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Venezuela , republic of America, bordered on the north by the Caribbean Sea, east by the Atlantic Ocean, Guyana, Brazil to the south and southwest and west by Colombia.
The country has an area of 916,450 km ². These extensive terr itoria are expressed in a compact land area, is a maximum length of 1,493 km east-west and of 1,271 km from north to south, helping to facilitate integration and cohesion. He has broad coastline, reaching the Caribbean Sea in the 2813 km long from Castilletes the promontory of Paria (see Paria Peninsula), its shape is irregular and consists of numerous gulfs and bays, most notably the Gulf Venezuela and the sad and Cariaco, and more than 350 islands, cays and islets of Venezuelan sovereignty that stretch north to Bird Island and its corresponding exclusive maritime economic zone. In turn, it has 1,008 km of inland shores in the Atlantic Ocean, from the promontory of Paria to tip Beach, including the Gulf of Paria, Patos Island and the coastline of the Orinoco delta and adjacent islands, which highlights the low coastal jungle, muddy and covered with mangroves.
Land and Resources.
In Venezuelan territory combining stunning reliefs of the Andes, the Cordillera de la Costa and the Guiana Shield, with the average altitude formations Coriano system and troughs of the states of Yaracuy and Lara, where are the cities of Barquisimeto and Carora, likewise, also recognizes the topography of the lowlands of the Maracaibo Lake Basin, Los Llanos in the Orinoco Delta system, and floodplain Casiquiare in the Venezuelan Amazon.
In the west are the highlands of the Venezuelan Andes, which divide in the Cordillera de Perija, with its highest elevation at Tutari peak (3,750 m) located in the mountains of Motilones, and in the Cordillera de Merida , where is located the highest point in the country, Pico Bolívar (5,007 m) in the Sierra Nevada of Merida. In the north, another important distinction mountain range, the Cordillera de la Costa, divided into the central coastal mountains whose highest peak altitude is Naiguatá (2,765 m) and mountains of the interior, with its highest point at the peak Turimiquire ( 2596 m) in the east of it (see the brig Sierra). Near the Caribbean coast lie the lowlands of the Maracaibo depression, where the Lake Maracaibo, an extension into the Gulf of Venezuela.
Formations are of special importance to lowland of the plains, where distinctive gue between the high plains and the low plains, separated by the contour of 100 meters. The High Plains are not susceptible to flooding and have ripples caused by river erosion, reaching its highest altitude in the Andean piedmont plains ", which recognizes high fertility soils. The low plains are composed of alluvial plains that are flooded in the rainy season, converging Its waterways with the Orinoco River system, its vegetation is tropical grassland savanna.
The formations of the Guayana shield or are separated from the rest of the country by the wide arc of the Orinoco River and continue late into the Venezuelan Amazon Parima the towering mountains and Pacaraima, with numerous tepuy (local name referring to tabular plateaus) located along to the border with Brazil. At its northeastern corner highlights the delta of the Orinoco lowlands. In turn, between the banks of the Orinoco and 6 ° N latitude, the Guyanese landscape is reflected in plains with altitudes ranging between 200 and 500 m, dominating the weather Plainsman and savanna formations. South of this parallel tepuys dominated by larger, most notably the Auyan Tepuy (2,450 m) that hosts Angel Falls, in Churún River, a tributary of Carrao, a spectacular cascade of 979 m, the highest in the world. Jungle formations dominate here.
Rivers and Lakes
Venezuela has an enormous quantity of water resources. They have a special importance of river water, of which 74.5% belong to the side of the Atlantic and 20.7% to the Caribbean Sea, the remaining 4.5% drains into the Amazon River system by Guainia-Black Rivers and others, except a minimum which drains into the basin of Lake Valencia area drains.
The Caribbean receives water from the rivers that in turn flow into the basin of Lake Maracaibo That is dominated by those provided by the Chama, the Motatan, the Escalante, Catatumbo, APAN, the Lemon and input from several river basins that go directly to the sea, including those for the rivers Tocuyo Aroa Neverí and Manzanares.
The side of the Atlantic Ocean receives the waters of the basins of the San Juan and the Cuyuni, besides the extraordinary contribution of the Orinoco River, which in its 2560 km long, directly or indirectly receives the waters of many major rivers like the Padamo, the Ventuari, Sipapo, Cuchivero, Caura, Aro, Caroni, Meta, Arauca, Apure, with its many tributaries, and many others. The presence of the Orinoco River is central to the Venezuelan geography, both by its length and the quality and quantity of its waters, accompanied by a variety of natural resources in its basin covers some 643,481 km2 of Venezuelan territory.
