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Venezuela, pronounced vehn ih ZWAY luh, is a South American country that ranks as one of the world's leading producers and exporters of petroleum. Before its petroleum industry began to boom during the 1920's, Venezuela was one of the poorer countries in South America. Its economy was based on such agricultural products as cacao and coffee. Since the 1920's, however, Venezuela has become one of the wealthiest and most rapidly changing countries on the continent. Income from petroleum exports enabled Venezuela to carry out huge industrial development and modernization programs. Venezuela lies on the north coast of South America along the Caribbean Sea. Mountain ranges extend across much of northern Venezuela, which is the most densely populated region of the country. Caracas, the capital and largest city, lies in this region. Vast plains called the Llanos spread across central Venezuela. High plateaus and low mountains cover the south. Most of Venezuela's people live in cities and towns. Nearly all Venezuelans speak Spanish. Most of the people are descendants of Europeans, American Indians, and Africans who intermarried. Christopher Columbus landed in what is now Venezuela in 1498 on his third voyage to the New World. It was his first landing on the mainland of the Americas. Later, European explorers in northwestern Venezuela found Indian villages where the houses were built on poles over the waters of the Gulf of Venezuela and Lake Maracaibo. Some of the explorers were reminded of the Italian city of Venice, where buildings stood along the water. They named the area Venezuela, which is Spanish for Little Venice. Later, the name Venezuela was applied to a large area of northern South America. Spain ruled Venezuela for about 300 years. In 1811, Venezuela declared its independence. GovernmentVenezuela is a federal republic. All citizens 18 years and older may vote. Since 1811, the country has had 26 constitutions. Venezuela's present Constitution was adopted in 1961. National government. A president, elected by the people, serves as Venezuela's head of state and as head of the executive branch of government. A presidential election is held once every five years. The National Congress, which forms the legislative branch, consists of the 203-member Chamber of Deputies and the 49-member Senate. Voters elect the deputies and senators to five-year terms. The Supreme Court of Justice is the highest court in the country. Local government. Venezuela is divided into 23 states and the Federal District. Each state and the Federal District have legislatures elected by the people and a governor appointed by the president. The country also has many islands in the Caribbean that are federal dependencies. Armed forces. About 80,000 people serve in Venezuela's army, navy, air force, marines, coast guard, and national guard. Men may be drafted for 30 months of military service after reaching 19 years of age. People Population.Most of Venezuela's people live in cities and towns. Caracas, the country's capital and largest city, has about 13/4 million people. About 31/2 million people live in the Caracas metropolitan area. Venezuela has five other cities with populations of over 500,000. They are Barquisimeto, Ciudad Guayana, Maracaibo, Petare, and Valencia. Numerous Indian tribes lived in what is now Venezuela before the 1500's, when Spain colonized the area. The Spanish conquered many of the Indian tribes. They also imported black slaves from Africa. Many of the Indians, Spaniards, and blacks intermarried. Today, about two-thirds of Venezuela's people are of mixed ancestry. People of unmixed. After 1945, and especially in the 1950's, many Europeans and Colombians moved to Venezuela to seek jobs. Most of the Europeans came from Spain, Italy, and Portugal. Many Colombians entered Venezuela illegally in the 1970's and 1980's. Languages. Almost all Venezuelans speak Spanish, the country's official language. Indians in remote areas speak various tribal languages ways of life. Compared with some other Latin-American countries, Venezuela has an open society. In general, the people are not rigidly segregated on the basis of ethnic or class differences. Venezuela thus differs from countries that have a strict class system based on ancestry. Since the 1940's, many Venezuelans have moved from rural areas to the cities. As the cities have grown, so has the country's middle class. Members of the middle class include business people; government workers; and doctors, lawyers, teachers, and other professionals. Most middle-class Venezuelans live comfortably, dress well, own a car, and take vacations regularly. Some families live in one-story, Spanish-style houses that center on a courtyard. But in most cities, such houses are being rapidly replaced by high-rise apartments.Although Venezuela's middle class has grown, poverty remains a major problem. Housing is scarce, and many Venezuelans live in crowded squatter settlements on the outskirts of the cities. Most of these people are unskilled workers from rural areas. Many of them build and live in small shacks called ranchos. Thousands of ranchos cover large areas in and around many cities. Since the 1960's, the Venezuelan government has carried out massive programs to improve the living conditions of the poor. For example, it has furnished building materials, electricity, water, and sewerage facilities for some rancho dwellers. In addition, large public housing units have been built in many cities. The government also has taken steps to improve rural life