Venezuela

Located in the northeastern part of the South American continent, Venezuela has a land area of 353,839 square miles (916,445 square kilometers) and an estimated population of 25.7 million people in 2006. The country can be divided into four main physiographical units: the old Guyana Massif in the southeast with maximum elevations of 9,843 feet (3,000 meters); the Andes to the west (maximum elevations around 16,404 feet [5,000 meters]); the coastal ranges in the north formed by two mountain chains separated by a tectonic plain, and the large flat plains of the Llanos drained by the Orinoco [Page 1890]river and its tributaries in the south. The Orinoco is one of the largest rivers of South America, running 1,333 miles (2,150 kilometers) and forming a delta ...