Venezuela — Capital, Flag and Country Facts

Explore Venezuela: capital Caracas, population, flag, geography, languages, history and culture.

Venezuela is in South America. Its capital is Caracas.

Climate

Tropical; hot and humid; more moderate in the highlands

Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in the northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in the southeast

Venezuela has Angel Falls, the world's highest uninterrupted waterfall at 979 meters.

Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world, surpassing even Saudi Arabia.

The country was named "Little Venice" (Venezuela) by European explorers who saw stilt houses on Lake Maracaibo.

1498: Columbus reaches the coast of Venezuela on his third voyage

1811: Venezuela declares independence from Spain, the first South American country to do so

1821: Simón Bolívar secures independence at the Battle of Carabobo

1914: Oil discovered at Mene Grande, transforming the country's economy

1999: Hugo Chávez becomes president, launching the Bolivarian Revolution

2019: Political crisis deepens as opposition leader Juan Guaidó challenges Maduro's presidency