so that people will stay on farms rather than move to the already crowded cities. In many rural areas, for example, the government has built paved roads, extended electrical service, and set up educational and health facilities food. Traditional Venezuelan foods include black beans, a type of banana called plantains, and rice, which are usually eaten with beef, pork, poultry, or fish. The traditional bread is a round corn-meal cake called arepa. However, Venezuelans also buy prepared foods in supermarkets and commonly eat wheat bread. The national dish of Venezuela is the hallaca, which is served mainly at Christmas. Hallacas consist of corn-meal dough filled with a variety of foods and cooked in wrappers made of a type of banana leaf. Recreation. Baseball and soccer are the most popular spectator sports in Venezuela. Professional teams play before large crowds in city stadiums. Several cities have bullfights, but they do not attract as many people as competitive sports events do. Venezuelans enjoy music and dancing. Popular dances include the exciting, rhythmic salsa and such fast, lively Caribbean dances as the merengue and guaracha. The national folk dance of Venezuela is the joropo. This stamping dance is performed to the music of cuatros (four-stringed guitars), the harp, and maracas (rattles made of gourds). Rock music is also popular among young Venezuelans. Religion Roman Catholicism has long been the traditional religion in Venezuela, and most people are baptized Catholics. But it is not an official religion, and the Constitution guarantees freedom of worship. Education in Venezuela has improved greatly since the 1960's. Today, about 85 per cent of the people 15 years of age or older can read and write, compared with about 63 per cent in 1960. Yet one of Venezuela's chief problems is a shortage of skilled workers and scientists. In 1974, the government began a massive scholarship program. The program has granted thousands of scholarships to college-age Venezuelans. Venezuelan law requires all children from ages 7 through 13 to attend school. Venezuelans can receive a free public education from kindergarten through university graduate school. The country has 10 public and 5 private universities. The largest and most important is the Central University of The arts. During the 1900's, several Venezuelan writers and artists have won international fame. The novelist Teresa de la Parra and the poet Andres Eloy Blanco were among the most important writers. But probably the best-known writer was Romulo Gallegos, who also served as president of the country in 1948. Gallegos portrayed the distinctive character of different regions of Venezuela in such novels as Dona Barbara (1929), Canaima (1935), and Pobre Negro (1937). The leading Venezuelan artists of the 1900's include the abstract painters Alejandro Otero and Jesus Soto. Venezuela also has produced some spectacular modern architecture. Outstanding examples can be Land regionsVenezuela has four major land regions. They are (1) the Maracaibo Basin, (2) the Andean Highlands, (3) the Llanos, and (4) the Guiana Highlands. The Maracaibo Basin lies in northwestern Venezuela and consists of Lake Maracaibo and the lowlands around it. Lake Maracaibo is the largest lake in South America. It covers 5,217 square miles (13,512 square kilometers). The continent's largest known petroleum deposits lie in the Maracaibo Basin. The Andean Highlands begin southwest of the Maracaibo Basin and extend across northern Venezuela. Most of Venezuela's people live in this region. The region has three sections. They are, from west to east: (1) the Merida Range, (2) the Central Highlands, and (3) the Northeastern Highlands.The Merida Range consists of mountain ranges and high plateaus. Pico Bolivar, the highest point in Venezuela, rises 16,411 feet (5,002 meters) above sea level. The Central Highlands consist of two parallel mountain ranges along the Caribbean coast. Fertile valleys lie between the mountain ranges. The Central Highlands have The Northeastern Highlands consist of low mountains and hilly land. A famous natural feature of this area is the Cave of the Guacharo, near the town of Caripe. Thousands of large birds called guacharos live in the cave. These The Llanos lie between the Andean Highlands and the Guiana Highlands. The Orinoco River, which begins in the Guiana Highlands, flows from west to east along the southern border of the Llanos. The river and its tributaries drain most of Venezuela. The Orinoco extends 1,284 miles (2,066 kilometers) and is the longest river in the country.Large cattle ranches cover much of the Llanos. The cowhands on these ranches are called llaneros. The Llanos also have farmland. But the region has a long dry season, and irrigation is needed to grow such crops as rice and sesame. Important oil fields lie in the eastern part of the Llanos.The Guiana Highlands rise south of the Llanos and cover nearly half of Venezuela. Swift-flowing rivers have deeply eroded the region's high plateaus. Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall, plunges 3,212 feet (979 meters) in the Guiana Highlands. Tropical forests cover much of the southern part of the region.Scattered tribes of Indians live in the Guiana Highlands, but many areas have no inhabitants. The region has valuable deposits of bauxite, iron ore, and gold. Some of the rivers near Ciudad Guayana have been dammed and provide large amounts of electricity. ClimateVenezuela lies entirely within the tropics. But the average temperatures vary throughout the country, depending chiefly on altitude. Lowland areas are warm all year. The highest average annual temperature, 83 �F (28 �C), occurs in the central part of the Llanos and in the northern Maracaibo Basin. At higher elevations, the weather is much cooler. In the Andean Highlands at Merida, the annual temperature averages 67 �F (19 �C).The amount of rainfall also varies greatly in different parts of Venezuela. Annual rainfall averages about 120 inches (305 centimeters) in the Perija Mountains, which are west of Lake Maracaibo, and in the southern Guiana Highlands. In contrast, much of the Caribbean coast is dry, and some areas receive only 16 inches (41 centimeters) of rainfall yearly. Most of the rest of the country has alternate wet and dry seasons. In the eastern Llanos, annual rainfall averages about 40 inches (100 centimeters). EconomyVenezuelans have a high standard of living in relation to the rest of Latin America. This is due mainly to the country's large petroleum production. But Venezuela's wealth is not distributed evenly among the people, and poverty and unemployment are major problems in some areas. Another difficulty is the economic instability created by changes in the price of petroleum. Natural resources. Petroleum is Venezuela's most important natural resource. The most productive oil fields lie in the Maracaibo Basin and in the eastern Llanos. Large amounts of natural gas occur in the oil fields. Venezuela also has huge deposits of bauxite, coal, diamonds, gold, gypsum, and phosphate rock. The Guri Dam on the Caroni River in the Guiana Highlands is one of the world's largest dams. Service industries employ about 60 per cent of Venezuela's workers. Service industries include such economic activities as education and health care, wholesale and retail trade, and the operation of hotels and transportation companies. Tourism is an important source of income for several service industries in Venezuela. Another major service activity in the country is the whole sale trade of food and mineral products. The petroleum industry provides about 80 per cent of Venezuela's earnings from exports. Venezuela is one of the world's largest exporters of petroleum. Most of the oil it exports goes to the United States. Venezuela's petroleum industry is highly mechanized. Commercial production of petroleum began in Venezuela in 1917, but the industry did not begin to boom until the 1920's. Foreign firms, especially U.S. companies, produced and marketed the oil. They shared the profits with the Venezuelan government. The Venezuelan government gradually bought out the foreign oil companies in the country, and it nationalized (took control of) the entire petroleum industry by 1976. But in 1996, Venezuela began to allow private oil companies to produce petroleum from the country's oil fields.Manufacturing has grown rapidly in Venezuela since 1970. About 15 per cent of the country's workers are employed in manufacturing. Petroleum processing is the leading manufacturing activity. Venezuela's petroleum refineries produce large amounts of fuels and petrochemicals. Maracaibo is the country's leading center of petroleum refining. Venezuela's other manufactured products include aluminum, cement, processed foods, steel, and textiles. Ciudad Guayana is a major producer of aluminum and steel. A variety of products are made in Caracas, Barquisimeto, and Valencia. Agriculture. About 15 per cent of Venezuela's workers are farmers. The main crops include bananas, coffee, corn, oranges, and rice. Farmers also raise beef and dairy cattle, and poultry. More than half of the farms cover fewer than 50 acres (20 hectares) each. But large farms and ranches raise most of Venezuela's commercial farm products. Most Venezuelan farms are operated by their owners, though a small percentage of them are rented. Some Venezuelans farm land that they do not own or rent. Most of these people live in isolated areas where they cultivate small plots called conucos. They produce only enough food to support themselves. During the 1960's, the government began programs that provided farmland for many landless rural families. Mining. Natural gas ranks second to petroleum among Venezuela's leading mineral products. Other major mineral products mined in the country include bauxite, coal, diamonds, gold, iron ore, and phosphate rock. Foreign trade. Petroleum and petroleum products and aluminum are Venezuela's leading exports. The main imports include chemicals, industrial machinery, and transportation equipment. Venezuela trades chiefly with the United States, Germany, and Japan.Transportation and communication. Modern highways link Caracas with other large cities in Venezuela, including Maracaibo, Valencia, and Ciudad Guayana. Most of the roads in rural areas are unpaved. The country has few railroads. Maiquetia International Airport, near Caracas, is Venezuela's busiest airport. The leading seaports are La Guaira, Maracaibo, and Puerto Cabello. Venezuela has an average of 1 radio for every 3 people and 1 television for every 7 people. About 60 daily newspapers are published in the country. HistoryMany Indian tribes lived in what is now Venezuela before European settlers arrived. The chief tribes belonged to two groups--the Carib and the Arawak. The Carib Indians lived in the eastern part of Venezuela, and the Arawak Indians lived in the west. Both groups lived by farming, hunting, fishing, and gathering wild European exploration and settlement. Christopher Columbus was the first European explorer to reach Venezuela. In 1498, he landed on the Paria Peninsula. In 1498 and 1499, the Spanish explored most of the Caribbean