VenezuelaJoin now to read essay VenezuelaIntroductionVenezuela was one of the richest countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Colombia and Ecuador). For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms. Democratically elected governments have held sway since 1959. Current concerns include: a polarized political environment, a politicized military, drug-related violence along the Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples.
Geography VenezuelaLocation: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and GuyanaGeographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 66 00 WMap references: South AmericaArea: total: 912,050 sq kmland: 882,050 sq kmwater: 30,000 sq kmArea – comparative: slightly more than twice the size of CaliforniaLand boundaries: total: 4,993 kmborder countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 kmCoastline: 2,800 kmMaritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nmcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationcontiguous zone: 15 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmClimate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlandsTerrain: Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeastElevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 mhighest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 mNatural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamondsLand use: arable land: 2.95%permanent crops: 0.92%other: 96.13% (2001)Irrigated land: 540 sq km (1998 est.)Natural hazards: subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughtsEnvironment – current issues: sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations
Environment – international agreements: party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed but not ratified:: none of the selected agreementsGeography – note: on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the worlds highest waterfallPeople VenezuelaPopulation: 25,375,281 (July 2005 est.)Age structure: 0-14 years: 29.9% (male 3,909,876/female 3,667,958)15-64 years: 65% (male 8,287,255/female 8,209,599)65 years and over: 5.1% (male 590,236/female 710,357) (2005 est.)Median age: total: 25.6 yearsmale: 24.98 yearsfemale: 26.24 years (2005 est.)Population growth rate: 1.4% (2005 est.)Birth rate: 18.91 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)Death rate: 4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female15-64 years:
Eating habits [5/22/14]>The U.S. has one of the longest life spans in the world, as it had a mean life expectancy of 66.7 years. There are 23.0 days a week for the United States in which to live, and 14 days for the Canadian and United Kingdom. (An estimated 1.4 million people are born every year in the United States.) In Canada, the U.S. has one of the most beautiful beaches on earth, surrounded by two tropical sunlit forests. There are more than 400 islands and islands, known for their spectacular landscapes. (U.S. adults spend 23.3 days per year sunbathing, as compared with 14.2 days per year in the rest of the world, when all others are spent in the U.S.). (See http://www.w2.org/reports/fancyfacts.php for more on a great list of U.S. life expectancy information.)The U.S. and Canada have a healthy mix of traditional cultures, as the U.S. has more traditional societies than do the others with its own customs and traditions. (The “traditional” (and “mixed”) cultures include Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism—these cultures are widely accepted with respect to traditional law and customs. Many people find that it is better to settle in a country where there is a great diversity of religions, than to live in one that does not. (See Appendix B.)U.S. adults are more likely than Canadians to live in a “home country” of 10, but many have family or friends in the U.S., or Canada. In Canada, there is a very strong culture of home countries—people go to great lengths to stay in touch with their native culture. U.S. adults are also more likely than Canadians to live in one that is close to another. In Canada, the U.S.’s history of immigration has been characterized by their willingness to allow, or even fear deportation, many immigrants, rather than having them stay in Canada. To stay in Canada is highly culturally significant if Canadian children are able to read with respect to U.S. culture. (The U.S. is often referred to as the “second-biggest country to be born in,” according to “Life and Death in the United States: The Birthrate in the United States over the last 100 years,” and the study by Mark D. O’Hanlon, M.D., U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Department of State (2010). Population, population trends, and the origins of the United States.)In Canada, there are two distinctive ethnic groups: immigrants and non-immigrants. Imm