Venezuela

The land was home to indigenous peoples before Spanish colonisation, and was briefly even granted to German bankers to explore. It became the cradle of South American independence: Simon Bolivar, born in Caracas, led the wars that freed much of the continent from Spain, and Venezuela was at first part of his larger nation of Gran Colombia before becoming a separate republic. The discovery of oil in the early twentieth century transformed the country, bringing great wealth but also a deep dependence on a single resource.

Venezuela packs in an extraordinary range of landscapes. The Andes mountains rise in the west, and a Caribbean coastline runs along the north, while the heart of the country is filled by the llanos, vast tropical grasslands. In the southeast lies the Guiana Highlands, a region of ancient flat-topped mountains called tepuis, from one of which plunges Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall in the world. The mighty Orinoco River drains much of the country on its way to the sea.

The flag of Venezuela has three horizontal bands of yellow, blue, and red, with an arc of eight white stars across the blue band. The colours descend from the banner of the independence struggle: by tradition the yellow stands for the wealth of the land, the blue for the sea that separates it from Spain, and the red for the blood and courage of those who fought for freedom. The eight stars represent the provinces that supported the cause of independence.

Venezuela is a predominantly Roman Catholic country, a faith brought by Spanish colonisation that remains an important part of its culture and traditions, though as elsewhere in the region evangelical Protestant churches have grown. Popular devotions, including to local figures believed to work miracles, are widespread, and folk and indigenous beliefs blend with Catholicism in places. Religion continues to play a significant role in the daily life and identity of Venezuelans.

Venezuelan cuisine is built around corn and the arepa, a round cornmeal cake that is split and filled with cheese, meat, beans, or other ingredients and eaten at any time of day. The national dish is pabellon criollo, a plate of shredded beef, black beans, rice, and fried plantain. Another beloved tradition is the hallaca, a festive corn dough parcel wrapped and steamed in leaves at Christmas. Tropical fruits and fresh juices are abundant in this fertile land.

Venezuela was once a significant agricultural nation, a notable exporter of coffee and cacao before oil came to dominate everything. The neglect of farming during the oil era, and the more recent economic collapse, have badly weakened the sector, and the country, despite its fertile land, has struggled with severe food shortages. Coffee, cacao, corn, rice, and cattle on the great plains remain part of the rural economy as the nation seeks to rebuild.

Venezuela's role as the birthplace of Simon Bolivar and the cradle of South American independence is central to its identity. The discovery of oil made it for a time one of the wealthiest countries in Latin America. From 1999, under Hugo Chavez and his successor, the country pursued a socialist project known as the Bolivarian Revolution. In recent years it has suffered an economic collapse, including extreme hyperinflation, that has driven several million Venezuelans to emigrate.

Venezuela has a population of around 28 million people, though this has fallen sharply as economic crisis has driven one of the largest migrations in the recent history of the Americas, with millions leaving for neighbouring countries and beyond. Venezuelans are largely of mixed European, indigenous, and African descent. The population is highly urban, concentrated in the north around the capital, Caracas, and other coastal and Andean cities, while the vast plains and highlands of the south are thinly settled.