Political and economic assessment of the state borders of Venezuela. Economic and geographical characteristics of Venezuela

Related to Venezuela

Prepared

Ilya Molchun

1 Welcome to Venezuela

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

Possessing huge natural resources, Venezuela has experienced significant economic growth over the past 30 years, and, starting from the late 80s and early 90s, begins to play an active role in political life Latin America. By level economic development And economic potential(2005 data) Venezuela ranks 3rd in Latin America (after Brazil and Argentina).

Under the 1961 constitution, Venezuela is a federal republic. The head of state and government is the president, who is elected for a term of 5 years. He is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. There is no position of vice president, and the temporarily absent president is replaced by a minister appointed by him. Legislative power is exercised by the National Congress, which consists of two chambers - the Senate (52 senators) and the Chamber of Deputies (207 deputies). Senators and deputies are elected for 5 years. All citizens who have reached the age of 18 enjoy the right to vote, with the exception of military personnel. The constitution proclaims whole line 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: State currency unit- bolivar, consists of 100 centimos. Bank 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: Behind Moscow by 7 hours. The Venezuelan army is about 90 thousand people. In 2006, Venezuela signed a contract with Russia to buy helicopters, fighter jets and Kalashnikovs for its army.

2. Nature

Venezuela is called the country of mountains, plains and forests. It can be divided into four regions differing in relief, climate and vegetation: the mountainous region of the Andes, the Maracaibo depression, the Llanos (plains in the basin of the Apure and Orinoco rivers) 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 mountain system of the Andes of South America. The Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, entering the borders of Venezuela, bifurcates into two ridges: the Sierra de Perija, along the ridge of which the border with Colombia passes, and the high double ridge of the Cordillera de Mérida deviating to the northeast. Between these ranges lies the Maracaibo depression.

The central part of the Cordillera de Merida is covered with eternal snows 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 prominent fighter for the independence of Venezuela. To the northeast, the Cordillera de Merida 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 of South America. The earthquake of 1812 was so strong that the city of Caracas was turned into a heap of ruins by the very first tremor. In one minute, almost a quarter of its population died - 10 thousand people. In 1900 it was again destroyed by an earthquake.

The lowland of Maracaibo, at the bottom of which lies the lake of the same name, is formed by sediments of numerous mountain rivers and is heavily swamped in the southern part. The lake area is one of the richest oil fields in the world. 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 for 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 south of the lower Orinoco, 100-800 m high. In its central part there are isolated peaks and flat remnant hills - mesas or "table mountains", rising to 2000 m and more. In the southern part of the plateau, they pass into sandstone - steep-walled and flat-topped Pacaraima, Parima, etc. Ranges. 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 massifs of the plateau rises with the mountains of Roraima and Kukenam, and to the north of it, in the region of the sources of the river. Caroni, is one of the highest mountains of the Venezuelan Guayana - Aprada Tepui (3100 m). It is very difficult to penetrate into this remote and poorly explored region: mountains cut by gorges and impenetrable virgin rainforests make it inaccessible. On the flat peaks of the mesas, reaching 30-40 km in length and completely cut off from the whole world by cliffs up to 2000 m high, there was almost no person. It is here that the events described in the famous novel by A. Conan Doyle "The Lost World" take place. There is also one of the largest mesas - Auyan-Tepui, called by the Indians "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, American pilot Jimmy Angell, flying over gloomy sheer 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 "mountain of the devil."

A few years before World War II, Angell made a new flight there. Having chosen 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 wheels of the plane got stuck in a swamp, and Angell barely managed to escape. Since then, this place and the waterfall itself have been called "Salto Angel" - an angel's jump (a play on words: in English "angell", and in Spanish "angel" - angel). Only in the 50s it was possible to establish that the height of this waterfall is 1054 m, that is, 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 territory of the country is under the influence of moist equatorial air masses, and in winter - dry northeast trade winds. Therefore, with the exception of a significant part of the Guiana Plateau, which has abundant year-round precipitation, Venezuela is characterized by a dry period (from October to March) and a wet period (from April to September). In the Andes mountain range, the climate depends not only on seasonality in precipitation, but also on altitude, as well as on the location of mountain slopes.

The Falcon Lara plateau, the coastal strip and the islands of the Caribbean Sea are distinguished by the greatest dryness. This is the region of the highest air temperatures in the American tropics. The port of La Guaira, for example, which receives only 280 mm of annual rainfall, is jokingly called the eve of hell by Venezuelans. In the region of the lake Maracaibo has 6 times more precipitation (up to 1800 mm), and the average annual temperature (28 °) is the highest for Latin America. The poor "ventilation" of the swampy lowland surrounded on three sides by mountains leads to a high relative humidity, very hard to bear by man, 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 - almost 3.5 billion tons. Oil fields stretch across the entire northern part of the country. Three oil-bearing basins stand out: the Maracaibo basin (Zulia and Falcon states) in the northwest; the states of Guarico, Monagas, Anzoategui, the Federal Territory of Delta Amacuro - in the central and eastern parts of the Llanos; the state of Apure in the west of Llanos (there are also large reserves of natural gas). Huge (estimated at 9.5-13.5 billion tons) oil reserves have recently been discovered in the so-called Orinoco oil belt, stretching for 600 km along the lower reaches of the river, as well as deposits on the continental shelf of the Gulf of Venezuela. In the areas of Maracaibo, the Orinoco Delta and in the extreme northeast, there are deposits of natural asphalt, and in the Andes, in the region of Lake. 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 has been found in various regions, but the deposits of the northern edge of the Guiana Plateau, south and east of Ciudad Bolívar (in the region of the Imataka Ridge), are of particular importance. Here, almost entire mountains are made up 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 in the most modest sizes, or not carried out 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. The Paragua and its tributaries were discovered diamond deposits. 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 by Jack London in his time. Thousands of people rushed into the jungle of the Guiana Plateau: adventurers, agents of mining companies, prospectors. But only very few returned from there with good luck. A new outbreak of "diamond rush" in the area occurred in 1971.

