Venezuela: useful information


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Venezuela tourist guide with useful information regarding all the things to know for travel or vacation in the state of South America with the capital Caracas.


Venezuela in short

- Capital: Caracas

- Area in square kilometers: 912,050


- Number of inhabitants: 25,730,435

- Religion: mainly Catholic

Where is it

Venezuela flag Venezuela is bathed in the north by the Antilles Sea, in the north east by the Atlantic Ocean and borders Colombia in the west, Brazil in the south, Guyana in the east.


The Territory is made up of three regions:

- In the northern region are the extreme offshoots of the Andean system, consisting of the Sierra de Perijà and the Cordillera de Mérida, (Pico Bolivar, 5007 m).

Between the two reliefs opens the depression of Maracaibo, occupied by the marshy basin of the homonymous lake, connected to the Caribbean Sea by a strait.


- The central region is a vast area of ​​plains (called Los Llanos) crossed by the Orinoco, the longest river in the country, which flows into the north-east coast, in the Atlantic Ocean, with a delta formed by many branches.

- The southern region is made up of the Guyana plateau, covered by dense forests and savannah areas.

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In the north-eastern part of this region there is the Gran Sabana, a grassy plateau formed by peaks with a flat top (Tepuyes), very ancient from a geological point of view: with the erosion of time, deep canyons have formed, which have spaced these rock formations and have allowed an independent evolution of flora and fauna, from one top to the other.

In this area, in the Canaima National Park, the numerous rivers form very high waterfalls, such as the Salto Angel, which with about 1000 meters of waterfall is a wonder of nature.

Numerous islands that are located off its coast belong to Venezuela, the most important being Margarita Island, and Los Roques National Park, a coral archipelago with white sand beaches and transparent sea.

Hydrography

The main river of Venezuela is the Orinoco, born at the southern border of the country and flows into the Atlantic Ocean, enriched during the journey by numerous tributaries, including the Rio Apure, the Rio Meta, the Rio Arauca, the Rio Caroni, the Rio Atabapo, the Rio Sipapo.

Note that the Venezuelan rivers differ in a range of shades ranging from light gray, to yellow, dark brown and black, since various factors, including the season, the climate, the soil, the vegetation present on the banks, condition the color of their waters.

In the northern part of the country is Lake Maracaibo, connected through a channel with the Caribbean Sea in the Gulf of Venezuela.

Climate

The climate of the coastal flat area and the islands has high temperatures and moderate rainfall. In the mountainous region of the mountain range, precipitation and atmospheric humidity increase, while the temperature decreases.


In the higher parts, the climate is cold. In the Llanos region the climate is warm with concentrated rainfall in the months from May to November.

In the Guyana plateau region the climate is tropical and in the southern part it assumes equatorial characteristics with precipitation without distinction of period.

Population

The majority of the population is made up of mestizos and mulattos (the result of unions between the European, indigenous and African races). The remainder is made up of whites, blacks and Indians.

Time zone

In Venezuela it is necessary to move the clock hands 5.30 hours behind Italy, (6.30 hours behind when daylight saving time is in Italy).

Spoken language

Venezuela's official language is Spanish. Many indigenous languages ​​are also spoken.

Economy

The economic potential of Venezuela is represented by the presence of significant oil fields, which make this country one of the main oil producers in the world.


Most of the revenues from the state oil company are given as subsidies to the most needy people, since a large part of the population of this country is poor.

The concentration on oil production has constrained the other production sectors, and also agriculture, which was once the basis of the economy, has been penalized.

Keep in mind that political and social changes are underway.

When to go

The regions of the coast and the islands of Venezuela can be visited throughout the year. To visit the other regions, the dry season from December to April is preferable, although for some destinations such as the Salto Angel waterfall, the rainy season is recommended.

For travel bookings, keep in mind that there is more turnout during the Christmas, Easter and Carnival holidays, as Venezuelans move to visit relatives and friends during these periods.

Necessary documents

To visit Venezuela you need a passport with a residual validity of at least 6 months from the date of arrival in the country.

The visa is not required for a period of less than 90 days of stay for tourist reasons.

Compilation of the tourist card is required, which is issued by the airlines.

Phone

- The international code to call from Italy to Venezuela is: 0058

- The international prefix for telephoning from Venezuela to Italy is: 0039

As for GSM, it is appropriate to ask the telephone operators if they have made rooming agreements with their respective Venezuelan operators. The purchase of a calling card is recommended.

Electricity

The electric current in Venezuela is 110 volts, therefore a power adapter is needed.


Currency

Venezuela's official currency is the bolivar (VEB). American dollars, American Express credit cards, Master Cards, Visa are accepted and lately also euros, but at a more unfavorable exchange rate than dollars.

How to get

By air
Venezuela's main airport is the "Simon Bolivar International (CCS) airport in Caracas.

Various airlines connect Venezuela to major European cities, the US and South America.

From Italy, the Iberia airline offers flights to Caracas with a stopover in Madrid. Air France with a stopover in Paris, Lufthansa with a stopover in Frankfurt, Tap with a stopover in Lisbon.

Alitalia offers direct flights from Rome Fiumicino to Caracas.

Vaccinations

No vaccinations are required to enter Venezuela.

The yellow fever vaccine is not required for those coming from Italy, but it is still recommended for those who want to explore the country.

However, the following vaccinations are recommended

- anti hepatitis A and B

- anti tifica

- malaria prophylaxis

Further warnings


It is recommended to drink only bottled water, not to add ice to drinks and to avoid vegetables and raw foods.

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