Venezuela
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Caracas
- Population
- 31,755,435 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 912,050 sq km
- Government
- federal presidential republic
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 48.1%, Protestant 31.6% (Evangelical 31.4%, Adventist 0.2%), Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, African American/umbanda 0.7%, other 0.1%, believer 3.5%, agnostic 0.1%, atheist, 0.4%, none 13.6%, unspecified 0.6% (2023 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- unspecified Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, Indigenous
- Currency
- bolivars (VEB)
- Life Expectancy
- 74.5 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .ve
- Climate
- tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
- Terrain
- Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
- Natural Resources
- petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds
- Major Exports
- crude petroleum, petroleum coke, scrap iron, alcohols, fertilizers (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830, the others being Ecuador and New Granada (Colombia).