Venezuela

Name

In 1499, stilt-houses built on Lake Maracaibo reminded explorers Alonso de Ojeda and Amerigo Vespucci of buildings in Venice, Italy. They named the region "Venezuola," meaning "Little Venice".

Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person

Background

Venezuela emerged from Gran Colombia's collapse in 1830, alongside Ecuador and New Granada (Colombia). Military strongmen ruled for most of the first half of the 20th century, promoting oil and allowing social reforms. Elected governments largely held sway until 1999, when Hugo Chavez, president from 1999 to 2013, exercised authoritarian control over other branches of government. In 2018, Nicolas Maduro claimed the presidency for his second term in an election boycotted by most opposition parties and widely viewed as fraudulent. The 2020 legislative elections were also seen as fraudulent, and most opposition parties and many international actors considered the resulting National Assembly illegitimate.

Many opposition parties broke a three-year election boycott in 2021 and participated in mayoral and gubernatorial elections despite flawed conditions. Since Chavez, the ruling party expanded economic control through expropriations, currency and price controls, and petroleum dependence; after years of mismanagement, the 2014 oil-price drop brought decline, shortages, and high inflation. The US imposed financial sanctions on Maduro and his representatives in 2017 and on sectors of Venezuela's economy in 2018; limited relief followed after democratic and electoral concessions. Ongoing concerns include human rights abuses, rampant violent crime, political manipulation of judicial and electoral systems, and corruption.

Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person

Climate

Tropical conditions bring heat and humidity, while the highlands have a more moderate climate.

Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person

People and society

Its people include Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, and Indigenous backgrounds. Spanish is the official language, alongside indigenous, Portuguese, and other languages.

Religions include Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness, and African American/umbanda; Protestant affiliations include Evangelical and Adventist. Religious identifications also include believer, agnostic, atheist, and none. People are concentrated in the northern and western highlands along an eastern spur at the northern end of the Andes, an area that includes the capital of Caracas.

Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person