The natural resources of Venezuela They are abundant, however, they are not fully exploited at the moment. Oil and natural gas are two of the country's greatest riches. Hydrocarbons sustain most of the national economy.
In the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, there are also reserves of bauxite, iron, coltan, coal and gold. In fact, the country is home to one of the largest gold mines in the world, which, according to the Canadian company Gold Reserve, contains 25,389 million ounces of gold..
Venezuela has different types of soil and climate. The most fertile are those that are near alluvium, as occurs in some areas of Maracaibo or in the plains. Fertile lands are also those of the valleys in the north of the country.
The Venezuelan fauna presents great diversity, in fact, it is a member of the group of Megadiverse Countries. Seven species of felines inhabit its forests, such as the jaguar and the puma. There are 48 endemic bird species in the country. Among them the national bird, the turpial, which has yellow and black plumage.
There are also a variety of primates; capybaras, better known in the country as chigüires; and tapirs. In some estuaries there is a species of aquatic mammal called manatee and in the rivers is the tonina.
The total area of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is 912,050 kmtwo. This corresponds to 882,050 kmtwo of land surface. In addition, there is an area of 159,542 km² known as the Esquibo territory, or the area in claim, which is in dispute with Guyana.
This area was assigned to Venezuela in the 1966 Geneva Agreement. However, it is still occupied and administered by the neighboring country..
The Confederation of Associations of Agricultural Producers of Venezuela (Fedeagro), published figures of the amount of soil harvested in the country from 1988 to 2015.
These data reflect that more than 2 million hectares were harvested in 2013. However, the figure for 2015 was around 1 million 700 thousand hectares.
The territory of Guyana is made up of 458,344 kmtwo and is part of the Guiana Massif. This area extends from the Amazon, which is on the border with Brazil, to the Orinoco delta that empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
In the Bolivar State are the Gran Sabana, a territory with large plateaus, rocky elevations whose edges usually have vertical walls, which are known as tepuis..
The Angel Falls has frequently served as an inspiration in popular culture, in the cinema it has had references like the one in the film Up, from Disney. He is also mentioned in the movie starring Robin Williams. Beyond the dreams.
However, the highest tepui in Venezuela is Monte Roraima, with an altitude of 2,800 meters and a surface area of 200 km.two.
The highest point is Pico Bolívar, which is 4,978 meters above sea level. This mountain belongs to the Sierra Nevada de Mérida, the part of the Andes Mountains that is located in Venezuela.
In this area there is also the Humboldt Peak which has a height of 4,940 meters above sea level.
Venezuela has a region between the states of Apure, Barinas, Portuguesa, Cojedes and Guárico in which the terrain is flat and, thanks to the Orinoco and its tributaries, it is a prosperous terrain for planting and raising cattle..
It also has insular territory, especially the state of Nueva Esparta, made up mainly of Margarita, Coche and Cubagua..
In these islands there is a special economic regime, they are a free zone, that is, taxes on imports are not canceled in the same way as in the Venezuelan mainland..
Venezuela has control over more than 314 keys, islets and islands.
Venezuela has a maritime territory of 22 kilometers or 12 nautical miles towards the sea, which are counted from the insular territory of the country in different parts of the Caribbean Sea. And the continental shelf has an area of 98,500 kmtwo.
The furthest territory from the continent is Bird Island, which is located 520 km from Nueva Esparta state to the north. Thanks to all the islands in possession of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, it has a wide exclusive economic space and continental shelf.
The two largest basins in Venezuela are the Orinoco, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean, and the Caribbean coast, which flows into the Caribbean Sea..
The Orinoco and Caroní rivers have a basin of approximately 948,000 kmtwo. The source of this basin is in Guyana and its mouth leads to the Orinoco delta, in Delta Amacuro. Its flow crosses the Venezuelan plains.
The Lake of Valencia is the only example of internal drainage that the country has, with an area of 344 kmtwo.
Another internal body of water in Venezuela is Lake Maracaibo, which has a surface area of 13,280 kmtwo and it is considered the largest lake in South America, although there is a debate, since others consider that it is not a lake, but a gulf and thus the title would be Lake Titicaca. However, the water in the southern part of the lake is sweet thanks to the rivers that flow into it..