2.3 Rivers and lakes

Nearly half of Venezuela's more than 1,000 rivers run off the Andes and the 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 have tried to find its origins. However, it was possible to do this only in 1951 by a special Franco-Venezuelan expedition, which finally established the exact length of the river - 2740 km.

In the upper reaches, the Orinoco carries its waters to the northwest. Below the village of Esmeralda, reaching already 700 m wide, it stumbles upon a large rocky threshold, dividing it into two streams. At the same time, the main stream retains its former direction - to the northwest, 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 bifurcation of the Orinoco - the world's largest bifurcation of the river, in which each of the two branches belongs to different river systems. Casiquiare in a number of places looks like a canal about 400 m wide, and there are even suggestions that the water bridge connecting the Orinoco with the Amazon is the work of the most 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 the system of rapids, forms numerous waterfalls and rifts. Below the mouth of the largest left tributary, the Meta 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 the Llanos. Below Ciudad Bolivar, the depth of the river reaches 30 m, sea tides penetrate here and for 400 km Orinoco is accessible to ocean-going ships. Having passed the Barrancas, it overflows into a huge delta intertwined with numerous branches and heavily swampy, which extends almost along the entire Atlantic coast of Venezuela.

Orinoco is the most important trade and transport artery, which plays a huge role in the economic development of the Llanos and the northern part of the Guiana Plateau. Its left tributaries in the Llanos plain have a slow current, and during the rainy season they overflow, flooding large spaces. The right tributaries escaping from the Guiana Plateau are the Ventuari. Kaura, Caroni (with a tributary of the Paragua), etc. - swift, stormy, replete with rapids and waterfalls. They are unsuitable for navigation, but have a 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 with the Venezuelan Gulf of the Caribbean Sea, and its water is brackish there. Lake Valencia, located in the intermountain valley of the Caribbean Andes, is the second largest in the country. The river flows into it from the east. Aragua, and from the southwest it is still in the XIX century. had a drain on the Llanos plain. But since then its level has decreased, and now it is drainless.

Only 10% of the rivers are suitable for navigation, but in terms of hydropower resources, 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 variety of vegetation. The wild flora numbers 7,000 species here. In the forests, which occupy 40% of the territory of Venezuela, over 600 tree species - three times more than in all of Europe. "Nowhere are 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 along the circumference of Lake Maracaibo, at the foot of the Sierra Nevada de Merida," 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. 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 sparse paths mostly follow the rivers, which are the only real "roads" here. The central and northern part of the Venezuelan Guayana is covered with less humid and tall, but also impenetrable forests with many valuable tree species, as well as patches of savannas in the leeward areas.

More than a third of the area of Venezuela is occupied by the savannas of the Orinoco plains, called Llanos. In the rainy season, when rivers overflow their banks and flood vast areas, Llanos are covered with abundant and juicy cereal grasses, reaching 2 m in height. In November-December, the flood waters subside, and in January, a 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 out the grass cover. Low-growing trees, forming patches of shrub forest, lose their foliage; only the crowns of Mauritian palms remain evergreen.

The climate and soils of Venezuela 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 palm, sugar cane, rubber, cotton, tobacco, citrus, mango, 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, sweet potatoes. There are also crops of rice, sugarcane, tobacco, but, in addition, oats, barley, potatoes and various vegetables appear. Plums, quinces, peaches grow in 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. Above other crops (up to 3000 m) the famous Andean potato climbs.

2.5 Wildlife of Venezuela

The fauna of tropical forests and savannahs, rivers and lakes of Venezuela is extremely rich and diverse. In forests, most mammals live in trees. This is a sloth, about two dozen species of broad-nosed chain-tailed monkeys, making devastating raids on plantations and gardens. On the edges and along the banks of the rivers there are tapirs and capybaras. Wild pigs live here - bakers. Small and large rodents are found in the forests and savanna, including the "golden hare" - agouti, various types of small deer, foxes, opossum, tree porcupine, anteater and armadillo. Of the predatory, the most typical are the South American chain-tailed raccoon - kinkazhu, jaguar, "American lion" - puma and other, smaller species and cats.

There are many poisonous snakes whose bite is deadly, including several types of rattlesnakes, mapanare, yellow kumaima snake. Among the large snakes, the anaconda, the boa constrictor and the "royal 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. At night, the boa constrictor hunts, and during the day it sleeps or basks in the sun. He becomes attached to the house, if he is taken away, often comes back.

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

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

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

3. Economy

Venezuela was the first ever exporter of "black gold" - 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 Cabimas, 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 been 9/10 of the value of its exports.

The proximity of the fields to the sea, which facilitates the transportation of oil, the high flow 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 the Llanos. By 1958, the total area of oil, mainly North American and British, 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, the richest deposits of iron ore were discovered, the development of which was seized by the US monopolies. They also penetrated the manufacturing industry, Agriculture, service industry. In 1967, foreign investment in Venezuela reached 5.5 billion dollars, of which 11% belonged to the United States. More than half of all foreign investments were invested in the oil industry, 2% - in manufacturing and 4% - in the mining industry. Between 1960 and 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 exceptionally uneven development of the economy was also reflected in its geographical location: almost all industrial production was concentrated in the north and northwest - in the Caribbean Andes and the basin of the vol. Maracaibo. It was not until the 1950s and 1960s that new growing industrial centers arose in the eastern regions of the Llanos and on the right bank of the lower Orinoco.

But social production is still multi-structured: along with highly concentrated production in a number of branches of industry, semi-feudal remnants exist in some places in the countryside, and in some outlying regions even primitive communal relations have been preserved.

Meanwhile, in the 1960s and 1970s, Venezuela took one of the first places in Latin America in terms of economic development. The rise in 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. The state sector of the economy developed both in the field of infrastructure (road transport, hydraulic engineering, electric power industry), and in the petrochemical, metallurgical and metalworking industries. Already in 1973, it accounted for 30% of large industrial enterprises. And after the nationalization of iron ore and especially oil industry Venezuela, which previously ranked first in Latin America in terms of foreign investment, has become a country whose economy is controlled by the state to a greater extent than in any other country in the Western Hemisphere.

