Introducation of Venezuela

Venezuela, officially named the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish language: Venezuela or Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela), is the northernmost country in South America and part of Caribbean 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.

A former Spanish colony, Venezuela is a Federal Republic. Culturally and geographically it is the most Caribbean country of South America, having in its possession over 600 islands in the aforementioned sea. Historically, Venezuela has had territorial disputes with Guyana, largely concerning the Essequibo area.

This issue is not yet resolved. To this day, Venezuela is known for its petroleum industry, the environmental diversity of its territory, and its sheer natural beauty. It has been claimed that Christopher Columbus was so enthralled by Venezuela’s landscape, when arriving to its coast in 1498, that he referred to the land as Tierra de Gracia (Land of Grace), which has become the country’s nickname.

Venezuela is bordered by the Caribbean, Guyana, the Atlantic Ocean, Brazil and Colombia. Venezuela offers the tourist a great variety of landscapes - tropical beaches, immense plains, enormous rivers, forests, jungle, waterfalls and great mountains. Nestling in a long narrow valley, Caracas, the capital, is typical of the ‘new Venezuela’, despite being one of the oldest established cities in the country (founded in 1567). The 4000km (2800 miles) of Caribbean coastline represents the major tourist destination in the country.

The area has numerous excellent beaches and resorts ranging from the comparatively luxurious to the unashamedly opulent, which stretch along the coastline. The coastal regions to the north of the Guyana Highlands have some fine tourist beaches and resorts. These include Higuerote and Lecheria. The Guyana Highlands lie to the south of the Orinoco River and constitute half the land area of the country.

The Gran Sabana National Reserve is the largest of the Venezuelan plateau and has an extraordinary array of wildlife. Some local specialties are tequenos (thin dough wrapped around a finger of local white cheese and fried crisp) and arepas (the native bread). There are many nightclubs and discotheques in the major cities of Venezuela.