Venezuela Essay, Research Paper
Venezuela
Geographic Features-
Venezuela has seven physical geographic parts ; The Andes Mountains, which include the highest extremums in the state, widen northerly into Venezuela in two subdivisions divided by the Lake Maracaibo Lowlands. Pico Bolivar is the highest point of the Venezuelan Andes at 16,427 pess and it is located in the eastern subdivision, the Cordillera de Merida The Sierra de Perija, the western subdivision, extends along the boundary line with Colombia.
The Lowlandss of Lake Maracaibo are overlooked by the Andean ranges. The lake itself is about 100 stat mis long from north to south and 75 stat mis in breadth at its widest point. The lake itself is a big shallow recess of the sea with a narrow sound linking the lake to the Caribbean. This country is the chief oil-producing part of the state.
The 3rd geographical characteristic of Venezuela are the coastal fields and islands that makeup another part which are located to the North and nor’-east of the state. It includes Caribbean islands such as Margarita, Tortuga and Los Roques. The coastal fields extend from the Colombian boundary line and the Gulf of Venezuela due east to the foothills of the Coastal Range, a coastline being 1,512 stat mis long. The
coastal fields includes the Orinoco+s delta which is Venezuela+s longest
river at 1,600 stat mis long.
The coastal mountain system consists of two scopes that are parallel to each other, the Coastal Range and the Interior Range. This country makes up 3 % of the national district and contains the bulk of Venezuela+s population.
In the vales are the major metropoliss of Caracas, Valencia, and Maracay, with all but the steepest inclines being populated. In the northwest vales and hill ranges lies the lone desert in Venezuela wherein lies the metropolis of Coro.
The 6th country is the Llanos, a savanna part, which is located between the Merida mountain scope and the Orinoco River. The Llanos extend about 800 stat mis with a width varying from 100 stat mis to 300 stat mis.
The 7th part is the Guiana Highlands which occupies about 50 per centum of the state and is the most distant and least explored country. A most frequently visited landmark is located in this part, the Angel Falls, which is world+s highest waterfall at 3,212 pess.
Climate-
Venezuela is considered tropical with its southernmost point about
touching the equator. There is small fluctuation in temperature in Venezuela throughout the twelvemonth, with an mean one-year temperature of above 75. , with the lone differences in temperature due to the alterations in lift. There are two climatic seasons in Venezuela ; the moisture season occurs from May to November, and the dry season begins in December lasting until the terminal of March.
Language-
Spanish is the national linguistic communication of the bulk ( 97 % ) . Local parlances, conversational phrases, and simplified verb use distinguish Venezuelan Spanish from other Latin-american and Iberian signifiers. English is the country+s most popular 2nd linguistic communication with it being favored in concern communications, and private schools in Caracas have encouraged
bilingualism in their pupils.
Historical & # 8211 ;
The capital metropolis of Caracas has historical memorials like the Plaza Bolivar marking the liberator of Venezuela, Simon Bolivar. Bolivar+s place of birth is unfastened to the populace, every bit good as a museum in his award. A memorial stand foring the Battle of Carabobo is important. It represents the concluding major military battle of the War for Independence in Venezuela on June 24, 1821. There is a statue observance Romula Gallegos, celebrated Venezuelan writer and who besides has the award of being the first popularly elected civilian president in Venezuelan history, in 1948. There are many illustrations of colonial architecture in major metropoliss such as Valencia, Merida, Isla Margarita, every bit good as in Caracas. Pico Bolivar in the Andes Mountains has a beautiful statue of a Virgin Mary. Cathedrals stand in all major metropoliss, every bit good as a Basilica in the metropolis of Maracaibo.
Religion-
Ninety-two per centum of Venezuelans pattern Roman Catholicism. The other eight per centum is made up assorted Protestant religious orders with little groups of Jews and Muslims. Some of the Indian population continue to pattern their native faiths but most have converted to Catholicism with the aid of the Franciscans, Capuchins, Dominicans, Jesuits, and Augustinians who were active in Venezuela during the colonial period. The Venezuelan
fundamental law warrants freedom of faith with spiritual tolerance
by and large observed. Venezuela is officially a secular province even though
the Roman Catholic church has over clip go more and more an
instrument for societal advancement.
Festivals-
Carnival
Probably the most famed event of them all, Carnival takes topographic point during the month of February, 40 yearss before Good Friday, but has no fixed day of the month because Easter is a floating vacation. Carnival has existed in
Venezuela since the colonial period, and was much celebrated in Caracas. Today, nevertheless, Carnival has lost its importance in the major metropoliss, and is taken more earnestly in the coastal towns, and other states, particularly in El Callao.
LA CRUZ DE MAYO
This spiritual act is in the name of the Holy Cross. Every cross found
in public topographic points in the smaller towns and states is decorated with
flowers on the 3rd of May. The people of these towns light tapers and
take them to the cross with offerings and a wish. The jubilation that
follows varies harmonizing to the town & # 8217 ; s traditions.
SEMANA SANTA / EASTER
Easter is a Catholic festival, but it has become a vacation around most
of the universe. It begins 40 yearss after Carnival, so its day of the month oscillates between March and April, and would officially get down on Good Friday. On Palm Sunday people visit the church nearest to them to pick up a piece of holy thenar. This is likely the lone Catholic ceremonial that has non been altered in Venezuela, and would therefore demand no account. In merely the same manner as Catholics in the US fast on certain yearss, and pray on others, Venezuelans would besides be making the same things. The official faith of the state is, after all, Catholicism, even though people do non go to church on Sundays every bit frequently as in Spain.
