, Venezuela has been one of the world's leading exporters of oil,
and it is a founder member of OPEC. Previously an underdeveloped exporter of agricultural commodities such as
coffee and cocoa, oil quickly came to dominate exports and government revenues. The 1980s oil glut led to an
external debt crisis and a long-running economic crisis, which saw inflation peak at 100% in 1996 and poverty rates
rise to 66% in 1995[6] as (by 1998) per capita GDP fell to the same level as 1963, down a third from its 1978 peak.[7]
The 1990s also saw Venezuela experience a major banking crisis in 1994. The recovery of oil prices after 2001
boosted the Venezuelan economy and facilitated social spending, although the fallout of the 2008 global financial
crisis saw a renewed economic downturn.
Venezuela 14
government introduced a 50/50 split in profits between the government and the
oil industry. In 1960, with a newly installed democratic government, Hydrocarbons Minister Juan Pablo Pérez
Alfonso led the creation of OPEC, the consortium of oil-producing countries aiming to support the price of oil.[50] In
1973 Venezuela voted to nationalize its oil industry outright, effective 1 January 1976, with Petróleos de Venezuela
(PDVSA) taking over and presiding over a number of holding companies; in subsequent years, Venezuela built a
vast refining and marketing system in the U.S. and Europe.[51] In the 1990s PDVSA became more independent from
the government and presided over an apertura (opening) in which it invited in foreign investment. Under Hugo
Chávez a 2001 law placed limits on foreign investment.
The state oil company PDVSA played a key role in the December 2002-February 2003 national strike which sought
President Chávez' resignation. Managers and skilled highly paid technicians of PDVSA shut down the plants and left
their posts, and by some reports sabotaged equipment, and petroleum production and refining by PDVSA almost
ceased. Activities eventually were slowly restarted by returning and substitute oil workers. As a result of the strike
around 40% of the company's workforce (around 18,000 workers) were dismissed for "dereliction of duty" during
the strike.[52] [53]
Transport
Venezuela is connected to the world primarily via air (Venezuela's airports include the Simón Bolívar International
Airport near Caracas and La Chinita International Airport near Maracaibo) and sea (with major sea ports at La
Guaira, Maracaibo and Puerto Cabello). In the south and east the Amazon rainforest region has limited cross-border
transport; in the west, there is a mountainous border of over 1375 miles (2213 km) shared with Colombia. The
Orinoco River is navigable by oceangoing vessels up to 400 km inland, and connects the major industrial city of
Ciudad Guayana to the Atlantic Ocean.
Venezuela has a limited national railway system, which has no active rail connections to other countries; the
government of Hugo Chávez has invested substantially in expanding it. Several major cities have metro systems; the
Caracas Metro has been operating since 1983. The Maracaibo Metro and Valencia Metro were opened more recently.
Venezuela has a road network of around 100,000 km (placing it around 47th in the world); around a third of roads
are paved.
Venezuela 15
Demographics
Venezuela's birth rate is among the highest in South America, after
Bolivia, Paraguay and French Guyana.
Since 1930, Venezuelan census does not contain information about
ethnicity, so only rough estimates are available. Some 60% of the
population are Mestizo, defined as a mixture of European and
Amerindian, and Mulatto, defined as a mixture of European and
African; approximately 30% are European, mostly of Spanish, Italian,
Portuguese, and German descent. Two of the main Amerindian tribes
Caracas
located in the country are the Wayuu, located in the west, in Zulia
State, and the Timotocuicas, also in the west, in Mérida State, in the
Andes. Other important groups include Afro-Venezuelans, though their
numbers are unclear due to poor census data.[54]
Urbanization
Venezuela is among the most urbanized countries in Latin America;[4]
[5]
the vast majority of Venezuelans live in the cities of the north,
especially in the capital Caracas which is also the largest city. About
Barquisimeto
85% of the population live in urban areas in northern Venezuela; 73%
live less than 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the coastline.[58] Though
almost half of Venezuela's land area lies south of the Orinoco, only 5%
of Venezuelans live there. The largest and most important city south of
the Orinoco is Ciudad Guayana, which is the sixth most populous
conurbation.[59] Other major cities include Maracaibo, Valencia,
Maracay, Barquisimeto, Mérida, San Cristóbal, Barcelona-Puerto La
Cruz and Ciudad Guayana.