The state company Petroleros Venesolanos has become the ninth largest oil company in the world, owning 12,000 operating wells, 10,000 km of oil and gas pipelines, 12 oil refineries, as well as sea berths and storage facilities.

Soon the government banned foreign investment in utilities, energy, communications, radio and television, passenger and freight transport, publishing and advertising. Foreign companies in a number of industries were offered 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, the oil monopolies still retain the right to sell and transport Venezuelan oil and supply technology, they are paid compensation in the amount of more than 1 billion dollars, and the creation of mixed enterprises in the oil industry with the participation of foreign capital is allowed.

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

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Venezuelan economy developed to a large extent according to the plans developed by the Central Office for 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 solid industrial and agricultural base in the country. To this end, the main investments were directed to the iron ore, steel, aluminum, machine-building, chemical, shipbuilding and port construction industries. However, as a rule, these plans could not be fully implemented and on schedule.

Significant changes took place in the structure of the economically active population, in particular, the number of people employed in industry from 1950 to 1975 almost tripled.

One of the fastest growing sectors of the economy is the electric power industry: in the 1960s and 1970s, 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 capacity of power plants (8.2 million kW in 1979) and electricity generation (31 billion kWh), and in terms of production and consumption of electricity by per capita - the first place.

3.1 Export

Plays an important role in the life of Venezuela international trade. The country's export in value reaches 1/3, and import - 1/6 of the gross national product. In the value of Venezuelan exports, more than 90% are oil and oil products, 4% - iron ore, the rest - coffee and cocoa, gold, asbestos, sugar, bananas, vegetables, rice, hides, livestock, forest products. Imports are dominated by various equipment, machinery, mechanisms, vehicles and spare parts for them, various raw materials and materials, including metal constructions, pipes for gas and oil pipelines, as well as various consumer industrial products and foodstuffs.

In recent years, food imports have been growing, as agriculture remains the most backward sector of the economy and cannot satisfy the country's needs for agricultural products. A significant part of the 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 extractive industry occupied an important place in the economy of the country. In 1970, 194 million tons of oil were produced in Venezuela. Since the 1970s, 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 its exports 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. 95% of explored reserves lie with oil natural gas. In 2005, its production amounted to 35 billion cubic meters. m.

In contrast to oil production, the production of the mining industry grew quite rapidly. 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 in an open pit and contains 60-70% iron. At the end of the 1990s, production was 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 is mined in small quantities, and in the Caribbean Andes, nickel ore, zinc, lead, silver, and asbestos. Near the city of San Cristobal, phosphorite ores are being mined, including those containing uranium, as well as coal. Magnesite is mined on Margarita Island, coal is mined in Narikual (near Barcelona) and in Guasar.

Gold mining is carried out in El Callao on the Guiana Plateau. In the same region, diamond mining is growing (700-800 thousand carats are mined annually). Discovery of new deposits in the basin of the river. Cuchivero (accompanied by yet 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 petrochemistry), oil refining, machine building (including car assembly), metallurgy, has been developing in the postwar 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 the food, textile and clothing, leather and footwear, woodworking and other "old" industries.

More than 25% of the value of the gross output of the manufacturing industry is accounted for by oil refining. Venezuela is a major exporter of petroleum products. The leading sectors of the manufacturing industry, in addition to oil refining, include: food, textile, clothing, chemical, metalworking, mechanical engineering.

The development of the richest deposits of iron ore served as the basis for the creation of a metallurgical industry in the country. 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 Sudad Guayana. There are also two aluminum plants, a plant for iron ore briquettes and two plants for the direct reduction of iron from ore.

3.4 Production

Machine building is developing in the country, the basis of which is the car assembly industry. There are factories for the production of 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. In connection with large-scale construction in the oil, mining and processing industries, urban and road construction, the production of building materials is growing rapidly.

An intensive process of concentration of production is observed: 80% of all workers are employed in large and medium-sized factory enterprises.

3.5 Agriculture

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

Industrial relations in the Venezuelan countryside are still very diverse. In the largest farms, the labor of not only hired workers, but also sharecroppers and peon laborers is used. At the same time, with the development of economy in the countryside, a significant detachment of agricultural workers was formed, employed on plantations and farms.

Agriculture provides 45% of the value of agricultural products. The main agricultural region is a mountainous region in the north and northwest of Venezuela. Here is 2/3 of all arable land, including most of the large plantations and farms. In Llanos, agriculture is developed mainly at the foot of the Andes and in some places along the rivers. The region's scourge is drought, and as a result, the government is implementing a 30-year water development plan here, which includes the construction of dams and the 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 states of the Caribbean coast. Considerably increased, including in Llanos, cotton crops, which gives two crops a year, as well as sisal and tobacco. 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

The share of animal husbandry, the main branch of which is cattle breeding, accounts for 55% of the value of agricultural products. Llanos has long been considered the main livestock region of the country, where up to 5 million head of cattle and 200-300 thousand horses graze.

The main areas of dairy farming are the basins of the Maracaibo and Valencia lakes and the Caracas valley. Here, in contrast to Llanos, where the livestock is mainly owned by the owners of huge pastoral latifundia, most livestock farms are medium and large farms. Farms appeared in these areas, supplying the cities with eggs and dead birds. On the arid Caribbean coast and in the state of Lara, goats and sheep are bred. In general, over the past 10-15 years, animal husbandry has developed faster than agriculture. The proportion of large-scale commodity farms that use modern methods livestock care and equipment.

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

3.7 Transport

Communication routes are distributed extremely unevenly across the territory of Venezuela: almost all railways and most of the highways are concentrated in the north and northwest. The total length of railways is about 1.4 thousand km, but they are short, unconnected lines. Almost all passenger traffic and 75% of freight traffic are motor vehicles. In 1997, the total length of motorways was about 71,000 km (of which about half were paved).

