VENEZUELA+-+Geography

The Geography of Venezuela
Venezuela has a variety of landforms. It is rich in resources and agriculture. The land size is about 1,470,083 square miles. Water area takes up 50,000 square miles. The coastline stretches 4,666 miles long. The whole country of Venezuela is almost twice the size of California.

The climate is tropical, hot, and very humid. The temperature depends on the altitude. There are four horizontal temperature zones based on the altitude. This is why the climate is more moderate in the highlands. In Venezuela there are two main seasons. There is the dry season which goes from December to April [summer]. Then there is the rainy season that goes from May to December [winter].

Venezuela has many landforms. One is the Andes that stretches up the northwest border. Another is Angel Falls the tallest waterfall in the world located in the Guiana Highlands in the southeast. There is also the Maracaibo Lowlands. A spoon-shaped oval, with mountains on three sides and open to the Caribbean on the north.

Venezuela has wealth is in resources. Some are natural gas and oil. The biggest oil reserve had 76.000 million barrels worth in it. Venezuela is South America's third largest producer of coal. Coal mines are mainly located in Zulia and Tachira.

The Orinoco
The Orinoco is the largest river in South America after the Amazon. It starts in the south at the Parima Highlands and winds it's way north to the Atlantic Ocean. The total length runs 1,300 miles. At one point the river splits, one half going to the Atlantic, the other to the Amazon. The river cuts through the country making two parts. The Settled North and the Wild South.

There are lots of plant and animal life in and by the Orinoco. There are over 1,000 speices of birds. Some are the Scarlet Ibis, the Bell Bird, and the Umbrella Bird. There are also lots of different types of parrots. The fish come in all shapes, sizes, and color. There are the Piranha, the Electric Eel, the Laulao a type of catfish that can weigh up to 200 pounds, and many others. There are lots of rain forest animals like the Tapir, Jaguar, and the Capybara the largest living rodent. Trees florish along the banks of the river. Some of the trees that grow there are the Morichales, the Scub Oak, and the Dwarf Palm. Tree coverage has been reduced now because of deforestation.

The Orinoco provides life for people, plants, and animals. It has a great impack on the daily lives of ordinary people. The river means a lot to the tribes that live off it. The Orinoco is Venezuela's main and biggest river.

From the coast to the rain forests of the Orinoco. Venezuela is rich in resources. Landforms stretch from coast to coast. The never-ending landforms of Venezuela are always there to see.