VENEZUELA

ABOUT VENEZUELA

Occupying the far north eastern part of South America, Venezuela is bordered by Brazil to the south, Colombia to the west and Guyana to the southeast. Its coastline meets the waters of both the Caribbean Sea in the north and the Atlantic Ocean in the east. Venezuela could be seen as a mini continent, due to its incredibly diverse landscape that encompasses 10 broad geographical regions. Off the north coast lie numerous Caribbean Islands, of which the biggest is Margarita Island. The Andes in the west continue in the north with the Cordillera de la Costa, a mountain chain which runs along the Caribbean coast. The Andes also continue south to Los Llanos, a giant plain extending east as far as the Caura River, which flows through Venezuela's second largest forest reserve. Located south of Los Llanos is the Amazon Basin, the largest rain forest in the world. East of the Caura River is the beginning of the Gran Sabana, a magical land interspersed with tabletop mountains that inspired Conan Doyle in his novels about the Lost World. Venezuela's capital, Caracas, and the majority of developed land is situated in the Central region.

In ancient times, Venezuela was paradise for Indian tribes who lived on its beaches, tropical forests, and on the gentle grassland of the llanos. Columbus was the first European to visit Venezuela. He came in 1498, during his third voyage to the New World, and explored the Orinoco Delta. More explorers came a year later, and it was Alonso de Ojeda who gave the country its name.

Despite a rough history, Venezuelans are famous in South America for their easy-going nature and fun-loving spirit. Their national mythology hails back to the days when independent and rugged settlers tamed the lawlessness of the llanos, a heritage not unlike that of the American West.