It is important to navigation in the Lake Maracaibo through the natural channel of the same name, useful for the mobilization of oil resources. Although not optimal seaworthiness of the large number of rivers in the country 5,400 km of navigable waterways. Of this total 404 km are channeled in the Orinoco River in the stretch Boca Grande-Ciudad Guayana, and 665 km on the stretch-Puerto Gumilla Ciudad Guayana. In the San Juan River are channeled Caripito and 70 km between the Gulf of Paria. Among the highlights waterways not channeled much of the course of the Orinoco and Apure rivers, Arauca, Meta, Barima, Portuguese, Capanaparo Ventuari-Manapiare Catatumbo and Zulia, among others.
Weather
Venezuela's territorial diversity is reflected in a variety of climates, which are directly associated with existing landscapes. In the Venezuelan Caribbean coast, on islands and in the depressions of a semiarid climate predominates Lara with dry vegetation, annual rainfall of 600 mm and annual temperatures of 24 º C average. In the Cordillera de la Costa, Cordillera de los Andes mountain valleys and mountains, the climate varies from tropical in height from 900 m altitude, to the cold climates of mountain above 3,500 meters, large number country's human settlements have been established in these mountainous areas, with annual rainfall between 850 and 900 mm and temperatures ranging between 18 and 22 ° C average. In the lowlands of Los Llano s dominates the tropical rainy climate with a marked dry season, in the wet season rains occur between 1,200 and 1,600 mm per year and a temperature of 28 ° C annual average. In the Orinoco Delta develops a tropical rainy climate and maritime climate, which favors the development of dense vegetation. In southern Venezuela is increasing rainfall, with annual rainfall above 4,000 mm, with 10 and 11 months a year rain and temperatures exceeding 28 ° C average, thus providing an optimum condition for the development of dense jungle vegetation always wet (rainforest).
Natural resources
There is a large and varied amount of natural resources, which include natural gas and minerals such as oil, iron ore, bauxite, coal, gold and diamonds, which form the economic base of the country's fishery resources are abundant in the Caribbean and Atlantic seafront ; forest resources and the vast agricultural and livestock are in Los Llanos and the Andes region. Recently coastal projects are being developed, Guyanese, llanos and Andean to boost the tourism industry (see Tourism).
Flora and fauna
Differences landscape, climatic and topographic regions of Venezuela gives rise to a huge plant variety. In the cloud forests of the Cordilleras de la Costa and the Andes, and in the mountains, highlighting the presence of sweet cedar, bird, or apamate, which are timber, besides the presence of several species of palms (see palms) and cattleya orchids such as the national flower. In the rainforests of southern Venezuela are trees up to 40 m high, such as kapok and yagrumo, and many endemic species of epiphytes. The Ipe tree araguaney or yellow is the national tree of Venezuela. The arboreal vegetation of the jungle piedemontana of the Barinas and Apure is rich in species such as linnet, granadilla, mahogany and see, among other . It is important to note that to date are located in Venezuela more than 300 timber tree species. In low and middle Plains vegetation is characterized by grassland and palms moriche formations associated with watercourses. In areas of the Orinoco delta and the coastal lagoons of the states of Zulia and Falcon are found extensive formations of red and white mangrove. Other important species of the country are yame or cactus and white guácimo.
The fauna is diverse and abundant presence of mammals characteristic of the tropics, like the anteater, spectacled bear, sloth, armadillo, ocelot, jaguar, puma, deer machicolation, capybara (see Capybara), tapir, otter or otter and several species of small apes. Venezuela is one of the countries with the greatest variety of bird species, among which are the macaws, toucans, Steatornis jays (national bird), or paujiles curassows, grunt or flamingos and a variety of herons and parrots. Reptiles are numerous and are found from the Orinoco crocodile to five species of turtles and snakes such as anacondas, boa constrictors, rattlesnakes (see Rattlesnake) and many others. In 2001 there were 66 species at risk.
Population. The present Venezuelan population is the product of a strong mixing initiated in colonial times between indigenous and Spanish, and thereafter, to the late sixteenth century, there was a significant contribution of the slave population from Africa. Over time, increased the mixing process characterized by the "free union", accepted as an institution in the country. In the late 1940s, with the beginning of the industrialization process, they launched an immigration of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, which was increased to 1958. In the 1970s this same process took place but played by citizens of South American origin, due to the development of the Venezuelan economy and the decline and economic recession in their countries of origin. At present all these migrations have resulted in a population fully integrated with each other, where there is no kind of interracial conflict.
Population characteristics.
Venezuela's population (estimated for 2002) was 24,287,670 inhabitants with a density of 27 inhabitants per km ². However, the distribution is not balanced: over 80% of the population is clustered in the coastal valleys and foothills of the Cordillera de la Costa and the Andes, creating large gaps population south of the river Orinoco-Apure axis . It should be noted that over 40% of the population is settled in the eight largest urban complexes in the country. In southern Venezuela and part of the Zulia region is located most of the indigenous population that barely reaches 1.5% of national total. 13% of the population lives in rural areas.
