Official Name:
República Bolivariana de Venezuela

History: 
Discovery by Cristobal Colón in his third voyage in 1498

Located:
Venezuela is located in the northest corner of South  América, just above the Equator. The Caribbean acts a northern  boundary, With the Atlantic ocean and Guyana to the east, Brazsil to the south  and Colombia to the west.

Área:
912,050km2. (352,150 sq miles), aproximately 2.5 time the size of California.

Capital:
Caracas. Estimate populations:5 million inhabitats .

Languaje:
Spanish. English is taught. Many high-level executives and professional speak  it fluently.

Climate:
Tropical, but the temperature vary considerably with altitude . The wheather is cooler from november throught February. the hottest month are july  and August. Caracas may have Temeperatures averaging  30°C (86°F).
ADespite temperature variations, the only real seasons in Venezuela are the rainy season (May to November), locally known as “winter”, and the dry season (December through May), locally known as summer.

Geographical highlights:

- The highest waterfall in the world: Angel Falls

- The largest and oldest cave in South America (5 mi or 9 km): Guácharo Cave

- The third-longest river in South America(1.290 mi or 2.077 km longer): Orinoco River

- The highest and longest aerial cable car in the world (8 mi or 13 km): Teleférico de Mérida

- The largest lake in South America (5.400 sq mi or 13.986 sq km): Lake Maracaibo  

- One of the longest Compressed concrete structure in the world (4,96 mi or 8 km): Rafael Urdaneta Bridge over Lake Maracaibo

- The oldest Spanish city still in existence in Latin America, founded in 1521: Cumaná

Clothings:
Overcoats and woolen scarves can be left behind, unless rough camping in the Andes is on agenda.
What you might need is plenty of cool, summer clothes.  Some warmer sweaters or woolen spring-weight blazers will be needed during the cooler months from November trough February.
Informal clothing is best for daywear, a sweater/jacket for cooler evenings. Suit and tie (for men) may be required for some events.

Personal Care:
In Venezuela it is customary to take at least one shower and use deodorant every day (even in the rain season).  Also is habitual to change clothes daily.

Currency Exchange:
Generally speaking, it is advisable to arrive in the country with US dollars in hand.  Possibilities of exchanging any other currency can range from difficult to none at all. Likewise, traveler checks are practically unheard of in shops around the country and may come in handy only in five-star hotels and banks.
Payments with international credit and debit cards will be accepted at many establishments.
The biggest exchange house in the country is Italcambio with offices in the Airport, Caracas and all major cities.  The telephone numbers for Italcambio in Caracas, (Altamira) are: 265.50.87 / 261.01.18 / 262.06.14
We would advise students to bring cash and exchange funds as needed. Current official exchange rate is Bs. 2.150 per dollar.

Value Added Tax:

A value added tax of 11% is charged on most goods and services in Venezuela.

Sunburn and heat related illnesses:
Venezuela’s location in the tropics makes sunburn and heat-related illnesses a problem at any altitude – something newcomers often learn the hard way.
The American Academy of Dermatologists now recommend that North Americans do not start their days without first coating their exposed skin with a sunscreen with a SPF of a minimum of 15.  This practice is even more important in Venezuela.
At the beach, a sunscreen should be used with a higher SPF of at least 20

120 volts, 60 cycle, single phase AC current

Want to know more about Venezuela?

Take a Walk around Venezuela  

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