The Venezuelan economy is based on the extraction and export of its oil reserves. Historically, this industry has contributed most of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) together with mining..
The decline of this productive sector has generated an economic collapse in this South American country. The Venezuelan economy has suffered a 45% contraction since 2013 according to the International Monetary Fund, mainly due to the decrease in oil production.
In 2018 the country has had an 18% drop in GDP and an inflation of 2.5 million percent. According to IMF projections, in 2019 inflation will reach 10 million percent.
In Venezuela there are the largest proven hydrocarbon reserves in the world. The country leads with 18% (300.9 billion barrels) of unexploited crude, followed by Saudi Arabia (16%) and Canada (10%).
In 2014, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reached 3.3% of world oil production with more than 6 million 158 thousand barrels per day and inflation was hovering around 60% per year.
But in 2018, crude oil production has fallen to 1.7 million barrels per day, this being the lowest figure presented by the public company PDVSA, since 1989. This drop in the sale of Venezuelan oil has been one of the causes. of the increase in the price of crude oil internationally.
Venezuelan natural gas reserves amount to 5,701,000 million cubic meters, ranking the country as the eighth with the largest reserves in this area.
Venezuela has a hydroelectric power generating plant in Bolívar state. The Gurí dam is the one that provides the electricity consumed in Ciudad Guayana, where the country's largest metallurgical industries are located..
Mining in Venezuela represents approximately one fifth of gross domestic product. In the area of the Guayanés massif there are the most mineral-rich lands in the entire country.
Venezuela has stood out for its production of bauxite, iron and coal. It is also rich in precious metals such as gold and other minerals such as diamonds, but its exploitation is not as common as that of other goods..
Venezuela's total exports, on average, between 2015 and 2017 reach 34,263 million dollars, of which 2,259 million correspond to the export of minerals and metals.
However, on importing other mineral products, Venezuela spent an average of 1,221 million dollars. Consequently, the approximate profit of the country amounts to 1,039 million dollars thanks to this sector.
In the area of iron and steel, Venezuela is one of the main exporters in the region, located in sixth place. The sector generates 590 million dollars between raw materials, semi-finished products and manufactured products.
While in precious metals, the income is of 1,290 million dollars in average, contributing a total of 3.8% of participation in this sector in the South American region. Despite this, it is estimated that 90% of gold extraction in Venezuela is done by illegal mining..
Venezuela has a great biodiversity, in fact it is part of the group of Megadiverse Countries of the United Nations Organization since 1988.
It ranks 7th among the countries with the greatest biodiversity and is partly due to its richness of ecosystems, which vary throughout the entire South American nation..
There are about 30,000 species of plants in the territory. Of these, it is estimated that 38% are endemic, that is, they are typical of the country.
The Venezuelan national flower is the orchid and 1,632 types of orchids can be found in the country, especially in cloud forests. The national tree is the araguaney, it was decreed in 1948 by the Venezuelan president Rómulo Gallegos.
In Venezuela, cocoa, historically, was one of the main export products and is still recognized as one of the best in the world. In the country there are at least three varieties of cocoa that are known as criollo, forastero and trinitario, the second being a mixture of the other two.
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela also has a very rich fauna within its entire geography. In the country there are approximately 360 species of amphibians and 405 of reptiles.
In the country there are approximately 1,364 species of birds, of which 48 are endemic. The national bird is the turpial that presents a yellow and black plumage.
Meanwhile, the fresh and saltwater fish species count exceeds 2000.
It also has approximately 363 species of mammals. One of the best known is the capybara, or chigüire, which lives on the shores of the Orinoco River and is the largest rodent in the world.
Big cats such as the jaguar, which is the largest in South America, lives in Venezuela south of the Orinoco, in Delta Amacuro, in the Perijá mountain range, south of Lake Maracaibo and in the western plains..
The dolphin, the largest freshwater cetacean in the world, lives in the Orinoco river basin.
In this group, a very specific record is not kept, but it is estimated that there are:
- 900 marine mollusks.
- 1600 species of butterflies.
- 120 beetles.
- 39 flies.
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