James Baquet

The South American country of Venezuela is located on that continent’s northern coast, with Colombia to its west, Brazil to its south and Guyana to its east (though the Venezuela-Guyana border is in dispute). The Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, which contain a number of islands which are Venezuelan territory, lie to the north. The island countries of Aruba, Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago, and Grenada — among others — also lie just off the coast.

Spanish is the only official language of Venezuela, though there are 26 recognized regional (essentially, tribal) languages. Just over half of the people are Mestizo, and the majority of the remainder are White, with less than 5 percent Black and just over 1 percent Amerindians and others. The country is over 70 percent Roman Catholic, and just under 20 percent Protestant Christian. This, and the language, reflect the nation’s colonial history.

Christopher Columbus landed in what is now Venezuela on his third voyage, in 1498, and nicknamed the area “the land of grace.” The heavy outflow of the Orinoco River had led Columbus to believe he had discovered the “earthly paradise,” i.e., the Garden of Eden. The Orinoco’s discharge is the world’s fourth-largest, after the Amazon, the Congo, and the Ganges. Permanent settlement began in 1522, and the country remained under Spanish control until a series of struggles led to independence in the early 19th century.

Venezuela ranks high in biodiversity, and is seventh in the world for the most number of species. Its 20th-century oil discoveries have made it No.1 in known oil reserves, and it is a leading oil exporter. It is also one of Latin America’s most urbanized countries. Most Venezuelans live in northern cities, especially Caracas, the capital and largest city.

It’s not all good news, however. A glut of oil supplies forced prices down, until in 1995 the poverty rate was 66 percent. The early 2000s saw some recovery, but government policies led to a collapse that created an economic depression and widespread shortages, unemployment, disease, child mortality and crime.

Vocabulary:

Which word above means:

1. excess of something

2. water coming out of a river (two words)

3. basically, in general terms

4. person of mixed European and Native American heritage

5. favor from God

6. state of being poor

7. rate of death

8. variety of living things

9. improvement, coming back from a bad condition