South America
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Venezuela. (2026). In Q-files Encyclopedia, Geography, South America. Retrieved from
https://www.q-files.com/geography/south-america/venezuela
"Venezuela." Geography, South America, Q-files Encyclopedia, 29 Jun. 2026.
https://www.q-files.com/geography/south-america/venezuela.
Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.
Venezuela 2026. Geography, South America. Retrieved 7 August 2026, from
https://www.q-files.com/geography/south-america/venezuela
Geography, South America, s.v. "Venezuela," accessed August 7, 2026.
https://www.q-files.com/geography/south-america/venezuela
Venezuela
In western Venezuela, the Andes Mountains stretch northwards to meet the coast. Inland, the River Orinoco winds across vast grasslands known as llanos. Some areas of these plains can flood by up to 1 metre (3 feet) during the rainy season, forming wetlands. In the south, rainforests cling to the slopes of the Guiana Highlands. This region is home to Angel Falls, the world’s highest waterfall. The sandy beaches of Venezuela’s coastline and its 72 islands form part of the region known as the Caribbean. Located just above the Equator, the lowlands of Venezuela have a tropical climate, with warm weather all year round and a hot, rainy season between May and October.
People
Nearly all Venezuelans live in towns and cities, mainly in the cooler northern uplands around the capital, Caracas. Throughout Venezuela’s history, people from many different cultures and ethnic groups have settled in the country, starting with Spanish colonists, who arrived in the 16th century. They were soon followed by Africans, brought to the country as slaves.
In the mid-20th century, there was large-scale immigration from Italy, Germany and Portugal. Venezuela has also received millions of immigrants from Ecuador, Colombia, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Middle East. Today, just over half the population identify themselves as mestizo (mixed Amerindian, African and European ancestry), while another 40% are white European. Among Venezuela’s indigenous peoples are the Yanomami. Around 10,000 live in Venezuela’s remote southern rainforests. An entire Yanomami village lives in a single circular, thatched hut, called a shabono. Their way of life is threatened by logging for timber in the forest and illegal mining.
Economy
Venezuela’s chief exports used to be coffee and cocoa, but the country’s fortunes changed when oil was discovered under Lake Maracaibo in 1917. Venezuela quickly became one of the richest countries in South America. Today, it is the fifth-largest oil producer in the world, and oil products make up most of its exports. Other industries include iron, steel and aluminium production, and car manufacturing. Venezuela’s rainforests hold large reserves of diamonds and gold.
Crisis
An economic and humanitarian crisis began in Venezuela during the presidency of Hugo Chávez (2007–13) and has worsened during that of his successor Nicolás Maduro (2013–26). It has been marked by hyperinflation (an extremely rapid rise in prices), severe shortages of food and medicines, and sharply rising malnutrition, disease, crime and death rates. It is regarded as the worst crisis facing any country in the world in peacetime since the mid-20th century.
The crisis deepened as a result of falling oil prices in early 2015. This led to a sharp drop in revenues on which the country depended almost completely. Despite this, the government failed to cut spending. Widespread corruption together with serious economic mismanagement prompted a collapse of the Venezuelan economy. Anti-government protests were brutally crushed. According to a UN report made in February 2024, 82% of Venezuelans lived in poverty. As of August 2024, around 8 million people (almost a quarter of the entire population) had left their country. Economic sanctions (measures to limit trade) imposed by the US and other countries led to supporters of Chávez and Maduro blaming the situation on an "economic war" on Venezuela carried out by their opponents.
Following changes in government policy, the economy began to recover in 2021 and rates of poverty declined. Although food shortages and hyperinflation have largely ended, price inflation remains high in Venezuela.
The crisis entered a new phase in January 2026 when United States forces mounted a brief invasion and captured President Maduro. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as acting president.
Tepuis
The high, table-top-shaped mountains of Venezuela’s Guiana Highlands are called tepuis. The name comes from the indigenous Pemon word meaning “house of the gods”. A high sandstone plateau once covered the southeast of the country, but it has been eroded away over millions of years, leaving spectacular isolated peaks such as Auyán-tepui, the site of Angel Falls. Many tepuis are unexplored by humans, and the tops of some have only been seen by helicopter. Their isolation from the forest floor means that the tepuis’ flat tops may be home to plants and animals that do not live anywhere else on Earth.
