Venezuela: Geography

The World Factbook 1993: Venezuela Geography

Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea between Colombia and Guyana

Area: total area: 912,050 km2 land area: 882,050 km2 comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of California

Land boundaries: total 4,993 km, Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km

Coastline: 2,800 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 15 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: claims all of Guyana west of the Essequibo river; maritime boundary dispute with Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Terrain: Andes mountains and Maracaibo lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guyana highlands in southeast

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds

Land use: arable land: 3% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 20% forest and woodland: 39% other: 37%

Irrigated land: 2,640 km2 (1989 est.)

Environment: subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts; increasing industrial pollution in Caracas and Maracaibo

Note: on major sea and air routes linking North and South America