2. Geography
• Venezuela is located in northern
South America.
– Resembles an inverted triangle with
approximately 1,700 miles of
coastline.
• The Andes Mountains are found in
the north, with Pico Bolivar its
highest peak at 16,335 ft.
3. Geography
• The Guiana Highlands comprise a
large portion of the south-central
lands.
– Contains northern Amazon River
basin.
– World’s highest waterfall, Angel Falls
is located here.
– Tepuis, large table shaped
mountains are prevalent.
– The Orinoco River binds the largest
river system in the country.
4. Geography
• Columbia lies to the west, Guyana to the
east, and Brazil to the south.
• Several Caribbean Islands are located
just off the coast.
• Venezuela is among the top 20 countries
in the world for endemism.
– 23% of reptiles and 50% of amphibians
are endemic.
• Vast amounts of petroleum,
conventional oil, and natural gas can be
found in Venezuela.
– Among the top producers in the world.
5. History
• Venezuela was officially declared
Independent from Spain in 1811 by
Francisco de Miranda.
– 1st and 2nd republics were brought down by
natural disasters and rebellions.
• Simon Bolivar continued to fight Spanish
who challenged independence.
– Liberated region known as Gran Columbia.
– In 1830 one of Bolivar’s allies, Jose Antonio
Paez, rebelled and established Venezuela
once again.
6. History
• During the 20 years of war Venezuela lost ¼ to
1/3 of its population.
• Paez was in and out of the presidency, holding
the office for a total of 11 years.
– Venezuela became subject to dictatorial rule.
– Resulted in the Federal War of 1859-1863, in
which hundreds of thousands died.
• Corruption continued to thrive into the 20th
Century.
– Oil was discovered and became economic focus
during World War I, increasing the level of
corruption.
– Became highest Latin American country in terms
of GDP.
• Much of it sapped by Juan Vicente Gomez, who
ruled for 27 years until his death.
7. History
• Post-World War II heavy immigration diversified
population.
– Achieved first free and fair election in 1947 after social
reforms and democratic seizure of rule.
– Military displacement in 1948 led to 10 more years of
dictatorship.
• Democracy once again took over in 1958.
– Corruption continued and brought about instability,
poverty, crime, and riots.
– Hugo Chavez led an attempted Coup against President
Carlos Andres Perez, who was later impeached for
corruption.
– Chavez was pardoned by the next president and won
the election in 1998
• Chavez has remained president since 1998 despite
brief periods of unrest.
8. People
• The people of Venezuela are
diverse, ranging from natives
to European immigrants.
– 50% White, 29% Arabian, 10%
African, 1% Indigenous.
• There is a huge problem with
poverty.
– 30% of the 28.4 million people
who live in Venezuela have to
survive on the equivalent of
$2.00 per day.
9. People
• 93% of the Venezuelan population
live within 62 miles of the coastline.
– The vast majority live in developed,
urban areas to the north.
– Only 5% of the population live south of
the Orinoco River.
• 95.2 % of the population is literate.
– 91% have been enrolled in a primary
school.
– 63% have been enrolled in a secondary
school.
10. People
• Majority of Venezuelans speak Castilian.
– Also indigenous languages, Portuguese,
Spanish, and English (most common
foreign language).
• 92% of Venezuela’s population professes
to be Roman Catholic, 8% Protestant or
other.
• According to the United Nations, 32% of
the population lacks adequate
sanitation.
• Corruption and crime rates are some of
the highest in the world.
