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          VENEZUELA
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Venezuela forms the
northernmost crest of South
America. In the northwest a
spur of the Andes runs
southwest to northeast. The
River Orinoco cuts the country
in two, and north of the river
run the undulating plains
known as the Llanos. South of
the river are the Guiana
Highlands. The climate ranges
from warm temperate to
tropical. In the Llanos area,
cattle are herded across the
plains. Sugar cane and coffee
are grown for export, but
petroleum and gas account for
95% of export earnings. The
oil fields lie in the
northwest, near Lake
Maracaibo.
The dry season runs from
December to May and most
rainfall occurs in July and
August. Temperatures vary with
altitude but range from an
average of 85F at sea level to
60F in the Mucuchies at 9000
feet.
Carnival stops all work for
the week prior to Ash
Wednesday amid a mass exodus
for the beaches. In Caracas,
water throwing is a hazard.
Costume balls where women
masked as ~negritas~ take the
initiative can also be risky
as some of them turn out to be
men.

Area (Sq. Km.): 912,046

Population: 19,744,000

Capital: Caracas

Language:
Spanish

Religion:
Roman Catholic 92%

Government Type:
Federal Republic

Currency: Bolivar

Embassy:
1 Cromwell Road,
London SW7
0171-581-2776

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Foreign Office Advice:

Suspension of some
constitutional rights
following the onset of the
recent financial crisis has
not caused unrest. Should
there be unrest it will
probably affect Caracas and
other major cities. Exchange
controls have been imposed and
travellers will be asked to
declare on arrival the amount
of foreign currency they are
carrying. They will not be
allowed to leave with more
than this amount. It is
advisable to carry US $ rather
than sterling.

Visitors are strongly advised
not to take unmarked taxis -
use official taxi ranks.
Caracas International Airport
has special booths for taxi
tickets for journeys into
town.

Foreigners arriving overland
from Colombia are issued a
visa valid for three days and
can only be extended if an
onward air ticket is bought in
Caracas.

Violent street crime is
prevalent in cities and
precautions are necessary.

For more information ring:

 Foreign Office Travel Unit

       0171-270-4129