The main inland waterway of the country is the river. Orinoco. The total length of navigable routes along it and its tributaries is 12 thousand km. Steamboat traffic is also maintained on the lakes of Valencia and Maracaibo. Coastal transportation along the sea coast is developed, which partly makes up for the lack of land routes. The ocean-going merchant fleet of Venezuela, in terms of total displacement, ranks third in Latin America. The country has more than a hundred sea, lake and river ports, including 23 ports for the export of oil and oil products (Maracaibo, Amuay, La Salina, Caripito, Puerto de la Cruz, etc.) and 8 for export and imports of other goods. The main import ports are La Guaira, Puertoyo, Maracaibo.

Of particular importance for the exploration and development of remote, previously almost inaccessible eastern and southern regions of the country has acquired air transport. 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 reflected 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, in addition to Spanish, were Indian and African. Many toponyms in the country are of Arawak (Paraguana, Cumarebo), Caribbean (Cumana, Piritu) and other Indian origin, and such as Ganga, Birongo, Taria are of African origin. The names of the states also speak of this: Barinas, Zulia, Tachira are Indian names, Anzoategi, Merida, Miranda are Spanish, and Monagas is associated with African influence.

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

Economic and geographical position of Venezuela. Official name: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela 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 covers an area of 912.1 thousand square kilometers (32nd in the world). In the north it is washed by the waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, Venezuela owns the 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 belonging to the Netherlands. It borders on land in the west and southwest with Colombia, in the south with Brazil (the states of Amazonas and Roraima), in the east with Guyana (Venezuela makes territorial claims to neighboring Guyana). The population of the country is 22.6 million people. The capital, Caracas, is home to over 3 million people. The Republic of Venezuela is the sixth largest country in South America and the fifth largest in terms of population. 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, Ansoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Guarico, Delta Amacuro, Carabobo, Cohedes, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Zulia, Tachira, Trujillo, Falcon, Yaracuy. States have their own legislative assemblies and governments headed by governors. Governors are also the representatives of the federal government in their state. State governors are elected in accordance with 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, which consists 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 have served in office for more than half of their terms. Deputies are elected by the population by universal direct and secret suffrage under the system of proportional representation for a term of 5 years. The presidents of both houses of Congress are elected for one-year terms.

Economy of Venezuela. In terms of economic development and economic potential, Venezuela is among the leading states in the region. The country has vast reserves of oil (in terms of proven reserves - about 300 billion barrels), gas, iron ore, coal, gold, bauxite and other minerals. Since the coming to power of Hugo Chavez in 1999, the economic structure of Venezuela has undergone significant changes. President Hugo Chavez pursues 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 steel and cement enterprises. In July 2008, Chávez issued a decree further strengthening the subordination of the economy as part of his "21st century socialism" plan.

Venezuelan industry. 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, Venezuela produces about 3.0 million barrels and exports about 2.3 million barrels of oil and oil products per day. The annual oil production has made Venezuela one of the richest Latin American states. Since the 1970s, 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 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 located in the Orinoco river basin (near the city of Barinas) - 3% and along the northeast coast - 20%. Together with oil lies 95% of explored reserves of natural gas. Gold and diamonds are mined on the Guiana Plateau, deposits of manganese ore, phosphates and coal are being developed. Aluminum is the next 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 petrochemistry), oil refining, machine building (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 given by the food, textile and clothing, leather and footwear, woodworking and other "old" industries. More than 30% of the value of the gross output of the manufacturing industry is accounted for by oil refining. Venezuela is a major exporter of petroleum products. Machine building is developing in the country, the basis of which is the car assembly industry. There are factories for the production of 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. In connection with large-scale construction in the oil, mining and processing industries, urban and road construction, the production of building materials is growing rapidly.

Agriculture in 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 the food consumed. Homestead agriculture is developed in all regions, but cash crops (mainly coffee, cocoa, cotton, bananas, rice and sugar cane) are grown on 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 states of the Caribbean coast. Agriculture provides 45% of the value of agricultural products. The share of animal husbandry, the main branch of which is cattle breeding, accounts for 55% of the value of agricultural products. Llanos has long been considered the main livestock region of the country, where up to 5 million head of cattle and 200-300 thousand horses graze. Fishing is developed off the northern coast of Venezuela and in the Maracaibo lakes. The most valuable product of marine fisheries is shrimp.

The main economic indicators of the state. Thanks to high oil prices, GDP growth was observed from 2005 to 2008 (approximately 23%). But in the period 2009-2010, in connection with the global financial crisis, there is a decrease in GDP. However, in 2011, the country successfully weathered the effects of a major global crisis, showing clear signs of a sustainable recovery in the third quarter of 2011. By the end of 2011, Venezuela's GDP increased by 4.2% to $359.71 billion. Between 2005 and 2007 there has been an increase in investment, but since 2008, investment in the Venezuelan economy has declined due to the nationalization of several industries, including the energy, communications and oil sectors of the economy, as part of a plan to build "socialism of the 21st century." Between 2005 and 2008, the unemployment rate in Venezuela gradually decreased. The fall in the unemployment rate was achieved by Chavez through the active expansion of the public sector. In 2007-2008, not only the oil industry, but also ferrous metallurgy, the cement industry and mobile communications were nationalized in the country. The companies that have fallen into the hands of the state do not aim to increase efficiency, but to expand employment on the Soviet model. But in 2009, due to the global financial crisis, there is a slight increase in unemployment in the country. However, already in 2010, as the country emerged from the crisis, the unemployment rate in Venezuela again decreased (by 1.3%). In an effort to curb inflation, since 2003 the country has centrally set prices for 400 types of goods, including food, "to fight inflation and protect the poor." Their result was a periodic shortage of food (in a state with tropical agriculture) and a sharp rise in prices. So, for example, there is a restriction on the supply of milk and a constant shortage of chicken eggs. In the whole country in the past decade, inflation was 21% per year, but food on the black market rose in price 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 export by value reaches 1/3, and import - 1/6 of GDP. In the value of Venezuelan exports, more than 80% are oil and oil products, 4% - iron ore, the rest - coffee and cocoa, gold, asbestos, sugar, bananas, vegetables, rice, hides, livestock, 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 foodstuffs. In recent years, food imports have been growing, as agriculture remains the most backward sector of the economy and cannot satisfy the country's needs for agricultural products. A significant part of the 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 (export - 64.2 billion dollars, import - 38.1 billion dollars). Against the background of growth in exports (including non-commodity exports by 1.1%), the downward trend in imports continued (by 1.0% compared to 2009). The main trading partners of Venezuela both in 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 countries of South America), ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for Our Peoples - an alliance of Latin America and the Caribbean.)

