Venenzuela Fact Sheet

Geographical Features - Venezuela has seven physical geographic regions; The Andes Mountains, which include the highest peaks in the country, extend northward into Venezuela in two branches divided by the Lake Maracaibo Lowlands. Pico Bolivar is the highest point of the Venezuelan Andes at 16,427 feet and it is located in the eastern branch, the Cordillera de Merida The Sierra de Perija, the western branch, extends along the border with Colombia. The lowlands of Lake Maracaibo are overlooked by the Andean ranges. The lake itself is approximately 100 miles long from north to south and 75 miles in width at its widest point. The lake itself is a large shallow inlet of the sea with a narrow strait connecting the lake to the Caribbean. This area is the main oil-producing region of the country. The third geographical feature of Venezuela are the coastal plains and islands that make-up another region which are located to the north and northeast of the country. It includes Caribbean islands such as Margarita, Tortuga and Los Roques. The coastal plains extend from the Colombian border and the Gulf of Venezuela eastward to the foothills of the Coastal Range, a coastline being 1,512 miles long. The coastal plains includes the Orinoco’s delta which is Venezuela’s longest river at 1,600 miles long. The coastal mountain system consists of two ranges that are parallel to each other, the Coastal Range and the Interior Range. This area makes up 3% of the national territory and contains the majority of Venezuela’s population. In the valleys are the major cities of Caracas, Valencia, and Maracay, with all but the steepest slopes being populated. In the northwest valleys and hill ranges lies the only desert in Venezuela wherein lies the city of Coro. The sixth area is the Llanos, a savanna region, which is located between the Merida mountain range and the Orinoco River. The Llanos extend approximately 800 miles with a width varying from 100 miles to 300 miles. The seventh region is