Venezuela Profile
Government, Economy, and Foreign Relations
The population of Venezuela is comprised of a combination of European, indigenous, and African heritages. About 85 percent of the population lives in urban areas in the northern portion of the country. While almost half of Venezuela’s land area lies south of the Orinoco River, this region contains only 5 percent of the population. At the time of the Spanish discovery, the indigenous in Venezuela were mainly agriculturists and hunters living in groups along the coast, the Andean mountain range, and the Orinoco River. The first permanent Spanish settlement in South America — Nuevo Toledo — was established in Venezuela…
