20 Fun Facts About Venezuela

Venezuela, a large country located in South America, is a rich site of vibrant culture, blooming with extensive wildlife and grand natural beauty. With a population of 29 million people, Venezuela is a country thriving with unique landscapes and historic environmental spectacles. Thus, there are things about Venezuela that are worth noting, including fun facts about Venezuela climate and Venezuela culture. If you’re planning a trip, or are curious to learn cool facts about Venezuela to quench your thirst for knowledge, then these 20 unique facts about Venezuela can offer you a starting point to get to know more about this diverse country and some of what makes Venezuela unique!

If you want to learn more about different countries and cultures, check out some of this trivia:

• Country Trivia
• Hispanic Heritage Month Trivia

1. Did You Know Venezuela is Home to the World’s Tallest Waterfall?

Reveal Answer A: Angel Falls is located in the Southeastern part of Venezuela, and stands 979 meters tall (3,212 ft) .

Further Explanation

Angel Falls is the tallest waterfall in the world, and it falls from Auyán-Tepuí in Canaima National Park. The falls get their name from James Angel, an American explorer who crashed his plane near the falls in 1937. However, the falls bear an Indigenous name, Kerepakupai-Merú. 

2. Do You Know How Many Miss Universe Titles Venezuela Has? 

Reveal Answer A: Seven! Making them the country with the second most winners as of 2024, just behind the United States.

Further Explanation

Venezuela has won Miss Universe in the years 1979, 1981, 1986, 1996, 2008, 2009, and 2013. The country closest behind Venezuela is Puerto Rico, with five wins and the only one ahead of them is the United States, with nine wins. 

3. Did You Know Venezuela Has a Different Official Name? 

Reveal Answer A: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Further Explanation

Venezuela took on the full name of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in 1999 in honor of Simon Bolivar.

4. Did You Know Venezuela Has A Unique Currency Name?

Reveal Answer A: The Bolivar.

Further Explanation

Venezuela’s currency is also named after Simon Bolivar, an extremely important and influential historical figure in South American liberation movements.  

5. Did You Know About Venezuela’s Rare Lightning Event? 

Reveal Answer A: The Catatumbo Lightning is a rare natural wonder that occurs over Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela extremely frequently throughout the year.

Further Explanation

This lightning event is quite a phenomenon due to its continuous nature, as it is a spectacle of light that occurs about 28 times a minute, lasting up to nine hours.

6. Did You Know This Venezuelan Mountain Inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Novel The Lost World?

Reveal Answer A: The Roraima Tepui, a mountain located in Venezuela, extending out to Brazil and Guyana as well.

Further Explanation

This Venezuelan landmark stands at about 9,219 feet and is said to have inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Novel The Lost World. Moreover, Mount Roraima is a tabletop mountain located at the intersection of Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana in Canaima National Park. It is believed to be a very old geological formation on Earth, as it is known as a tepui, which are table-top mountains made of very old rock.

7.   Did You Know This Famous and Extensive Mountain Range reaches Venezuela?

Reveal Answer A: The Andes, the longest mountain range in the world, extends into Venezuela.

Further Explanation

The Andes extend about 4,700 miles in length and reach seven different countries, including Venezuela. One interesting fact about Venezuela is that the northern Venezuelan Andes are referred to as Cordillera de Mérida, which is around 280 miles in length and about 10,000 feet in elevation.

8. Did You Know The Capital of Venezuela and Its Population?

Reveal Answer A: Caracas is Venezuela’s capital city, and the population is calculated to be close to 3 million people.

Further Explanation

Caracas was founded in 1567 by Diego de Losada and is where Simon Bolivar was born.

9. Did You Know Venezuela Has a Large Amount of Plant Species? 

Reveal Answer A: Over 16,000 plant species.

Further Explanation

What makes the Venezuela climate and location unique is also its biodiversity, as they have a large amount of plant species, many of which are endemic to the area.

10. Did You Know Venezuela is One of the World’s Megadiverse Countries? 

Reveal Answer A: One of the most unique things about Venezuela is that they are one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world.

Further Explanation

The Venezuela climate helps host a variety of diverse plants and animals, which is said to be around 1,400 bird species, more than 300 species of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

11. Did You Know Venezuela Only Has Two Seasons?

Reveal Answer A: Wet and Dry.

Further Explanation

An interesting fact about Venezuela is that it does not experience much variation in their temperature throughout the year, resulting in two seasons. Thus, due to its proximity to the equator, Venezuela doesn’t have distinct seasons like winter, spring, summer, and fall. Instead, they distinguish between a wet season and a dry season.

12. Did You Know that Venezuela’s National Animal is a Bird?

Reveal Answer A: Specifically, the Venezuela national animal is the Venezuelan Troupial.

Further Explanation

The troupial has a black beak and tail and can often be identified by their orange body. 

13. Did You Know Venezuela Has the World’s Largest Oil Reserve? 

Reveal Answer A: Venezuela has around 300 million barrels of oil reserves, making them currently the first in the world.

Further Explanation

While they currently have the most oil reserves, in terms of production they are further down the list.

14. Did You Know Venezuela’s Most Popular Sport?

Reveal Answer A: Baseball.

Further Explanation

Baseball has become a large part of the Venezuela culture, with many Venezuelans becoming highly acclaimed MLB players.

15. Did You Know Venezuela is Home to the Largest Rodent in the World?

Reveal Answer A: The capybara is known to inhabit Venezuela.

Further Explanation

The capybara is a rodent that can weigh up to over 150 lbs, often remaining in groups close to rivers and lakes. 

16. Did you know that Venezuela is Boarded by Various Oceans and Countries?

Reveal Answer A: Venezuela on a map sits with the Atlantic Sea and Caribbean Ocean to the north, and in between Colombia and Guyana.

Further Explanation

Venezuela’s geographical location puts it bordering three countries, Columbia, Guyana, and Brazil. Additionally, when looking at Venezuela on a map, it sits below a body of water.  

17. Did You Know Venezuela’s Has a National Dance?

Reveal Answer A: The Joropo.

Further Explanation

The Joropo is a part of Venezuelan culture and Venezuela traditions, as it became their national dance in the 1800s. With roots in Fandango and African, Native South American, and European influence, with variations depending on the region, Joropo stands as a testament to Venezuela’s rich culture, celebrating both its diversity and unity.

18. Did You Know Venezuela is Home to this Snorkeling Hotspot?

Reveal Answer A: The Los Roques Archipelago.

Further Explanation

The Los Roques Archipelago is a Venezuelan landmark for its vast aquatic life and variety of wildlife present. The archipelago’s coral reefs is a hotspot for many snorkelers, and this location sees many tourists a year because of its rich beauty.  It was made a national park for its important aquatic life in 1972.

19. Do You Know What the Highest Peak in Venezuela is?

Reveal Answer A: Pico Bolivar.

Further Explanation

Pico Bolivar (Bolivar Peak) is the highest peak in Venezuela, standing at about 16,332 feet. This mountain is located within the Sierra Nevada National Park in Northwestern Venezuela.

20. Do You Know the National Language of Venezuela?

Reveal Answer A: Spanish.

Further Explanation

 The national Venezuela language is Spanish, however, there are many Indigenous languages spoken throughout Venezuela as well, such as Wayuu, Warao, and Pemon.

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