coast of South America. Spanish settlers soon followed the explorers. During the early 1500's, the Spaniards came to Venezuela to collect pearls from oyster beds around the islands of Margarita and Cubagua. They called the area from the Araya Peninsula to Cape Codera the Pearl Coast. The Spanish also worked the extensive salt ponds on the Araya Peninsula. These ponds produced salt for several centuries. From 1528 to 1546, King Charles I of Spain leased Venezuela to a German banking group to pay off his debts to them. The Germans did little to advance the economy of the colony. By the 1700's, Venezuela was one of Spain's poorest South American colonies. To increase trade and develop the economy, Spain gave the Royal Guipuzcoana Company of Caracas, a private trading company, the right to control all trade in Venezuela. The company began to operate in 1730. It expanded the colony's economy, which was based on cacao, indigo, and hides. But the colonists resented the company's rigid control over trade. The firm eventually lost much of its power and went out of business in 1784. The struggle for independence. During the early 1800's, Spain's South American colonies began to fight for independence. The chief leaders in the independence movement included the Venezuelans Simon Bolivar, Francisco de Miranda, and Antonio Jose de Sucre. They and their followers fought for many years to free all of northern South America from Spanish rule. Venezuela was the first Spanish colony in South America to demand its independence. The colony declared its freedom on July 5, 1811, though Spanish forces still occupied much of the country. Venezuela did not become truly independent until 1821. That year, Bolivar won a great victory against the Spanish at Carabobo (near Valencia), which ended Spanish rule in Venezuela. Meanwhile, in 1819, Bolivar had set up and become president of Gran Colombia, a republic that eventually included what are now Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama. Venezuela broke away from Gran Colombia in 1829 and drafted a separate constitution in 1830. General Jose Antonio Paez, a leader in Venezuela's independence movement, became the first president of the new Venezuelan republic in 1831. Rule by dictatorships. After achieving independence, Venezuela had many periods of civil unrest. A series of dictatorial caudillos (leaders) ruled the country until the mid-1900's. Two of these caudillos, Generals Antonio Guzman Blanco and Juan Vicente Gomez, greatly influenced Venezuela's development.Guzman Blanco ruled Venezuela from 1870 to 1888. Before his rule, the country had been torn by civil wars and political instability. Guzman Blanco established order. He built roads and communication systems, and foreign firms began to invest in the country. Gomez ruled Venezuela from 1908 to 1935. He cruelly put down all opposition to his rule. During his administration, the petroleum industry began to develop. With the oil profits, Gomez paid off Venezuela's huge national debt and created a strong army. But he also used some of the profits for personal benefit. The road to democracy. After 1935, opposition to dictatorship increased greatly among the Venezuelan people. New, reformist political parties were organized. Leaders of a party called the Accion Democratica (AD), supported by the army, seized power in 1945. In 1947, the people elected Romulo Gallegos of the AD as president. But in 1948, the army overthrew him. Three military leaders jointly ruled Venezuela until 1950, when Marcos Perez Jimenez became dictator. A revolt against Perez Jimenez broke out in 1958, and he was forced into exile. Later that year, the voters elected Romulo Betancourt, a leader of the AD, as president. Since 1958, all Venezuelan presidents have been democratically elected. Recent developments. In the early 1980's, the worldwide demand for petroleum decreased, and so oil prices dropped. Venezuela's economy, based chiefly on the export of oil, suffered greatly. Today, Venezuela's government seeks to reduce the country's dependence on petroleum. It is working to increase such other economic activities as the production of petrochemicals and of an easily stored fuel called liquefied petroleum gas. The aluminum and steel industries are also being developed. In spite of the country's economic problems, Venezuelans maintain a high standard of living in comparison with the rest of Latin America.In 1974, Carlos Andres Perez of the AD became president. Luis Herrera Campins of the Social Christian Party succeeded Perez in 1979. Jaime Lusinchi of the AD became president in 1984. Perez again became president in 1989. In May 1993, the Senate removed him from office on charges of misuse of government funds. The Supreme Court of Justice convicted him on some of these charges in 1996. In December 1993, Rafael Caldera was elected president. Caldera had served as president from 1969 to 1974. Formerly a member of the Social Christian Party, he ran as an independent in 1993.In December 1998, Hugo Chavez was elected president. What is the most densely populated region of Venezuela? How did Venezuela get its name? Where in Venezuela are South America's largest known petroleum deposits? What is the ancestry of most Venezuelans? What are the Llanos? When did Venezuela become an independent country? What are Venezuela's main crops? Why did Venezuela's economy suffer during the early 1980's? What is the religion of most Venezuelans? Who was the first European explorer to reach what is now Venezuela? | |||||||||||||||||
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