Languages
The predominant language in Venezuela is Venezuelan Spanish, a Maracay
Indigenous peoples in Venezuela make up less than 2% of the population, but contribute over 30 indigenous
languages to Venezuela's language mix, including Guajibo, Pemon, Warao, Wayuu, and the various Yanomaman
languages. The Constitution of Venezuela of 1999 declared Spanish and languages spoken by indigenous peoples as
official languages.
Religion
According to government estimates, 92% of the population is at least nominally Roman Catholic, and the remaining
8% are Protestant, or a member of another religion. The Venezuelan Evangelical Council estimates that Evangelical
Protestants constitute 10% of the population.[61]
Education
In 2008, 95.2% of the adult population was literate.[62] Net primary school enrollment rate was at 91 % in 2005.[62]
Net secondary enrollment rate was at 63 % in 2005.[62] Venezuela has a number of universities, of which the most
prestigious is the Central University of Venezuela, founded in Caracas in 1721.
Health
Venezuela has a national universal health care system that is free of charge. The
current government has created a program to expand access to health care known
as Misión Barrio Adentro.[63] [64]
Infant mortality in Venezuela stood at 16 deaths per 1,000 births in 2004, lower
than the South American average (by comparison, the U.S. stands at 5 deaths per
1,000 births in 2006).[65] [66] [67] Child malnutrition (defined as stunting or
wasting in children under age five) stands at 17%; Delta Amacuro and Amazonas
have the nation's highest rates.[68] According to the United Nations, 32% of
Venezuelans lack adequate sanitation, primarily those living in rural areas.[69]
Diseases ranging from typhoid, yellow fever, cholera, hepatitis A, hepatitis B,
and hepatitis D are present in the country.[70]
University Hospital, Central
Venezuela has a total of 150 plants for sewage treatment. However still 13% of
University of Venezuela
the population lack access to drinking water but this number has been
dropping.[71]
Crime
Corruption in Venezuela is high by world standards, and has been for much of the 20th century. The discovery of oil
had worsened political corruption,[72] and by the late 1970s, Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo's description of oil as "the
Devil's excrement" had become a common expression in Venezuela.[73] Venezuela has been ranked one of the most
corrupt countries on the Corruption Perceptions Index since the survey started in 1995. The 2010 ranking placed
Venezuela at number 164, out of 178 ranked countries.[74]
Venezuela is a significant route for drug trafficking, with Colombian cocaine and other drugs transiting Venezuela
towards the United States and Europe. Venezuela ranks fourth in the world for cocaine seizures, behind Colombia,
the United States, and Panama.[75]
In 2009, the homicide rate was approximately 57 per 100,000, one of the world’s highest, having trebled in the
previous decade.[76] The capital Caracas has the second greatest homicide rate of any large city in the world, with 92
homicides per 100,000 residents.[77] In 2008, polls indicated that crime was the number one concern of voters.[78]
The government recently created a security force, the Bolivarian National Police, which has lowered crime rates in
the areas in which it is so far deployed, and a new Experimental Security University.[79]
Venezuela 17
Government
Executive
The Venezuelan president is elected by a vote with direct and universal suffrage,
and is both head of state and head of government. The term of office is six years,
and (as of 15 February 2009) a president may be re-elected an unlimited number
of times. The president appoints the vice-president and decides the size and
composition of the Cabinet and makes appointments to it with the involvement of
the legislature. The president can ask the legislature to reconsider portions of
laws he finds objectionable, but a simple parliamentary majority can override
these objections.
The President may ask the National Assembly to pass an enabling act granting
the ability to rule by decree in specified policy areas; this requires a two-thirds
majority in the Assembly. Since 1959 six Presidents have been granted such
National Assembly of Venezuela
powers.
Building
Legislative
The unicameral Venezuelan parliament is the Asamblea Nacional ("National Assembly"). Its 167 deputies, of which
three are reserved for indigenous people, serve five-year terms and may be re-elected for a maximum of two
additional terms.
