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Venezuela was originally named Veneziola, after the city of Venice, because of its stilt houses that reminded the explorers (who first visited the area) of Venice.
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Venezuela is considered to be one of the world's most mega-diverse countries due to its large variety of wildlife and habitats.
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Venezuela covers an area of 353,841 square miles.
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The population of Venezuela today is approximately 28.5 million people.
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Venezuela's capital city and its largest city is Caracas. Its official name is Santiago de Leon de Caracas.
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Venezuela is the 33rd largest country in the world.
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Fifty percent of Venezuela's population is Mestizos, and the rest of Venezuela's people are indigenous and African people.
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Venezuela has twenty-three states, and has a total of 335 municipalities.
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Venezuela's monetary unit is the bolivar fuerte.
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Venezuela's official language is Castilian. Other languages spoken in Venezuela include Italian, Chinese, Portuguese, Arabic, and Spanish. English is the most commonly used foreign language in Venezuela.
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Half of government revenue is derived from the petroleum sector.
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Venezuela's highest mountain is Pico Bolivar, at 16,335 feet tall. It is located in the Andes Mountains northern extension.
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The tallest waterfall in the world is Angel Falls, and it is located in Venezuela.
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The largest rodents in the world are capybara, and can be found living in Venezuela.
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Manatees, giant anteaters, three-toed sloths, two-toed sloths, jaguars, and Orinoco crocodiles can be found in Venezuela.
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There are more than 1400 different species of birds found in Venezuela.
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Venezuela's national bird is the yellow-orange Venezuelan Troupial.
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Venezuela has more than 25,000 orchid species. Its national flower is the 'flor de mayo orchid'.
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Venezuela's national instrument is the cuatro, which is a small guitar.
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Venezuela's national dance is the joropo, which is a waltz type of dance.
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Venezuela has had a national professional baseball league since 1945. Baseball is also Venezuela's favorite sport.
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Venezuela has one of the world's largest natural gas reserves.
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Venezuela has the world's 2nd largest oil reserve. It is also one of the top crude exporters in the world.
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Major agriculture in Venezuela includes corn, sorghum, eggs, milk, sugarcane, bananas, rice, vegetables, and coffee, as well as fish, pork and beef.
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Major industry in Venezuela includes tourism, ecotourism, real estate, aluminum, steel, iron ore, food processing, petroleum, and construction materials.
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Major exports from Venezuela include agricultural products, petroleum, steel, bauxite and aluminum.
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The longest river in Venezuela is the Orinoco River.
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Venezuela has a tropical, hot and humid climate.
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