Capital
|
Caracas, situated in the Distrito Capital (Capital District) |
Official Language
|
Spanish |
Other tongues/dialects
|
Indigenous dialects |
Population
|
25,730,435 (July 2006 est.) |
Age structure
|
0-14 years: 29.1% (male 3,860,116/female 3,620,440)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 8,494,944/female 8,410,874)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 609,101/female 734,960) (2006 est.) |
| Population growth rate |
1.38% (2006 est.) |
Literacy |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.4%
male: 93.8%
female: 93.1% (2003 est.) |
Local Time
|
GMT- 4 hours in the summer |
Weights and Measurements
|
Metric-decimal system |
Nationality
|
Venezuelan, which is not lost when you choose or acquire another nationality |
Main Cities
|
Caracas, Maracaibo, Valencia,Maracay and Barquisimeto |
Religion
|
Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2% |
Notes and Coins |
Bolívar, divided into 100 cents
There are coins of the following denominations: 1 Bolívar, 2 Bolívares, 5 Bolívares, 10 Bolívares, 20 Bolívares, 50 Bolívares, 100 Bolívares, 500 Bolívares.
There are notes of the following denominations: 5 Bolívares, 10 Bolívares, 20 Bolívares, 50 Bolívares, 100 Bolívares, 500 Bolívares, 1,000 Bolívares, 2,000 Bolívares, 5,000 Bolívares, 10,000 Bolívares, 20,000 Bolívares. |
Gastronomy |
Three dishes define the unity of traditional Venezuelan cuisine. The "arepa" and "el pabellón", which are consumed all year round, and "la hallaca" which is at the heart of the Christmas gastronomy. The "arepa", made of maiz flour, can be eaten on its own, as a side dish, stuffed, as a main course and as fast food.
"El pabellón" consists of shredded beef, black beans (caraotas negras), white rice and slices of fried plantain (tajadas). "La hallaca" is a combination of a stew made of different kinds of meat, olives, capers and a selection of seasonings. All this is stuffed into a maize flour dough which then is wrapped in plantain leaves.
Apart from this there is a wide variety of regional dishes. In the Andes: "La pisca", "el mute" and the "ajiceros trujillanos". In the Llanos: "los pisillos de res", "chiguire" or deer. In Guayana: "el pelao de gallina" and the "turrón de merey". In Lara: "la olleta de gallo". In Falcón the "chivo". In the Eastern Coast the "arepa pelada" and the "mero". In the Central Region: the "cachapas" and in Zulia: the "huevos chimbos" |
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