Few Venezuelans have not had their lives touched by migration over the last 10 years, when more than 7 million people left the struggling South American country. Social investment in Venezuela during the CHAVEZ administration reduced poverty from nearly 50% in 1999 to about 27% in 2011, increased school enrollment, substantially decreased infant and child mortality, and improved access to potable water and sanitation through social investment. Here, the temperature ranges between 26 and 28 C. They include, among others, the cities of Maracaibo and Ciudad Bolvar. Along the southeastern Guiana Highlands, in the region called La Gran Sabana, are Angel Falls (Parecup Mer), the highest waterfall in the world, measuring 3,212 feet (979 metres) from the cliffs of the massive Auyn tepui (Auyantepui) to the valley floor below. (approximately $8.5 billion)2.2% of GDP (2016 est.) It's the most prevalent and characteristic climate of the country. However, the origin of it is uncertain. A year is divided into dry and rainy seasons. ), conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuelaconventional short form: Venezuelalocal long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuelalocal short form: Venezuelaformer: State of Venezuela, Republic of Venezuela, United States of Venezuelaetymology: native stilt-houses built on Lake Maracaibo reminded early explorers Alonso de OJEDA and Amerigo VESPUCCI in 1499 of buildings in Venice and so they named the region "Venezuola," which in Italian means "Little Venice", name: Caracasgeographic coordinates: 10 29 N, 66 52 Wtime difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)etymology: named for the native Caracas tribe that originally settled in the city's valley site near the Caribbean coast, 23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 capital district* (distrito capital), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales (Federal Dependencies)**, Distrito Capital (Capital District)*, Falcon, Guarico, La Guaira, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Yaracuy, Zulianote: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands, history: many previous; latest adopted 15 December 1999, effective 30 December 1999amendments: proposed through agreement by at least 39% of the National Assembly membership, by the president of the republic in session with the cabinet of ministers, or by petition of at least 15% of registered voters; passage requires simple majority vote by the Assembly and simple majority approval in a referendum; amended 2009; note - in 2016, President MADURO issued a decree to hold an election to form a constituent assembly to change the constitution; the election in July 2017 approved the formation of a 545-member constituent assembly and elected its delegates, empowering them to change the constitution and dismiss government institutions and officials, civil law system based on the Spanish civil code, has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction, citizenship by birth: yescitizenship by descent only: yesdual citizenship recognized: yesresidency requirement for naturalization: 10 years; reduced to five years in the case of applicants from Spain, Portugal, Italy, or a Latin American or Caribbean country, chief of state: Notification Statement: the United States recognizes Juan GUAIDO as the Interim President of VenezuelaPresident Nicolas MADURO Moros (since 19 April 2013); Executive Vice President Delcy RODRIGUEZ Gomez (since 14 June 2018); note - the president is both chief of state and head of governmenthead of government: President Nicolas MADURO Moros (since 19 April 2013); Executive Vice President Delcy RODRIGUEZ Gomez (since 14 June 2018)cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the presidentelections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 6-year term (no term limits); election last held on 20 May 2018 (next election in 2024)election results: 2018: Nicolas MADURO Moros reelected president; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros (PSUV) 68%, Henri FALCON (AP) 21%, Javier BERTUCCI 11%; note - the election was marred by serious shortcomings and electoral fraud; voter turnout was approximately 46% due largely to an opposition boycott of the election2013: Nicolas MADURO Moros elected president; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros (PSUV) 50.6%, Henrique CAPRILES Radonski (PJ) 49.1%, other 0.3%, description: unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (277 seats; 3 seats reserved for indigenous peoples of Venezuela; members serve 5-year terms); note - in 2020, the National Electoral Council increased the number of seats in the National Assembly from 167 to 277 for the 6 December 2020 electionelections: last held on 6 December 2020 (next to be held in December 2025)election results: percent of vote by party - GPP (pro-government) 69.3%, Democratic Alliance (opposition coalition) 17.7%, other 13%; seats by party - GPP 253, Democratic Alliance 18, indigenous