Venezuela geographic map

Venezuela on a map of  South America. Detailed geographic map of Venezuela. Full information  about Venezuela on one geographical map with cities, rivers, mountains  and places of interest.     

Venezuela geographic description    

Venezuela faces the Caribbean Sea, which is  part of the Atlantic Ocean. The explorer Christopher Columbus, on his  third voyage sailing for Spain, landed on its coast in 1498. Venezuela  declared itself independent of Spain in 1811.    

The country is one of the world's top 10  producers of oil, which has helped it to develop its economy. Venezuela  is one of the more prosperous countries in South America. Although some  Venezuelans are rich, many others live in poverty.    

VENEZUELA    

Area: 912,050 sq km (352,145 sq miles)  Highest point: Pico Bolivar, 5,002 m (16,411 ft) Population: 22,311,000  Capital: Caracas (pop 2,784,000) Capital and largest city: Maracaibo  (pop 1,364,000) Other large city: Valencia (pop 1.032,000) Official  language: Spanish Religions: Christianity (Roman Catholic 92%), other 8%.    

Government: Federal republic Currency:  Bolivar is Venezuela's chief natural resource. Major oil fields lie in  the Maracaibo basin, which includes Lake Maracaibo and the plains around  it. This basin is one of Venezuela's four land regions. The others are  the Andean Highlands, the Guiana Highlands, and the Llanos (tropical  grasslands).  

Butterflies are common in the rainforests  and grasslands of Venezuela. The country's wildlife includes pumas,  jaguars, monkeys, sloths, anteaters, crocodiles, and snakes, including  the huge anaconda.    

Caracas, Venezuela's capital, founded in  1567, was the birthplace of the South American hero Sim6n Bolivar.  Caracas is a modern city, but it has slums on the outskirts. The city  lies about 11 km (7 miles) from its port. La Guaira. on the coast.    

Tourism is a growing industry. Venezuela  has many beautiful beaches along the dry, warm Caribbean coast. Among nany offshore islands is Margarita, which is noted for its pearls.  About 600,000 tourists visit Venezuela every year.        

Gold and diamonds are mined in Venezuela,  together with coal, bauxite (aluminium ore), iron ore, gypsum, and  phosphate rock, which is used to make fertilizers. But oil and oil  products make up three-quarters of the country's exports.     

Roraima is the highest peak of the Guiana  Highlands. It reaches 2.772 m (9,904 ft) at the point where the borders  of Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil meet. Several rivers rise in these  highlands.