Geographical location of Venezuela. Economy of Venezuela: general information and development Geographical location of the border assessment of the geographical location of Venezuela

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Venezuela. Geographical position

Venezuela is located in the northern part of South America, between Brazil to the south. Colombia in the west and Guyana in the east. Venezuela covers an area of more than 900 thousand square meters. km. From the north, Venezuela is washed by the Caribbean Sea of the Atlantic Ocean (the length of the coastline is about 2800 km). Venezuela owns the islands of Aves, Orchila, Los Hermanos, Los Testigos, Margarita, La Tortuga, Los Roques and Blanquilla, as well as a number of small coral islands (about 72) and reefs (about 200) in the southern Caribbean Sea. In the western part of Venezuela, near the coast, there are spurs of the Andes, the height of which, on average, is up to 3000 meters, and the highest point is Bolivar Peak (5007 m). To the south are the steppe plain - the llanos, which extends to the Orinoco River. This river originates in the east of the country on the Guiana Plateau and flows into the Pacific Ocean. The largest tributaries of the Orinoco are the Apure, Meta, Negro and Casiquiare, which connects the Orinoco with a tributary of the Amazon, the Rio Negro.

The Orinoco has the highest waterfall in the world - Angel (1054 m). In the west of Venezuela there is Lake Maracaibo, its area is 65 thousand square meters. km. It is connected to the Gulf of Venezuela by a narrow strait.

Climate of Venezuela

The climate of Venezuela is determined by the alternation of humid equatorial air masses with calm weather in summer and dry trade winds in winter. Temperatures vary little throughout the year and depend mainly on the altitude of the area. Coastal areas are characterized by sweltering heat and high humidity; at higher elevations, temperatures are lower and conditions are more comfortable for human habitation. That is why all major cities are located at an altitude of 600 to 1850 meters above sea level. Above 1800 m the climate is much cooler and close to the climate of temperate latitudes. At altitudes above 3000 m it is so cold that farming is almost impossible and the main agricultural activity is sheep farming. More than three quarters of the country's area is characterized by a rainy season, which lasts from May to November. Precipitation varies from 280 mm on the Caribbean coast to 2000 mm or more at the southern end of Lake Maracaibo and on the windward slopes of the mountains and the Guiana Plateau. The dry season lasts from December to April.

Population geographical venezuela population culture

Venezuela is one of the most mestizo countries in Latin America. Since the conquest, the country has undergone a complex process of mixing of the indigenous population with Europeans and blacks. Mestizos currently make up the bulk of the population; Indians - only about 3%; blacks, mulattoes and Sambos - about 10%. Data on the size of the so-called white population are very contradictory; It has increased somewhat recently due to immigrants from Europe. On average, we can assume that there are about 12-15 whites. Religion in Venezuela - The Venezuelan Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. The majority of the country's believers (up to 96%) consider themselves to belong to the Roman Catholic Church, about 2% are Protestants, and about 2% are representatives of other faiths. According to the 2001 census, the population of Venezuela was 23,232,553 people. The main population of the country is Venezuelans. The number of Indians exceeds 100 thousand people. At least 3/4 of the population lives in a narrow strip of coastal mountain ranges stretching along the Caribbean coast from the Colombian border to the Orinoco Delta. Another 15% of the population is concentrated in the oil-bearing region around Lake Maracaibo. The birth rate in Venezuela, as of 2003, was about 19.78 per 1000 people, the death rate was about 5 per 1000, and the natural population increase was 1.48% per year. Life expectancy in the country is 70.78 years for men and 77.70 for women. Venezuela's population grew from 766 thousand people in 1823 to 2.4 million in 1920. However, areas of the Guiana Highlands remained almost uninhabited until World War II. The shortage of qualified oil workers in the oil fields after the war caused an influx of engineers and workers from abroad. In addition, the government began to recruit settlers in Europe and a stream of immigrants rushed into the country, especially from Spain, Portugal and Italy. However, the attempt at agricultural development of the Guiana Highlands was not crowned with great success; Europeans, poorly adapted to life in the tropical forests, eventually settled in Caracas, Maracaibo and other cities. Currently, many migrants, both legal and illegal, are arriving from Colombia. There are reports that in the early 1990s, more than a million Colombians lived illegally in Venezuela. Cities. Venezuela is highly urbanized, with 93% of the population living in cities. The largest city, Caracas, with a population of 3.051 million people, is located in a picturesque valley in the coastal mountain region. The second largest city is Maracaibo with a population of 2.153 million people. Once a collection of primitive huts built on stilts, Maracaibo has now become a modern city and a major oil production center. To the southwest of Caracas is Valencia, a center of cattle breeding and dairy industry, with a population of 903 thousand people. According to the 1990 census, more than 200 thousand people lived in the cities of Barcelona, Barquisimeto, Ciudad Bolivar, Cumana, Maracay, Maturin, Petare and San Cristobal. In contrast to these relatively densely populated areas, the southern part of the country, from the Apure and Orinoco rivers to the Brazilian and Colombian borders, has never had a significant population. In these areas, where high rocky plateaus alternate with dry, short-grass steppes and dense forests, the population density nowhere exceeds 2-3 people per 1 sq. km. The settlements for the most part consist of a few houses on the banks of the river.

Venezuela - climate

Most of Venezuela has a subequatorial climate. The air temperature varies little throughout the year; the differences between the seasons lie in the amount of precipitation. In summer (April - November) moist equatorial masses arrive and the rainy season begins, while in winter (December - March) dry trade winds blow. The climate on the plains is hot. The highest air temperatures are observed in autumn-winter, when northeastern trade winds predominate; during this period the air warms up to +35 degrees during the day and cools down to +24 degrees at night. As the altitude increases, the area becomes cooler. Thus, at altitudes from 500 to 1000 m, daytime temperatures range from +24 to +28 degrees, and at night they range from 16 to 20 degrees Celsius. On the plains, about 300 mm of precipitation falls per year, and on the Guiana Plateau - up to 700 mm per year. The windward slopes of the mountains and the southeastern part of the Guiana Plateau are considered the wettest places - up to 3000 mm of precipitation can fall here. The northern coast of Venezuela and the islands of the Caribbean Sea are dominated by a tropical climate. Daytime air temperatures throughout the year are +30..+34 degrees, and night temperatures are 22..26 degrees Celsius. The coast and islands receive the least amount of precipitation - about 250 mm per year.

Culture and traditions

In folklore and holidays, in addition to Spanish, Indian and African influences are noticeable. Popular are bullfights, cockfights, horse racing, baseball, football, music and dancing (guarachas, to the accompaniment of a 4-string cuatro guitar). In their relationships with each other, Venezuelans are emphatically polite and correct—the familiarity typical of many Latin American countries is absent here. However, there are many variants of nicknames in use, which are assigned to interlocutors purely to simplify communication. Quite colorful addresses like “my love” (“mi amor”) or “my joy” are easily used to acquaintances (but not friends). With friends and well-known people, a more precise wording of the address is used, more likely reminiscent of a nickname formed on the basis of the external characteristics of the interlocutor (“fat man,” “redhead,” etc.) or some other memorable attributes. Some Venezuelan nicknames may seem quite rude, but it should be taken into account that the local language has many nuances that make it possible to give even a seemingly offensive word a completely acceptable connotation.

Maracaibo

Maracaibo, a lake (lagoon) in Venezuela, south of the Gulf of Venezuela, which is connected by a shallow (2 × 4 m) strait. It is located in an intermountain depression between the Sierra de Perija ranges in the west and the Cordillera Merida in the east. Area 16.3 thousand km2. Depths in the south are up to 250 m. In the southern part of the lake the water is fresh, in the northern? salty. The banks are low-lying and swampy. Shipping.

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Locations: Venezuela

Venezuela

ABOUT GEOGRAPHY

"Venezuela"

7th grade student Igor Andreevich Khadeev

| 1. General characteristics 3 |

Geographical location | 4 |

| 3. Climate 4 |

| 4. Natural Resources | 5 |

| 5. Economics | 5 |

| 6. Transportation | 6 |

| 7. Government Structure 6 |

| 8. History | 7 |

General characteristics

Venezuela is the first country for every European traveler

South America, as usual, do ocean air lines

stopover in the capital of Caracas.

Here in the 16th century

The first Spanish settlements were built, which were even larger

winning the continent. Numerous islands of the Caribbean and reliable

The shore was warned about the first inhabitants of distant Venice,

Spanish sounds like Venezuela.

The republic became independent in 1821

year as a result of the national liberation struggle led by

Simon Bolivar.

The population is 23,203 thousand people. (1999).

Ethnic composition: Spaniards, Italians, Portuguese, Arabs, Germans, Montenegro,

96% of all believers are Catholics, 2% are Protestants. Fine

expected service life 72.95 years (1999). Literacy rate among people

over 15 years old - 91.1% (1999).

Monetary unit - Bolivar;

There are more than 2 million foreigners without life

registration. The capital is Caracas (2.7 million inhabitants, with suburbs).

The official language is Spanish. Most people show up

Catholicism.

Geographical position

Country in the north.

parts of South America. Territory - 912 thousand.

square kilometers.

In the center of the country is the Orinoco, in the north and northwest is the Caribbean

Alps, ridges of the Cordillera la Merida (altitude up to 5007 m.

— Bolivar Peak)

Sierra de Perigua, in the southeastern part of Guyana.

Venezuelan cities are increasingly complex

organizations: urban agglomerations, “urban corridors” located between

largest centers.

This is typical for most urbanized and

industrial countries.

For example, three megacities are being formed in Venezuela, including honey

the capital of Caracas and the coast. By the end of the century they will be concentrated at 77%

population of Venezuela (in the early seventies, on their territory

42.6% of Venezuelans lived).

Venezuela is called mountains, plains and forests.

We can break it down into

four different depending on the landscape, climate and vegetation: mountains

Andi, Maracaibowa basin, Llanos (plains in the Apure river basin and

Orinoco) and the Guiana plateau. Overall, Venezuela is hot

subequatorial climate - more polluted on the northern coast

and with a clear rainy season in the center of the country. most

It is convenient to live in moderately hot mountainous areas.

Last time,

economic importance of ordinary Llanos v

The average monthly temperature is 25-29 ° C. Precipitation is from 280 to 3000 mm. in year.

Moist and variable moist forests, savannas, dry forests

Natural resources

We export oil, petroleum products, iron ore, aluminum, steel,

coffee, cocoa, seafood; machinery and equipment, raw materials and

materials, agricultural products, etc.

Regarding the opening on the territory of the country in 1913.

rich oil

penetration of foreign capital into the economy

American oil companies began to play an increasingly important role.

economy

The oil sector dominates the economy, accounting for 1/3

gross output, 80% of export earnings and half

government spending.

The global decline in oil prices has led to serious

economic turmoil in the country: reduction in payments in foreign currency

cut government spending and reduce

costs led to a shutdown structural changes in economics.

Economic recession in 1999

continued, although not as strongly as in

The government is trying to overcome

financial crisis. The local currency was reduced by 40% compared to

at the 1998 level. Newly elected President Hugo Chavez is forced

correct your election statements and strive for strict policies

which aims to protect the rights of investors.

Gross Domestic Product in 1998

amounted to $95,023 million.

The gross national product in 1998 was $82.096 million.

GDP growth in Venezuela in 1994-1998. (percentage changes in the past

Transport services

Venezuela has a developed network of roads - 74 thousand.

kilometers.

There are 287 airports in the country (7 international).

Railways - 718.4 kilometers.

Government structure

The capital is Caracas.

Venezuela is a federation of 22 states, federal districts and

federal property.

The head of state is the president.

The legislative body is the bicameral Congress of the Republic.

Official language

- Spanish.

The strength of the armed forces was in 1997.

75 thousand people.

Venezuela was discovered by Columbus in 1498, and a year later it was captured

Spanish colonialists. In the 16th century. Venezuelan territory was conquered

Spanish conquerors who created large holdings

(latifundia) using slave labor brought from Africa by blacks.

In 1821, as a result of the War of Independence of the Spanish colonies in America

declared an independent state.

From 1819 to 1830 it was part

composition of the Republic of Gran Colombia. Slavery was abolished in 1854. WITH

The discovery of oil fields in the country's economy in 1913 was discovered

American capital. From the late 40s to the late 60s, the state

they were led by dictatorial regimes.

Search Lectures

A state in the northern part of South America. Territory - 912 thousand square kilometers. The capital is Caracas.

Venezuela is a federation of 22 states, a federal district and a federal possession.

A distinctive feature of Venezuela's geographical location is that it borders the Atlantic Ocean, which is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the strategically important Panama Canal.

Access to the world ocean is very important for the country not only for communication with other continents, but also for contacts between the Latin American countries themselves.

There are also enterprises for the production of electrical, radio and television equipment. Due to large-scale construction in the oil, mining and manufacturing industries, urban and highway construction, the production of building materials is growing rapidly.

The country has a significant amount of land suitable for cultivation, but only a small part of it is cultivated.

In addition, until recently, the country was dominated by a backward form of land ownership and land use, in which 2% of farms belonging to the largest landowners accounted for 80%, and half of all farms accounted for only 1% of the registered land fund. This resulted in extremely low levels of land use and labor productivity.

As a result, agriculture was the most backward sector of the economy. In 1950, imports of food and agricultural raw materials accounted for half, in 1960

A third of their consumption in the country.
The situation began to change in the 60-70s as agrarian reform was carried out. Due to the purchase by the government of land not used by them from the latifundists, as well as from the state land fund, a significant part of the peasants received land.
Agriculture accounts for 45% of the value of agricultural products.

The main agricultural region is the mountainous region in the north and northwest of Venezuela. 2/3 of all arable land is located here.
More than 20% of the total cultivated area is occupied by the main export crops - coffee and cocoa. The best coffee comes from the northwestern mountain states. High quality cocoa is produced in the Caribbean states.
Livestock farming, the main industry of which is cattle breeding, accounts for 55% of the value of agricultural products.

Llanos has long been considered the main livestock-raising region of the country, where up to 5 million heads of cattle and 200-300 thousand horses graze.
Fishing is developed along the northern coast of Venezuela and in Lake Maracaibo.

The most valuable product of marine fisheries is shrimp.
The mining industry occupied an important place in the country's economy. In the 1970s, 194 million tons were produced in Venezuela. oil. Since the 70s of the 20th century, the government has pursued a policy of reducing oil production in order to preserve its reserves. Due to the sharp increase in world oil prices during the years of the energy crisis, Venezuela's income from its exports has increased markedly, despite the reduction in oil production.
More than 4/5 of all Venezuelan oil is produced in the Lake Maracaibo basin, about 20% in the east, 3% in the southwest.

95% of proven reserves lie with oil natural gas.

However, the lion's share of the value of gross output of the manufacturing industry is still provided by food, textiles and clothing, leather and footwear, woodworking and other “old” industries.

More than 25% of the value of gross output of the manufacturing industry comes from oil refining. Venezuela is a major exporter of petroleum products. The leading branches of the manufacturing industry, in addition to oil refining, include: food, textiles, clothing, chemicals, metalworking, and mechanical engineering.

Foreign trade plays a huge role in the life of Venezuela.

The country's exports by value reach 1/3, and imports - 1/6 of the gross national product. In the value of Venezuelan exports, more than 90% are oil and oil products, 4% are iron ore, the rest are coffee and cocoa, gold, asbestos, sugar, bananas, vegetables, rice, hides, livestock, and forest products.

Imports are dominated by various equipment, machinery, mechanisms, vehicles and spare parts for them, various raw materials and materials, including metal structures, pipes for gas and oil pipelines, as well as various consumer industrial goods and food.

In recent years, food imports have been growing, since agriculture remains the most backward sector of the economy and cannot satisfy the country's needs for agricultural products.

A significant portion of exported oil is sent to the United States. Only crude oil is imported from Venezuela to the Dutch islands of Aruba and Curacao, which, after processing at the plants of American and British companies located there, is re-exported to the USA, England, Germany, Japan and other countries.

The US accounts for the majority of the value of Venezuela's imports - about $3 billion.

Venezuela. Geographical location of Venezuela

On the topic of Venezuela

Prepared

Ilya Molchun

1 Welcome to Venezuela

It owns about four dozen islands in the Caribbean Sea. The largest of them is Margarita Island. In the northeast, narrow straits bristling with sharp rocks, called the Serpent's Mouth and the Dragon's Mouth by Columbus, separate Venezuela from the largest of the Lesser Antilles - Trinidad.

In terms of territory size (916.4 thousand sq. km), Venezuela is larger than England, France, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland combined. Its population is 24.66 million people (2003).

In terms of economic development and economic potential (2005 data), Venezuela ranks 3rd in Latin America (after Brazil and Argentina).

Senators and deputies are elected for 5 years. All citizens over 18 years of age have the right to vote, with the exception of military personnel. The Constitution proclaims a number of democratic rights and freedoms, some of which, however, are curtailed by various reservations. The capital of the country is the city of Caracas. The official language is Spanish. Venezuela is a member of the UN, IMF, WHO, OPEC. Currency: The national currency is the bolivar, divided into 100 centimos.

Cash notes are issued in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 bolivars, as well as coins in denominations of 1, 2 and 5 bolivars. Time: 7 hours behind Moscow. The Venezuelan army is about 90 thousand strong.

Human. In 2006, Venezuela entered into a contract with Russia to purchase helicopters, fighter jets and Kalashnikov assault rifles for its army.

2. Nature

Almost the entire west and north of the country is occupied by the Andes of Venezuela - the northeastern spur of the grandiose Andes mountain system of South America. The Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, entering the borders of Venezuela, bifurcates into two ridges: the Sierra de Perija, along the crest of which the border with Colombia runs, and the high double ridge of the Cordillera de Merida, deviating to the northeast.

Between these ridges lies the Maracaibo depression.

The central part of the Cordillera de Merida ridge is covered with eternal snow and glaciers, for which it is called the Sierra Nevada, i.e.

e. Snezhnaya. Here is the highest point of the country - Peak Bolivar (5007 m). At the top of the peak stands a bronze bust of this outstanding fighter for Venezuelan independence. To the northeast, the Cordillera de Merida ridge decreases to 2000 m, bifurcates again and, taking a sublatitudinal direction, stretches east along the Caribbean coast. This is the Caribbean Andes - one of the most earthquake-prone areas in South America.

The earthquake of 1812 was so strong that the first tremors turned the city of Caracas into a pile of ruins. In one minute, almost a quarter of its population died - 10 thousand people. In 1900 it was destroyed again by an earthquake.

The Maracaibo lowland, at the bottom of which lies the lake of the same name, is formed by sediment from numerous mountain rivers and is very swampy in the southern part.

The lake area is one of the world's richest oil fields. The central part of Venezuela, between the Andes and the river. The Orinoco, in its middle and lower reaches, represents the vast Minina - Llanos, stretching 900 km in length and 300 km in width. Almost half of the entire territory of the country is occupied by the Guiana Plateau (Venezuelan Guayana), rising to the south of the lower Orinoco, with a height of 100-800 m.

In its central part there are isolated peaks and flat outlier hills - mesas or “table mountains”, rising to 2000 m or more. In the southern part of the plateau they turn into sandstone - steep-walled and flat-topped Pacaraima, Parima, etc. ridges.

The watershed of the Orinoco and Amazon river basins and the Venezuela-Brazil border pass through them.

At the junction of the borders of Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana, one of the highest plateaus rises with the mountains Roraima and Kukenam, and to the north of it, in the area of the sources of the river. Caroni, is one of the highest mountains of Venezuelan Guayana - Aprada Tepui (3100 m). It is very difficult to penetrate into this remote and poorly explored region: rugged mountains and impenetrable virgin tropical rainforests make it inaccessible.

The flat peaks of the mesas, reaching 30-40 km in length and completely cut off from the rest of the world by cliffs up to 2000 m high, were almost never visited by people. It is here that the events described in the famous novel by A. Conan Doyle “The Lost World” “happen”. There is also one of the largest mesas - Auyan Tepui, called by the Indians “the mountain of the devil”.

Since the time of the conquistadors, there has been a legend that somewhere in these places there is a huge waterfall, falling “straight from the sky.”

For centuries this was considered fiction. But in the early 1930s, the American pilot Jimmy Angell, flying over the gloomy cliffs against which his fragile plane seemed like a dragonfly, saw a giant waterfall.

A huge column of water, foam and steam with a mighty roar fell from somewhere behind the clouds, almost from the very top of the “devil’s mountain.”

A few years before the Second World War, Angell made another flight there. Choosing a flat clearing on the flat top of Auyan Tepui, he landed his small plane there.

However, the green surface turned out to be deceptive: the plane's wheels got stuck in the swamp, and Angell barely managed to escape. Since then, this place and the waterfall itself have been called “Salto Angel” - the angel’s jump (a play on words: in English “angel”, and in Spanish “angel” - angel). Only in the 50s was it possible to establish that the height of this waterfall is 1054 m, i.e.

it is 21 times higher than Niagara.

2.1 Climate

Located in low latitudes, Venezuela has a subequatorial hot climate.

Venezuela. Economic-geographical location

The difference between the average temperatures of the coldest and warmest months does not exceed 5°. In summer, the country's territory is under the influence of humid equatorial air masses, and in winter - dry northeastern trade winds. Therefore, with the exception of a large part of the Guiana Plateau, which has abundant year-round rainfall, Venezuela is characterized by a dry period (from October to March) and a wet period (from April to September).

In the Andean mountain range, the climate depends not only on the seasonality of precipitation, but also on the altitude, as well as on the location of the mountain slopes.

The highest dryness is found in the Falcon-Lara plateau, the coastal strip and the islands of the Caribbean Sea. This is the area of the highest air temperatures in the American tropics.

The port of La Guaira, for example, where only 280 mm of annual precipitation falls, is jokingly called by Venezuelans the threshold of hell. In the lake area Maracaibo receives 6 times more precipitation (up to 1800 mm), and the average annual temperature (28°) is the highest for Latin America. Poor “ventilation” of the swampy lowlands surrounded on three sides by mountains leads to high relative humidity, which is very difficult for humans to tolerate, combined with exceptional heat.

2.2 Minerals

Venezuela has reserves of many minerals.

It occupies one of the prominent places in the world in terms of oil reserves. Its reliable reserves in 1977 were determined at 2.5-2.6 billion tons, and in 2003 - at almost 3.5 billion tons. Oil fields stretch throughout the northern part of the country. Three oil-bearing basins are distinguished: the Maracaibo basin (Zulia and Falcon states) in the northwest; states of Guarico, Monagas, Anzoategui, Federal Territory of Delta Amacuro - in the central and eastern parts of Llanos; the state of Apure in the west of Llanos (there are also large reserves of natural gas).

Huge oil reserves (estimated at 9.5-13.5 billion tons) have recently been discovered in the so-called Orinoco oil belt, which stretches 600 km along the lower reaches of the river, as well as deposits on the continental shelf of the Gulf of Venezuela. In the regions of Maracaibo, the Orinoco delta and in the extreme northeast there are deposits of natural asphalt, and in the Andes, in the area of \u200b\u200bLake. Maracaibo and south of Barcelona - coal.

The country is rich in ores of many metals.

Thus, iron ore reserves are estimated at 12 billion tons. It is found in different areas, but deposits on the northern edge of the Guiana Plateau, south and east of Ciudad Bolivar (in the area of the Imataka Range), are especially important. Here, almost entire mountains are made of high-quality iron ore. There are also deposits of manganese, nickel, titanium, chromite ores, tungsten, copper, zinc, lead, silver, gold, tin, antimony, mercury, vanadium, magnesite, bauxite, high-quality asbestos, gypsum, phosphates, mica, rock crystal, precious stones .

But their extraction is either carried out on a very modest scale or not at all. Deposits of thorium and uranium ores have been found on the Guiana Plateau and in the Caracas region.

After the Second World War on the river.

Diamond deposits were discovered in Paragua and its tributaries. The Venezuelan Guayana was talked about as a “geological sensation.” A genuine “diamond rush” broke out, similar to the “gold rush” in the Klondike described at one time by Jack London. Thousands of people rushed into the wilds of the Guiana Plateau: adventurers, agents of mining companies, prospectors. But only a very few returned from there with luck.

A new outbreak of “diamond fever” in this area occurred in 1971.

To the beginning of the encyclopedia

By first letter
ABINGDEANDZANDYTOLMNABOUTPRWITHTUFXCHShSCHEYUI

Venezuela. Nature

The Caribbean coast east of La Guaira.

Venezuela. Nature

Territory Venezuela located in the subequatorial zone of the Northern Hemisphere.

Shores The Caribbean Sea in the far north-west of the country is low-lying; in the north and northeast - mostly rocky, only to the west of Barcelona - lagoonal; There are many islands along the coast.

The coast of the Atlantic Ocean is formed by the delta of the Orinoco River.

Relief.

The relief is divided into 3 main areas: the Andes ridges in the northwest and north, the Orinoco plains in the center and the Guiana Plateau in the southeast. In the northwest within IN. there are the northeastern spurs of the Andes - the Sierra de Perija ridge (height up to 3540 m) and the Cordillera de Merida ridge (Bolivar, 5007 m), deeply dissected by longitudinal gorges and having an alpine relief in the central part.

The ridges frame the deep tectonic depression of the lowland and Lake Maracaibo, connected by a strait to the Gulf of Venezuela; in the northeast it is adjacent to the Falcon-Lara plateau (400-800 m) with ridges up to 1990 m high. In the north of the country there are chains of the Caribbean Andes (Naiguata, 2765 m), separated by longitudinal depressions, including Lake Valencia.

The Caribbean Andes region is prone to earthquakes (the last major one was in 1974). The Orinoco plains, the so-called Llanos Orinoco, in the southwest and southeast are a flat, sometimes flooded alluvial lowland with a height of 40-150 m (Low Llanos), in the north - a foothill plain raised to 350 m (High Llanos).

In the east are the deeply dissected plateaus of the Mesas region, adjoined to the east by the vast swampy Orinoco delta. In the east and southeast of the country - the Guiana Plateau - an elevated (300-400 m) denudation plain with residual ridges and island mountains in the north, block mountains up to 2400 m in the west, sandstone tablelands and ridges in the south (Neblina, 3014 m, Auyan Tepui, 2953 m, Roraima, 2772 m, etc.), limited by the low-lying trough of the upper Orinoco in the south.

Geological structure and minerals.

In the territory IN. Several structural elements stand out: the Guiana Shield, the Western and Eastern Venezuelan marginal troughs, the Cordillera de Merida ridge, the Sierra de Perija ridge, the Maracaibo depression.

To the south of the Orinoco River, within the Guiana Shield, Archean metamorphic rocks are exposed, overlain by Proterozoic sandstones (Roraima series). To the north of the Orinoco, a Phanerozoic platform cover rests on Precambrian rocks.

In the northwest are the eastern spurs of the Andean folded system: the Sierra de Perija ridge, which is adjoined from the southeast by the Cordillera de Mérida ridge - a Hercynian horst-anticlinorium, renewed by Alpine movements and articulated in the east with the coastal ridges.

Between the last two uplifts in the Cretaceous, the intermountain depression of Maracaibo (the lagoon of the same name and the Gulf of Venezuela) arose, filled with marine sandstones and Cretaceous shales, continental and marine coal-bearing formations of the Cenozoic. At the foot of the Cordillera de Merida and the northern part of the eastern Cordillera in the Cenozoic, the Western Venezuelan marginal trough was formed, separated from the Eastern Venezuelan by the transverse uplift of El Baul and limited in the south by a similar uplift of the Serrania de la Macarena ridge (western spur of the Guiana Shield ).

The trough is filled with thick terrigenous strata, the so-called molasse, Paleogene and Neogene.

Bosom IN. rich in oil, natural gas, iron and nickel ores; There are also coal, manganese ores, copper, gold, bauxite, sulfur, asbestos, etc. The main wealth IN.- oil, in terms of reserves (2599 million tons, 1978) of which it ranks first in Latin America and eighth among industrialized capitalist and developing countries.

There are two main areas on its territory: the Maracaiba oil and gas basin and the Orinoco oil and gas basin. There are also small deposits in the state of Falcon in the north-west of the country. Oil reserves are confined mainly to Cenozoic and Mesozoic deposits. Natural gas reserves are over 1 trillion. m3, of which 90% is associated.

60% of the reserves are concentrated in the Maracaiba basin, a significant part of the gas is also represented in the Orinoco basin. Coal deposits (total reserves 870 million tons), mostly of Tertiary and possibly Cretaceous age, are located in the state of Falcon, Anzoategui, Guarico, Zulia and Aragua.

Low quality coals; Sub-bituminous coal and semi-anthracite predominate. By iron ore resources (2300 million tons) IN. ranks second in Latin America.

Iron ores are sedimentary-metamorphogenic Archean formations (ferruginous quartzites); lie in the lower reaches of the Orinoco rivers, in the Caroni river basin, stretching in a strip of almost 240 km in length over an area of 20 thousand km2. The largest deposits are Cerro Bolivar, San Isidro and El Pao. South of the city of Caracas there is a large deposit of nickel silicate ores (Loma de Erro). Reserves - 630 thousand tons of nickel; Cobalt and manganese are also found in the ores.

Climate almost all IN. subequatorial, hot, with rainy summers and dry winters; in the southwest - equatorial, constantly humid. Average monthly temperatures range from 25 to 29°C, precipitation from 280 mm in the northwest and 750-1200 mm in the center to 2000 mm in the southeast and 2000-3000 mm in the southwest and on the northern slopes of the Cordillera de Merida .

Inland waters.

The river network, belonging mainly to the Orinoco River basin, is very dense; The rivers are characterized by extremely uneven flow (summer floods).

The upper reaches of the Orinoco River and its right tributaries (Ventuari, Caura, Caroni, etc.) have rapids and form many large waterfalls (including the highest in the world - Angel, 1054 m); the left tributaries in the west of the Llanos (Arauca, Apure, etc.) have a slight slope, many are navigable; the rivers of the Mesas region and the rivers flowing into the Caribbean Sea are short and unnavigable.

Economic and geographical characteristics of Venezuela

Soils and vegetation.

The soil cover is dominated by red lateritic (ferrallitic and ferritic) soils, in the southeast and southwest - red-yellow lateritic soils, in the Low Llanos and in the south of the Maracaibo lowland - alluvial meadow-forest and swamp. On most of the slopes of the Andes and the Guiana Plateau, deciduous (during drought) and deciduous evergreen forests are common, in the most humid areas - in the southwest and southeast and on the northern windward slopes of the Cordillera de Merida - permanently moist evergreen forests ( hylaea and mountain hylaea) with valuable species trees (red, black, logwood, rubber trees), in the highlands there are cryophilic páramo meadows.

Forests occupy over 50% of the territory (52 million hectares in 1975). In the 70s V IN. began to carry out large-scale reforestation work; Mostly Caribbean pine and fast-growing hardwoods are planted. The Low Llanos are characterized by tall grass savanna with palm trees; in the Mesas region, as well as in the adjacent areas of the Guiana Plateau and in the north of the Maracaibo lowland, there is a dry savannah with xerophilous shrubs and woodlands.

Around the Gulf of Venezuela there are xerophilous-succulent (cactus) woodlands; along the low-lying coasts there are mangroves.

Animal world very rich. Inhabited by broad-nosed monkeys, small deer, sloths, anteaters, armadillos, tapirs, peccaries, possums, jaguars and other representatives of the Brazilian subregion of the Neotropical region.

Lots of reptiles, amphibians and insects. Among the birds, the most characteristic ones are: black-billed heron, sun-billed heron, jacana, trumpeters, harpy eagle, toucans, parrots, hummingbirds. In the rivers there are caimans, electric eel, piranha, in the sea, off the coast - sardines, Spanish mackerel, mullet, anchovies, herring, tuna, sea bass.

Protected areas.

IN IN. in 1975 there were 17 national parks and 3 nature reserves. The largest national parks are: Henry Piter with tropical rain forest and endemic avifauna; Sierra Nevada de Mérida with mountain-glacier landscapes and páramo vegetation; El Avila with altitudinal zonation of tropical forests.

The Los Roques archipelago has been protected since 1973.

Natural areas:

the blocky forested ranges of the Cordillera de Mérida and Sierra de Perija; the low-lying, mostly swampy and forested depression of Maracaibo; the sparsely forested Falcon-Lara plateau; Caribbean Andes covered with mixed forests; savanna Llanos-Orinoco (Low and High); the marshy Orinoco delta; Guiana Plateau (plains with shrub savanna in the north, sandstone and blocky massifs among mixed forests in the center and the upper Orinoco depression with gilea in the south).

Literature:

Bakirov A. A., Oil and gas bearing areas of North and South America, M., 1959;

Khain V. E., Regional geotectonics. North and South America, Antarctica and Africa, M., 1971;

Lomashov I.P., The role of mining raw materials in the economy of Latin America, M., 1973;

Nitoburg E. L., Venezuela, M., 1977.

E. N. Lukashova (Physico-geographical sketch);

N. A. Bogdanov and I. P. Lomashov (Geology, structure and minerals).

Páramos with characteristic vegetation in the Cordillera de Mérida.

Llovisna waterfall on the river. Caroni.

River valley Tirika in the river basin Caroni.

Table remnant peaks on the Guiana Plateau.

To the beginning of the encyclopedia

The full form of the name of the state is: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. It is located in the north of South America, and borders countries such as Colombia, Guyana, Brazil, and is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Geography and climate of the state of Venezuela

The climate of this country is determined by the alternation of humid equatorial air masses in the summer, as well as dry winds in the winter.

The coastal regions are too hot, and places located on numerous hills are more comfortable. As you know, at an altitude of more than 1800 meters above sea level the climate is always cooler.

Most of the country is subject to rainy seasons, which last from May until November.

In turn, the dry season lasts from December to April.

Based on weather conditions, the flora is very diverse. Some varieties of the legume family are widely represented. There is also a very ancient relic zone.

The fauna of Venezuela is also rich and diverse. Here you can find animals such as puma, jaguar, ocelot, otter, nutria, porcupine, and many others. There is also a wide variety of birds.

Politics and economics of Venezuela

The president of the state is elected for a term of 6 years by a simple majority of votes and is both the head of state and government. According to the law, he can be elected an unlimited number of times.
The President has the right of legislative initiative.

The highest judicial body of the state is the Supreme Tribunal of Justice.

The country's president, Hugo Chavez, was elected to the presidency twice, and won six times in general referendums!

Geographical location of Venezuela

Referendums were initiated by opponents of the presidents, and every resolution was miserably lost. But alas, he left the life of this country and Nicolas Maduro took over his post.

Venezuela consistently produces 3 million barrels of oil per day.

The President at one time supported anti-American rhetoric and tried to pursue policies, including economic ones, in full accordance with the socialist course.

Venezuela takes an active part in the activities of the UN organization, as well as the Organization of American States.

The country adheres to a strict independent course in foreign policy.

Venezuela is located in the north of South America. In the west and southwest it borders with Colombia, in the south and southeast - with Brazil, in the east - with Guyana, in the north it is washed by the waters of the Caribbean Sea and in the northeast - the Atlantic Ocean. It owns about four dozen islands in the Caribbean Sea. The largest of them is Margarita Island. In the northeast, narrow straits bristling with sharp rocks, called the Serpent's Mouth and the Dragon's Mouth by Columbus, separate Venezuela from the largest of the Lesser Antilles - Trinidad. In terms of territory size (916.4 thousand sq. km), Venezuela is larger than England, France, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland combined. Its population is 24.66 million people (2003).

Possessing enormous natural resources, Venezuela has experienced significant economic growth over the past 30 years, and since the late 80s and early 90s it has begun to play an active role in the political life of Latin America. In terms of economic development and economic potential (2005 data), Venezuela ranks 3rd in Latin America (after Brazil and Argentina).

According to the 1961 constitution, Venezuela is a federal republic. The head of state and government is the president, elected for 5 years. He is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. There is no position of vice president, and a temporarily absent president is replaced by a minister appointed by him. Legislative power is exercised by the National Congress, consisting of two chambers - the Senate (52 senators) and the Chamber of Deputies (207 deputies). Senators and deputies are elected for 5 years. All citizens over 18 years of age have the right to vote, with the exception of military personnel. The Constitution proclaims a number of democratic rights and freedoms, some of which, however, are curtailed by various reservations. The capital of the country is the city of Caracas. The official language is Spanish. Venezuela is a member of the UN, IMF, WHO, OPEC. Currency: The national currency is the bolivar, divided into 100 centimos. Cash notes are issued in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 bolivars, as well as coins in denominations of 1, 2 and 5 bolivars. Time: 7 hours behind Moscow. The Venezuelan army is about 90 thousand people. In 2006, Venezuela entered into a contract with Russia to purchase helicopters, fighter jets and Kalashnikov assault rifles for its army.

2. Nature

Venezuela is called a country of mountains, plains and forests. It can be divided into four regions that differ in relief, climate and vegetation: the Andean mountain region, the Maracaibo depression, the Llanos (plains in the Apure and Orinoco river basin) and the Guiana Plateau. Almost the entire west and north of the country is occupied by the Andes of Venezuela - the northeastern spur of the grandiose Andes mountain system of South America. The Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, entering the borders of Venezuela, bifurcates into two ridges: the Sierra de Perija, along the crest of which the border with Colombia runs, and the high double ridge of the Cordillera de Merida, deviating to the northeast. Between these ridges lies the Maracaibo depression.

The central part of the Cordillera de Merida ridge is covered with eternal snow and glaciers, for which it is called the Sierra Nevada, i.e. Snowy. Here is the highest point of the country - Peak Bolivar (5007 m). At the top of the peak stands a bronze bust of this outstanding fighter for Venezuelan independence. To the northeast, the Cordillera de Merida ridge decreases to 2000 m, bifurcates again and, taking a sublatitudinal direction, stretches east along the Caribbean coast. This is the Caribbean Andes - one of the most earthquake-prone areas in South America. The earthquake of 1812 was so strong that the first tremors turned the city of Caracas into a pile of ruins. In one minute, almost a quarter of its population died - 10 thousand people. In 1900 it was destroyed again by an earthquake.

The Maracaibo lowland, at the bottom of which lies the lake of the same name, is formed by sediment from numerous mountain rivers and is very swampy in the southern part. The lake area is one of the world's richest oil fields. The central part of Venezuela, between the Andes and the river. The Orinoco, in its middle and lower reaches, represents the vast Minina - Llanos, stretching 900 km in length and 300 km in width. Almost half of the entire territory of the country is occupied by the Guiana Plateau (Venezuelan Guayana), rising to the south of the lower Orinoco, with a height of 100-800 m. In its central part there are isolated peaks and flat outlier hills - mesas or “table mountains”, rising to 2000 m or more. In the southern part of the plateau, they turn into sandstone - steep-walled and flat-topped Pacaraima, Parima, etc. Ridges. The watershed of the Orinoco and Amazon river basins and the border of Venezuela with Brazil pass through them.

At the junction of the borders of Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana, one of the highest plateaus rises with the mountains of Roraima and Kukenam, and to the north of it, in the area of the sources of the river. Caroni, is one of the highest mountains of Venezuelan Guayana - Aprada Tepui (3100 m). It is very difficult to penetrate into this remote and poorly explored region: rugged mountains and impenetrable virgin tropical rainforests make it inaccessible. The flat peaks of the mesas, reaching 30-40 km in length and completely cut off from the rest of the world by cliffs up to 2000 m high, were almost never visited by people. It is here that the events described in the famous novel by A. Conan Doyle “The Lost World” “happen”. There is also one of the largest mesas - Auyan Tepui, called by the Indians “the mountain of the devil”.

Since the time of the conquistadors, there has been a legend that somewhere in these places there is a huge waterfall, falling “straight from the sky.” For centuries this was considered fiction. But in the early 1930s, the American pilot Jimmy Angell, flying over the gloomy cliffs against which his fragile plane seemed like a dragonfly, saw a giant waterfall. A huge column of water, foam and steam with a mighty roar fell from somewhere behind the clouds, almost from the very top of the “devil’s mountain.”

A few years before the Second World War, Angell made another flight there. Choosing a flat clearing on the flat top of Auyan Tepui, he landed his small plane there. However, the green surface turned out to be deceptive: the plane's wheels got stuck in the swamp, and Angell barely managed to escape. Since then, this place and the waterfall itself have been called “Salto Angel” - the angel’s jump (a play on words: in English “angel”, and in Spanish “angel” - angel). Only in the 50s was it possible to establish that the height of this waterfall is 1054 m, i.e. it is 21 times higher than Niagara.

2.1 Climate

Located in low latitudes, Venezuela has a subequatorial hot climate. The difference between the average temperatures of the coldest and warmest months does not exceed 5°. In summer, the country's territory is under the influence of humid equatorial air masses, and in winter - dry northeastern trade winds. Therefore, with the exception of a large part of the Guiana Plateau, which has abundant year-round rainfall, Venezuela is characterized by a dry period (from October to March) and a wet period (from April to September). In the Andean mountain range, the climate depends not only on the seasonality of precipitation, but also on the altitude, as well as on the location of the mountain slopes.

The highest dryness is found in the Falcon-Lara plateau, the coastal strip and the islands of the Caribbean Sea. This is the area of the highest air temperatures in the American tropics. The port of La Guaira, for example, where only 280 mm of annual precipitation falls, is jokingly called by Venezuelans the threshold of hell. In the lake area Maracaibo receives 6 times more precipitation (up to 1800 mm), and the average annual temperature (28°) is the highest for Latin America. Poor “ventilation” of the swampy lowlands surrounded on three sides by mountains leads to high relative humidity, which is very difficult for humans to tolerate, combined with exceptional heat.

2.2 Minerals

Venezuela has reserves of many minerals. It occupies one of the prominent places in the world in terms of oil reserves. Its reliable reserves in 1977 were determined at 2.5-2.6 billion tons, and in 2003 - at almost 3.5 billion tons. Oil fields stretch throughout the northern part of the country. Three oil-bearing basins are distinguished: the Maracaibo basin (Zulia and Falcon states) in the northwest; states of Guarico, Monagas, Anzoategui, Federal Territory of Delta Amacuro - in the central and eastern parts of Llanos; the state of Apure in the west of Llanos (there are also large reserves of natural gas). Huge oil reserves (estimated at 9.5-13.5 billion tons) have recently been discovered in the so-called Orinoco oil belt, which stretches 600 km along the lower reaches of the river, as well as deposits on the continental shelf of the Gulf of Venezuela. In the regions of Maracaibo, the Orinoco delta and in the extreme northeast there are deposits of natural asphalt, and in the Andes, in the area of \u200b\u200bLake. Maracaibo and south of Barcelona - coal.

The country is rich in ores of many metals. Thus, iron ore reserves are estimated at 12 billion tons. It is found in different areas, but deposits on the northern edge of the Guiana Plateau, south and east of Ciudad Bolivar (in the area of the Imataka Range), are especially important. Here, almost entire mountains are made of high-quality iron ore. There are also deposits of manganese, nickel, titanium, chromite ores, tungsten, copper, zinc, lead, silver, gold, tin, antimony, mercury, vanadium, magnesite, bauxite, high-quality asbestos, gypsum, phosphates, mica, rock crystal, precious stones . But their extraction is either carried out on a very modest scale or not at all. Deposits of thorium and uranium ores have been found on the Guiana Plateau and in the Caracas region.

