Is a country of striking natural beauty and dramatic contrasts: the snowcapped peaks of the Andes in the west; steamy Amazonian jungles in the south; the hauntingly beautiful Gran Sabana plateau, with its strange flat-topped mountains, in the east; and 3000km (1860mi) of white-sand beaches fringed with coconut palms lining the Caribbean coast.

South America's largest lake, Lake Maracaibo, and third-longest river, the Orinoco, are also here, and the country boasts the world's highest waterfall, Angel Falls. It is also home to a wide variety of exotic plants and animals, including the jaguar, ocelot, tapir, armadillo, anteater, and the longest snake in the world, the anaconda.

Full country name: República Bolivariana de Venezuela.
Area: 912,050 sq km (355,700 sq mi)
Population: 23,543,000 (growth rate 1.6%)
Capital city: Caracas (pop 4,608,934)
People: 67% mestizo, 21% European descent, 10% African descent, 2% indigenous. There are approximately 200,000 Amerindians, remnants of a number of diverse semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer societies.
Language: Spanish is the official language, but more than 30 Amerindian languages still survive, predominantly belonging to the Arawak, Cariban and Chibcha ethnolinguistic categories.
Religion: 96% Roman Catholic, 2% Protestant
Government: Federal Republic
Head of State: Hugo Chávez
GDP: US$194.5 billion
GDP per head: US$8500
Annual growth: -0.9%
Inflation: 29.9%
Major industries: Petroleum, iron ore, cereals, fruit, sugar and coffee.
Major trading partners: USA, Germany, Japan, Colombia, Brazil, Italy.

Overall, I would not hesitate coming to Venezuela ... it is a beautiful country with beautiful people

Facts for the Traveler
Visas: US nationals, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, UK nationals, South Africans and most Western and Scandinavian Europeans do not require a visa if they fly directly to Venezuela. All foreigners entering Venezuela by land require a valid visa; get one before you leave for South America.
Health risks: Cholera, dengue fever, hepatitis, malaria, yellow fever.
Time: GMT/UTC minus 4 hours (minus 5 hours in summer)
Electricity: 110V, 60 Hz
Weights & measures: Metric