Venezuela

Name: In 1499, an expedition led by Alonso de Ojeda visited the Venezuelan coast. The stilt houses in the area of Lake Maracaibo reminded the navigator  of the city of Venice, so he named the region Veneziola “Piccola Venezia”. The name acquired its current spelling as a result of Spanish influence. The term’s original sense would have been that of a “little Venice”.The name may have also evolved from the native word, Veneciuela, after the name of the indigenous people who lived there.

Date of Membership in CCLEC: 1995 – Martinique

Motto:

Status:  Independent—from Spain (5 July 1811); from Gran Colombia (13 January 1830)

Area: 916,445 km² (353,841 m²)

GDP: $457.134 billion (2017 estimate)

Population:  31.416 million

Capital City: Caracas

Official Language: Spanish, indigenous languages

Currency: Bolívar fuerte (VEF)