Venezuela is a Country of Many Names
Fact 1: When Italian explorer Christopher Columbus landed on the coastal islands of Venezuela in 1498, he was so impressed by the indigenous stilt houses that reminded him of Venice, he named the land "Venezuela," which translates to "Little Venice". But, Venezuela is also regionally known by the name, "the land of grace."
Venezuela gave birth to some famous personalities
Fact 2: Simon Bolivar, also known as El Libertador, was born in 1783 in Caracas, Venezuela. He helped six Latin American countries (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Panama) gain independence from Spanish colonial rule, hence his nickname The Liberator.
Venezuela's Extraordinary Archipelago
Fact 3: Los Roques Archipelago is the largest marine park in the Caribbean Sea. It is home to a network of about 350 coral reef, mangrove, and seagrass ecosystems, and over 280 bird and fish species.
World's Highest Waterfall
Fact 4: The Angel Falls, located in the Canaima National Park, Venezuela, is the world's highest uninterrupted waterfall, with a height of 979 meters (3212 feet) and a plunge of 807 meters (2648 feet). It is named after Jimmy Angel, a US aviator who crash-landed there in 1937.
The Venezuelan Poodle Moth is unique to the area
Fact 5: This peculiar insect, discovered in 2009, can only be found in Venezuela. Its fluffy, woolly look has earned it the name "Poodle Moth.”
Venezuela is a Beauty Queen Producer
Fact 6: Venezuela is known for its beauty queens. It holds world records for the most Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss International titles won.
Venezuela's Vivid Flamingo Gathering
Fact 7: Every year, hundreds of thousands of flamingos migrate from the Dutch Caribbean to breed in Venezuela's Los Olivitos Wildlife Reserve.
Venezuela Has Unique Lightning Phenomenon
Fact 8: Venezuela hosts 'Relampago del Catatumbo,' or the 'Everlasting Lightning Storm.' It takes place over the mouth of the Catatumbo River where it enters into Lake Maracaibo. Lightning storms occur for up to 10 hours a night and up to 260 times per hour.
A Bridge That’s a World Record Holder
Fact 9: The General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge that spans over Lake Maracaibo holds the record for being the longest prestressed concrete bridge in the world.
Christmas is a roller-skating affair
Fact 10: It’s a common practice in Caracas, the capital city, for people to roller-skate to church during the Christmas period.
Venezuela's Rainbow River
Fact 11: The Caño Cristales River in Venezuela is known as 'The River That Ran Away From Paradise.' It's famous for turning a vivid rainbow of colors, with patches of yellow, green, blue, and especially red, due to water plants underneath.
A Religion Mixture
Fact 12: The official religion of Venezuela is Roman Catholicism, but it has a mixture of numerous religions. The next most common religion is Protestant Christianity. Santeria, which merges Catholicism and West African religions, is also practiced.
Venezuela has a unique public transport system
Fact 13: Merida city boasts the world's highest and longest cable car. The system, which is essentially used as a public transport system, takes passengers up to 4,765 meters above sea level.
Venezuela’s Time Zone is Unique
Fact 14: In 2007, Venezuela moved its time zone by half an hour. So while most countries are on the hour or half-hour, Venezuela is one of a small group that differs by 45 minutes.
Large Oil Reserves
Fact 15: Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world, estimated at 300 billion barrels.
Venezuela’s National Tree is a Rare Species
Fact 16: The national tree of Venezuela, Araguaney, blooms vibrant yellow-gold flowers for just one week a year, typically in the dry season from January to May.
Polar Bear Brew is a Venezuelan Thing
Fact 17: Polar beer, a popular Venezuelan beer brand, uses a polar bear as its logo. Despite Venezuela being a tropical country with no cold winters or polar bears!
Venezuela's Record-breaking Baseball Feat
Fact 18: Venezuela is home to shortstop Omar Vizquel who broke the Major League Baseball record for double plays by a shortstop in 2008.
Big Cat Country
Fact 19: Venezuela is home to the fifth largest jaguar population in the world. Jaguars are protected by law in Venezuela and many conservation programs are in place to help preserve this big cat species.
Venezuela is famous for its Orchids
Fact 20: The national flower of Venezuela is the orchid. With Venezuela's diverse tropical climates, it hosts about a quarter of all orchid species in the world.