Venezuela
|
| Basic Facts |
| Country name |
conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
conventional short form: Venezuela local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela local short form: Venezuela |
| Gevernment type | federal republic |
| Capital |
name: Caracas
geographic coordinates: 10 30 N, 66 56 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of eight white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band |
| Currency | bolivar (VEB) |
| Internet country code | .ve |
| Ports and terminals | Amuay, La Guaira, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Punta Cardon |
| Agriculture products | corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish |
| Industries | petroleum, construction materials, food processing, textiles; iron ore mining, steel, aluminum; motor vehicle assembly |
| Geography |
| Location | Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana |
| Coordinates | 8 00 N, 66 00 W |
| Continent | South America |
| Area |
total: 912,050 sq km
land: 882,050 sq km water: 30,000 sq km |
| Boundaries |
total: 4,993 km
border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km |
| Coastline | 2,800 km |
| Climate | tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands |
| Terrain | Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast |
| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds |
| Natural hazards | subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts |
| People |
| Population | 25,730,435 (July 2006 est.) |
| Ethnic groups | Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people |
| Religions | nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2% |
| Languages | Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects |
