Venezuela is located in the northern part of the continent of South America. Known for its highest continuous waterfall — Angel Falls, this country is bordered by Colombia to the west and Brazil to the south. The country is divided into four geographical features: The Maracaibo lowlands are in the extreme north-western part of the country and surrounded by highlands as well as mountains. With no wind factor, the climate here is dry and hot. Andes Mountains are situated in the north-west of Venezuela. They are pleasant and cool at higher altitudes. The north central part of the country is made up of tropical grasslands called “Llanos” (flat plains). Orinoco is the major river in this land form. With a tropical climate, these plains receive heavy downpour during the monsoon. Guiana Highlands lies in the south. The highlands are made up of hills, low mountains and plateau.
On their plate
Europeans have been influential in shaping the Venezuelan cuisine with Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese making their way. In addition, Native American and African influences can also be seen. Arepa is the national bread of Venezuela. They are tiny cakes with maize and filled with meat and vegetables. Pabellon criollo is the national dish and is served with white rice. “Cachitos” resembles the French Croissant. Also, a variant of lasagne called “Pasticho” draws its roots from the Mediterranean. Since the northern coastline shares its border with the Caribbean Sea, its cuisine has a Caribbean influence. Plantains, a staple of Caribbean cuisine is widely used in Venezuelan cooking. The country’s central region is famous for its noquis-potato pasta while people in the Andes consume a lot of soups and stews.
Cultural influence
Venezuela has a blend of people from other cultures. Spaniards immigrated in large numbers to Venezuela. Hence Spanish is widely spoken in addition to 40 other languages. Venezuela’s art and historic structures appear to have a strong Caribbean impact. Religious subjects governed art till late 1800s, which gave way to modernism thereafter. The Spanish invasion brought about the emergence of literature in Venezuela. As far as music goes, there is a popular music style called “Joropo”, which began in Llanos.
Venezuela has a national football team but baseball is a more popular sport.
