TOEFL Test Centers in Venezuela

EDU February 16, 2019

Venezuela Overview

Venezuela is a presidential federal republic in northern South America with the capital Caracas. The landscape is characterized by sharp contrasts, ranging from the tropical coasts to the tree-poor plains of the Llanos to the snow-capped peaks of the Andes. South of the Orinoco Current lies the Guayana mountains with its imposing table mountains and the highest waterfall on earth, the Salto Ángel. The climate is tropical and humid, cooler in the mountains with increasing altitude.

Venezuela is a melting pot of ethnicities. Over half of the citizens are of mixed European, African and indigenous descent, followed by whites and the black minorities as well as the indigenous peoples specially protected by the constitution. 89% of the population live in urban settlements mainly in the north of the country. The economy is focused on the oil sector and is characterized by dependence on raw materials. Venezuela is one of the most important producers internationally and has the largest oil reserves in the world. Thanks to its oil wealth, the country is one of the countries in Latin America with the highest per capita income. Nevertheless, around 30% of the population live below the poverty line. The cities in particular are characterized by great social differences.

Discovered by C. Columbus in 1498, the territory was colonized by the German trading house of the Welser people. Spain took over rule in 1546, and the »Liberdator« S. Bolívar liberated the country in 1821. The oil boom brought considerable prosperity to the country from the 1920s onwards. From the end of the 1970s, falling oil prices led to economic and social crises. The authoritarian President H. Chávez , who ruled from 1999-2013, nationalized key industries and launched programs to combat poverty, which led to political division among the population. Under his successor in office, N. Maduro Moros relying on the powerful military, the country repeatedly sank into bloody political unrest and economic chaos. In terms of foreign policy, Venezuela cooperates with Bolivia, Cuba and Nicaragua as well as Russia. Relations with the USA, on the other hand, are tense.

Country facts

• Official name: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
• License plate: YV
• ISO-3166: VE, VEN (862)
• Internet domain:.ve
• Currency: 1 Bolívar Soberano (Bs.S.) = 100 Céntimos
• Area: 912,050 km²
• Population (2018): 28.9 million
• Capital: Caracas
• Official language (s): Spanish, 31 indigenous languages
• Form of government: Presidential Republic
• Administrative division: 23 states, federal capital district, Dependencias Federales
• Head of State: President Nicolás Maduro (since April 19, 2013)
• Religion (s): 96% Catholics, 2% Protestants
• Time zone: Central European Time -5 hours
• National holiday: July 5th

Location and infrastructure

• Location (geographical): South America
• Location (coordinates): between 0 ° 45 ‘and 12 ° 10’ north latitude and 59 ° 45 ‘and 73 ° 10’ west longitude
• Climate: Tropical savanna climate, equatorial rainforest climate to the southeast, dry climate in the northwest
• Highest mountain: Pico Bolívar (4981 m)
• Road network (2014): 96 189 km
• Railway network (2014): 447 km

Population

• Annual population growth (2018): 1.21%
• Birth rate (2018): 18.5 per 1000 residents.
• Death rate (2018): 5.3 per 1000 residents.
• Average age (2018): 29 years
• Average life expectancy (2018): 76.2 years (men 73.2; women 79.3)
• Age structure (2017): 27.0% younger than 15 years, 7%, older than 65 years
• Literacy rate (15-year-olds and older) (2016): 97%
• Mobile phone contracts (pre-paid and post-paid) (2015): 93 per 100 residents
• Internet users (2016): 61.9 per 100 residents

Economy

• GDP per capita (2017): US $ 6,890
• Total GDP (2017): US $ 210 billion
• GNI per capita (2017): US $ 12,200
• Education expenditure (2009): 6.9% of GDP
• Military expenditure (2015): 1% of GDP
• Unemployment rate (15 years and older) (2017): 8.1%