Venezuela Information

South America.

GMT - 4.5.

912,050 sq km (352,144 sq miles).

27.88 million (2008).

30.2 per sq km.

Caracas. Population: 4.3 million (metropolitan area, 2008).

Venezuela is bordered to the north by the Caribbean, to the east by Guyana and the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by Brazil, and to the west and southwest by Colombia. 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.

Republic. Gained independence from Spain in 1830.

President Hugo Chávez since 1998.

Venezuelan politics of the past decade has been dominated by the incendiary figure of Hugo Chávez. His policies have effectively polarized the society: Venezuelans either love him or loathe him. Celebrating a decade at the nation's helm in 2009, the leader has won broad acceptance from the masses of Venezuela's poor for his implementation of ‘21st-century socialism,' while further alienating the far less populous well-to-do sector. After an overwhelming re-election in December 2006, Chávez moved to nationalise key industries like steel, electricity and oil. The following year, however, a proposed constitutional amendment to extend presidential term limits was voted down.

Spanish is the official language. English, French, German and Portuguese are also spoken by some sections of the community.

96% Roman Catholic.

110 volts AC, 60Hz. US-style two-pin plugs are the most commonly used fittings.

Shaking hands or using the local abrazo, a cross between a hug and a handshake, are the normal forms of greeting. In Caracas, conservative casual wear is the norm. Men are expected to wear suits for business, and jackets and ties are usual for dining out and social functions. Dress on the coast is less formal but beachwear and shorts should not be worn away from the beach or pool. Smoking follows European habits and in most cases it is obvious where not to smoke. Some public buildings are also non-smoking areas.