The voting age in Venezuela is 18 and older. Voting is not compulsory.[80]
Judicial
The legal system of Venezuela belongs to the Continental Law tradition. The highest judicial body is the Supreme
Tribunal of Justice or Tribunal Supremo de Justicia, whose magistrates are elected by parliament for a single
twelve-year term. The National Electoral Council (Consejo Nacional Electoral, or CNE) is in charge of electoral
processes; it is formed by five main directors elected by the National Assembly. Supreme Court president Luisa
Estela Morales said in December 2009 that Venezuela had moved away from "a rigid division of powers" toward a
system characterized by "intense coordination" between the branches of government. Morales clarified that each
power must be independent adding that "one thing is separation of powers and another one is division".[81]
Foreign relations
Throughout most of the 20th century, Venezuela maintained friendly
relations with most Latin American and Western nations. Relations
between Venezuela and the United States government worsened in
2002, after the 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt during which the
U.S. government recognized the short-lived interim presidency of
Pedro Carmona. Correspondingly, ties to various Latin American and
Middle Eastern countries not allied to the U.S. have strengthened.
Venezuela is one of the four nations in the world—along with Russia, Nicaragua and Nauru—to have recognized the
independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Venezuela was a proponent of OAS's decision to adopt its
Anti-Corruption Convention, and is actively working in the Mercosur trade bloc to push increased trade and energy
integration. Globally, it seeks a "multi-polar" world based on strengthened ties among Third World countries.
Military
The National Armed Forces of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Fuerza Armada Nacional, FAN) are the
overall unified military forces of Venezuela. It includes over 320,150 men and women, under Article 328 of the
Constitution, in 5 components of Ground, Sea and Air. The components of the National Armed Forces are: the
Venezuelan Army, the Venezuelan Navy, the Venezuelan Air Force, the Venezuelan National Guard, and the
Venezuelan National Militia.
As of 2008, a further 600,000 soldiers were incorporated into a new branch, known as the Armed Reserve. The
President of Venezuela is the commander-in-chief of the national armed forces. The main roles of the armed forces
are to defend the sovereign national territory of Venezuela, airspace, and islands, fight against drug trafficking, to
search and rescue and, in the case of a natural disaster, civil protection. All men that are citizens of Venezuela have a
constitutional duty to register for the military at the age of 18, which is the age of majority in Venezuela.
Politics
Following the fall of Marcos Pérez Jiménez in 1958, Venezuelan politics was dominated by the third-way Christian
democratic COPEI and the center-left social democratic Democratic Action (AD) parties; this two-party system was
formalized by the puntofijismo arrangement. Economic crisis in the 1980s and 1990s led to a political crisis which
saw hundreds dead in the Caracazo riots of 1989, two attempted coups in 1992, and the impeachment of President
Carlos Andrés Pérez for corruption in 1993. A collapse in confidence in the existing parties saw the 1998 election of
former coup leader Hugo Chávez, and the launch of a "Bolivarian Revolution", beginning with a 1999 Constituent
Assembly to write a new Constitution of Venezuela.
The opposition's attempts to unseat Chávez included the 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt, the Venezuelan
general strike of 2002–2003, and the Venezuelan recall referendum, 2004, all of which failed. Chávez was re-elected
in December 2006, but suffered a significant defeat in 2007 with the narrow rejection of the Venezuelan
constitutional referendum, 2007, which had offered two packages of constitutional reforms aimed at deepening the
Bolivarian Revolution.
There are currently two major blocs of political parties in Venezuela: the incumbent leftist bloc United Socialist
Party of Venezuela (PSUV), its major allies Fatherland for All (PPT) and the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV),
and the opposition bloc grouped into the electoral coalition Mesa de la Unidad Democrática. This includes A New
Era (UNT) together with allied parties Project Venezuela, Justice First, Movement for Socialism and others.
Venezuela 19
Culture
Venezuela's heritage, art, and culture have been heavily influenced by
the Caribbean context. These elements extend to its historic buildings,
architecture,[82] art,[83] landscape, boundaries, and monuments.
Venezuelan culture has been shaped by indigenous, Spanish and
African influences. Before this period, indigenous culture was
expressed in art (petroglyphs), crafts, architecture (shabonos), and
social organization. Aboriginal culture was subsequently assimilated
by Spaniards; over the years, the hybrid culture had diversified by
region.
