Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela[1] República Bolivariana de Venezuela  (Spanish)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Ninguno [None] Traditional: Dios y Federación [God and the Federation]
Anthem: Gloria al Bravo Pueblo  (Spanish) Glory to the Brave People
Venezuela
Capital and largest city	Caracas
Official languages	Spanish[2]
National language	Spanish[2]
Ethnic groups	65% Multiracial 21% White 10% Black 3% Native American
Demonym(s)	Venezuelan
Government	Federal presidential constitutional republic
• President	Disputed
• Vice President	Delcy Rodríguez
Independence
• from Spain	5 July 1811
• from Gran Colombia	13 January 1830
• Recognized	30 March 1845
• Current constitution	20 December 1999
Area
• Total	916,445 km2 (353,841 sq mi) (33rd)
• Water (%)	0.32[3]
Population
• 2011 estimate	27,150.095 (43rd)
• 2001 census	23,054,985
• Density	30.2/km2 (78.2/sq mi) (181st)
GDP (PPP)	2010 estimate
• Total	$346.973 billion[1]
• Per capita	$11,889[1]
GDP (nominal)	2010 estimate
• Total	$285.214 billion[1]
• Per capita	$9,773[1]
Gini (2010)	39[2] medium
HDI (2011)	0.735 high · 73rd[3]
Currency	Bolívar fuerte[4] (VEF)
Time zone	UTC– 4 (VET)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+58
ISO 3166 code	VE
Internet TLD	.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 is a country in northern South America. Its official name is República Bolivariana de Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela). The official language is Spanish, and its capital is Caracas. Venezuela produces a large amount of oil every year, and has one of the largest oil supplies in the world.

Ancient Venezuelans came from the east, west, south, and north. Christopher Columbus was the first European to set foot on the land, but there were already natives living there for a long time. The Spaniards first conquered Venezuela. Slaves were imported from Africa.

Venezuela's inhabitants are very racially mixed. This comes from the colonial period. When whites (the British, Spaniards, French, etc.) conquered America's territory, they took their black African slaves to America to work. During Venezuela's colonial time, black people did not have any rights. They just worked for food. The native people were taught Roman Catholicism. For a long time, white creoles, people in Venezuela that were descended from Spaniards but considered Venezuela home, headed society. The Venezuelan people did not like that, and started thinking about independence. On July 24, 1823, Venezuela won its independence, led by Simón Bolívar. The current president is Nicolás Maduro.

Venezuela's economy is based on oil, cotton, cocoa, sugar, coffee, and tobacco.

Some other languages spoken in Venezuela are Carib, Guahibo, Warao, Wayuu, Pemon, and Piaroa. Most people are Roman Catholic at 96%, and a small minority is Protestant at 2%.

Venezuela's modern history was shaped by a number of people, including President Romulo Betancourt, who replaced a military dictatorship with a democracy. By the 1970s, Venezuela had become rich off of oil revenue, but it had problems in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1999 Hugo Chávez became president and tried to remake Venezuela as a socialist state. While popular at first, the economic changes Chavez and the next president, Maduro passed caused a massive economic depression in the mid 2010s.

Venezuela is famous for being the home of Angel Falls, the world's tallest waterfall, which is located in the Bolivar state.

Demographics |

The population of Venezuela is about 28,946,101 people.^[4] The ethnic groups of the population are:

• 65%: multiracial.


• 21%: European.


• 10%: African.


• 3%: Amerindian.

Map |

Gallery |

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  Los Próceres, Caracas - Distrito Capital
  

  
  

  
  


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  Plaza Francia – Miranda state
  

  
  

  
  


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  Coin
  

  
  

  
  


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  Humboldt planetary (Caracas)
  

  
  

  
  


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  Cattleya mossiae
  

  
  

  
  


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  Stamp 1893
  

  
  

  
  


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  Puerto Ayacucho – Amazonas state
  

  
  

  
  


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  Puerto Nutrias – Barinas state
  

  
  

  
  

References |