Venezuela
An estimated 28 million people lived in Venezuela as of 2008. The
population is young, growing, and urbanized. The population growth
rate is 1.6% per year, and roughly 50% of Venezuelans are under the
age of 25. According to the 2001 census, almost 90% of the
population lives in urban areas. Metropolitan Caracas, the country's
largest city, has an estimated 3.2 million inhabitants. Venezuela is
proud of its tradition as a melting pot, and the majority of its
citizens have a mixed racial heritage of Caucasian, African, and
American Indian elements. |
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At the time of Spanish discovery, the indigenous in Venezuela were
mainly agriculturists and hunters living in groups along the coast,
the Andean mountain range, and the Orinoco River. The first
permanent Spanish settlement in South America--Nuevo Toledo--was
established in Venezuela in 1522. Venezuela was a relatively
neglected colony in the 1500s and 1600s as the Spaniards focused on
extracting gold and silver from other areas of the Americas.
Toward the end of the 18th century, the Venezuelans began to grow
restive under colonial control. In 1821, after several unsuccessful
uprisings, the country succeeded in achieving independence from
Spain, under the leadership of its most famous son, Simon Bolivar.
Venezuela, along with what are now Colombia, Panama, and Ecuador,
was part of the Republic of Gran Colombia until 1830, when Venezuela
separated and became a separate sovereign country.
Much of Venezuela's 19th-century history was characterized by
periods of political instability, dictatorial rule, and
revolutionary turbulence. The first half of the 20th century was
marked by periods of authoritarianism--including dictatorships from
1908-35 and from 1950-58. In addition, the Venezuelan economy
shifted after the First World War from a primarily agricultural
orientation to an economy centered on petroleum production and
export.
Since the overthrow of Gen. Marcos Perez Jimenez in 1958 and the
military's withdrawal from direct involvement in national politics,
Venezuela has enjoyed an unbroken tradition of civilian democratic
rule. This earned Venezuela a reputation as one of the more stable
democracies in Latin America. Until the 1998 elections, the
Democratic Action (AD) and the Christian Democratic (COPEI) parties
dominated the political environment at both the state and federal
level. |
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