After the Second World War on the river. Diamond deposits were discovered in Paragua and its tributaries. The Venezuelan Guayana was talked about as a “geological sensation.” A genuine “diamond rush” broke out, similar to the “gold rush” in the Klondike described at one time by Jack London. Thousands of people rushed into the wilds of the Guiana Plateau: adventurers, agents of mining companies, prospectors. But only a very few returned from there with luck. A new outbreak of “diamond fever” in this area occurred in 1971.

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

Economic and geographical position of Venezuela. Official name: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, República Bolivariana de Venezuela (Spanish), Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (English). The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is located in the northern part of South America, in the basin of the Orinoco River and Lake Maracaibo, and occupies an area of 912.1 thousand sq. km (32nd place in the world). In the north, washed by the waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, Venezuela owns islands from the Lesser Antilles archipelago. Near the Venezuelan coast are the island states of Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, as well as Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles, which belong to the Netherlands. By land it borders in the west and southwest with Colombia, in the south with Brazil (the states of Amazonas and Roraima), and in the east with Guyana (Venezuela makes territorial claims to neighboring Guyana). The country's population is 22.6 million people. The capital, Caracas, is home to over 3 million people. The Republic of Venezuela is the sixth largest and fifth most populous country in South America. The country's population is divided into mestizos (67%), Europeans (21%), mulattoes and Africans (10%) and Indians (2% of the population). The official language of Venezuela is Spanish, the dominant religion is Catholicism. The monetary unit is the bolivar (100 centims). (1 USD~2250 bolivars). Venezuela is a federal republic and is divided into 22 states, the Federal District and 72 federal possessions. States - Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Guarico, Delta Amacuro, Carabobo, Cojedes, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Zulia, Tachira, Trujillo, Falcon, Yaracuy. States have their own legislatures and governments, headed by governors. Governors are also the federal representatives in their state. State governors are elected according to special state laws. The governors of the Federal District and federal territories are appointed by the President of the Republic. The head of state (currently Hugo Chavez) is the president, elected for a term of 5 years. Legislative power is exercised by the Congress, consisting of the Senate (two senators from each state and the Federal District for a term of 5 years) and the Chamber of Deputies. The Senate also includes minority senators (their number is determined by law) and former presidents who were elected during the general election and served more than half their term in office. Deputies are elected by the population by universal direct and secret ballot using a system of proportional representation for a term of 5 years. The chairmen of both houses of Congress are elected for a one-year term.

Economy of Venezuela. In terms of economic development and economic potential, Venezuela is one of the leading countries in the region. The country has extensive reserves of oil (about 300 billion barrels in terms of proven reserves), gas, iron ore, coal, gold, bauxite and other minerals. Since Hugo Chavez came to power in 1999, the economic structure of Venezuela has undergone significant changes. President Hugo Chavez has pursued a policy of strengthening state control of the economy - in 2007 he nationalized enterprises in the oil, communications and energy sectors. In 2008 he nationalized enterprises producing steel and cement. In July 2008, Chavez issued a decree further strengthening the subordination of the economy as part of his plan for “21st century socialism.”

Industry of Venezuela. Oil production traditionally plays a decisive role in the country's economy. According to OPEC, Venezuela ranks first in terms of proven oil reserves in the world. According to official data, about 3.0 million barrels are produced in Venezuela and about 2.3 million barrels of oil and petroleum products are exported per day. Annual oil production has made Venezuela one of the richest Latin American countries. Since the 70s of the 20th century, the government has pursued a policy of reducing oil production in order to preserve its reserves. Due to the sharp increase in world oil prices during the years of the energy crisis, Venezuela's income from its exports has increased markedly, despite the reduction in oil production. The main oil production areas are Lake Maracaibo and the Caribbean Sea shelf - 77%. Rich oil deposits are also found in the Orinoco River basin (near the city of Barinas) - 3% and along the northeastern coast - 20%. Together with oil, 95% of proven natural gas reserves lie. On the Guiana Plateau, gold and diamonds are mined, and deposits of manganese ore, phosphates and coal are developed. Aluminum is the next largest source of foreign earnings after oil. More than 12 million tons of iron are produced annually in Venezuela. The manufacturing industry, especially its new branches - chemical (including petrochemicals), oil refining, mechanical engineering (including car assembly), metallurgy, has been developing in the post-war period almost twice as fast as the country's economy as a whole. However, the lion's share of the value of gross output of the manufacturing industry is still provided by food, textiles and clothing, leather and footwear, woodworking and other “old” industries. More than 30% of the value of gross output of the manufacturing industry comes from oil refining. Venezuela is a major exporter of petroleum products. Mechanical engineering is developing in the country, the basis of which is the automobile assembly industry. There are factories producing tractors and agricultural implements, transport and construction equipment, tools and other metalworking enterprises. There are also enterprises for the production of electrical, radio and television equipment. Due to large-scale construction in the oil, mining and manufacturing industries, urban and highway construction, the production of building materials is growing rapidly.

Agriculture of Venezuela. 13% of the working population is employed in agriculture, although only 4% of the land is used for crops. The country imports 60% of its food consumption. All regions have homestead farming, but cash crops (mainly coffee, cocoa, cotton, bananas, rice and sugar cane) are grown in the plains. In the Andes, wheat is sown, corn, potatoes and legumes are planted. More than 20% of the total cultivated area is occupied by the main export crops - coffee and cocoa. The best coffee comes from the northwestern mountain states. High quality cocoa is produced in the Caribbean states. Agriculture accounts for 45% of the value of agricultural products. Livestock farming, the main industry of which is cattle breeding, accounts for 55% of the value of agricultural products. The main livestock-raising region of the country has long been considered Llanos, where up to 5 million heads of cattle and 200 - 300 thousand horses graze. Fishing is developed along the northern coast of Venezuela and in Lake Maracaibo. The most valuable product of marine fisheries is shrimp.

Main economic indicators of state activity. Thanks to high oil prices, GDP grew from 2005 to 2008 (by approximately 23%). But in the period 2009-2010, due to the global financial crisis, there was a decrease in GDP. However, in 2011, the country successfully overcame the consequences of a serious global crisis, showing clear signs of sustainable recovery in the third quarter of 2011. By the end of 2011, Venezuela's GDP increased by 4.2% and amounted to 359.71 billion US dollars. In the period from 2005 to 2007 There has been an increase in investment, but since 2008 the flow of investment into the Venezuelan economy has decreased due to the nationalization of several industries, including the energy, communications and oil sectors of the economy, as part of the plan to build “21st century socialism”. Between 2005 and 2008, the unemployment rate in Venezuela gradually decreased. The fall in unemployment was achieved by Chavez through the active expansion of the public sector. In 2007–2008, not only the oil industry was nationalized in the country, but also the ferrous metallurgy, cement industry and mobile communications. The companies that find themselves in the hands of the state do not aim to increase efficiency, but to expand employment along the lines of the Soviet Union. But in 2009, due to the global financial crisis, there was a slight increase in unemployment in the country. However, already in 2010, as the country emerged from the crisis, the unemployment rate in Venezuela decreased again (by 1.3%). In order to curb inflation, since 2003 the country has centrally set prices for 400 types of goods, including food, “to combat inflation and protect the poor.” Their result was periodic shortages of products (in a state with tropical agriculture) and a sharp rise in prices. For example, there is a restriction on the supply of milk and a constant shortage of chicken eggs. In the country as a whole, inflation in the past decade was 21% per year, but food prices on the black market rose by 50% annually.

Large companies in the Venezuelan market. The largest state-owned companies in Venezuela are Citgo Petrolium Corporation and Petroleos de Venezuela SA. Among the international companies operating in the Venezuelan market, BP p.l.c., Chevron Corporation, Total SA and China National Petroleum Corporation should be highlighted. All these companies are engaged in oil production and oil refining.

Export and import of Venezuela. Foreign trade plays a huge role in the life of Venezuela. The country's exports by value reach 1/3, and imports - 1/6 of GDP. In the value of Venezuelan exports, more than 80% are oil and oil products, 4% are iron ore, the rest are coffee and cocoa, gold, asbestos, sugar, bananas, vegetables, rice, hides, livestock, and forest products. Imports are dominated by various equipment, machinery, mechanisms, vehicles and spare parts for them, various raw materials and materials, including metal structures, pipes for gas and oil pipelines, as well as various consumer industrial goods and food. In recent years, food imports have been growing, since agriculture remains the most backward sector of the economy and cannot satisfy the country's needs for agricultural products. A significant portion of exported oil is sent to the United States. Only crude oil is imported from Venezuela to the Dutch islands of Aruba and Curacao, which, after processing at the plants of American and British companies located there, is re-exported to the USA, England, Germany, Japan and other countries. The US accounts for most of the value of Venezuela's imports - about $3 billion a year. Venezuela's foreign trade turnover in 2010 amounted to 102.3 billion dollars (exports - 64.2 billion dollars, imports - 38.1 billion dollars). Against the backdrop of growth in exports (including non-raw materials by 1.1%), the downward trend in imports continued (by 1.0% compared to 2009). Venezuela's main trading partners in both export and import are the USA, China, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, EU countries (Spain, Italy, Germany, France), Belarus, countries of Central America and the Caribbean, Japan, Iran.

Venezuela and International organizations and associations. Venezuela is a member of such international organizations and associations as OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), WTO (World Trade Organization), Unasur (Union of South American Nations), MERCOSUR (Common Market of the Countries of South America), ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for Our Peoples - Alliance countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.)

Venezuela and Belarus. The large distance between Belarus and Venezuela does not prevent the countries from actively cooperating and achieving significant results in the economy, science, social sphere and other areas. Dozens of joint Belarusian-Venezuelan enterprises have been created, housing is being built in Venezuela with the participation of Belarusian specialists, and jobs are being created. PA Belorusneft and the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA have been cooperating since 2007 in the field of oil production, seismic exploration, supply of vibration sources for seismic signals and well workover. In November - December 2007, a joint venture was registered for seismic exploration - JSC Sismika BeloVenesolana and oil production - JSC Petrolera BeloVenesolana. Belarus and Venezuela, within the framework of a cooperation project in the field of oil production, plan to begin joint oil production in the Junin-1 block in the Orinoco River basin. Previously, Belorusneft specialists as part of the Belarusian-Venezuelan joint venture Petrolera BeloVenesolana provided geological support for oil production. At the moment, they have completed the calculation of oil and gas reserves of the Junin-1 block in the Orinoco River basin. In March 2011, 2 oil fields were added to the assets of Petrolera BeloVenesolan - Centro Block VIII and Lagunilas Block XII. Thus, the JV’s assets currently include 7 oil fields (Block X Lago Medio, Guaro Este, Lagunilas Block II, Oritupano Norte, Ostra, Centro Block VIII and Lagunilas Block XII), as well as 6 natural gas fields transferred to the JV March 2010. The actual production of the enterprise for 2008-2011 amounted to more than 3.2 million tons of oil. In 2012, the joint venture expects to produce about 1.5 million tons of oil. In recent years, trade turnover between the two countries has increased significantly. If in 1998 it was $3.6 million. USA, in 2005 - 15.6 million dollars, then in 2007 - already 100 million dollars, with a projected increase to 650 million dollars, which puts Venezuela in second place in the region in terms of economic cooperation (first place retains Brazil with a trade turnover of 1.3 billion dollars). Venezuela exports oil to Belarus and imports potash fertilizers and complex high-tech products from Belarus.