peoples 3, other 3; composition - NA, highest court(s): Supreme Tribunal of Justice (consists of 32 judges organized into constitutional, political-administrative, electoral, civil appeals, criminal appeals, and social divisions)judge selection and term of office: judges proposed by the Committee of Judicial Postulation (an independent body of organizations dealing with legal issues and of the organs of citizen power) and appointed by the National Assembly; judges serve nonrenewable 12-year terms; note - in July 2017, the National Assembly named 33 judges to the court to replace a series of judges, it argued, had been illegally appointed in late 2015 by the outgoing, socialist-party-led Assembly; the Government of President MADURO and the Socialist Party-appointed judges refused to recognize these appointments, however, and many of the new judges have since been imprisoned or forced into exilesubordinate courts: Superior or Appeals Courts (Tribunales Superiores); District Tribunals (Tribunales de Distrito); Courts of First Instance (Tribunales de Primera Instancia); Parish Courts (Tribunales de Parroquia); Justices of the Peace (Justicia de Paz) Network, A New Era (Un Nuevo Tiempo) or UNT [Omar Enrique BARBOZA Gutierrez]Brave People's Alliance or ABP [Antonio LEDEZMA]Cambiemos Movimiento Ciudadano or CMC [Timoteo ZAMBRANO]Christian Democrats or COPEI [Juan Carlos ALVARADO Prato, Roberto ENRIQUEZ]Citizens Encounter or EC [Delsa SOLORZANO]Clear Accounts or CC [Enzo SCARANO]Coalition of parties loyal to Nicolas MADURO - Great Patriotic Pole or GPP [Nicolas MADURO]Coalition of opposition parties - Democratic Alliance (Alianza Democratica) (includes AD, EL CAMBIO, COPEI, CMC, and AP)Come Venezuela (Vente Venezuela) or VV [Maria Corina MACHADO]Communist Party of Venezuela or PCV [Oscar FIGUERA]Consenso en la Zona or Conenzo [Enzo SCARANO and Leon JURADO]Convergencia [Juan Jose CALDERA]Democratic Action or AD [Jose Bernabe GUTIERREZ Parra]Fatherland for All (Patria para Todos) or PPT [Ilenia MEDINA] Fuerza Vecinal or FV [leaders include mayors Gustavo DUQUE, Darwin GONZALEZ, Elias SAYEGH, Manuel FERREIRA, Josy FERNANDEZ, and Morel David RODRIGUEZ]; note - national spokesman David UZCATEGUIHope for Change (Esperanza por el Cambio) or EL CAMBIO [Javier Alejandro BERTUCCI Carrero]Justice First (Primero Justicia) or PJ [Tomas GUANIPA]LAPIZ [Antonio Domingo ECARRI Angola]Movement to Socialism (Movimiento al Socialismo) or MAS [Segundo MELENDEZ] Popular Will (Voluntad Popular) or VP [Leopoldo LOPEZ]Progressive Advance (Avanzada Progresista) or AP [Henri FALCON]The Radical Cause or La Causa R [Andres VELAZQUEZ]United Socialist Party of Venezuela or PSUV [Nicolas MADURO]Venezuela First (Primero Venezuela) or PV [Luis PARRA] Venezuelan Progressive Movement or MPV [Simon CALZADILLA]Venezuela Project or PV [Carlos BERRIZBEITIA]We Are Venezuela (Somos Venezuela) or MSV [Delcy RODRIGUEZ and Vanessa MONTERO], Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Alfredo VECCHIO (since 8 April 2019)chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214FAX: [1] (202) 342-6820email address and website: despacho.embveus@mppre.gob.ve, chief of mission: James Jimmy STORY, Ambassador for the Venezuela Affairs Unit (since November 2020); note - on 11 March 2019, the Department of State announced the temporary suspension of operations of the US Embassy in Caracas and the withdrawal of diplomatic personnel; the Venezuela Affairs Unit is located at the United States Embassy in Bogota, Colombiaembassy: Venezuela Affairs Unit, Carrera 45 N. 24B-27, Bogotapreviously - F St. and Suapure St.; Urb. 0-14 years: 25.13% (male 3,920,774/female 3,748,241)15-64 years: 65.98% (male 10,029,127/female 10,105,332)65 years and over: 8.9% (2023 est.) PDF Venezuela: Political Crisis and U.S. Policy - Federation of American Venezuela's political leadership maintains an anti-U.S. government discourse, and its political climate is highly polarized and fluid. The country consists of four distinctive regions: the Venezuelan Highlands in the west; the Maracaibo Lowlands in the northwest; the vast central plain of Los Llanos around the Orinoco River; and the Guyana region in the extreme south, which includes part of the Amazon rainforest and the Guyana highlands. )imports: 1,000 metric tons (2020 est. The rainy season in Venezuela is from May to October, while the dry season extends from December to April. Physiographically, the Segovia Highlands, northwest of Barquisimeto, and the coastal ranges may also be considered parts of the Andes chain. 