Venezuela and Belarus. The long 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, with the participation of Belarusian specialists, housing is being built in Venezuela, jobs are being created. Since 2007, Belorusneft and the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA have been cooperating in the field of oil production, seismic surveys, the supply of vibration sources of seismic signals and well workover. In November-December 2007, a joint venture was registered for seismic exploration - Sysmika BeloVenesolana JSC and oil production - Petrolera BeloVenesolana JSC. Belarus and Venezuela are planning to start joint oil production at the Junin-1 block in the Orinoco basin within the framework of a project on cooperation in the field of oil production. 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 basin. In March 2011, 2 oil fields were added to the assets of Petroler BeloVenesolan - Centro Block VIII and Lagunilas Block XII. Thus, the JV currently has 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 in 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 between the two countries has increased significantly. If in 1998 it was 3.6 million dollars. 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 retained by Brazil with a 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 earnings, more than 50% of the state budget revenues and about 30% of GDP. On February 2, 1999, with the coming to power of President Hugo Chavez, a process of changes begins in Venezuela aimed at the implementation of the national project "Simon Bolivar", which began to develop dynamically since 2007 with the beginning of building socialism in 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 about 23%. But in the period 2009-2010, due to the global financial crisis, there is a decrease in GDP. However, in 2011, the country successfully weathered the effects of a major global crisis, showing clear signs of a sustainable recovery in the third quarter of 2011. By the end of 2011, Venezuela's GDP increased by 4.2% to $359.71 billion.

Venezuela is one of the largest states on the South American continent. It includes several islands in the Caribbean Sea, the largest of which is called Margarita. A country with an area of 916 thousand square meters. km borders with Brazil and Colombia. As of early 2017, the population barely reached 31 million people.

There are 21 states in the federal republic headed by the president. The basis of the population are Venezuelans (descendants of Indians and Spaniards) - 67%, Europeans - 21%, blacks - 10%.

Climate and natural conditions

The central part is represented by a lowland flat area with the Orinoco River. The Caribbean Andes, the Cordillera de Mérida range extend from north to west, and part of the Guinean Plateau rises in the southeast.

The climate is hot subequatorial. Most of the year, the north of the country suffers from drought, while in the central regions rainy seasons are not uncommon.

The vegetation cover is rich and varied: mangroves, xerophytic-succulent woodlands, dry tall-grass savannahs, deciduous tropical forests, hylaea, etc.

Development of the Venezuelan economy

Few people know that the described Latin American country is the first oil exporter. In the 16th century, the first barrel of black gold crossed half the world on its way to Madrid. In the XVII-XVIII centuries, the main exports were indigo and sugar, a little later - cocoa and coffee. In 1922, one of the largest oil deposits was found near Lake Maracaibo in the village of Cabimas, which marked the beginning of the oil boom and brought about fundamental changes in the Venezuelan economy.

The location of the fields in close proximity to the sea, the low standard of living of the population (cheap labor) and the high potential of wells provoked an active interest of oil companies. During the years of the Second World War, new deposits were found and put into operation, a few years later their total area reached 68 thousand square meters. km.

In the lower reaches, the largest deposits of iron ore were discovered, the development of which was immediately intercepted by the American monopolists. As of 1970, foreign investment in the development of the Venezuelan economy amounted to $5.5 billion. 11% of this amount belonged to the United States.

From 1975-1980 The state has taken the lead in economic development in Latin America. Infrastructure began to develop actively.

A responsible step towards independence and national sovereignty was the nationalization of the oil and iron ore industries. The Venezuelan economy was now based on full government control. In most industries, foreign companies were asked to transfer 80% of the shares to the citizens of the country within three years.

Import and export

Experts say that 50% of the Venezuelan economy is foreign trade. The lion's share of sales falls on oil and related products, iron ore is in demand. The export list includes coffee, cocoa, asbestos, gold, sugar, bananas, rice, skins, livestock, timber.

Priority import items are high-tech equipment, vehicles and components, raw materials and materials for oil pipelines, industrial consumer goods. Every year, food imports increase, because agriculture is in decline and is unable to meet the needs of the population. Most of the cost of procurement comes from the United States - more than 3.5 billion dollars a year.

Extractive industry

The main product of the mining industry is iron ore. In the large deposits of El Pao, San Isidro and Cerro Bolivar, the fossil is mined by open pit and contains up to 70% iron. Its annual production is 15-17 million tons, 90% of this amount is exported to America and Europe.

Mining in the Upata region In the Caribbean Andes, nickel, lead, zinc, asbestos, and silver are mined in small quantities. Phosphorite ores are being developed in the suburban area of San Cristobal.

Conducted in El Callao. Here, diamond production is actively gaining momentum (700-800 thousand carats per year). A large deposit of precious stones was discovered in the Cuchivero River basin and was accompanied by a diamond rush. For several consecutive years, Venezuela has held the position of the largest supplier of diamonds among Latin American countries.

Manufacturing industry

According to general information in the economy of Venezuela until 2013, its oil refining, chemical and engineering industries developed at a rapid pace. However, more than 50% of the cost gross product give the textile, food, woodworking and leather and footwear industries.

