Venezuela

Official Name: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela

Geography• Continent: South America• Capital: Caracas• Largest City: Caracas• Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas*, iron ore,

gold, bauxite, other minerals, diamonds

• Terrain: Andes Mountains y Maracaibo Lowlands in NW, central plains, Guiana Highlands in SE

• Angel Falls- world’s highest waterfall• On major sea and air routes linking North/South

America

Government

• Federal republic• Head of State: Hugo Chavez Frais

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/08/world/americas/venezuela-presidential-election.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/08/us-venezuela-election-idUSBRE89601Z20121008

• Independence: 5 July 1811 (from Spain)

• 23 states– administrative divisionsAmazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales, Distrito Federal, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands

Language

• Primary Language: Spanish• Other Languages: Spanish (official), numerous

indigenous dialects

Ethnicity

• Ethnic Groups: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people

• Nationality: VENEZUELAN

Religion

• Primary Religion: Roman Catholic• Other Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 96%,

Protestant 2%, other 2%

Holidays: Three Wise Men Day (Jan 6)Carnival (February)Indigenous Resistance Day (Oct 12)Catholic Holidays

Food

Climate

• General Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

• Natural Hazards: subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts

Economy• Currency: bolivar• Currency Exchange Rate History: bolivares per

US dollar - 2,089.8 (2005), 1,891.3 (2004), 1,607 (2003), 1,161 (2002), 723.7 (2001)

• Agricultural Products: corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish

• Primary Industries: petroleum, construction materials, food processing, textiles; iron ore mining, steel, aluminum; motor vehicle assembly

People