Conclusion. The Venezuelan economy is based on oil production, which provides 80% of export revenues, more than 50% of state budget revenues and about 30% of GDP. On February 2, 1999, with the coming to power of President Hugo Chavez, a process of change began in Venezuela aimed at the implementation of the national project “Simon Bolivar”, which began to develop dynamically in 2007 with the beginning of the construction of socialism of the 21st century. Over the past 10 years, the Venezuelan economy has developed, showing an upward trend. In the period from 2005-2008. The country's GDP grew by approximately 23%. But in the period 2009-2010, due to the global financial crisis, there was a decrease in GDP. However, in 2011, the country successfully overcame the consequences of a serious global crisis, showing clear signs of sustainable recovery in the third quarter of 2011. By the end of 2011, Venezuela's GDP increased by 4.2% and amounted to 359.71 billion US dollars.

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On the topic of Venezuela

Prepared

Ilya Molchun

1 Welcome to Venezuela

2. Nature

2.1 Climate

2.2 Minerals

2.3 Rivers and lakes

Nearly half of Venezuela's thousand-plus rivers flow from the Andes and Guiana Plateau into the Orinoco, Latin America's third largest river. Its basin covers an area of about 1 million square meters. km. After Diego Ordaz and other Spanish conquistadors, who repeatedly climbed up the river in a vain search for the legendary El Dorado, many tried to find its sources. However, this was only possible in 1951 by a special Franco-Venezuelan expedition, which finally established the exact length of the river - 2740 km.

In its upper reaches, the Orinoco carries its waters to the northwest. Below the village of Esmeralda, already reaching 700 m in width, it encounters a large rocky threshold, dividing it into two streams. At the same time, the main flow retains the same direction - to the north-west, while the smaller one - the river. Casiquiare - turns southwest. And since the slope of the surface to the southwest begins here, the Casiquiare does not return to the Orinoco, but carries its waters to the Rio Negro, one of the major tributaries of the Amazon. This is the famous Orinoco bifurcation - the world's largest river bifurcation, in which each of the two branches belongs to different river systems. Casiquiare in some places resembles a canal approximately 400 m wide, and there are even suggestions that the water bridge connecting the Orinoco with the Amazon is the work of the ancient inhabitants of this area.

In the middle reaches, the Orinoco makes its way through the crystalline rocks of the outskirts of the Guiana Plateau and, breaking through a system of rapids, forms numerous waterfalls and rapids. Below the mouth of the largest left tributary - Meta, the rapids disappear and the river becomes navigable. In the place where another large left tributary, the Apure, lazily and widely flows into it, the Orinoco turns east. Gradually expanding (in some places up to 25 km), it flows to the southern outskirts of Llanos. Below Ciudad Bolivar, the depth of the river reaches 30 m, sea tides penetrate here and for 400 km the Orinoco is accessible to ocean-going ships. Having passed Barrancas, it spreads into a huge delta intertwined with numerous branches and heavily swamped, which stretches almost along the entire Atlantic coast of Venezuela.

The Orinoco is the most important trade and transport artery, playing a huge role in the economic development of the Llanos and the northern part of the Guiana Plateau. Its left tributaries on the Llanos plain have a slow flow, and during the rainy season they overflow, flooding large areas. The right tributaries running down from the Guiana Plateau are the Ventuari. Kaura, Caroni (with the Paragua tributary) and others are swift, stormy, abounding in rapids and waterfalls. They are unsuitable for navigation, but have great energy potential.

Lake Maracaibo is the largest in Venezuela: its area is about 15,000 square meters. km, length - 155 km, width - 120 km, depth on average 20-30 m. In the north, it is connected by four channels to the Venezuelan Gulf of the Caribbean Sea, and its water there is brackish. Lake Valencia, located in the intermountain valley of the Caribbean Andes, is the second largest in the country. From the east the river flows into it. Aragua, and from the southwest it dates back to the 19th century. had a drainage onto the Llanos plain. But since then its level has dropped, and now it is drainless.

Only 10% of the rivers are suitable for navigation, but in terms of hydropower reserves, estimated at 40 million kW, Venezuela ranks third (after Brazil and Colombia) in Latin America.

2.4 Flora of Venezuela

The hot zone, in which most of the country lies, is characterized by an extraordinary diversity of vegetation. There are 7 thousand species of wild flora here. The forests, which occupy 40% of Venezuela's territory, contain over 600 tree species - three times more than in all of Europe. “Nowhere are the magnificent tropical forests with their hundreds of lianas... distinguished by a greater variety of plant forms than in the vast archipelago of the mouths of the Orinoco or around the circumference of Lake Maracaibo, at the foot of the Sierra Nevada de Merida mountains,” wrote E. Reclus. These forests are characterized by exceptional density, with the tallest trees reaching 45-50 m. It is almost impossible to get through the thickets of the tropical rainforest, even with an ax. The forests, sometimes stretching for hundreds of kilometers, especially in the east and south of the Guiana Plateau, where they adjoin the equatorial forests of the Amazon basin, are still in a wild state. The rare paths mostly follow rivers, which serve as the only real “roads” here. The central and northern part of Venezuelan Guayana is covered with less humid and tall-trunked, but also impenetrable forests with many valuable tree species, as well as patches of savannah in the leeward areas.

More than a third of Venezuela's area is occupied by the savannas of the Orinoco plains, called Llanos. During the rainy season, when rivers overflow their banks and flood vast areas, the Llanos are covered with abundant and succulent cereal grasses, reaching 2 m in height. In November-December the flood waters subside, and in January drought begins without a single drop of rain until the end of March. Streams dry up, small rivers gradually turn into chains of swamps and puddles. The sun almost completely burns the grass cover. Low-growing trees that form patches of scrub forest lose their leaves; Only the crowns of Mauritius palm trees remain evergreen.

Venezuela's climate and soils are favorable for growing a wide variety of crops. The main agricultural zone is located at an altitude of 300 to 1800 m above sea level. seas. In the hot zone there are plantations of cocoa, coconut palms, sugar cane, rubber, cotton, tobacco, citrus fruits, mango trees, and bananas.

The most important crop of the mid-mountain "temperate" altitudinal zone is coffee. The main food crops are also grown here: corn, cassava, yams, beans, and sweet potatoes. There are also crops of rice, sugar cane, tobacco, but in addition, oats, barley, potatoes and various vegetables appear. Plums, quinces, and peaches grow in the gardens next to bananas, palm trees and papaya. The cool mountain zone is characterized by barley, wheat and other cereals, peas, fava beans and various vegetables, as well as temperate fruit plants. The famous Andean potato grows higher than other crops (up to 3000 m).

2.5 Fauna of Venezuela

The fauna of tropical forests and savannas, rivers and lakes of Venezuela is extremely rich and diverse. In forests, most mammals live in trees. This is the sloth, about two dozen species of broad-nosed, prehensile-tailed monkeys that make devastating raids on plantations and gardens. Tapirs and capybaras are found on the forest edges and along river banks. Wild pigs - peccaries - also live here. In the forests and savannah there are small and large rodents, including the “golden hare” - agouti, different kinds small deer, fox, opossum, tree porcupine, anteater and armadillo. Of the predatory species, the most typical are the South American prehensile-tailed raccoon - the kinkajou, the jaguar, the "American lion" - the puma and other smaller species and cats.

There are many poisonous snakes here, the bite of which is fatal, including several species of rattlesnakes, mapanare, and yellow kumaima snake. Among the large snakes, the anaconda, boa constrictor and king boa constrictor stand out. The latter is known as a rat exterminator, and is kept not only in warehouses and barns, but sometimes in residential buildings. The boa constrictor hunts at night and sleeps or basks in the sun during the day. He becomes attached to the house; if he is taken away, he often returns back.

Other reptiles include iguanas, caimans and turtles. The island of La Tortuga is especially famous for its large sea turtles. Among the amphibians, the giant toad (weighing up to 1 kg) is interesting.

Among freshwater fish, the most common are the temblador eel, the electric discharge of which can stun a bull wading a river, a lungfish that has lungs in addition to gills, and the piranha (otherwise known as caribou) - a carp-like fish 30-40 cm long with razor-sharp, triangular teeth . Piranhas live in huge schools and, if a drop of blood appears in the water, they go berserk. Thousands of them attack any animal, and after a few minutes only a skeleton remains. Even a crocodile, wounded by a spear from an Indian hunter, prefers to get ashore if piranhas are nearby. The sea off the Venezuelan coast abounds in commercial fish (Spanish mackerel, mullet, sardines, tuna, herring, sea bass, etc.), as well as lobsters, shrimp, crabs, and various shellfish.

The world of birds has thousands of species and subspecies. Insects are numerous and varied (there are hundreds of species of butterflies, beetles, ants, termites, mosquitoes), as well as spiders and scorpions.

3. Economy

Venezuela was the first exporter of “black gold” in history - back in 1539, a barrel of oil was sent from here to Madrid. But in the colonial era, the main export items of the country were indigo and sugar, and in the 19th - early 20th centuries. - coffee and cocoa. However, after in 1922 near the village of Kabimas, near the lake. Maracaibo, a powerful oil gusher hit the sky, an “oil boom” began here. Venezuela became one of the world's largest producers of "black gold", and since then it has almost always accounted for 9/10 of the value of its exports.

The proximity of the fields to the sea, which facilitates the transportation of oil, the high production rate of wells and the low standard of living of the population, which provided cheap labor, made Venezuela a bait for oil companies. During the Second World War, the exploitation of new oil fields began, discovered in the eastern, and in the 50s, in the western part of Llanos. By 1958 total area oil, mainly North American and English, concessions reached 68 thousand square meters. km, exceeding the area of Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg combined.

After the Second World War, on the right bank of the Orinoco, in its lower reaches, rich deposits of iron ore were discovered, the development of which was seized by US monopolies. They also penetrated into the manufacturing industry, agriculture, and the service sector. In 1967, foreign investment in Venezuela reached $5.5 billion, of which 11% belonged to the United States. More than half of all foreign investments were made in the oil industry, 2% in manufacturing and 4% in mining. From 1960 to 1970 alone, American companies transferred $7.2 billion in profits from Venezuela to the United States. The manufacturing industry in the country was very poorly developed, and agriculture was in such a state that most of the food had to be imported.