The development of the largest deposits of iron ore gave impetus to the development of the metallurgical industry. On the territory of the state there are several plants with a full cycle and electric blast furnaces, aluminum plants, etc.

Production

At the heart of the development of mechanical engineering is the car assembly industry. The Venezuelan economy can be briefly described as supported by factories for the production of agricultural implements, tractors, construction equipment, tools, etc. Companies that manufacture television and radio equipment are developing. Large-scale construction in the mining, oil and manufacturing industries stimulates the creation of production sites for the production of building materials.

animal husbandry

Cattle breeding determines the cost of agricultural products by 55%. Farming is concentrated in Llanos.

The territory of dairy farming is the valley of Caracas, the basins of the rivers Valencia and Maracaibo. In the same areas, poultry producers supply the cities with eggs and meat. The arid Caribbean coast (Lara state) is famous for its largest goat and sheep farms. Over the past 15 years, the livestock sector has significantly succeeded in comparison with the crop sector. The mass share of large farms that use modern methods of growing and caring for animals has increased.

Fishing is developed near the northern part of the country (the coast of Venezuela). Tiger prawns, the most valuable and revered product by gourmets, have a positive impact on the Venezuelan economy today.

Forestry is not given much importance. Harvesting of tannins, vanilla, guaiab resin and rubber used in perfumery and pharmacology is carried out in minimal quantities.

crop production

The state has a record amount of arable land for Latin America. Only a third of them are processed. According to the latest data from the Venezuelan economy, crop production is recognized as the most backward industry.

45% of the value of agricultural products comes from agriculture. 2/3 of arable land is concentrated in the north of the country. In Llanos, crop production is developed along the rivers and at the foot of the Andes. The region's problem is severe droughts. In order to solve the problem, the government has developed a plan to create a water economy for the next 30 years with the construction of dams and the organization of an irrigation system on 2 million hectares of land.

One fifth of the area is occupied by the main export crops - cocoa and coffee. The raw material for the fragrant invigorating drink grows in the mountainous states in the northwest. The raw materials for most of the chocolates in the world are collected in the states of the Caribbean. In Llanos, cotton, tobacco and sisal crops have grown over the past 8-10 years.

Transport

Communication routes are unevenly distributed across the territory of Venezuela. The maximum concentration of highways and railways is in the north. The latter are short unconnected lines with a length of 1.4 thousand km. Passenger and ¾ of freight traffic is carried out by road.

The Orinoco River is the main inland waterway, steamship traffic is maintained on the lakes of Maracaibo and Valencia. The lack and poor quality of land routes is compensated by coastal transportation by sea. In terms of scale, the ocean merchant fleet is one of the three leaders in South America. 23 ports are equipped for the export of oil and related products, and another 8 ports for the purpose of exporting and importing other goods.

The organization of air communication with remote southern and eastern regions is of particular importance for the Venezuelan economy. Regular airlines connect the capital with major cities, oil fields and mining centers.

Economic crisis

2013 was a fateful year for the Venezuelan economy. The crisis affected all spheres of the life of the state. Only high prices for the main exported commodity - oil saved from default. At the beginning of the year before Maduro came to power state debt The country was 70% of GDP with a budget deficit of 14%. At the end of 2013, inflation was 56.3%. In this situation, the parliament has endowed the new president with emergency powers. To meet the expectations of millions of voters, the guarantor launched an economic offensive that introduced a 30% cap on profits for private enterprises. There was an acute shortage of essential goods - sugar, butter, toilet paper - in the country. Government representatives unanimously stated that the reason for the collapse of the Venezuelan economy was corruption, speculation, sabotage and the ongoing financial war against the state. Maduro initiated a program to combat profiteering. After a month of operation of the new service, the Daka trading network was nationalized. For setting a margin on goods at 100% instead of the allowable 30%, the property and management of supermarkets were arrested.

2015: falling oil prices

In 2014, the Venezuelan economy, which was successfully moving towards an exit from the crisis, was shaken by another blow. World oil prices fell sharply. In comparison with the previous year, the income from the export of black gold decreased by 1/3. In an attempt to reduce the budget deficit, the Central Bank issues more banknotes, which leads to inflation of 150% (official data as of September 2015). In another attempt to curb inflation, the government is developing complex system currency exchange. A week later, the official dollar exchange rate exceeded the market rate by more than 100 times. Adhering to the ideology of Chavismo, the parliament, headed by the president, limited food prices, which provoked a total shortage of essential goods.

2016: things get worse

In January, Luis Salas, a left-wing socialist, is appointed head of the Ministry of Economy. To match other members of the administrative apparatus of Maduro, the official sees the cause of the problems of the Venezuelan economy in the conspiracy and financial war of Europe against his homeland.

According to IMF estimates, in 2016 the level of GDP decline is approaching 20%, unemployment is growing rapidly - 25%, the budget deficit is 18% of GDP. Inflation of 550%, combined with an external debt exceeding $130 billion, is pushing the Venezuelan economy towards default every day.

The banknote of the highest denomination - 100 bolivars costs 17 US cents. Hyperinflation brings to naught purchasing power citizens. According to the local Center for Documentation and Analysis (Cendas), a basic food basket for a family costs eight times the minimum wage.

Our days: causes of the crisis

The main factors that provoked economic destabilization are structural and political foundations, in particular, dependence on imports, a sharp drop in the world oil price, as well as total state control over the production and distribution of food products.

In connection with the deteriorating economic situation in Venezuela in the first decade of 2017 and the refusal of President Maduro to hold a referendum on changes in the political course of the state, mass protests took place in major cities. More than a million citizens, dissatisfied with the actions of the authorities, took to the central streets demanding to bring essential products - flour, eggs, milk, medicines - to the shops.

The opposition accuses the incumbent head of state of following the anti-social laws of dictator Hugo Chavez, which led to a deep crisis, which will be aggravated by the decline in oil prices. In turn, Nicolas Maduro accuses the country's aristocracy of boycotting the economy in order to achieve its goals through corrupt means.