Consultant: Nicholas Harris
Facts about Venezuela
Area 912,050 sq km (352,140 sq miles)
Population 28.84 million (2023 estimate)
Highest point Pico Bolívar 5007 m (16,427 ft)
Capital Caracas (population 3 million)
Other major cities Maracaibo (pop. 2,225,000), Maracay (1,754,256), Valencia (1,385,083), Barquisimeto (809,490)
Languages Spanish (official language), Wayuu, Warao, Pemon, Italian
Religions Christian (Catholic) 92%, other 8%
Ethnicity Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 67%, European 21%, African 10%, Amerindian 2%
Currency Bolívar fuerte (VEF)
Chief exports Oil and petroleum products, aluminium, iron ore, gold, chemicals, ships, textiles
History of Venezuela
15,000 years ago
Hunters in the region of Venezuela are using leaf-shaped tools.
AD 1000
Tribes living in the region include the Arawak, Carib and Timote-Cuica peoples.
1498
During his third voyage to the Americas, Christopher Columbus sails near the Orinoco Delta and lands in the Gulf of Paria
1522
Spain’s settlement of mainland Venezuela begins.
16th–17th century
Control of Venezuela is passed between the Spanish Viceroyalties of New Spain and Peru.
1717
Venezuela comes under the control of the Spanish Viceroyalty of New Granada.
1811
Led by Francisco de Miranda, Venezuela declares independence, beginning the Venezuelan War of Independence (1811–23).
1819
Forces led by Simón Bolívar defeat the Spanish and declare independence for the new state of Gran Colombia. The union includes the modern territories of Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Ecuador, as well as parts of Guyana, Peru and Brazil.
1830
Venezuela gains independence from Gran Colombia in a rebellion led by José Antonio Páez. Páez becomes the first president of the new country, which has lost up to a third of its population over two decades of war.
1854
Slavery is abolished in Venezuela.
1859–63
The Federal War: a bloody civil war establishes the division of power between Venezuela’s provinces.
1898
Dispute with Great Britain over the Essequibo region is resolved with disputed territory being awarded to British Guiana
1917
Oil reserves are discovered under Lake Maracaibo.
1958
The military dictator Pérez Jiménez is ousted from power by a civilian and military uprising.
1998
Hugo Chávez becomes president, and launches what is called the "Bolivarian Revolution" (named after Simón Bolívar), using revenues from oil production to fund programmes aimed at helping the poor. During his presidency, the number of Venezuelans living in poverty is halved.
2002–03
Nationwide strike, causing severe economic problems
2013 (February)
Economic crisis deepens as oil revenues fall. Venezuela devalues its currency; people face shortages of everyday items such as milk and flour.
2013 (March)
Nicolás Maduro is elected President of Venezuela following Chávez's death
2014–17
Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans protest over high levels of crime, corruption, runaway inflation and food shortages; demonstrations and riots have resulted in over 50 deaths
2018
Venezuelan government attempts to halt runaway price inflation. Food and medical shortages cause more than 2 million Venezuelans to leave the country (since 2014) for neighbouring Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil.
2019
Political crisis: President Nicolás Maduro, who was declared the winner in the May 2018 presidential election is challenged by Juan Guaidó, who declares himself as the acting president after the National Assembly of Venezuela states that results of the election were invalid. An uprising led by Guaidó in April fails.
2023–24
Guyana–Venezuela crisis: Following the passing of a vote in a referendum over whether the Essequibo region of Guyana should become part of Venezuela, held in December 2023, Venezuela passes a law that designates Essequibo as a new state of Venezuela, governed from Tumeremo. A Venezuelan military build-up on the Guyanese border sparks concerns of war between the two states.
2024
(July) President Maduro secures a third consecutive term after winning a presidential election described by international monitors as neither free nor fair. Many observers suggest that the results were falsified and that Maduro's challenger, Edmundo González, won the election by a wide margin.
2025
(September) US military carries out airstrikes on vessels from Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea, as part of declared intention to fight maritime drug trafficking in Latin America to the US. As of 15th December 2025, at least 95 people have been killed. (December) US seizes the oil tanker Skipper off the coast of Venezuela for allegedly transporting "sanctioned oil".
2026 (January)
On 3rd January US forces carry out airstrikes across northern Venezuela. US Delta Force soldiers travel by helicopter to Caracas, where they capture President Maduro and his wife. The couple are then transported by plane to New York to face criminal charges. More than 80 people are reportedly killed in the attack, including 32 Cubans. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez becomes acting president of Venezuela, but US President Trump declares the US will “run” the country.
2026 (June)
On 24th June 2026, two powerful earthquakes strike northwestern and central Venezuela. The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes, both with epicentres in San Felipe, Yaracuy, strike within 39 seconds and cause almost 800 buildings to collapse. The impact is felt mainly in La Guaira and Caracas. At least 1450 people are killed and more than 3150 are injured, with more than 46,600 people reported missing. The death toll is expected to rise to many tens of thousands.
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