Venezuela

Abstract

Venezuela is a country with a diverse terrain. In the south lie the tropical rain forests of the high Roraima hinterland and the Orinoco River basin, which pass westwards into the grasslands and plains of the Llanos. Two Andean ranges, capped by Pico Bolivar, at an altitude of 5,007 m, follow to the north, before giving way to the badlands of Falcon and the deserts of Paraguana, complete with sand dunes and cactus. To the West, lies Lake Maracaibo, a large inland shallow sea, while to the East is the Orinoco delta and the Gulf of Paria, which separates Venezuela from Trinidad. The country has rich natural resources, with substantial iron-ore deposits in the interior, in addition to its ample oil endowment. It also owns a number of small Caribbean islands, including Sta. Margarita. It supports a population of 29 million, which is not an excessive number for such a rich county.