Art
The joropo, as depicted in a 1912 drawing by
Eloy Palacios Venezuelan art was initially dominated by religious motifs, but began
emphasizing historical and heroic representations in the late 19th
century, a move led by Martín Tovar y Tovar. Modernism took over in
the 20th century. Notable Venezuelan artists include Arturo Michelena,
Cristóbal Rojas, Armando Reverón, Manuel Cabré; the kinetic artists
Jesús-Rafael Soto and Carlos Cruz-Díez; and contemporary artist
Yucef Merhi.
Literature
The Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex in Caracas
Venezuelan literature originated soon after the Spanish conquest of the
mostly pre-literate indigenous societies; it was dominated by Spanish
influences. Following the rise of political literature during the Venezuelan War of Independence, Venezuelan
Romanticism, notably expounded by Juan Vicente González, emerged as the first important genre in the region.
Although mainly focused on narrative writing, Venezuelan literature was advanced by poets such as Andrés Eloy
Blanco and Fermín Toro.
Major writers and novelists include Rómulo Gallegos, Teresa de la Parra, Arturo Uslar Pietri, Adriano González
León, Miguel Otero Silva, and Mariano Picón Salas. The great poet and humanist Andrés Bello was also an educator
and intellectual. Others, such as Laureano Vallenilla Lanz and José Gil Fortoul, contributed to Venezuelan
Positivism.
Venezuela 20
Music
Indigenous musical styles of Venezuela are exemplified by the groups
Un Solo Pueblo and Serenata Guayanesa. The national musical
instrument is the cuatro. Typical musical styles and pieces mainly
emerged in and around the llanos region, including Alma Llanera (by
Pedro Elías Gutiérrez and Rafael Bolívar Coronado), Florentino y el
Diablo (by Alberto Arvelo Torrealba), Concierto en la Llanura by
Juan Vicente Torrealba, and Caballo Viejo (by Simón Díaz).
Sport
Baseball is Venezuela's most popular sport, with the Venezuelan
Professional Baseball League existing since 1945. In recent years
football (soccer), spearheaded by the Venezuela national football team,
is gaining influence.
Other
Venezuela is well-known for its successes in beauty pageants. Miss
Venezuela is a big event in the country, and Venezuela has received 5
Miss World, 6 Miss Universe, 6 Miss International and 1 Miss Earth Estadio Metropolitano de Barquisimeto.
titles.
Carlos Raúl Villanueva was the most important Venezuelan architect of the modern era; he designed the Central
University of Venezuela, (a World Heritage Site) and its Aula Magna. Other notable architectural works include the
Capitolio, the Baralt Theatre, the Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex, and the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge.
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Venezuela 23
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External links
• E-Government (http://www.gobiernoenlinea.ve/) (in Spanish)
• Venezuela travel guide from Wikitravel
• Chief of State and Cabinet Members (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/
world-leaders-v/venezuela.html)
• Venezuela (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ve.html) entry at The World
Factbook
• Venezuela (http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/venezuela.htm) at UCB Libraries GovPubs
• Venezuela (http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/South_America/Venezuela//) at the Open Directory Project
• Venezuela (http://www.britannica.com/nations/Venezuela) at Encyclopædia Britannica
• Venezuela (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/vetoc.html) from the Library of Congress Country Studies (1990)
Article Sources and Contributors 24
File:PalacioLegislativo2.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:PalacioLegislativo2.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Contributors: Márcio Cabral de Moura
File:Vladimir Putin with Hugo Chavez 26 November 2004-5.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Vladimir_Putin_with_Hugo_Chavez_26_November_2004-5.jpg
License: unknown Contributors: Presidential Press and Information Office
File:Joropo foto.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Joropo_foto.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Eloy Palacios
Image:Teatro Teresa Carreño.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Teatro_Teresa_Carreño.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: G. Melean
File:Alma llanera.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Alma_llanera.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Rafael Bolívar Coronado
File:Estadiometropolitanocolombiausa1.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Estadiometropolitanocolombiausa1.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike
3.0 Contributors: User:Jimmy12006
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