State in northern South America. The territory is 912 thousand square kilometers. The capital is Caracas.

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

Distinctive feature geographical location Venezuela is that it borders the Atlantic Ocean, which is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the strategically important Panama Canal. Access to the oceans is very important for the country not only for communication with other continents, but also for contacts between the Latin American countries themselves.

The country has a significant amount of land suitable for cultivation, but only a small part of them 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 owned by the largest landowners accounted for 80%, and half of all farms - only 1% of the registered land fund. This has led to extremely low levels of land use and labor productivity. As a result, agriculture was the most backward branch 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 the agrarian reform was carried out. Due to the redemption by the government from the latifundists of unused lands, as well as from the state land fund, a significant part of the peasants received land plots.
Agriculture provides 45% of the value of agricultural products. The main agricultural region is a mountainous region in the north and northwest of Venezuela. Here is 2/3 of all arable 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 states of the Caribbean coast.
The share of animal husbandry, the main branch of which is cattle breeding, accounts for 55% of the value of agricultural products. Llanos has long been considered the main livestock region of the country, where up to 5 million head of cattle and 200-300 thousand horses graze.
Fishing is developed off the northern coast of Venezuela and in the Maracaibo lakes. The most valuable product of marine fisheries is shrimp.
The extractive industry occupied an important place in the economy of the country. In 1970, 194 million tons were mined in Venezuela. oil. Since the 1970s, 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 increased markedly, despite the reduction in oil production.
More than 4/5 of all Venezuelan oil is produced in the basin of Lake Maracaibo, about 20% - in the east, 3% - in the southwest. Together with oil lies 95% of explored reserves of natural gas.

The manufacturing industry, especially its new branches - chemical (including petrochemistry), oil refining, machine building (including car assembly), metallurgy, has been developing in the postwar 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 given by the food, textile and clothing, leather and footwear, woodworking and other "old" industries.

Foreign trade plays a huge role in the life of Venezuela. The country's export in value reaches 1/3, and import - 1/6 of the gross national product. In the value of Venezuelan exports, more than 90% are oil and oil products, 4% - iron ore, the rest - coffee and cocoa, gold, asbestos, sugar, bananas, vegetables, rice, hides, livestock, 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 foodstuffs.

The climate of Venezuela is determined by the alternation of moist equatorial air masses in calm weather in summer and dry trade winds in winter. Temperatures change little during the year and depend mainly on the altitude of the area. Coastal areas are distinguished by exhausting heat and high air 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 m above sea level. Above 1800 m, the climate is much cooler and close to the climate of temperate latitudes. At altitudes above 3,000 m, it is so cold that farming is almost impossible, and sheep breeding is the main agricultural activity. More than three quarters of the country's area is characterized by the 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.

Visas, entry rules, customs rules

Attention! From March 5, 2009 for citizens Russian Federation A visa to Venezuela is not required.

Citizens of other CIS countries require a visa to enter Venezuela.

A tourist visa is issued to persons whose purpose of visit is tourism, visiting friends or relatives, as well as short-term business visits not related to making a profit in Venezuela.

To obtain this visa, you must submit the following documents to the consular department of the Embassy of Venezuela:
- Passport valid for at least 6 months at the time of applying for a visa. The passport must have two free pages for gluing the visa;
a questionnaire filled out in English or Spanish and signed personally by the applicant. The questionnaire should be completed on a computer or by hand in block letters;
a copy of the first page of the passport with the applicant's data;
- 2 color photographs 3x4 cm in size on a white background, taken no earlier than six months before the date of application for a visa. One photo must be glued to the application form, the second must be attached to the passport;
- copies of all completed pages of the internal passport;
- the original certificate from the place of work on the letterhead of the enterprise indicating the position, salary, length of service and a copy of the registration certificate of the company;
students and schoolchildren - a certificate from the place of study;
- minors - a copy of the birth certificate (even if they have an internal passport);
- evidence of financial well-being - a current bank account statement indicating the date of opening the account, balance and account number;
copies of documents confirming that the applicant has real or commercial property (one copy should be sent to the consular department);
- confirmation of the hotel reservation (original or fax) with a seal and signature of a responsible person or an invitation from a Venezuelan travel agency, a copy of which the host must send to the consular department by fax.
- an invitation from a private person or organization. The invitation must stipulate that the inviting party bears all travel expenses, financial support, as well as the costs of the invited person leaving the country. The invitation must contain the following information:
- last name, first name, address and passport number (identity card) of the inviting person or address and details of the inviting company;
- last name, first name, address and passport number of the invitee;
- dates of travel and place of residence of the applicant during his stay in Venezuela;
- A copy of the identity card of the inviter. The receiving party must send a copy of the invitation to the consular department by fax.
- original and copy of round-trip air tickets or confirmation of booking of round-trip air tickets. The booking must include dates and times of departure and return, flight numbers and the name of the airline.

Visa-free transit is possible when passengers continue their journey within 24 hours of arrival on the same or connecting flight and do not leave the airport transit area. In all other cases, a transit visa must be issued in advance.

The consular fee for a tourist and transit visa is $30. Paid at the bank in rubles at the exchange rate on the day of payment. The form for payment of the fee is issued by the consular department of the Embassy of Venezuela after checking all the necessary documents.

Documents can be submitted to the consular section of the Venezuelan Embassy in person or through a proxy (a simple power of attorney from the passport holder is required) or a travel agency. Documents are accepted and issued on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 10.00 to 12.30.

The standard term for issuing a tourist and transit visa is 7 days from the date of submission of documents.

A tourist visa is issued for a period of one year, is multiple and allows you to stay in the country for up to 90 days. A transit visa is issued for a period of one year, is multiple and allows you to stay in the country for no more than 72 hours for each entry.

At the discretion of the Venezuelan Ministry of Interior and Justice, the visa may be extended for the same period. After the second term, the tourist must leave the country in order to avoid deportation.