Administrative divisions.
Venezuela is divided into 23 states, the Capital District, seat of the city of Caracas, and 74 islands in the Caribbean which are the offshore islands. In January 1980 decree defined administrative regions consist of one or several states. These are the nine regions broken down by states participating in them. Capital Region: Capital District and states of Vargas and Miranda. Central Region: Aragua, Carabobo and Cojedes. Island Region: Nueva Esparta state and federal agencies. Northeast Region: Anzoategui, Monagas and Sucre. Region Guayana: Bolívar states, Amazonas and Delta Amacuro. West Central Region: Falcon, Lara, Portuguesa and Yaracuy. Zulia Region: Zulia State. Andean region: states of Barinas, Merida, Tachira, Trujillo, Páez Municipality of Apure state, and region of Los Llanos: Guarico and Apure states. The states are composed of autonomous municipalities which form the original unity of government land policy.
Major cities.
It is estimated that 87% of Venezuela's population resides in urban areas. Among major cities are Caracas, with a population (1995 estimate) of 2,959,000 inhabitants, the capital city and seat of the executive, legislative and judicial Maracaibo (1,706,547 inhabitants) is the second largest city Venezuela and bases its growth and importance in the development of commercial, industrial and services, particularly those relevant to the oil industry, Valencia (1,263,888 inhabitants) is one of the industrial and commercial centers of most importance to metallurgical development areas, agricultural and food processing; Barquisimeto (810,809 inhabitants) is a communications hub and railway land, and trade in the Central West of the country, and Ciudad Guayana (641,998 inhabitants) is a city and port river that has had great growth in recent years due to the presence of basic industries of iron and aluminum
Name of Venezuela.
On August 3, 1498 Christopher Columbus discovered the Venezuelan mainland, along the coast of Paria, which he called "Tierra de Gracia". It was his third trip, which used to come here three ships: Castilla, E and Vachina or Vaquiña.
At the height of the delta of the Orinoco river saw a great impression on him. Columbus wrote in his diary on board, he felt that huge freshwater sea "... with a big roar ... today I'm afraid in the body ...". It was, undoubtedly, the Orinoco River.
Columbus found Indians very peaceful at first, Europeans received expressions of sympathy. But it was Alonso de Ojeda who first explored the contours of Venezuela and Lake Maracaibo discovered on August 24, 1499. Ojeda went to Amerigo Vespucci, Juan de la Cosa and the geographer Martín Fernández de Enciso.
He has said repeatedly that Amerigo Vespucci, Italian, associated with the lake dwellings of Lake Maracaibo with the houses on the water in Venice, so called Venezuela ( "Little Venice") to the territory.
Instead, Fernandez de Enciso, an eyewitness to the discovery in his work Summa de Geografía, published in 1519, explains: "... near the ground is a large rock which is flat on top of it. And Dell is a place above or Indian houses called Veneciuela ...". Thus, the name of Venezuela is not a diminutive native Venetian. (Now with the official name: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela)
The first city.
Cubagua was the first Spanish historical center where he joined the physical environment, hostile, barren and without water for human consumption, but with the appeal of the very rich areas with abundant oysters that produced the most precious pearls.
The city of Nueva Cadiz was established on the island, became final since 1528, but its duration was ephemeral. For 1539 the pearl farms in 1541 were dry and the island was destroyed by a tsunami.
But the first Venezuelan city, incorporated town hall, home and fortress, was Santa Cruz in the lagoon Cosinetas (peninsula of La Guajira). Alonso de Ojeda founded in 1502, when he assumed the governorship of Coquibacoa. Santa Cruz lasted only a few months. In the succession of Venezuelan cities arise chronologically: Choir, founded in 1527 by Ambrosius Ehinger, Maracaibo, founded as a town in 1529, also by Ehinger, and as a city in 1569 by Alonso Pacheco Tocuyo in 1545 by Juan Pérez de Tolosa; Barquisimeto, in 1552 by Juan de Villegas; Valencia in 1555 by Alonso Díaz Moreno Trujillo in 1557 by Diego García de Paredes, Merida in 1558 by Juan Rodriguez Suarez, San Cristobal in 1561 by Juan Maldonado, Cumana, in 1562 by Fray Francisco Montesinos, Caracas in 1567 by Diego de Losada; Carora in 1569 by Juan del Tejo, and Santo Tome de Guayana, founded in 1595 by Antonio de Berrio, and Angostura in 1764 was named by his transfer to the " narrowness "of the Orinoco by the governor Joaquín Moreno de Mendoza, and from 1846 was called Ciudad Bolivar.
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