Venezuela

The country of Venezuela, located in the northeast of South America, shares land borders with Colombia, Brazil, and Guyana. It has a population of 26 million (2007), with over three million living in the capital, Caracas. Two-thirds of population has indigenous ancestry, with the white population accounting for 21 percent, and Africans 10 percent. Many elements of indigenous culture have survived, with Indian dancing and music being popular, especially playing pipes.

The Spanish invasion dramatically transformed the country, with the establishment of cities and towns, and the introduction of many European customs and tradition. Flamenco dancing and Spanish music have been common throughout the country for several hundred years, and many people, regardless of their origins, play or listen to guitar music. The Spanish brought with them the horse, and horse riding remains a popular Venezuelan recreation, as do hiking and rambling for many others. There has also been bullfighting in Venezuela since the 16th century, and there has been extensive cockfighting in the country.

Other games brought by the Europeans include board games such as Backgammon and Chess, as well as card games. Model making remains popular, with people making models of boats, cars, planes, and the like, either from wood, or from “ready-to-assemble” kits made by companies such as Revell and imported from overseas. Until recently there was also a great interest in board games, many of which came from Spain, Argentina, or the United States. The local Venezuelan version of the board game Monopoly, Monopolio, contains street names from Caracas. However, interest in these games and Wargaming has been eroded by the advent of amusement arcades and increasingly sophisticated computer games.

As well as these aspects of play, children, especially those who are not wealthy, take part in activities such as skipping, playing Hide-and-Seek, or playing with marbles. Role-playing games are still important, and there are traditional fancy dress parties for girls celebrating their 15th birthdays. With education being compulsory (resulting in the country's literacy rate being 93 percent), organized sporting recreations have been encouraged. Soccer remains the most popular game for boys and young men, but baseball, basketball, hockey, net-ball, and tennis also have many adherents.