Venezuela is a land of diverse and pristine beauty. From the sandy beaches of the islands and extensive coastline to the majesty of the Venezuelan Andes, from the big city life of Caracas to the dark serenity of the Amazons, Venezuela is a tourist paradise!  It is also a country of vast natural resources, including some of the world’s richest supplies of oil, gold and diamonds.  Yet 4 out of every 5 Venezuelans lives in poverty, a reality that can only be explained by mismanagement and a suffocating corruption that permeates practically every facet of Venezuelan life.  This is a needy country...a country in need of a Savior.  As you take a look at this place that the Spaniards named, “Little Venice”, offer a prayer to the Lord for the salvation of the Venezuelan people. It is the only hope for a better future.

General Information

The Republic of Venezuela is located on the northern coast of South America. Its territory spans some 595,719 square miles (about the size of Texas and a portion of Oklahoma) and includes 72 islands and 1830 miles of coastline on the Caribbean.  Venezuela is bordered by Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east and Brazil to the south. The country is divided into four geographic regions: the lush, green Andes mountains in the west; the breathtaking coastline and islands of the north; the cattle country of the plains in the center and the dense Amazon jungle and Gran Sabana in the south and southeast.  Venezuela is divided politically into 22 States and 1 Federal District.    The projected population of Venezuela for the year 1997 was 22,777,152.  It is predominantly young, with 36% below the age of 15 and only 4% older than 65 years of age.  The people are some of the most racially mixed of all the countries in Latin America, consisting primarily of Spanish, Indian, and African racial stocks.  There are large expatriate communities of Italians, Portuguese, Germans, Spanish, and various oriental people groups, as well as peoples from other Latin American countries.  The average life span is 76 years for men and 82 years for women.  Only 5% of the population claim to be evangelical Christians in this predominantly Catholic country.   The Capital of Venezuela is Caracas, located in the Federal District of the north central section of the country.  Including the many suburbs of Caracas, there are nearly 6 million residents.  Caracas is the cultural, economic and political center of the nation. Maracaibo, located along the largest natural lake in South America in the western portion of the country, is the second largest city with around 3 million inhabitants and is the principle center of the petroleum industry. Venezuela is the largest exporter of oil to the U.S. each year.

The Islands and the Coast

Of the 72 islands of Venezuela’s northern coast, Isla Margarita is the most famous.  There you will find beautiful beaches and a special island flavor of life. Though tourism is obviously of great importance, one of the main vocations is that of fishing. Hundreds of fishermen take advantage of the coastal waters in wooden boats called “peñeros” (below).

The beaches of the northeastern coast of the country are very often white-sand coves formed by the mountains that kiss the blue Caribbean.  Mochima National Park (below and right) is a breathtakingly beautiful series of beaches and mountainous islands that offers some of the best scuba diving and snorkeling that you will find anywhere. Playa Medina (left) is famous for its windswept palms.

The Andes, Llanos and Gran Sabana

Venezuela is a country of diverse beauty.  The Andes Mountain range begins in Venezuela in the western portion of the country and is one of the most majestic sights in all of South America (left, bottom-left). Angel Falls (bottom-right) is the tallest waterfall in the world at 2648 feet, 15 times taller than Niagara Falls! It is located in the Canaima National Park (right) in the southeastern section of the country. The plains, or “llanos” (below), are cowboy country. Venezuelan beef is very low in fat because the cattle are almost exclusively grass fed.