53 Vicious Venezuela History Facts That Will Haunt Everyone

From being home to the highest waterfall in the world and giving the highest number of Miss World winners, to having the largest known resource of oil and natural gas amongst all nations, Venezuela has multiple superlatives that glorify its name.

Despite the natural and cultural richness of the subcontinent, the country has had a history of several miserable instances in its past starting with the Spanish colonialism of the 17th century, to the prevailing hyperinflation and utter poverty faced by the Venezuelans.

But what appears to be a destitute country now, was once one of the richest in the continent of South America just a few decades ago and had a thriving economy.

These Spanish customs are a result of the Spanish colonialism of the 16th century who also introduced Roman Catholicism and the Spanish language.

Since the country is bordered by the Caribbean and the Andes mountains on the north and south respectively, the Venezuelan people have adopted a mixed cultural system arising out of all these circumstances and are characterized as warm and welcoming.

Despite shared cultural roots from the social norms of Gran Colombia, the Venezuelans have a varied cultural ethnicity which is largely dependent on factors like their location, society, etc.

Although the country today bears its official name as the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela which was kept in the honor of its national hero, Simon Bolivar, the story behind its name is rather amusing.

If we go according to the most popular story, Alonso de Ojeda was the first non-indigenous person to step on the Venezuelan coast in the year 1499. Later, during one of his expeditions, Amerigo Vespucci, a resident of Venice, Italy, visited lake Maracaibo which reminded him of his hometown.

Thus he ascribed the name of ‘Veneziola’,  better described as the ‘Little Venice’, to the region.

After reading about the country located in Northern South America, also check Rhode Island facts and history and Angel Falls Venezuela.

Pre-Colombian Period In Venezuela

Before the Spanish steps landed on the northern Caribbean coast of Venezuela, the country’s population mainly comprised of its indigenous tribes. Archaeological evidence of Meso-Indian and Neo-Indian tribes have been found in the riverine regions of western Venezuela which date back to the 7th century BCE.

The numerical figures of the indigenous population before the Spanish conquest are little known and are estimated to be close to a million.

However, unfortunately, this figure experienced a sudden drop during Spanish colonialism as a result of resistive wars, the onset of various diseases brought by the Spanish people, and the rapid growth of Catholicism and the Spanish population and Industrialization.

Archaeologists have divided the Pre-Colombian period on chronological grounds into three parts- the Paleo-Indians (5000-2000 BCE), the Meso-Indians (1000-500 BCE), and the Neo-Indians who later migrated from the Orinoco River delta to the Venezuelan mainland. All of these groups were characterized as hunters and gatherers with an increasing richness of their cultural and social attributes over the decades.

There are several archaeological sightings that show evidence of activities ranging from fishing, cooking, hunting, pottery, cloth weaving, and ornament making.

But with the expedition of Christopher Columbus and his discovery of ‘the new world’, the developments of the European countries on the continent of South America greatly hampered its ethnicity. The situation further deteriorated with the division of the continent amongst the European forces of Spanish, British, French, Danish, and Dutch with the advent of the 17th century.

Venezuela was part of Gran Colombia under the Spanish regime.

Official Sites Of Venezuela

If you have a never-ending love for nature and you like adventures, then Venezuela could be a perfect contender for your next destination.

From the rainforests of Gran Sabana to the ever-shifting sand dunes of the Medanos de Coro National Park and the large backwaters of Lake Maracaibo, the country provides a vivid spectrum of landscapes in its vicinity.

As of 2020, the country had a total forest area of more than 57 million hectares which was a whopping 63% of its total land area.

On top of that, the landscape of the subcontinent is studded with a series of mountains and waterfalls.

The Andes Mountains substantially cover the Venezuelan region and due to its proximity to the Caribbean Sea, the country receives up to 40 in (101.6 cm) of rains in the Orinoco River delta which makes it one of the wettest regions on the planet.

Due to this, it is home to several unique species of flora and fauna as a part of the magnificent rainforests of the country.

The Caribbean coast with its long beaches and a series of Islands in the eye-pleasing setting is one of the major tourist attractions.

In central Venezuela lies one of the most magnificent creations of nature in the world, the Angel Falls. With water falling from a height of 3,230 ft (984.5 m), the characteristic makes it the highest waterfall in the world and is a highlight amongst the Latin American countries.

Located in the Canaima National Park, the falls enhance the beauty of its landscape exclusively during the rainy season, when water is available in abundance.

Los Roques Archipelago is a series of Islands located at a distance of 100 mi (160.9 km) from the central Venezuelan coast and is recognized as one of the major tourist attractions in the country.

But if you are fond of sunbathing, you will love the ambiance of the Margarita Islands which are located just 25 mi (40.2 km) away from the mainland.

Another location that many nature and adventure lovers will find extremely alluring is the table-top mountains of Roraima. With its elevated setting from the surrounding lowlands, Roraima appears to be an island amongst located amongst the clouds.

The capital city of Caracas is also home to several tourist attractions like the town of Galipan on Avila Mountain which provides a surreal view of the coast and the mountains, to the most sacred shrine, the National Pantheon of Venezuela.

Government And Politics

The government in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is the Federal Republic, which means that the president is the elected head of the Venezuelan government as well as the state.

While all the Executive functions are headed by the Venezuelan president himself, all the legislative functions of policy and decision-making are carried by the elected National Assembly of Venezuela.

The President as the head of the executive assumes his seat at the Miraflores Palace, located in the capital city of Caracas, i.e., his official office, after direct elections by the Venezuelan people. As the head of state, it is the duty of the president to look after policy-making and its implementation for the benefit of the people.

The President also has the power to elect the Vice president as his subordinate.

As of 2020, the National Assembly has 165 members and 33 ministries, and one state ministry, each headed by a minister. The members of the Venezuelan Parliament are elected for a period of five years while the preside is elected for six years.

The judiciary is headed by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice wherein the judges are elected by the National Assembly for 12 years. The judges are 32 in number.

The political system of Venezuela rests on the dominant party system wherein the United Socialist Party of Venezuela is the most prominent among the listed parties.

Hugo Chavez was the head of the socialist movement in the country during the late 20th century. Upon his election as the president of Venezuela in 1998, he was the head of all executive operations in the country till 2013, when his office stood abdicated due to his sudden death.

After this, Nicolas Maduro, who was initially the interim President, assumed the office of the president after the 2013 elections.

Law And Crime

According to the human rights watch and the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is undergoing a severe humanitarian crisis wherein millions are unable to avail proper healthcare and meet their nutritional needs.

The committees set by these international organizations have held the government authorities responsible for the gross human violations and atrocities that are being faced by the Venezuelan people.

In the fact-finding missions, the Nicolas Maduro government which is alleged to have assumed leadership through unlawful during the 2013 elections, was held responsible for several extrajudicial killings, jailing politicians of the opposite parties, cracking down on protesters, and even torturing people for their benefit.

With the onset of Covid-19, the government is alleged to have used the pandemic as an excuse to crush all dissent.

But this social instability was not always in the same state.

In the mid 20th century, with the institutionalization of democracy, many guerilla groups started fighting with the government forces but were later subdued. After this, the country experienced a sharp decline in crime rates.

But with the establishment of the Bolivarian Government by Hugo Chavez, there was an onset of gross political instability.

Hugo was held responsible for dividing the Venezuelan society on sectorial grounds which promoted criminal gangs to kill and kidnap. This combined with the prevailing corruption in the government as well as management (police) proved to be lethal to the glory of the South American country.

Understanding Venezuela’s Political Crisis

The prevailing political unrest and crisis in the Venezuelan government and state is an outcome of multiple political and economic disruptions. Before the oil crisis of the late 20th century, the country was amongst the wealthiest in the continent of South America.

The country in the early years of the century was ruled by military strongmen who brought several social and economic reforms and greatly used the countries oil resources on which the country thrived.

But with the advent of the crisis, oil prices fell sharply in the international market which greatly damaged Venezuela's economy that was largely dependent on its resources of the natural oil industry and natural gas as its GDP.

Also, in 1998, with the election of Hugo Chavez and his idea Bolivarian Republic, the situation of the country further deteriorated. Poorly funded government bodies, lack of management, and prevailing corruption further enhanced the problems of the already overburdened system.

The election of Nicolas Maduro as the successor of the Bolivarian Republic and Hugo Chavez also proved to be of no help.

It was alleged that huge illegalities were involved in the election process and the fairness of this election was questioned internationally and the government has ascribed the status of an ‘authoritarian regime’. This resulted in the non-recognition of the Venezuelan government which further invited trade and other political sanctions from international bodies.

As a result, the country was is now facing problems like polarization of power, hyperinflation, the politicization of the military, rapid growth in migration (with more than 6 million migrants from Venezuela in recent years), and widespread shortages of basic necessities required by the people.

Petroleum Industry And Other Resources

As of January 2020, the subcontinent of Venezuela has combined oil industry resources of 303 billion barrels which have a current market value of more than 14 trillion dollars. Along with this, the country also has abundant resources of natural gas and valuable minerals and stones.

Since the digging of the first oil well in the country in the 10s, Venezuela has been a major oil exporter in the international market. From the 20s till the oil price crisis of the 80s, Venezuela’s economy thrived on oil production resources which were a major contributor to the countries GDP.

But after the crisis, inflation grew at an alarming rate and within a decade reached the 99% mark (in 1996).

But, despite all sanctions and economic barriers, the country still continues to export oil and natural gas. Other products for export include steel, cement, aluminum, and edible items like rice, maize, corn, fish, etc.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Venezuela history facts then why not take a look at Grand Canyon history, or Arizona facts and history?