Your HostYour Host
Big Gee in Action
 
Visitor Map YouTube Channel Home Backpacking Caving Climbing Travel Mountaineering Rappelling email Me       
Links Disclaimer Credits

Venezuela

Venezuela

Trivia: How did Venezuela get it's name?

Upon sailing into Maracaibo Italian sailor named it "Little Venice" after the indigenous stilt houses in the water. Wonder what I saw on my 2005 Venezuela trip?

Hey look the flag is basically the same as Ecuador's and Colombia's. The three countries used to be called Gran Colombia after they gained independance from Spain. Gran Colombia didn't last long though and split into the three countries we now know before the Liberator, Simon Bolivar, died.

My plans here are not very well defined but I will probably spend most of my time in and around the Andes. This keeps me in the northwest of the country. Mérida will be my home base. From there it is easy to organize hiking, climbing, mountaineering, canyoning, rafting, paragliding, and more. I've also discovered a good Mexican restaurant, Delicias Mexicanas, which is something I have found myself craving.

Venezuela map
Full country name: República Bolivariana de Venezuela
Area: 912,050 sq km / 352,144 sq miles
Population: 23,950,000 million
People: 67% mestizo, 21% European descent, 10% African descent, 2% indigenous. There are approximately 200,000 Amerindians, remnants of a number of diverse semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer societies
Language: Spanish
Time: GMT/UTC -5
Religion: Over 96% Roman Catholic
Government: Federal Republic
Capital: Caracas
Head of State: President Hugo Chávez
GDP: US$194,5 billion
GDP per capita: US$8,500
Inflation: 29.9%
Major Industries: Petroleum, iron ore, cereals, fruit, sugar, coffee
Major Trading Partners: US, Germany, Japan, Columbia, Brazil, Italy

Their currency the bolivar is worth roughly the same as the Colombian peso. It was a 1 for 1 exchange at the border. Visit Venezuela with me.


Activities discussed on this site are often dangerous and ill advised.
You can do everything right and still die or be seriously injured. Such is the nature of adventurous pastimes.
The people affiliated with this site make no claims regarding the safety or veracity of information.
Caveat lector. Think for yourself and make your own decisions.


venezuela_intro.php last modified on 25 January 2017 10:59:36 UTC