Venezuela
By Shruthi Venkatachari
Background
Venezuela used to be controlled by Spain, and gained its independence in 1821. Due to the influences of this period, the official language is Spanish.
Geography
Venezuela is a country in Northern South America that borders the Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean, and is in between Colombia and Guyana. The capital is Caracas, and other major cities include Maracaibo, Valencia, Barquisimeto, and Maracay. Some physical features are the Andes Mountains, Maracaibo Lowlands, Guiana Highlands, and the Angel Falls.
Political and Economical
Venezuela has a federal republic for their type of government, and the is Nicholas Maduro. The currency is the Venezuelan bolivar, and one bolivar is $0.15. They have a communist economic system.
The Flag
The flag of Venezuela has three stripes. One is yellow (riches), one is blue (courage), and one is red (blood). In the center, there is a semi-circle of eight white stars (eight provinces that united in the time of war).
Tourism
Venezuela is called the "Land of Grace", and people visit it for its beautiful scenery, food, and its biodiversity. Venezuela is known for the Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall. People also visit Isla de Margarita. Even though it is much of a paradise, it has only 700,000 tourists per year.
Fun Facts
- The name "Venezuela" comes from the Italian word Veneziola that means "little Venice"
- Venezuela has more Miss Universes and more Miss Worlds than any other country
- On Christmas the streets of Caracas are blocked for people to rollerblade to church
- The picture to the left is the Venezuelan Poodle Moth that has stumped many scientists
Sources
http://www.infoplease.com/country/venezuela.html?pageno=15
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ve.html
http://www.geographia.com/venezuela/history.htm
http://www.x-rates.com/calculator/?from=VEF&to=EUR&amount=1
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/five-reasons-visit-venezuela-102549.html
http://xpatnation.com/things-you-might-not-know-about-venezuela/#.t15E82q3Y
http://travelercorner.com/a-trip-to-angel-fall/
http://venezuelaflag.facts.co/venezuelaflagof/venezuelaflag.php
https://huffspanish2.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/5-weirdfun-facts-about-venezuela/
https://storify.com/StephenGreen91/6-cool-things-about-venezuela-other-than-chavez