Import and export of currency is not limited, for amounts over 10 thousand US dollars a declaration is required.

Gold and jewelry are also declared.

The transit of drugs and drug-containing medicines, weapons, pesticides is prohibited. The export of stuffed animals, skins and living specimens of rare representatives of the animal world is prohibited.

Population, political condition

The population of Venezuela is mainly divided into 3 large ethnic groups: whites (Spaniards), mestizos and mulattoes. In the south and in the center, an insignificant part of the Indians and blacks lives. The official language is Spanish.

End of formBeginning of formVenezuela is a federal democratic republic. The head of state is the president, who is elected for a term of 6 years. The president heads the government of the country. The highest advisory body under the President is the State Council, headed by the Vice President. Legislative power is vested in the unicameral National Assembly.

Transportation within the country is carried out mainly by highways. Almost 90% of all transportation of passengers and cargo is carried out by road. The only one in the country Railway 336 km long connects Barquisimeto and Puerto Cabello. Air transportation is carried out by 6 domestic airlines, the leading place among which is occupied by the companies Avensa and Aeropostal.

end of form start of form The largest car rental companies have offices both at Caracas airport and in all major cities. The rental is quite expensive - a class "A" car will cost no less than $70 per day, plus mileage is paid separately.

It is much more practical to use taxi services for the whole day, which will cost almost half the price. The national driver's license is valid for one year. At the same time, it is recommended to have international rights with you.

Spanish is ubiquitous, but English is used much less - it is possible to explain it only in the business districts of large cities and on some islands in the Caribbean.

The main center of all local life is the family. Venezuelans spend much more free time in the family than even residents of neighboring Spanish-speaking countries, and often even men give up their traditional hobbies in favor of children and home, considering this quite normal and even proud of the amount of time devoted to the home. Also very important is the "going out" with the whole family, whether it's some kind of local carnival or Sunday mass. Usually three generations of people live in one house, while the elderly have a high status. Grandparents ("abuelitos") take care of the children, especially if the parents work, which is very common here. They often take care of the kitchen and the organization of recreation for family members. Many women in Venezuela work, and there is no discrimination in this - a huge number of them have reached professional heights in their field, suffice it to say that they outnumber men in such important sectors of the national economy as law, medicine and education (in local universities, the overwhelming number professors are women). They also play an active role in politics (in terms of the number of congresswomen, the country is ahead of many countries in Latin America). However, they also take care of children, elderly family members and the home.

Large residential buildings not uncommon here. The Venezuelan government has long sponsored the affordable housing market, but recent economic hardship has left many people unable to afford good housing. Poor families build their own "buildings" out of whatever they want, forming real slums around major cities called "ranchos". There is often no electricity, no running water or sewerage. Many coastal Venezuelans build houses on stilts ("palefitos"). In such structures it is dry and even lacks some insects, so characteristic of the coast. In this area, houses are built of adobe bricks or limestone blocks. Some Native American peoples prefer unique types of traditional houses - "yanomami" in the form of a huge round roof "yano" and walls barely outlined with wicker mats. One such house can accommodate up to 100 families, and each family has its own place. Some Indian peoples continue to adhere to their traditional way of life, both at home and at work. For example, almost all "wayuu" work in trade, "yanomami" are engaged in hunting and fishing, and "pemon" - gathering and fishing.

Another hotbed of the social life of the country are numerous restaurants and cafes, of which there are a great many. Here sports and political events are discussed, deals are made, or just a leisurely conversation about everything that is of at least some interest. Venezuelans love to eat out (often with the whole family) and meet friends in restaurants. It is quite possible that this is the reason why Caracas has more restaurants per capita than any other Latin American city.

In relations with each other, the Venezuelans are emphatically polite and correct - there is no familiarity characteristic of many Latin American countries. However, there are many options for nicknames that are assigned to interlocutors purely to simplify communication. To familiar people (but not friends) rather colorful appeals like "my love" ("mi amor") or "my joy" are easily applied. With friends and well-known people, a clearer wording of the appeal is used, resembling, rather, a nickname formed on the basis of the external data of the interlocutor ("fat man", "ginger", etc.) or some other memorable attributes. Some Venezuelan nicknames may seem rather rude, but here it should be noted that in the local language there are many nuances that make it possible to give even a seemingly offensive word a completely acceptable coloring.

Venezuelans have a peculiar relationship to time, even claiming that they live in "Venezuelan time" ("hora venezolana"). Here, hardly anyone is in a hurry, the service in restaurants is unhurried, and the conversation is long and lengthy. On the other hand, business issues are resolved very quickly, punctuality is highly valued, and the conversation will always end so "thoroughly", as if they would never see this person again.

Football and basketball are extremely popular recreational activities, especially in the Andean regions. Venezuelan race horses are among the best in the world, so horse racing and other equestrian competitions are also among the national sports. Venezuelans love to spend their holidays on the seashore or on the country's many freshwater lakes, where they enjoy water sports, surfing, snorkelling, scuba diving and fishing. Bullfights or "corrida de toros" are also extremely popular. The stadium in the city of Valencia can simultaneously accommodate up to 27,000 people, the arenas in Maracay, San Cristobal and Maracaibo are no less modern. They have great popularity cock-fights, the traditional national game, called "bolas-criolhas" or "Venezuelan bowling", and, of course, numerous musical performances, of which there are a great many.

Local peoples have a fairly stable custom of treating diseases using traditional methods, and often this gives better results than in the most modern clinics. This method of treatment is especially good in case of defeat by poisons of local animals and plants, in case of poisoning and some infectious diseases. Moreover, in addition to the usual herbal treatment, drug-containing drugs and various spiritual practices are actively used here, such as "malikai" - a whole complex of rituals aimed at communicating with the spirit that caused the disease and expelling it from the patient's body. It is not recommended to use the services of local shamans and psychics, however, local healers who use herbal medicine have a reputation as very effective healers.

Health insurance is not required but highly recommended.