The exceptional unevenness of economic development was also reflected in the geographical location: almost all industrial production was concentrated in the north and northwest - in the Caribbean Andes region and the Maracaibo basin. It was only in the 50s and 60s that new growing industrial centers arose in the eastern regions of the Llanos and on the right bank of the lower Orinoco.

But in social production, a multi-structure still remains: along with highly concentrated production in a number of industries, semi-feudal remnants exist in some places in the countryside, and in some outlying areas even primitive communal relations have been preserved.

Meanwhile, in the 60-70s, Venezuela at a rate economic development reached one of the first places in Latin America. Increased oil production and exports, which generated large tax revenues and an influx of hard currency, allowed the Venezuelan government to create significant savings to finance the economy. Government sector The economy developed both in the field of infrastructure (road transport, hydraulic engineering construction, electric power), and in the petrochemical, metallurgical and metalworking industries. Already in 1973, it accounted for 30% of large industrial enterprises. And after the nationalization of the iron ore and especially the oil industries, Venezuela, which previously occupied the first place in Latin America in terms of foreign investment, became a country whose economy is controlled by the state to a greater extent than in any other country in the Western Hemisphere.

The state-owned company Petroleros Venezolanos became the ninth largest oil company in the world, the owner of 12 thousand operating wells, 10 thousand km of oil and gas pipelines, 12 oil refineries, as well as marine berths and storage facilities.

Soon the government banned foreign investment in public utilities, energy supply, communications, radio and television, passenger and freight transport, publishing and advertising. Foreign companies in a range of industries were asked to transfer at least 80% of their shares to Venezuelans within three years.

All these measures were an important step forward in the struggle for national independence and sovereignty. However, oil monopolies still retain the right to engage in the marketing and transportation of Venezuelan oil and the supply of technology, they are paid compensation in the amount of more than $1 billion, and the creation of mixed enterprises in the oil industry with the participation of foreign capital is allowed.

In the 1970s, Venezuela took fourth place in terms of gross national product, and first place in Latin America in terms of its share per capita. Approximately 30% of GNP comes from industry, 25% from trade, and only 8% from agriculture.

In the 60-70s, the Venezuelan economy developed largely according to plans developed by Central Administration on coordination and planning. In particular, the fifth national development plan (1976-1980) aimed to further reduce dependence on oil exports and use the increased income from it to diversify the economy and create a strong industrial and agricultural base in the country. To this end, major investments were made in the iron ore, steel, aluminum, engineering, chemical, shipbuilding and port construction industries. However, as a rule, these plans could not be fully implemented and on time.

Noticeable changes have occurred in the structure of the economically active population; in particular, the number of people employed in industry almost tripled from 1950 to 1975.

One of the fastest growing sectors of the economy is the electric power industry: in the 60-70s, the annual increase in electricity generation exceeded 10%. More than 30% of it is produced by hydroelectric power plants. Venezuela ranked fourth (after Brazil, Mexico and Argentina) in Latin America in terms of installed power plant capacity (8.2 million kW in 1979) and electricity generation (31 billion kWh), and in terms of its production and consumption in per capita - first place.

3.1 Export

Foreign trade plays a huge role in the life of Venezuela. The country's exports by value reach 1/3, and imports - 1/6 of the gross national product. In the value of Venezuelan exports, more than 90% are oil and oil products, 4% are iron ore, the rest are coffee and cocoa, gold, asbestos, sugar, bananas, vegetables, rice, hides, livestock, and forest products. Imports are dominated by various equipment, machinery, mechanisms, vehicles and spare parts for them, various raw materials and materials, including metal structures, pipes for gas and oil pipelines, as well as various consumer industrial goods and food.

In recent years, food imports have been growing, since agriculture remains the most backward sector of the economy and cannot satisfy the country's needs for agricultural products. A significant portion of exported oil is sent to the United States. Only crude oil is imported from Venezuela to the Dutch islands of Aruba and Curacao, which, after processing at the plants of American and British companies located there, is re-exported to the USA, England, Germany, Japan and other countries. The US accounts for most of the value of Venezuela's imports - about $3 billion a year.

3.2 Extractive industry

The mining industry occupied an important place in the country's economy. In 1970, 194 million tons of oil were produced in Venezuela. Since the 70s, the government has pursued a policy of reducing oil production in order to preserve its reserves. Due to the sharp increase in world oil prices during the years of the energy crisis, the country's income from oil exports has increased markedly, despite the reduction in its volume. In 2005, 140 million tons were produced.

More than 4/5 of all Venezuelan oil is produced in the lake basin. Maracaibo, about 20% in the east, 3% in the southwest. Together with oil, 95% of proven natural gas reserves lie. In 2005, its production was 35 billion cubic meters. m.

In contrast to oil production, mining products grew quite quickly. The lion's share of it is iron ore. The main deposits - San Isidro, Cerro Bolivar and El Pao - are located in the north of the Guiana Plateau. The ore is mined by open-pit mining and contains 60-70% iron. At the end of the 90s, production amounted to 12-15 million tons per year, of which more than half was exported to the USA and 2/5 to Europe.

On the Guiana Plateau (in the Upata region) and near Valencia, manganese ore, zinc, lead, silver, and asbestos are mined in small quantities, and in the Caribbean Andes, nickel ore. Near the city of San Cristobal, phosphate rocks, including those containing uranium, and coal are mined. Magnesite is mined on Margarita Island, and hard coal is mined in Nariqual (near Barcelona) and Guasar.

Gold mining takes place in El Callao on the Guiana Plateau. In the same area, diamond mining is growing (700-800 thousand carats are mined annually). Discovery of new deposits in the river basin. Cuchivero (accompanied by another “diamond rush”) turned Venezuela into Latin America’s largest supplier of diamonds.

3.3 Manufacturing industry

The manufacturing industry, especially its new branches - chemical (including petrochemicals), oil refining, mechanical engineering (including car assembly), metallurgy, has been developing in the post-war period almost twice as fast as the country's economy as a whole. However, the lion's share of the value of the gross output of the manufacturing industry is still provided by food, textiles and clothing, leather and footwear, woodworking and other “old” industries.

The development of the richest iron ore deposits served as the basis for the creation in the country metallurgical industry. In 1962, the first state-owned metallurgical plant with a full cycle, using electric blast furnaces, came into full operation on the right bank of the lower Orinoco - in the area of Sue Dad Guayana. There are also two aluminum smelters, an iron ore briquettes plant and two plants for the direct reduction of iron from ore.

3.4 Production

Mechanical engineering is developing in the country, the basis of which is the automobile assembly industry. There are factories producing tractors and agricultural implements, transport and construction equipment, tools and other metalworking enterprises. There are also enterprises for the production of electrical, radio and television equipment. Due to large-scale construction in the oil, mining and manufacturing industries, urban and highway construction, the production of building materials is growing rapidly.

There is an intensive process of concentration of production: 80% of all workers are employed in large and medium-sized factories.

3.5 Agriculture

The country has a significant amount of land suitable for cultivation, but only a small part of it is cultivated. In addition, until recently, the country was dominated by a backward form of land ownership and land use, in which 2% of farms belonging to the largest landowners accounted for 80%, and half of all farms accounted for only 1% of the registered land fund. This resulted in extremely low levels of land use and labor productivity. As a result, agriculture was the most backward sector of the economy. In 1950, imports of food and agricultural raw materials accounted for half, in 1960 - a third of their consumption in the country.

The situation began to change in the 60-70s as agrarian reform was carried out. Due to the purchase by the government of unused lands from the latifundists, as well as from the state land fund, a significant part of the peasants received land plots.

The relations of production in the Venezuelan countryside are still very diverse. In the largest farms, the labor of not only hired workers is used, but also tenants-sharecroppers and peons. At the same time, with the development of the economy, a significant detachment of agricultural workers was formed in the village, working on plantations and farms.

Agriculture accounts for 45% of the value of agricultural products. The main agricultural region is the mountainous region in the north and northwest of Venezuela. Here is 2/3 of all arable land, including most large plantations and peasant farms. In the Llanos, agriculture is developed mainly at the foot of the Andes and here and there along the rivers. The scourge of this area is drought, and in connection with this, the government is implementing a 30-year water development plan here, which includes the construction of dams and irrigation of 2 million hectares of land.

More than 20% of the total cultivated area is occupied by the main export crops - coffee and cocoa. The best coffee comes from the northwestern mountain states. High quality cocoa is produced in the Caribbean states. Cotton crops, which produce two harvests a year, as well as sisal and tobacco, have grown noticeably, including in Llanos. The main food crops are corn (30% of all cultivated areas), rice, cassava, potatoes, yams, legumes, bananas, sugarcane, peanuts and other oilseeds. Various vegetables and fruits are grown.

3.6 Livestock

Livestock farming, the main industry of which is cattle breeding, accounts for 55% of the value of agricultural products. Llanos has long been considered the main livestock-raising region of the country, where up to 5 million heads of cattle and 200-300 thousand horses graze.

The main areas of dairy farming are the basins of lakes Maracaibo and Valencia and the Caracas valley. Here, unlike Llanos, where the livestock belongs mainly to the owners of huge livestock latifundias, most livestock farms are medium and large farms. In these same areas, farms appeared that supplied the cities with eggs and poultry. Goats and sheep are raised on the arid Caribbean coast and in the state of Lara. In general, over the past 10-15 years, livestock farming has developed faster than agriculture. The share of large-scale farms using modern livestock care methods and equipment has increased significantly.

Off the northern coast of Venezuela and in the lake. Maracaibo has developed fishing (but the most valuable product of marine fisheries is shrimp). The importance of forestry industries has decreased. However, small quantities of tannins, rubber, guayaba gum, vanilla, as well as copai balsam and other tropical forest products used in medicine and perfumery are collected.

3.7 Transport

Communication routes are distributed extremely unevenly throughout Venezuela: almost all railways and most of the highways are concentrated in the north and northwest. The total length of the railways is about 1.4 thousand km, but they are short, unconnected lines. Almost all passenger and 75% of freight traffic is carried out by road transport. In 1997, the total length of roads was about 71 thousand km (including about half with hard surfaces).

The main inland waterway of the country is the river. Orinoco. The total length of shipping routes along it and its tributaries is 12 thousand km. Steamship service is also maintained on lakes Valencia and Maracaibo. Coastal transportation along the sea coast has been developed, which partly compensates for the lack of land communications. Venezuela's oceangoing merchant fleet ranks third in Latin America by total tonnage. The country has more than a hundred sea, lake and river ports, including 23 ports for the export of oil and petroleum products (Maracaibo, Amuay, La Salina, Caripito, Puerto de la Cruz, etc.) and 8 for export and import of other goods. The main import ports are La Guaira, Puertoyo, Maracaibo.

Air transport has acquired particular importance for the exploration and development of remote, almost previously inaccessible eastern and southern regions of the country. Regular airlines connect the capital with a large number of cities, with oil fields in Llanos and mining centers on the Guiana Plateau. The country has about fifty airfields, more than 200 landing sites and eight international airports.

