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Venezuela




The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is a country in northern South America.
It borders the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Guyana to
the east, Brazil to the south, and Colombia to the west. Off the Venezuelan
coast are also found the Caribbean states of Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles
and Trinidad and Tobago.

                                                 National motto: None
History                                   Official language Spanish
                                          Capital           Caracas
                                          President         Hugo Chavez
Venezuela was the site of the first
permanent Spanish settlement in South     Area              Ranked 32nd
America in 1522, and the territory        Ê- Total          912,050
eventually became part of the viceroyalty Ê- % water        km²
                                                            0.3%
of New Granada. After several
unsuccessful uprisings, the country                         Ranked 43rd
achieved independence from Spain in 1821  Population        24,287,670
under the leadership of its most famous   Ê- Total (2002)
son, Simon Bolivar. Venezuela, along with Ê- Density
what are now Colombia, Panama, and                          27/km²
Ecuador, was part of the Republic of      Independence      From Spain
Greater Colombia (Gran Colombia) until    Ê- Declared       July 5, 1811
1830, when Venezuela separated and became Ê- Recognised     1821
a sovereign republic.
                                          Currency          Venezuelan
Much of Venezuela's 19th and early 20th                     bolivar
century history was characterised by      Time zone         UTC -4
periods of political instability,
dictatorial rule, and revolutionary       National anthem   Gloria al bravo
                                                            pueblo
turbulence. Following the military's
withdrawal from direct involvement in     Internet TLD      .VE
national politics in 1958, Venezuela has  Calling Code      58
enjoyed an unbroken tradition of civilian
democratic rule. In recent years however, the presidency of Hugo Chavez saw
a failed coup d'Žtat in 2002 and continued popular opposition to his government.

Politics

The Venezuelan president is elected by a plurality vote with direct and
universal suffrage and functions as both head of state and head of
government. The term of office is 6 years, and a president may be re-elected
to a single consecutive term. The president appoints the vice-president and
decides the size and composition of the cabinet and makes appointments to it
with the involvement of the legislature. The president can ask the
legislature to reconsider portions of laws he finds objectionable, but a
simple parliamentary majority can override these objections.

The unicameral Venezuelan parliament is the National Assembly or Asamblea
Nacional. Its 165 deputies, of which three are reserved for indigenous
peoples, serve 5-year terms and may be re-elected for a maximum of two
additional terms. They are elected by popular vote through a combination of
party lists and single member constituencies. The highest judiciary body is
the Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia, whose
magistrates are elected by parliament for a single 12-year term.

States

Venezuela is subdivided into 23 states (estados), one federal district
(distrito federal) and one federal dependency (dependencia federal), marked
by a *:

   * Amazonas
   * Anzoategui
   * Apure
   * Aragua
   * Barinas
   * Bolivar
   * Carabobo
   * Cojedes
   * Delta Amacuro
   * Falcon
   * Federal Dependency *
   * Federal District *
   * Guarico
   * Lara
   * Merida
   * Miranda
   * Monagas
   * Nueva Esparta
   * Portuguesa
   * Sucre
   * Tachira
   * Trujillo
   * Vargas
   * Yaracuy
   * Zulia

Geography

Venezuela is home to a wide variety of landscapes, such as the
northeasternmost extensions of the Andes mountains in the northwest and
along the northern Caribbean coast, of which the highest point is the Pico
Bolivar at 5,007 m. Also found in the northwest are the lowlands around Lake
Maracaibo and the Gulf of Venezuela. The centre of the country is
characterised by extensive plains known as the llanos that stretch from the
Colombian border to the river delta of the Orinoco east. To the south are
found the dissected Guiana Highlands, home to Angel Falls, the world's
highest waterfall.

The local climate is tropical and generally hot and humid, though more
moderate in the highlands. The capital, Caracas is also the country's
largest city. Other major cities include Maracaibo, Barquisimeto, Valencia,
Maracay, and Ciudad Guayana.

Economy

The Venezuelan economy shifted after the First World War from a primarily
agricultural orientation to an economy centered on petroleum production and
export, which continues to dominate, accounting for roughly a third of GDP,
around 80% of export earnings, and more than half of government operating
revenues. Venezuelan officials estimate that GDP grew by 2.7% in 2001. A
strong rebound in international oil prices fueled the recovery from the
steep recession in 1999.

Nevertheless, a relatively weak non-oil sector and capital flight - and a
temporary fall in oil prices - undercut the recovery. In early 2002, the
government changed the exchange rate regime from a crawling peg to a free
floating exchange rate, causing the bolivar to depreciate significantly.

Demographics

The Venezuelan people comprise a rich combination of heritages. The
historically present Amerindians, Spanish colonists and Africans were joined
by Italians, Portuguese, Arabs, Germans, and others from neighbouring
countries in South America during waves of immigration in the 20th century.
About 85% of the population live in urban areas in the northern portion of
the country. While almost half of Venezuela's land area lies south of the
Orinoco river, this region contains only 5% of the population.

The national and official language is Spanish, but numerous indigenous
dialects also exist, as do dialects introduced by immigrants. Nominally 96%
of the population is Roman Catholic; other denominations, primarily
Protestant, make up the remainder.

Culture

                                  Holidays
    Date          English Name                 Local Name
 January 1  New Year                A–o Nuevo
 May 1      Labour Day              D’a del Trabajador
 June 24    Carabobo's Battle       Batalla de Carabobo
 July 5     Independence Day        D’a de la Independencia

 July 24    Sim—n Bol’var's         Natalicio del Libertador Sim—n
            Birthday                Bol’var
 October 12                         D’a de la Raza
 December 24Christmas               Navidad

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