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Jan 1, 1498
Discovery
In 1498, Christopher Columbus discovered Venezuela. He originally thought he had landed on the Asian Coast.At this time, 300,000 to 400,000 indigenous people lived in the region. -
Population in the 1800
In 1800, the population was estimated to be anywhere from 810,000 to one million people. -
Republic
Venezuela became a Republic in 1830. -
Population in 1900
In 1900, the population of Venezuela was extimated at around 2,445,000 people. -
Juan Vincente Gomez
From 1908 to 1935, Juan Vincente Gomez was dictator of Venezuela. During this time, Venezuela became a major oil exporter. -
Oil Reliance
In 1997, the government announced an expansion of gold and diamond mining to reduce reliance on oil. -
Population in 2000
The population of Venezuela was approximately 23,542,000 people in 2000. -
Population in 2009
In 2009 the population was 26,814,843. -
Cultural Groups
Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, and indigenous people all inhabit Venezuela. Their religions are nominally Roman Catholic (about 96%) with the remainder being Protestant and other religions. -
Current Issues affecting Venezuela
Venezuela has current issues affecting their country such as internation disputes with columbia, people trafficking, and drug producing and trafficking. -
Economy
Venezuela's economy relies on oil revenues which are about 95% of export earnings. Their agriculture contains not only petroleum, but construction materials, food processing, texiles, mining and motor vehicle assembly. The export primarily to the United States, with China, India, and Cuba being other partners. -
Politics and Government
Venezuela has a federal republic government type. There are 23 states and one capital district. The legal system is a civil law system based on the Spanish civil code system. There is a ruling party labor union by the name of the Bolivarian and Socialist Workers' Union. -
Geography
Venezuela is located in Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean. It is located between Columbia and Guyana. The climat is tropical, hot and humid, and more moderate in the highlands. The Andes Mountains and Maracaibo lowlands are found in this country, and the terrain also consists of central plains and highlands.