4 Culture

The Spanish conquerors brought their language, customs, religion, and architecture to the New World. The influence of Spanish culture in Venezuela is evident in everything - from the names and appearance of cities to music and spectacles. However, Venezuelan culture is the result of many influences. And the most significant of them, besides Spanish, were Indian and African. Many toponyms in the country are of Arawakan (Paraguana, Kumarebo), Caribbean (Cumana, Piritu) and other Indian origins, and such as Ganga, Birongo, Taria are of African origin. The names of the states also indicate this: Barinas, Zulia, Tachira are Indian names, Anzoategui, Merida, Miranda are Spanish, and Monagas is associated with African influence.

The Spanish settlers adopted from the local Indians their agricultural skills, methods of obtaining and preparing food, borrowed many elements of their life and housing, methods of healing and even some superstitions, etc. Later, the mestizos no longer knew where certain methods of fishing or hunting, labor skills and customs that they passed on to their children. Until now, for example, peasants in some areas of Venezuela use Indian methods of fishing, hunting iguanas or armadillos, preparing certain dishes, as well as “American bread” - cassaba. The hammock became a bed and a rocking chair for the Venezuelan. As vehicle the peasant often uses a canoe and pirogue, and the llanero catches cattle with a lasso.

Indian languages have had a significant influence on the vocabulary, phonetics and syntax of the Spanish language of Venezuela. It contains up to three thousand Indian words. Some of them are widely used in the works of Venezuelan prose writers and poets. The Indian influence is still very noticeable in Venezuelan folk art and oral traditions. The image of the Indian appears in many folk dramas and pantomimes. The popular folk dance "mare-mare" goes back to the ancient Indian ritual dance in honor of the ancient deities of the Jaguar and the Moon. Another popular dance, the “ture,” is also of Indian origin. Many Indian tales (everyday and about animals), legends and tales have passed into modern Venezuelan folklore.

4.1 African and European influence on culture

African slaves brought many features of the culture of their homeland to Venezuela, which was reflected in the language, the peculiarities of cuisine and life, and folklore. Black slaves performed almost all types of work, and this contributed to the persistence of labor skills and techniques that came from Africa. Some dishes of Venezuelan peasants originate directly from Africa, while Africans only made some changes to other local dishes. Thus, the mestizos, following the example of Africans, began to add coconut milk to the widespread corn porridge (masamorra) here.

Africans introduced kambur, a banana leaf wrapper, and the use of bananas to make delicacies.

More than one generation of Venezuelans was brought up on African fairy tales about Uncle Rabbit and Uncle Jaguar. Some Catholic holidays in rural areas bear a clear imprint of African influence. For example, the celebrations on St. John's Day are essentially a solstice festival, which has long been merged here with the Catholic cult. They usually play African instruments on this day. The popular holidays of the devil and imps in Venezuela originate from the Congo.

Finally, Africans and Indians had similar features of culture and life, such as the use of palm leaves in the construction of housing, a pylon - a stupa for grain, a drum, or maraca, and some customs. All these similar features of different cultures merged on Venezuelan soil and have survived to this day.

In addition, over the past century and a half, Venezuelan culture has absorbed some new elements that came both from European countries other than Spain and from the United States. In particular, in the last decades of the 19th century. Many Venezuelans, mainly in the cities, strove to speak French, prepared French food, and followed French fashion. In the second half of the 20th century. a stream of North American newspapers and magazines, bestsellers, films, records, etc. poured here. Widespread immigration into the country in the 40-50s of Italians and Portuguese undoubtedly also had an impact on the development of Venezuelan culture.

4.2 Rural population

The rural population lives mainly in villages. Almost every village has a square, in the center of which there is usually a giant tree - the ceiba. Peasant houses are usually adobe buildings, covered with tiles or palm leaves. The floor - earthen or cement - is covered with mats. Among the Guarauna Indians living in the swampy Orinoco delta, and the Indians on the shores of the lake. Maracaibo huts are built on stilts.

The furnishings of a rural home are usually very modest: a table, chairs, kitchen utensils. Beds are rare here, since it is cooler to sleep outside in an “amaka” - a hammock made of thick fabric. Almost everyone uses it in Venezuela rural population. In the courtyard there is a small fireplace for cooking made of stones coated with clay. The house is usually surrounded by a hedge of cacti, yellow locust bushes and other plants. Often nearby there is a vegetable garden with beds of sweet potatoes, peppers, beans and, of course, cassava. In rural homes and small shops in Venezuelan cities, you can always see stacks of large grayish-white brittle cakes made from cassava. This is casabe. The Gauhiro Indians prefer boiled and fried cassava.

But most traditional dishes are made from corn. These are corn cakes - arepa, alyakita - flour made from roasted corn and alyak - a typical national and almost ritual dish, as they eat it only for Christmas and New Year. Villagers also love sancoche, a stew made from beef and vegetables, and chicha, a strong drink made from corn. An important place in the diet of a peasant family is occupied by beans, yams, potatoes, sweet potatoes, as well as bananas, papaya and other tropical fruits, the uses of which are very diverse. Cartillo, a soft drink made from rice or corn boiled with sugar, and guarapo, sugar cane juice, are also popular. In many areas, peasants supplement their diet with fish and wild game meat. They hunt armadillos, hares, pigeons and ducks, iguanas and turtles.

The Venezuelan peasant usually wears a white cotton shirt and matching pants. A short cape is worn over the shirt in cool weather. On your head you must wear a sombrero, woven from straw or pute grass, to protect you from the scorching sun. On the horns of alpargatas there are wicker shoes similar to bast shoes. Women wear wide, long dresses, and sometimes throw a scarf over the sombrero. In the last decade, however, rural residents have increasingly begun to wear European-cut shirts, trousers and jackets, which have long been common in the city. At the same time, in areas where Africans live, clothing in very bright colors predominates, red especially stands out.

One of the favorite spectacles of Venezuelans is bullfighting. Previously, cockfights were held all over the country, but in recent years, baseball has gained immense popularity in the country, and it can be called the main sport. Football and horse racing are very popular. Venezuelans love music and dancing. In towns and villages you can see and hear guarachas - Venezuelan songs and dances performed at a fast tempo to the accompaniment of a cuatro - a four-string guitar, and sometimes an accordion. Among the many holidays, the carnival stands out, usually lasting ten days filled with fun and dancing. The streets and squares these days are filled with crowds of people in folk costumes, animal masks, and decorations made of feathers, ribbons and shiny tinsel.

4.3 "Village" Indians

In the villages, mestizos and especially Indians are engaged in crafts - they weave mats, belts, hammocks from grass fibers and palm leaves, and produce colorful fabrics with images of domestic and wild animals, birds and plants on homemade looms. To store water and food, clay vessels of various shapes are made. Utensils made from hollowed out fruits of the bottle tree are decorated with fine carvings. In city markets you can find skillfully made handicrafts: intricately painted pipes, carved canes, ceramics with beautiful ornaments. With the money raised, peasants buy various household items, agricultural implements, factory-made clothing and other industrial goods.

“Civilized” Indians, as a rule, live in communities and are bilingual: in everyday life, when communicating with each other, they speak their own language, and when communicating with the “outside world” - in Spanish. Their main occupation is agriculture. Men do the soil preparation and sowing, women do the harvesting, but outdated methods of cultivating the land are the reason for low yields. The Indians also engage in crafts, hunting, fishing, collecting wild fruits, and raising pigs and poultry.

The community helps the Indians preserve not only their lands, but also some ethnic features. However, although the land is considered community property, it is cultivated by groups of several families, and this system is gradually giving way to the actual division of community land into plots for individual use.

The Guajiro Indians, pushed to the deserted Guajira Peninsula, are forced to dig wells up to 10 m deep to provide themselves with water. Due to constant droughts, agriculture is poorly developed among them and is limited to small areas under corn and cassava. The main occupations of the Guajiros were cattle breeding, turtle fishing, and crafts. They sell leather and other goods in Maracaibo, as well as on the islands of Aruba and Curacao.

4.4 "Forest" Indians

“Unassimilated” or “forest” Indians live mainly in the mountain forests of the state of Zulia and on the Guiana Plateau bordering Colombia. The main occupation of the Motilons living in the forests of the Sierra de Perija range is slash-and-burn agriculture. But unlike most other tribes, the Motilons have almost no knowledge of corn. They grow cassava, sweet potatoes, and bananas. The most important food product is fish.

In the forests and savannah of the Guiana Plateau, along the banks of rivers, you can find settlements of Indians of the Caribbean language family - the Makiritare, Karinya, Yavarana, Pemone, Panare tribes - scattered far from each other. The Indians of these tribes are different large growth and lighter skin. The Makiritare tribes are at the stage of decomposition of the primitive communal system. Among them, European-style clothing and modern tools are becoming increasingly common. The Piaroa Indians, who lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle, as well as the Indians of the Arawakan language family - Guaiboquibo, Curripaco, Guar-Kena and others - are smaller in stature and wear almost no clothing. For hunting, they use not only bows, but also arrow-throwing tubes up to 3 m long, as well as small arrows smeared with curare poison. One of the oldest aborigines of this area - the Yanoama Indians, or Waika - are divided into a number of tribes and lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle. Most of them are engaged in slash-and-burn agriculture, hunting, and fishing. A feature of their settlements are large houses - “maloki”, or “shabono”. The number of relatives living in them often exceeds 100 people.

But although the Indians of Venezuelan Guayana as a whole still maintain a traditional way of life, modern civilization and culture are increasingly penetrating this area of the country. Some Indians are assimilated by the newcomer population and gradually lose some elements of their original culture. Modern housing construction skills, new tools, European clothing, utensils, etc. spread among them.

4.5 Education

Venezuela has long had a law on free and compulsory primary education, but still 25% of the population over 15 years of age is illiterate, hundreds of thousands of children remain out of school. Higher education almost inaccessible to workers. Government spending education accounts for less than 5% of national income.

Of the six universities in the country, the oldest are Central in Caracas (founded in 1725) and Andean in Merida (1785). There is also a Catholic University, pedagogical and other institutes. Back in the 19th century. The National Library, the Venezuelan Academy of Language, and the National Academy of History were founded in the first half of the 20th century. - National Academy of Medicine, Academy of Physical, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Association for the Advancement of Science, in 1960 - Institute of Economic and Social Research, etc. There are a number of scientific societies and museums.

For a passport; valid passport; payment of the fee; return air ticket or ticket to a third country; a postal envelope with a stamp and your own return address, if the tourist sends the application by mail; characteristics from the place of work and from the bank. To obtain a business visa, you need everything listed above, only instead of characteristics from the place of work and from the bank, you need to submit a letter from the employer, ...

... (coffee, cocoa, sugar cane, sisal, soybeans, oranges, bananas, pineapples, etc.). The second large state in this region is Argentina, one of the most economically developed countries in Latin America (especially considering its high per capita indicators). The accelerated development of the manufacturing industry (metallurgy, mechanical engineering, chemistry) in recent decades has significantly...