VENEZUELA

CARACAS THE CAPITAL

Venezuela's people are more of a mixed blood which occurred during the long history of the European invaders.

Caracas as the capital was founded in 1567. It is in a valley of the central highland and at an altitude of 900m. About 13% of the people living there and half of them in unsanitary, overcrowded shanty towns.

Venezuela led the first revolt again the Spanish South America Empire. It wasn't to be till 1821 when Simon Bolvar won the Independent. He established with Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and Venezuela a single state - Gran Colombia. After his death in 1830 the union fell apart.

Venezuela had been an independent republic since the early 19th century.  However, it had civil wars and dictorships right up to the Second World War.

VALENCIA

SIMON BOLIVAR

A gold domed Capital building in Caracas is the seat of the government which consists of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. They are getting voted every five years.

In 1958 the country freed itself from military dictatorship and established the Christian Democrats and Democratic Action Parties.

In 1993 Rafael Caldera won the election with the National Convergence Coalition. The main points were reversal of some economic reforms and a campaign against government corruption.

Venezuela borders in the east on Guyana; in the south east on Brazil and Colombia is in the west. It has four regions and they are the western plains around Lake Maracaibo; The Orinoco Basin; and the Guyana Highlands in the east. There is the highest waterfall in the world - Angel Falls - which cascade down 979m. This unbelievable waterfall was named after Jimmy Angel who was the first Westerner in 1935 to see it. These falls are formed by waters flowing out of the cliff-face.

ANGEL FALLS

Venezuela also has 72 islands and the largest is Margarita Island.

The River Orinoco is 2735km long. It drains most of the central plains and the Guyana Highlands. Eventually flowing into the Caribbean Sea. The northern coastal plains and the Caribbean islands are arid. The windward mountain slopes of north Venezuela have about 28cm of rain each year. The average temperature is 22C

MOCHIMA NATIONAL PARK

The true rainforest in the humid regions in the Orinoco River and the semi-tropical evergreen forests at the higher regions make up 40% of the country. The rest of the land is grassland which covers 50%

On Venezuela's northern coast, Pedernales, where the Orinoco river flows into the Atlantic Ocean the fishery industry is little developed; despite a coastline of 2800km. The main catch is anchovies.

In Venezuela you will find jaguars, pumas, ocelots, monkeys and snakes but in the north many species are endangered.

CANAIMA NATIONAL PARK

In Venezuela 80% are living in cities. The problems arise that there are not enough jobs and enough houses. Tens of thousands live in shanty towns called barrios. Therefore 19% of the population are illiterate and the education system fights a constant battle.

Outside Caracas, about 150km, in the south-west are the llanos. Llaneros (cowboys) were raising cattle for generations. It is a hard job and they have only singing and dancing for their amusements after a full day's work.

On the Guajira Peninsular and a few other regions are still some American Indians living in the traditional way. The women wear their colourful, canvas cloths called manta. They keep their house and support the family. The houses are still built in the same style as when the Spaniards arrived.

Venezuela was a purely farming country. In 1900 oil was discover under the Lake Maracaibo and it is up till now that oil and gas are still the main mineral resources. The USA, Puerto Rico, The Netherlands and Germany are all supplied with oil and oil products.

There is also a huge deposit of iron ore which has a higher grade. The other mines are bauxite, diamonds and gold.

Only 4% of the country being used for farming. They only grow bananas, corn, rice and sorghum for domestic consumption. They grow sugar-cane, coffee and cacao for export and import food especially grains and animals feed. They grow cattle as their main livestock.