This document provides an overview of Venezuela. Key points include: - Venezuela is an South American country located on the northern coast with borders to Colombia, Guyana, and Brazil. Spanish is the official language. - The population is over 29 million people and predominantly Roman Catholic. - The economy relies heavily on oil exports, which account for about 1/3 of GDP. Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserves. - Other natural resources include natural gas, iron ore, gold and bauxite. Agriculture and food production have declined relative to population growth.

1. Home of the waterfalls on Earth

5.  Officially called the Bolivarian Republic of
Venezuela ( Spanish : República Bolivariana de
Venezuela )
 A tropical country on the northern coast of
South America.
 It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the
east, and Brazil to the south.
 Its northern coastline of roughly 2,800
kilometers (1,700 mi).
 Its territory covers around 916,445 square
kilometers (353,841 sq mi).
 It has an estimated population of 29,105,632.

6. Capital city of Venezuela & the largest
city: Caracas
Official and National Language:
Spanish
Government: Federal Presidential
Republic

8. • The approximate population of Venezuela is
27.23 million.
• Life expectancy is 70 years for men and about
76 for women.
• The literacy rate for the country is just over
93%.
• The official language is Spanish but many
indigenous languages are spoken as well.
• 96% of the country is Roman Catholic (not all
practicing).
• The population growth rate is just under 1.5%.

10. The majority of Venezuela
celebrates Christmas each
year beginning on the 16th
of December and going to
the 25th. Venezuela,
unlike many cultures,
believe that baby Jesus
delivers presents to
children instead of Santa
Claus.

11. There is freedom of religion
in Venezuela, some are
Jewish, some are Arabic,
but most have become
catholic over time . Religion
in Venezuela is mostly
catholic., with Roman
Catholic 96%, Protestant
2%, it is safe to say that
Catholicism is Venezuela's
main religion.

12. • Approximately 20% of national budget dedicated to
education.
• Three levels of schooling, preprimary school
(kindergarten), elementary (9 years) and secondary
school (2-3 years).
• The education system in the country is really on the
rise in recent years.
• A meager 14 universities in Venezuela, compared to
the United States’ thousands of college’s.
• Although Venezuela does not have a powerful
education system the way the U.S. does it is rapidly
improving.

13. • The Venezuelan flag has three colors on it,
red, yellow and blue and it also has the
coat of arms displayed in the top left
corner.
• The red stands for independence from
Spain, blue stands for courage and yellow
stands for land wealth, the name of the
flag is freedom fighter.

14. • Very influenced ways of cooking, a lot of Spanish, Italian
and French cooking is seen.
• On the coast a large variety of fish is eaten, red snapper
is fairly popular.
• In the Andean Mountain region very much sausage and
cured meats are eaten, including the most famous food
in the country, the arepa. Also famous in this region is
the trout that live in the streams in the Andes.
• The food eaten in the Amazonian region is very unique.
Aside from the obvious yucca, bananas, corn and beans
some of the locals even eat turtles, tapirs, monkeys
birds and deep fried ants.

15. CACHAPA
ASADO NEGRO

16. • Natural resources in Venezuela are coal, natural gas,
petroleum, iron ore, gold, diamonds, cocoa and
bauxite.
• The majorly exported resources are petroleum (oil)
and cocoa.
• Venezuela’s economy practically lives off of its oil
supply, without it Venezuela would be no where near
as much of a power economically as it is.
• Venezuela exports approximately $60.9 billion a year
in petroleum.
• The U.S. is Venezuela’s major market. Over 50% of
what Venezuela exported in 2005 went to the United
States.

17. • Oil exportation began in the early 1920s
• Oil income was not invested wisely,
industry was mired in corruption and
waste
• Venezuela is an OPEC member
• Eighth largest oil producer
• Oil export is ~ 1/3 of GDP
– 80% of export earnings come from oil
– 50% of the government’s operating revenue
stems from oil

18. • Venezuela is very inefficient in producing its own
food supply.
• They import two thirds of their food from countries
around the world.
• In 2009 Venezuela imported $967 million worth of
agricultural products such as wheat, corn, beans
animal fats etc.
• Venezuela relies on the U.S. in a big way as both
an importer and an exporter.
• Venezuela imports at least a fourth of its food from
the U.S.

19. • US Viewpoint (1999 statistics):
– Venezuela is US’s 24th largest export market.
– Trade deficit with Venezuela was $5.9 billion.
– Exports to Venezuela (merchandise) was $5.4
billion.
– US imported $11.3 billion
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI):
– $5.7 billion from U.S. in 1998.
– Investments were predominantly in
manufacturing, petroleum, and wholesale
sectors.

20. • The three major sports in Venezuela are tennis, baseball
and soccer.
• Baseball for many years now has been taken very
seriously in Venezuela.
• Venezuela has produced many great baseball players
including Luis Aparicio and Johan Santana, two of the
greatest players to ever live.
• Soccer is an upcoming sport in Venezuela, although it is
not the most popular sport it is among the most played.
• Tennis also is a popular sport in Venezuela. Although it
isn’t played extremely often like soccer and baseball, it
is watched very often and many Venezuelans look
forward to watching the Fed Cup and Davis Cup,
national tennis tournaments held in the country.

22. • Reptiles: Orinoco crocodiles, anacondas, boa
constrictors, rattlesnakes, vipers, iguanas etc.
• Fish: River dolphins, piranhas, stingrays,
electric eels etc.
• Mammals: Giant anteaters, armadillos, foxes,
jaguars, pumas, giant river otters, red howler
monkeys, opossums etc.
• Birds: Wire-tailed Manakin, Troupial, Redbilled tropicbird, Brown Pelican and
thousands more

24. is a national park
located
in
Bolivar
State, Venezuela. It
was established on
June 12, 1962 and
declared
a
World
Heritage
Site
by
UNESCO in 1994.

25. - is located in the Sierra
Nevada, in Mérida in
Venezuela. It is one of
the largest in the region
and is included in the
Ramsar List of Wetlands
of September 2007.

26. Geological formation of
basalt granite, belonging
to middle mountain
system also shows the
presence of limestone
deposits, varying its
color from pure white to
dark brown

27. Angel Falls, Spanish Salto
Ángel, also called Salto
Churún Merú, waterfall in
the Guiana Highlands in
Bolívar state,
southeastern Venezuela.
The highest waterfall in
the world, the cataract
drops 3,212 feet (979
metres) and is 500 feet
(150 metres) wide at the
base.

28. Prepared by
Sumatra, Bebs Catherine R.