Venezuela Religion, Transport, Geography, Politics and Population

Religion in Venezuela

95% of believers are adherents of the Roman Catholic Church.

Transport in Venezuela

There are currently no direct flights to Venezuela, so the flight will be with a transfer either in Europe, or in the USA, or in the Caribbean.

To move around the country, you can use local airlines, but they only connect Caracas with several major cities and islands. There is no direct air service between the cities themselves. Venezuela’s main transportis a bus. Many bus companies serve all kinds of destinations, the Venezuelans themselves prefer to use buses, as they connect almost all cities with each other. It is also worth remembering that during the rainy season, some roads are often washed out and flooded, which affects the regularity of bus transportation. Tourists usually get to the Canaima

National Park on small five-seater planes (with the exception of direct tourist flights from Margarita Island), departing from cities located near the park, since there are no roads there. Margarita Island, in addition to air travel, can be reached by ferry from the cities of Puerto la Cruz and Cumana. City transport is represented by buses, taxis and fixed-route taxis. AT

Caracas also has a metro and a cable car that connects the city center with El Avila Peak (2175 m), whose slopes are a national park. In addition, to travel around the city, you can use the services of official taxis (white cars with yellow signs). You should agree on the price for a taxi ride in advance, before boarding the car.

In order to rent a car, you must be over 21 years old and have a driver’s license. However, foreign tourists are not advised to rent a car, especially in Caracas, where, firstly, the crime rate is high, and secondly, traffic jams constantly occur.

Plant and Animal World in Venezuela

Legumes and cacti grow in the northern part of the country, alpine meadows in the Andes, and dense forests dominated by cinchona on the slopes. Between the Andes and the Orinoco River, Llanos stretches – a tall grassy steppe with cereals, with separate patches of shrubs or groups of trees (mainly palms). In the Orinoco basin, there are plantations of sugar cane and coffee tree, and all kinds of palm trees grow. Rubber plants grow in the southern part of the country – hevea brazilian and castilla, there is a rope palm and there are up to 700 species of orchids.

Of the animals in the country, you can see the jaguar, puma, ocelot, bush dog, tayra, otter, monkeys, nutria, tenacious porcupine, tapir, bakers, deer and opossums. Crocodiles, alligators and turtles live in the local rivers. Of the reptiles, boas and lizards are common. Of the birds, there are cranes, herons, storks, ducks and birds of prey, among which the largest is the harpy.

Minerals in Venezuela

The country has extensive oil reserves, especially in the Maracaibo depression. Three-quarters of the country’s total national income comes from its exports. In addition, iron ore was found in the central part of Venezuela, bauxite and manganese on the Guiana Plateau, coal in the northwest of Lake Maracaibo.

Banks in Venezuela

Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 16:30, lunch break – from 12 to 14 hours. Every first Monday of the month is a non-working day.

Money in Venezuela

The official currency of Venezuela is the bolivar fuerte. 1 bolivar is equal to 100 centimos. On January 1, 2008, a denomination was carried out, as a result of which 3 zeros were removed. New banknotes of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 bolivars and coins of 1, 5, 10, 12.5, 25 and 50 centimes, as well as 1 bolĂ­var were put into circulation.

Foreign currency can be exchanged at airports, banks and exchange offices. But it is worth remembering that the official rate is fixed, while the exchange rate on the “parallel market” is constantly changing and can be 2-3 times higher than the official one. Because of this, paying in dollars or euros in the country, although possible, is not profitable, since all prices are indicated in bolivars, and in this case the conversion is usually carried out at the official rate.

Major stores and hotels accept credit cards and traveler’s checks.

Rate: 100 Venezuelan Bolivar Fuerte (VEF) = 8.82 USD

Political State in Venezuela

According to politicsezine, Venezuela is a federal democratic republic. The head of state is the president, who is elected for a term of 6 years. The president heads the government of the country. The highest advisory body under the President is the State Council, headed by the Vice President. Legislative power is vested in the unicameral National Assembly.

Population in Venezuela

The vast majority of the population – Venezuelans (91%) – descendants of mixed marriages of Europeans, blacks and Creoles, 3% – Colombians, also Italians, Spaniards and Indians live in the country.

Language:
The official language of Venezuela is Spanish. In some Indian settlements, local dialects are spoken. English, French and German are widely spoken in major tourist centers.

Cuisine in Venezuela

Meat and fish are traditionally fried on coals. Vegetables are consumed fresh. From the first courses, you should try “hervido” (vegetable soup with beef or chicken), “piss” (thick fragrant soup) and “chipi chipi” (tiny clam soup). Of the meat dishes, the most interesting are “pabellon criollo” (stew made from minced meat, served with fried plantain and black beans and rice), “parilla criollo” (marinated meat fried on coals), “allaca” (chicken stewed with spices, pork or beef), empanadas, and hallaka (banana-leaf-wrapped corn mixed with beef, pork, ham, and green peppers and boiled in water).

It is customary to finish the meal in Venezuela with coffee. Popular cocktail “merengada” of fruit, ice, milk and sugar. From alcoholic drinks, rum, “kokun” and “recuelo” from a cactus are common, as well as all kinds of cocktails, for example, “ponche crema” based on egg liqueur and “cube libre”.

Cuisine in Venezuela

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