Venezuela is a federal presidential republic located in northern South America. It gained independence from Spain in 1830 and has a population that is mostly Roman Catholic. Spanish is the dominant language, though indigenous languages like Wayuu are also recognized. The capital and largest city is Caracas. Venezuela has a diverse cuisine influenced by indigenous, African, and European traditions. Some popular dishes include arepas, empanadas, and chicharron. Venezuela is also home to natural landmarks like Angel Falls and has had significant success in international beauty pageants.

2. Venezuela
(officially) the
Bolivarian
Republic of
Venezuela,
The territory currently
known as Venezuela
was colonized by Spain in
1522 amid resistance
from indigenous peoples.
It gained full
independence as a
separate country in 1830.

3. Venezuela is a federal presidential
republic consisting of 23 states.
Venezuela is among the most
urbanized countries in Latin America.
CARACAS is the capital and the largest city
of Venezuela.

4. Nicolás Maduro Moros
(born 23 November 1962)
A Venezuelan politician who
has been President of
Venezuela since 2013.

5. LANGUAGE
Although the country is mostly monolingual
Spanish, many languages are spoken in Venezuela.
In addition to Spanish, the Constitution recognizes
more than thirty indigenous languages, including
Wayuu, Warao, Pemón, and many others for the
official use of the indigenous peoples, mostly with
few speakers – less than 1% of the total
population. Immigrants, in addition to Spanish,
speak their own languages. Arabic is spoken by
Lebanese and Syrian colonies on Isla de Margarita,
Maracaibo, Punto Fijo, Puerto la Cruz, El Tigre,
Maracay, and Caracas. Portuguese is spoken not
only by the Portuguese community in Santa Elena
de Uairén but also by much of the population due
to its proximity to Brazil.

6. RELIGION
According to the 2011 census, 88
percent of the population is Christian,
primarily Roman Catholic (71%), and the
remaining 17 percent Protestant.
The Venezuelans without religion are 8%
(atheist 2% and agnostic or indifferent
6%), almost 3% of the population follow
other religions.
Caracas Cathedral

7. CUISINE
Due to its location in the world, its diversity of
industrial resources and the cultural diversity of
the Venezuelan people, Venezuelan cuisine often
varies greatly from one region to another. Its
cuisine, traditional as well as modern, is influenced
by its European (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese,
and French), West African and Native American
traditions. Food
staples include corn, rice, plantain, yams, beans an
d several meats. Potatoes,
tomatoes, onions, eggplants, squashes and zucchi
ni are also common sides in the Venezuelan diet.

8. Arepa
is a type of food made of ground maize dough or
cooked flour prominent in the cuisine
of Colombia and Venezuela.
It is eaten daily in those countries and can be
served with various accompaniments such as
cheese (cuajada), avocado, or (especially in
Venezuela) split and used to make sandwiches.

9. Chicharron
is a dish generally
consisting of fried pork
belly or friedpork rinds;
chicharrón may also be
made from chicken,
mutton, or beef.
EMPANADA
is a stuffed bread or pastry baked
or fried in many countries in Latin
Europe, Latin America,
the Southwestern United States,
and parts of Southeast Asia.

10. Mandoca
is a Venezuelan deep
fried cornmeal ring that is usually
eaten with butter and cheese while
still hot. It is usually served at
breakfast, and it is most popular
in Zulia state of the country.

11. Angel Falls
is a waterfall in Venezuela. It is
the world's highest uninterrupted
waterfall, with a height of 979
metres (3,212 ft) and a plunge of
807 metres (2,648 ft).

12. Playa El Agua (The Water Beach)
is the most famous tourist development
on Margarita Island.

13. The National Pantheon of Venezuela
is a final resting place for national heroes.
The Pantheon
(Latin Pantheon,from Greek Pantheon, meaning
"Temple of all the Gods")

14. TRIVIA
Internationally, Venezuela has been well documented for its
successes in beauty pageants. Miss Venezuela is a closely
followed event throughout the country, and Venezuela has
received 6 Miss World, 7 Miss Universe, 7 Miss International and
2 Miss Earth titles.
Venezuela ranks first in the Global Beauties webpage list as the
country with more international pageants titles won. It also has
a Guinness World Record, after Dayana Mendoza, Miss Universe
2008 from Venezuela crowned Stefania Fernandez, also from
Venezuela as Miss Universe 2009, marking the first time over 50
years in the competition that a country wins the title in two
consecutive years.