República Bolivariana de Venezuela    Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Flag Coat of arms
Motto Patria, Socialismo, o Muerte... Venceremos (Fatherland, Socialism, or Death... We shall succeed).
Anthem Gloria al Bravo Pueblo  (Spanish) "Glory to the Brave People"
Capital (and largest city)		Caracas 10°30′N, 66°58′W
Official languages		Spanish
Demonym		Venezuelan
Government		Democracy
-	President	Hugo Chávez Frías
Independence
-	from Spain	July 5, 1811
-	from Gran Colombia	January 13, 1830
-	Recognised	March 30, 1845
Area
-	Total	916,445 km² (33rd) 353,841 sq mi
-	Water (%)	0.32
Population
-	July 2007 estimate	27,730,469 (42nd)
-	2001 census	23,054,210
-	Density	30.2 /km² (173rd) 77 /sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2006 estimate
-	Total	$176.4 billion (47th)
-	Per capita	$7,165 (90th)
Gini (2000)		44.1 (medium)
HDI (2004)		0.784 (medium) (72nd)
Currency		Bolívar (VEB)
Time zone		UTC-4 (until Sep 2007) UTC-4:30
Internet TLD		.ve
Calling code		+58
^  The "Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela" has been the full official title since the adoption of the new Constitution of 1999, when the state was renamed in honor of Simón Bolívar. ^  Formerly "God and Federation" (Spanish: «Dios y Federación»). ^  As seen on most public buildings and offices. ^  The Constitution also recognizes all indigenous languages spoken in the country. ^  Area totals include only Venezuelan-administered territory.

Venezuela (IPA: /vɛn.ɛ.'zueɪ.lə/), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish: República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America.

The country comprises a continental mainland and numerous islands in the Caribbean Sea. It borders Guyana to the east, Brazil to the south, and Colombia to the west. Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, St. Lucia, Barbados, Curaçao, Bonaire, Aruba, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the Leeward Antilles lie just north, off the Venezuelan coast. Falling within the tropics, Venezuela sits close to the Equator, in the Northern Hemisphere.

A former Spanish colony, Venezuela holds territorial disputes with Guyana, largely concerning the Essequibo area, and in the past with Colombia concerning the Gulf of Venezuela. There was a Venezuelan Boundary Crisis in 1985. Today, Venezuela is known widely for its petroleum industry, the environmental diversity of its territory, and its natural features. Venezuela is considered to be among 17 of the most megadiverse countries in the world.

Venezuela is among the most urbanized countries in Latin America; the vast majority of Venezuelans live in the cities of the north, especially in the largest metropolis, Caracas. Other major cities include Maracay, Maracaibo, Barquisimeto, Valencia, and Ciudad Guayana. Venezuela is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats.

Venezuela Pictures