Venezuela Facts

The history of Venezuela dates back to the early 19th century when Gran Colombia was ruled by the Spanish. Simon Bolivar led the independence struggle and declared independence on July 5, 1811. Bolivar's army finally defeated the Spanish in 1821. Gran Colombia, fell in 1830 and gave rise to independent nations of Colombia, Panama, Ecuador and Venezuela. Keep reading for more Venezuela facts listed below.

Facts About Venezuela
Given below are some interesting facts about Venezuela.

• Venezuela or Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is situated in Northern South America and is bordered by the Caribbean and the North Atlantic Ocean.
• The Constitution of Venezuela was adopted on 30th December 1999 and the current Head of State, President Hugo Chavez Frias, has been in command since then.
• It is one of the oldest democracies in South America.
• The government of Venezuela is of the federal republican type and the capital of this country is Caracas.
• It has a current population of 26,414,816 and 96% of the people are Roman Catholic with 2% protestants and 2% belonging to other religions.
• Spanish is the official language of Venezuela, though English, French, German and Portuguese are spoken by some communities in the country.
• Bolivar is the currency of Venezuela.
• Venezuela is a little more than twice the size of California and has a coast line of 2,800 km with a tropical, hot and humid climate.
• There are only two seasons in Venezuela and they are the hot and dry season, and the hot and wet season.
• It is famous for its petroleum oil plants around the world.
• Venezuela is counted as one of the 17 most biodiverse countries in the world.
• The term 'Little Venice' was given to Venezuela by its explorers who found houses built on stilts in a lake, which reminded them of Venice.
• The leading industries in Venezuela are petroleum, construction materials, food processing and iron ore mining.
• The flora of Venezuela is as diverse as its wildlife and includes plants like the cacti, epiphytes, different species of flowers, fruiting trees, etc.
• The fauna or the wildlife of Venezuela includes jaguars, capybara, howler monkey, species of freshwater dolphins, pumas, manatee and a giant otter called the water-wolf which is almost extinct.
• Birds like flamingos, pelican, nocturnal species, oilbird (guacharo) and different species of parrots are a rare sight to see anywhere else other than Venezuela. Venezuela's reptiles include cayman, iguana, boa, rattlesnakes and the anaconda.
• The traditional food of Venezuela is the 'Arepas' which is a kind of bread made from cornstarch, water and salt. It's easy to make and can be eaten with sea food delicacies like shrimp, oysters, fish or even cheese, ham, chicken, etc. Beer and South American wines are one of the cheapest drinks found in Venezuela.

So these were some great Venezuela facts for you. Read on to know some more fun facts about Venezuela.

Fun Facts About Venezuela
Venezuela is an excellent tourist destination that offers a variety of things to tourists. The country is blessed by mother nature. Listed below are some more Venezuela information for you.

• Canaima National Park which is located in Bolivar state is considered as one of the largest national parks in the world.
• Angel Falls is the world's highest waterfall which drops from 3,212 feet.
• The national game of this country is baseball, though soccer is also played. Soccer is called 'futbol' in Venezuela.
• Lake Maracaibo which connects to the Gulf of Venezuela is the largest lake in South America.
• The first European to find the Venezuelan coast in 1498 was Christopher Columbus.
• During Christmas season, the people of Venezuela roller-skate to church.
• Venezuela has won the Miss Universe title 6 times and the Miss World 5 times till date. This is more than any other country in the world.
• The popular series, "The Simpsons" is banned in Venezuela as it is inappropriate for children.
• The schools in this country give the kids so much liberty that they can choose the time to attend school.

I am sure you enjoyed reading these interesting Venezuela facts. This country is endowed with nature's gifts such as forests, beaches, flora and fauna and of course large deposits of oil. Venezuela is a great travel destination because of its exotic natural beauty. So, don't forget to keep it on your vacation hot spot list.