Venezuela

Venezuela

AREA	912,050 sq km (352,144 sq miles).
POPULATION	22,777,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	25.0 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Caracas.
CAPITAL POPULATION	3,435,795 (metropolitan area, 1990).
GEOGRAPHY	Venezuela is bounded to the north by the Caribbean, to the east by Guyana and the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by Brazil, and to the west and southwest by Colombia. The country consists of four distinctive regions: the Venezuelan Highlands in the west; the Maracaibo Lowlands in the north; the vast central plain of the Llanos around the Orinoco; and the Guyana Highlands, which take up about half of the country.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Gained independence from Spain in 1830. Head of State and Government: President Hugo Chávez Frías since 1999.
LANGUAGE	Spanish is the official language. English, French, German and Portuguese are also spoken by some sections of the community.
RELIGION	90% Roman Catholic.
STANDARD TIME	GMT - 4 (GMT - 5 in summer).
ELECTRICITY	110 volts AC, 60Hz. American-style 2-pin plugs are the most commonly used fittings.

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