VENEZUELA, a republic in the N. E. part of South America; bounded on the N. Ly the Caribbean Sea; on the W. by the United States of Columbia; on the S. by Brazil; and on the E. by British Guiana; lat. 1° 20' to 12° 25' N., ion. 59° 54' to 73° 17' W. Within recent years the country has been variously subdivided. In 1854 there were 13 provinces—those of Apure, Barcelona, Varinas, Barquisi meto, Carabobo, Caracas, Coro, Cumana, Guiana, Maracaibo, Margarita, Merida, and Truxillo—with an aggregate popu lation of 945,908. Subsequently, the number of provinces was increased to 21 by subdividing eight of the original provinces. In 1863, after the Federals had conquered the Unionists, a confed eration was formed, and the number of states was reduced to seven. The pres ent distribution of the United States of Venezuela, according to the constitution, June 13, 1914, is into 20 states, a Federal district, and 2 territories. The area of the country claimed and occupied by Venezuela is 393,976 square miles; pop. 2,852,614. The capital is Caracas; pop. 90,720.
Topography.—The coast line extend ing from E. to W.—from the delta of the Orinoco to the boundary of the United States of Columbia—is 1,584 miles in length. Venezuela comprises the plains of the Orinoco basin, in continua tion of the Amazon valley around the mountains of Guiana, partly separated from the Caribbean Sea by the N. E. range of the Andes. These plains are traversed by many rivers, the main river being the Orinoco, into which flow the Caroni and Ventuari, traversing and draining with their affluents the Guiana Mountains; the Atabapo, and other rivers. The Upper Orinoco is connected with the Upper Amazon by the channels of the Cassiquiare and the Rio Negro. The mountain system of the Andes ex tends N. and E. into Venezuela from Colombia. Between the N. and E. ranges is the low country of Lake Maracaibo basin. The country E. of this basin is an extensive mountain tract, some of the peaks reaching above the limit of per petual snow. These mountains extend along the N. coast, in a double range, having fertile valleys between. There are other mountain ranges in the S. and E. The highest peak is the Sierra Nevada de Merida, renelfing a height of 15,400 feet. Lake Maracaibo, in the extreme N. W., has an area of 8,392 square miles, and is connected by an outlet 8 miles wide, with a gulf of the same name; the waters of the gulf and lake together forming an inland waterway that pene trates the country more than 300 miles.
Climate.—The climate is tropical, and very hot in the valleys, the regions of the Lower Maracaibo basin being the hottest found on the W. continent. Above an altitude of 2,000 feet the climate be comes temperate, and cold above 7,000 feet. Much of the mountainous and pla teau country has an elevation between these altitudes. The mean temperature at La Guaira is 82°, at Caracas 77°, but at Merida 61°. Wet and dry seasons alternate on the table lands. Rain is abundant in the mountainous regions.
ZoOlogy.—Large regions of Venezuela, especially in the S. W. comprising the Upper Orinoco basin and plains, are still unexplored, much of the country being densely covered with forests, pene trable only with great difficulty. Fully one-half of Venezuela is unbroken forest. These forests abound in wild animals, insects, birds, and reptiles. There are many species of monkeys, all the vari eties of South American Felidie, tapirs, deer, ant eaters, the spectacled bear, the cabaiai sloths, etc. Aquatic birds in enormous flocks are found in the swamps, lakes, and rivers. Tortoises are plentiful, 50,000,000 eggs annually being taken for their oil. Manatees and por poises ascend the Orinoco. The rivers, bays, and lakes abound in fish of many varieties.
Agriculture.—Agriculture is the prin cipal industry, but is mostly confined to the N. mountainous belt, where the greater part of the population is con centrated. The principal products are coffee, cacao, sugar cane, tobacco, maize, cotton, and tropical fruits. Wheat is cultivated in some of the higher plains. Indigenous products, cultivated or gath ered, include the tonka bean, rubber, copal, sarsaparilla, chinchona, many beautiful cabinet woods, dyewoods, herbs, drugs, etc. The agricultural lands amount to about 135,000 square miles. Great herds of sheep, goats, and cattle are raised on the table-lands and moun tain slopes, the export of hides and skins forming an important industry of the country. The area under coffee is esti mated at from 180,000 to 200,000 acres. There are about 33,000 coffee plantations and about 5,000 cocoa plantations. The sugar plantations number about 11,000 with an annual production of about 3,000 tons. New sugar centrals have been established within recent years. About one-fifth of the population is engaged in agriculture.