Venezuela

Background
Venezuela, officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Venezuela’s currency is Venezuelan Bolívar. Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and New Granada, which became Colombia). Venezuela is located in Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana. 882,050 sq km of Venezuela is land while the remaining 30,000 sq km is in water. Venezuela’s climate is tropical and more moderate in the highlands.
People and Society
The nationality of Venezuela is Venezuelans. There are seven ethnic groups in Venezuela. There are the Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African and the indigenous people. The religions practiced in Venezuela are Roman Catholic and protestant. The official language of Venezuela is Spanish and there are numerous indigenous dialects spoken. Venezuela has a growing population of 28,459,085 people (2013).
Culture
Venezuela has a strong folk and popular culture. Many regions have well-known symbolic icons that personify their cultural roots. Most significant are the andinos, the hardy mountain folk; the guayanés, the tough frontiersman following a dream; the llanero, the cowboy of the Llanos and the maracucho, the energetic entrepreneur of the Maracaibo area.
Food
Venezuelan food is both tropical and Andean, with European influences (especially Italian) as well as