Surface and contains three distinct mountain regione, separated from each other by plains, and extending respec tively over the north-west, the north-east, and the south-east parts of the republic. The north-western parte are occupied by the Andes and the mountains of the coast, which are conueeted with the Andes ; the north-eastern districts are mostly covered by the ranges of the Sierra de Bergantin ; and the south-eastern region comprehends the western portion of the Sierra de Parima. According to the estimates of Codazzi, the mountain regions occupy somewhat less than one fourth of the republic, or 96,000 square miles ; whilst the plains extend over about 312,000 square miles.
The Mountain Region of the Andes and the Coast-range (Sierra Costancra).—The Andes of Venezuela are the most northern portion of the Eastern Andes of New Granada. [Alines, vol. i. col. 357.] Before the range leaves the territories of New Granada it divides, south-west of the town of Pamplona, into two branches, cue of which runs north, with a small inclination to the east, whilst the other extends to the north-east. The western of these two ranges, which iudoees the basin of the Lake of Maracaibo on the west, is called in the south Sierra de (Thalia, in the middle Sierra de Perijd, and on the peninsula of Goajira, where it terminates with Chichibacoa, it is called Mantes de Oca. This chain, from the sources of the Rio delsOro to its termination on the Caribbean Sea, constitutes the boundary-line between Venezuela and New Granada; but its southern portion is entirely within New Granada. The highest summit of the Sierra de Perijd is said not to exceed 4200 feet above the eea-leveL The whole of the range is covered with thick woods, and no part of it is culti vated. It is only Inhabited by the independent tribes of the Cucinas and Goajiras.
The eastern or principal branch of the Andes enters Venezuela at the source of the river Tachira, an affluent of the Zulia, and ter minates on the north-east, on the banks of the Rio Cojedes, south of Barquicimeto, near 9' 10' N. lat. It constitutes an enormous mass of rocks, occupying with its declivities a mean width of more than 60 miles, and its length is nearly 330 miles. The highest portion of this range is generally a narrow table-land, but so elevated that only a few hardy alpine plants are found on it. These table-lands, called paramos, are from 10,000 to 12,000 feet above the sea-level, and the best known of them are the Paramos de Zumpador, Agrias, Batallon, Portachuelo, Apure, Nequitao, and Rosaa. Several summits rise above these table-lands, but only one, the Sierra Nevada de Merida, is always covered with snow : its two pinnacles rise respectively to 15,310 and 15,342 feet above the sea-level. The Picacho de Mucuchies and the Salado rise to 14,168 feet. The descent from the table-lands on both sides is steep, but frequently interrupted by plains of moderate extent, which lie one below another like terraces. In their natural state the plains have no treed, but in many places they are overgrown with bushes; whilst the valleys and declivities of the mountains, where they are not too steep, are thickly wooded. The most elevated terraces and the upper portion of the valleys are not inhabited ; but cultivation has advanced to an elevation of from 8000 to 9000 feet.
At this height wheat, barley, potatoes, and different European veget ables aro grown, and continue to form the principal objects of agricul ture to about 4000 feet, where they are replaced by maize, coffee, yuccas, and other tropical productions. Numerous rivers originate in the higher part of the range, and descend along Its declivities with continual rapids and cataracts until they reach its base, where they become navigable, and continue to be so in the plains until they reach on the north the Lake of Maracaibo, and on the south the Rio Apur6.
Between the Sierra de Perijd and the Andes lies the basin of the Lake of Maracaibo. This Lake, the largest in South America, covers a surface of 8400 square miles: It is about 2500 square milers less than Lake Eris, the smallest of the five great lakes of North America. The main body of the lake is 924 miles long, and the channel 464 miles, so that the whole lake extends 189 miles from south to north; in its widest part it Is 82 miles across; the channel varies from 14 to 4 milers in width. The water of the lake is sweet, but in the northern portion of the channel it is brackish. From the base of the moun tain ranges which surround the lake the surface lowers very gradually to its borders, a distance varying between 50 and 80 miles. That portion of the plain which lies within a distance of from 10 to 20 miles from the lake is for a great part of the year Inundated by the water which descends in numerous rivers from the Andes and Sierra de Perijii. The whole region in its natural state however is covered with thick woods, conteiniog excellent timber-trees and others which afford dye-woods. By the channel there are several tracts which supply pasture for cattle and goats, and sheep find food in most places Some parts, especially near the town of Maracaibo, are cultivated, and produce maize, roandioe, yucca, and several other tropical roots. It is stated that 105 rivers, which always contain water, and 400 smaller ones, which contain water only for a part of the year, fall into the lake. The largest rivers are—the Catatumbo, which ruus more than 200 miles, and has a navigation of 135 mike; the Zulia, which runs nearly 230 miles, and is navigable 160 miles ; the Eacalante, whose course is nearly 140 miles, of which about 60 are navigable ; and the Motatan, which flows more than 180 wiles, and is navigable for more than one-half of its course. The lake could be navigated by large vessels if they could peas the channel, whose depth varies in general between 10 and 12 feet. Abont 10 miles north of the islands of San Carlos and Zapara a bar above a mile wide runs across the entrance, with a channel near the middle, from 15 to 30 fathoms wide, and haring not more than 12 feet of water; so that only vessels of moder ate size can enter the lake. In 1499, when Ojeda and Vespucci first entered the lake, they found houses in the midst of the channel, which were bulit on wooden piles ; and comparing them with Venice, they called the country Venezuela, or Little Venice.