10 Fun Facts About Venezuela For Kids - Multicultural Kid Blogs Venezuelan regional farmers produce some of the world's finest cacao. The monthly averages temperatures are below 22C (72F) but above 0C (32F). This page presents Venezuela, RB's climate context for the current climatology, 1991-2020, derived from observed, historical data. )$381.6 billion (2017 est. )permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est. )$109.8 billion (31 December 2016 est. Why Venezuela should be on your travel bucket list | Euronews The 2021 regional elections marked the first time since 2006 that the EU was allowed to send an electoral observation mission to Venezuela.The MADURO regime places strong restrictions on freedoms of expression and the press. The two branches of the Andes that traverse northwestern Venezuela, including the countrys highest peaks, are northeastward extensions of the Colombian Andes Cordillera Oriental. As a result, the opposition more than doubled its representation at the mayoral level and retained four of 23 governorships. Weather and climate Venezuela's location perched 8 above the equator, means it generally enjoys a balmy warm climate. Venezuela's Maduro Should Be Tried for Ecocide - Foreign Policy ), production: 396,000 metric tons (2020 est. This climate can be found in areas below 300 m in sedimentary basins and lowlands such as the Llanos, Orinoco Delta, Maracaibo Basin, Orinoco Basin, and coastal plains and islands; it comprises almost all the country. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. From the Orinoco through the southernmost (Amazonas) territory bordering Colombia, Brazil, and Guyana are the vast Guiana Highlands, or Guayana, largely an upland surface of rounded hills and narrow valleys formed from ancient crystalline rocks. Venezuela, with its nonsensical system of currency controls, is by far the most dysfunctional economy in Latin America. Temperatures don't fluctuate wildly, hovering between 26C (79F) and 28C (82F) and making the country something of an all year round destination. Venezuela crisis timeline. Venezuela | Today's latest from Al Jazeera )wind: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est. First lasts from December to April and second is between May and November inclusively. Unanticipated policy changes, volatile global commodity prices and currency depreciation pose upside risks. Caracas has more recently relaxed some economic controls to mitigate the impact of its sustained economic crisis, such as allowing increased currency and liberalizing import flexibility for private citizens and companies. Caracas is an exception, where options are more limited and hotels should be . )beer: 1.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est. Sun & Moon. Colinas de Valle Arriba; Caracas 1080mailing address: 3140 Caracas Place, Washington DC 20521-3140telephone: 1-888-407-4747, three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of eight white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band; the flag retains the three equal horizontal bands and three main colors of the banner of Gran Colombia, the South American republic that broke up in 1830; yellow is interpreted as standing for the riches of the land, blue for the courage of its people, and red for the blood shed in attaining independence; the seven stars on the original flag represented the seven provinces in Venezuela that united in the war of independence; in 2006, then President Hugo CHAVEZ ordered an eighth star added to the star arc - a decision that sparked much controversy - to conform with the flag proclaimed by Simon Bolivar in 1827 and to represent the historic province of Guayana, troupial (bird); national colors: yellow, blue, red, name: "Gloria al bravo pueblo" (Glory to the Brave People)lyrics/music: Vicente SALIAS/Juan Jose LANDAETAnote: adopted 1881; lyrics written in 1810, the music some years later; both SALIAS and LANDAETA were executed in 1814 during Venezuela's struggle for independence, total World Heritage Sites: 3 (2 cultural, 1 natural)selected World Heritage Site locales: Coro and its Port (c); Canaima National Park (n); Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas (c), South American economy; ongoing hyperinflation since mid-2010s; chaotic economy due to political corruption, infrastructure cuts, and human rights abuses; in debt default; oil exporter; hydropower consumer; rising Chinese relations, $269.068 billion (2018 est. )crude oil estimated reserves: 303.806 billion barrels (2021 est. We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Venezuelas social and political ills have been compounded by natural disasters such as the floods that devastated sections of Caracas, La Guaira, and other coastal areas in late 1999. The omission of any discussion of Venezuela was a glaring oversight as any ambitious climate agenda . Venezuela is currently experiencing a society that is divided and in turmoil. This climate zone is present in cities like Maracaibo, Punto Fijo, Ciudad Guayana, Porlamar, Puerto La Cruz, Barinas, Tucupita, Cuman, Maturin, Anaco, Ciudad Bolvar, Cabimas, El Viga and others. In the high mountainous region above 3000 meters, snow fields and grasslands are found. This climate zone is present in towns like Apartaderos and Llano del Hato. )exports of goods and services: 7% (2017 est. Since 2017, the US has imposed financial and sectoral sanctions on the MADURO regime.