LOS TAMBORES DE BARLOVENTO
The Drums of Barlovento are celebrated at the beginning of the rain
season in March, near Corpus Christi,
in Barlovento, Miranda province. This country comprises the towns Curiepe, Higuerote, Caucagua, Tacarigua and others where there is a big black population due to the java and banana plantations that existed there in the colonial period. Therefore, this is an Afro-Caribbean tradition in which the membranophones are the chief subject complemented by assorted other wooden instruments, largely of African beginning.
Transportation-
There are 42,001 entire roadway stat mis including 12,300 of those being paved. The figure of rider cars utilizing those roads sums to about 1,615,000 and 438,000 goods vehicles. Expansion of railwaies dwindled because of the development of the route system and the comparatively low domestic fuel monetary values. The entire milage in rail links is 293 stat mis. Caracas begun a 50km belowground railroad undertaking in 1976 and completed it in 1989. Caracas is serviced by two major airdromes: the Simon Bolivar handles international services and Maiquetia handles domestic flights. Venezuela has a sum of 61 commercial airdromes, of which seven are of international position.
Economic Base-
Venezuela+s chief export at the beginning of the twentieth century was java ; the 3rd largest manufacturer after Brazil and Indonesia. By 1935, crude oil had overtaken java as the figure one export and it continues to be so to this present twenty-four hours. Venezuela was one of five founding member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries ( OPEC ) which was officially legalized in Venezuela, in January 1961. Until 1970, Venezuela was the world+s largest crude oil exporter. Because of fallen oil monetary values that began in 1986, Venezuela began puting in other countries of economical development such as increased steel and aluminium end product.
In order to non depend so much on oil exports, Venezuela decided after 20 old ages of nationalized oil, that it would come in into joint ventures with the private sector, including 20 from the U.S. In January, 1996, Petroleos de Venezuela SA, the authorities owned oil company, awarded its first joint- venture contract. This determination was non done with a smiling, but with bitterness because it was in agreement with the International Monetary Fund guidelines which is regarded as an intervention upon the independency of Venezuela.
An economical job has been the inability to supply plenty nutrient for its population, although there has been betterment in production end product in the last decennary. By the early 1990+s, merely 20 % of entire nutrient demands had to be imported, compared to 40 % of a decennary earlier. Recently,
Venezuela has had to import about $ 700 million yearly in nutrient.
The lone agricultural merchandise in which they are self-sufficing is meat.
Other economical jobs include an rising prices rate of 71 % , the highest in Latin America and unemployment of 11 % due to the banking system about fall ining in June of 1994.
Form of Currency-
Venezuelan money is called the bolivar.
1.Type of Government-
Venezuela+s formal name is the Republic of Venezuela and its authorities type is a Federal Republic. The Legislature is exercised by Congress which is divided into two Chambers: the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Senators are elected by the population with two stand foring each province, and two to stand for the Federal District. There are in add-on other Senators, their figure being determined by jurisprudence, who are selected on the rule of minority representation.
Ex-presidents of the Republic are life members of the Senate. Executive Power is vested in a President of the Republic elected every 5 old ages, who may non function two back-to-back footings. The President has the power to dispatch the Constitution and the Torahs, to put up or take Curates, to take bid of the Armed Forces, to direct foreign dealingss of the State, to declare a province of exigency and retreat the civil warrants laid down in the Constitution, to convene extraordinary Sessionss of the Congress and to administrate national finance. The President besides appoints an Attorney-General to move as a legal supreme authority for the province.
Judicial Power is exercised by the Supreme Court of Justice and by the Tribunals. The Supreme Court forms the highest Court of the Republic and the Magistrates of the Supreme Court are elected by both Chambers in joint Sessionss.
Venezuelan political parties are considered extremely organized as compared to the remainder of Latin America. The political parties are: Accion Democratica & # 8211 ; AD ( Democratic
Action ) . In September, 1941, AD was officially established with its beginnings dating back to 1928 formed by a group of university pupils who
organized in protest of Juan Vicente Gomez+s absolutism. Ideologically, it is a member of the Socialist International and is considered as the most influential Latin American Party.
AD, along with COPEI, has dominated national politics.Partido Social Cristiano ( COPEI ) was established after WWII as a Christian Democratic political party. It was founded in 1946 and is one of the two chief political parties in Venezuela. It has its roots in the Congress of Catholic Youth in Rome organisation. Rafael Caldera, the present president, was a founding member. The party has a Christian socialist orientation with its members supporting the Democratic system, civil and political autonomies, a societal benefits plan, single freedoms, and the inducement of private belongings.
Movimiento Al Socialismo & # 8211 ; ( MAS ) was formed in January 19, 1971 by seceding off from the Venezuelan Communist Party. The MAS criticized the bureaucratization, inordinate centralism, and massive nature of the Communist Party, which they felt held back argument and the exercising of democracy. It criticized the importing of socialism from one state to another because they felt each state should be treated separately. It has established itself as the 3rd strongest political party although representation has non surpassed 10 % .
Population-
Venezuela+s entire population as of an 1994 estimation is 20,562,405. The state is chiefly made up of immigrants. with merely 2 % being Amerind, the autochthonal Indian groups. The bulk group consists of 69 % Mestizo, 20 % White, and 9 % Black. There are immigrants who enter illicitly and stay, which make up about one-quarter of the population. The bulk come from neighbouring Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
The cultural and racial groups are regionally oriented. White persons and ladinos are found chiefly in the major metropoliss, with the Indians being able to keep their civilization in the distant interior countries. Blacks and the mulatto-mestizo groups concentrate along the Caribbean seashore.
