Venezuela, a third larger than Texas, occupies most of the northern coast of South America on the Caribbean Sea. It is bordered by Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south. Mountain systems break Venezuela into four distinct areas: (1) the Maracaibo lowlands; (2) the mountainous region in the north and northwest; (3) the Orinoco basin, with the llanos (vast grass-covered plains) on its northern border and great forest areas in the south and southeast; and (4) the Guiana Highlands, south of the Orinoco, accounting for nearly half the national territory.
Population
25,730,435 (growth rate: 1.4%); birth rate: 18.7/1000; infant mortality rate: 21.5/1000; life expectancy: 74.5; density per sq mile: 76
Land Area
340,560 sq mi (882,050 sq km); total area: 352,144 sq mi (912,050 sq km)
Monetary unit
Bolivar Language
Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Ethnicity Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people
Religion Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%
Transportation Railways: total: 682 km (2002). Highways: total: 96,155 km; paved: 32,308 km; unpaved: 63,847 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 7,100 km; Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing vessels. Ports and harbors: Amuay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, La Salina, Maracaibo, Matanzas, Palua, Puerto Cabello, Puerto la Cruz, Puerto Ordaz, Puerto Sucre, Punta Cardon. Airports: 373 (2002).
