Venezuela Is Located in the Northern Section

Venezuela is located in the northern section of South America between the countries of Colombia and Guyana. Venezuela is also bordered by Brazil. The country is about twice the size of California. The climate in most of the country is tropical and is surrounded by the Andes Mountains and the Maracaibo Lowlands.

The World Factbook)

There are 24, 287, 670 people living in Venezuela. People ages 15-64 make up 63.6% of the population. The ethnic groups represented in Venezuela include Germans, Africans, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabs and Italians. Most of the population is Catholic (96%) but there are also some Protestants in the country. Spanish is the official language of Venezuela. (The World Factbook)

Poverty, environmental pollution and drug trafficking are among the most pressing social issues in Venezuela. Sixty Seven percent of the population lives below the poverty line. The environment of Venezuela has been polluted by urban and oil pollution, deforestation, industrial pollution, sewage pollution and soil degradation.

Drugs are also a huge social concern in Venezuela. Opium and Coca are produced in Venezuela and are used to make drugs like heroine and cocaine. The boarder that Venezuela shares with Columbia is used to traffic drugs into the country. The drugs are then sent to Europe and the United States. There is also a great deal of money laundering that goes on between the two countries of Venezuela and Colombia. (The World Factbook)

This South American country gained independence from Spain on July 5, 1811. Venezuela is a product of Gran Columbia which collapsed in 1830. Governments in the country have been democratically elected since 1959. Venezuela is currently a federal republic. Prior to 1959 the country was governed by the military. The country consists of 23 states, 1 federal dependency and 1 federal district. The country's capital is Caracas. (The World Factbook)