Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana
Geographic coordinates: 8° 0' N, 66° 0' W
Coastline km: 2,800 km km
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Terrain: Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
Elevation: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m
Natural hazards: subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts
Currency: bolivar (VEB)
Population: 26,023,528 (July 2007 est.)
Languages: Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Capital: Caracas
Divisions: 23 states, 1 capital district*, and 1 federal dependency**: Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**, Distrito Federal*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands