Venezuela is a country on the northern coast of South America, bordered by Colombia to the west, Brazil to the south, and Guyana to the east, with a long coastline on the Caribbean Sea. Its capital and largest city is Caracas. Formally known as the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the country covers roughly 930,000 square kilometers (about 359,000 square miles) and had an estimated population of 28.5 million as of 2025.

Where Is Venezuela and What Is It Known For?

Venezuela sits at the northern edge of South America, closer to the Caribbean islands and Central America than to the continent’s southern cone. It is best known internationally for three very different things: Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall on Earth; the largest proven crude oil reserves of any country; and, in recent years, a severe and prolonged political and economic crisis that has pushed millions of people to leave.

Geography and Natural Features

The country divides into four broad regions. In the west, the Andes mountains form a narrow highland zone around Lake Maracaibo, South America’s largest lake. The central interior is dominated by the Llanos, a vast expanse of tropical grassland used for cattle ranching. South of the Orinoco River, one of South America’s major waterways, lie the Guiana Highlands, which make up roughly half of Venezuela’s total land area.

The Guiana Highlands contain some of the oldest exposed rock formations on the planet and are shaped by tepuis, isolated tabletop mountains with sheer, cliff-like sides. The most famous of these, Auyan-tepui, is the source of Angel Falls (known locally as Kerepakupai Meru), which drops in a single, nearly uninterrupted plunge of close to 979 meters (3,212 feet). The falls lie within Canaima National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southeastern Venezuela.

A Brief History

Spanish colonization of the region began in the early sixteenth century, and Venezuela remained a Spanish colonial territory for roughly three centuries. It declared independence in 1811, and after years of war led in large part by Simon Bolivar, independence was secured in the 1820s. Venezuela was briefly part of the short-lived republic of Gran Colombia before separating to become a fully independent country in 1830. It joined the United Nations in 1945.

The discovery of major oil deposits in the early twentieth century transformed Venezuela’s economy, fueling rapid urban growth and, for several decades, one of the highest per capita incomes in Latin America. That same dependence on oil later left the country exposed when global prices fell and domestic production declined.

Government and Economy

Venezuela is structured as a federal republic, with an elected president, a National Assembly, and a judiciary headed by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice. From 1999 onward, the country was governed under a political movement describing itself as Bolivarian, first under President Hugo Chavez and, after his death in 2013, under President Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela’s July 2024 presidential election was disputed: the National Electoral Council announced a win for Maduro, but the opposition, independent observers, and a number of foreign governments did not accept the announced result. The United Nations Human Rights Office later reported that Venezuelan security forces and allied armed groups committed serious violations in the months around the vote, including arbitrary detentions and extrajudicial killings, which it said amounted to crimes against humanity.

The situation changed sharply in January 2026, when United States forces captured Maduro in Caracas; he was transported to the United States to face criminal charges and remains in custody awaiting trial. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez assumed the presidency on an interim basis, and the United States recognized her as Venezuela’s head of state in March 2026, restoring diplomatic relations that same month. Through 2026, the interim government released hundreds of political prisoners under an amnesty law and opened talks with opposition groups, though several hundred political prisoners reportedly remained detained and a full transition to competitive elections had not yet been completed.

Venezuela also disputes its eastern border with Guyana, claiming the Essequibo region, which makes up a large share of Guyana’s territory. Guyana bases its claim on an 1899 international arbitration; Venezuela argues that award was invalid. The International Court of Justice heard oral arguments on the merits of the case in May 2026 and is expected to issue a binding judgment later in the year.

Economically, Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven crude oil reserves, estimated at about 303 billion barrels, roughly 17 percent of the global total. Oil has long dominated government revenue and exports, but production fell by about 70 percent between 2013 and 2023 because of state mismanagement, deteriorating infrastructure, and international sanctions. The resulting hyperinflation and years of economic contraction cut gross domestic product from more than 340 billion dollars in 2015 to under 100 billion dollars by the mid-2020s. The crisis also drove large-scale emigration: the United Nations has reported that more than 6.7 million Venezuelans were living elsewhere in Latin America and the Caribbean by late 2024, one of the largest displacement movements in the region’s recent history.

In mid-2026, Venezuela was also struck by a series of major earthquakes that killed hundreds of people and displaced large numbers of residents, according to the United Nations, complicating recovery and transition efforts already underway.

People and Culture

Venezuela’s population reflects a mix of Indigenous, African, and Spanish heritage, along with later waves of immigration from Europe and the Middle East. Spanish is the official language, though a number of Indigenous languages are still spoken by smaller communities, particularly in the Amazon and Orinoco Delta regions. Roman Catholicism has historically been the predominant religion, alongside growing Protestant and other communities.

Joropo, a fast-paced partnered dance accompanied by harp, cuatro, and maracas, is widely regarded as Venezuela’s national folk music and dance form. Baseball is the country’s most popular sport, and Venezuela has produced numerous players in North America’s Major League Baseball. The country is also known for a strong tradition in international beauty pageants, with Venezuelan contestants among the most frequent winners of global titles.

Why Venezuela Matters Globally

Venezuela’s position atop the world’s largest proven oil reserves gives it outsized relevance to global energy markets, even as years of underinvestment and sanctions have limited how much it actually produces and exports. The country’s political transition since Maduro’s removal in January 2026 is being watched closely across the Americas, both for its effect on regional stability and for what it may mean for future oil supply. At the same time, the exodus of millions of Venezuelans has reshaped migration patterns and strained public services across Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and other neighboring countries, making Venezuela’s internal situation a hemisphere-wide concern rather than a purely domestic one. Its unresolved border dispute with Guyana over the oil-rich Essequibo region adds a further layer of regional tension, with a binding International Court of Justice ruling pending.

Beyond politics and economics, Venezuela remains a fixture of global imagination for its natural extremes, especially Angel Falls and the otherworldly tepuis of the Guiana Highlands, landforms found almost nowhere else on the planet.

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed October 5, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue