The country comprises a continental mainland and numerous islands located off the Venezuelan coastline in the Caribbean Sea. Currently, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela possesses borders with Guyana to the east, Brazil to the south, and Colombia to the west. Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, St. Lucia, Barbados, Curaçao, Bonaire, Aruba, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the Leeward Antilles lie just north, off the Venezuelan coast. Falling within the tropics, Venezuela sits close to the equator, in the Northern Hemisphere.

A former Spanish colony, which has been an independent republic since 1821, Venezuela holds territorial disputes with Guyana, largely concerning the Essequibo area, and with Colombia concerning the Gulf of Venezuela. There was a Venezuelan Boundary Crisis in 1985. Today, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is known widely for its petroleum industry, the environmental diversity of its territory, and its natural features. Venezuela is considered to be among the world's 17 most biodiverse countries

Capital

Caracas is Venezuela's capital which was founded in 1567 by Diego de Losada

Area:

In terms of size the country is the sixth largest country in South America and it has a total area 900,000 square kilometers and divided into 23 states. Its largest cities are Maracaibo, 1,889,000 which is the (metropolitan.area) and 1,854,300 (which is the proper city). The other cities include Valencia, which has an area of 1,515,400 and Barquisimeto and an area of 948,900.

Currency

Starting January 1, 2008, Venezuela has a new currency. The "Bolivar fuerte" or "srong bolivar".