venezuela facts
Venezuela Facts
Did you know that the name Venezuela literally means, 'Little Venice'. The nation was given this name after explorers found native houses built on stilts, above lake Maracaibo, which reminded them of Venice. Another interesting fact is that, "The Lost World", written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, was actually about an expedition on Mt. Roraima in Venezuela. Keep reading for more Venezuela facts listed below.
The history of this country dates back to the early 19th century when Gran Colombia was ruled by the Spanish. Simón Bolívar led the independence struggle and declared independence on July 5, 1811. Bolívar's army finally defeated the Spanish in 1821. Gran Colombia fell in 1830 and gave rise to the independent nations of Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
Interesting Facts to Know
- The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is situated in northern South America. It is bordered by the Caribbean and the North Atlantic Ocean.
- The current and 26th Constitution was adopted on 30th December 1999 and the current Head of State, President Nicolás Maduro, has been in command since 2013.
- It is one of the oldest democracies in South America.
- The government is of the federal republican type, and the capital of the country is Caracas.
- It has a population of 28,047,938 (2012 census). 96% of the people are Roman Catholic with 2% protestants and 2% belonging to other religions.
- Spanish is the official language, which is spoken along with several indigenous dialects. Foreign languages such as English, French, German, and Portuguese are spoken by some communities in the country.
- Bolivar is the currency of the nation.
- Venezuela is a little more than twice the size of California and has a coast line of 2,800 km with a variable climate, depending upon the topography, elevation, and wind factors.
- There are only two seasons in the country. They are the dry season (December to April) and the rainy season (May to October).
- Venezuela is counted as one of the 17 mega-diverse countries in the world.
- The fauna or the wildlife of Venezuela includes jaguars, capybaras, howler monkeys, species of freshwater dolphins, pumas, manatees, and the giant otter called the river-wolf, which is almost extinct.
- Birds like flamingos, pelicans, nocturnal species, oilbirds (guácharo), and different species of parrots are a rare sight to see anywhere else other than Venezuela. The country's reptiles include caymans, iguanas, boas, rattlesnakes, and anacondas.
- The flora of the country is as diverse as its wildlife and includes plants like the cacti, epiphytes, different species of flowers, fruit trees, etc.
- This country has the largest oil reserves and the second largest natural gas reserves in the western hemisphere.
- The leading industries are petroleum, construction materials, food processing, and iron ore mining, of which, the petroleum industry accounts for more than 50% of the country's GDP.
- The traditional food is the 'Arepa', which is a flatbread made from cornstarch, water, and salt. It's easy to make and can be eaten with sea food delicacies like shrimp, oysters, fish, cheese, ham, chicken, etc. Beer and South American wines are the cheapest drinks found in Venezuela.
- It is an excellent tourist destination that offers a variety of places and things to see for tourists. The country is blessed by mother nature.
- The Canaima National Park which is located in Bolivar state is considered as one of the largest national parks in the world.
- Angel Falls is the world's highest waterfall which drops from 3,212 feet, which is around 15 times higher than the Niagara Falls.
- The most popular sport of this country is baseball, though other sports such as soccer, basketball, tennis, etc., are also played. Soccer is called 'futbol' in Venezuela.
- The local cowboys (llaneros) show their skills at coleo competitions by roping cows by grabbing the tails and dragging them to the ground.
- Lake Maracaibo which is connected to the Gulf of Venezuela is the largest lake in South America.
- The first European to find the Venezuelan coast in 1498 was Christopher Columbus.
- During Christmas season, the people of Caracas roller-skate to morning services at church.
- Venezuelan beauties have won the Miss Universe title 7 times, Miss World 6 times, Miss International 6 times, and Miss Earth 2 times till date. With these 21 major beauty pageant titles, the country has won more than any other country in the world.
- The popular series, "The Simpsons" has been removed from T.V. channels in Venezuela, as it was thought to be inappropriate for children.
- Public school students attend classes in shifts. They may attend school from morning to afternoon or afternoon to evening. The literacy rate of the country is 95.5%.