Travel to Venezuela include many tourist attractions in Venezuela. When Columbus explored Venezuela on his third voyage in 1498, the area was inhabited by Arawak, Carib, and Chibcha Indians. A subsequent Spanish explorer gave the country its name, meaning "Little Venice." Caracas was founded in 1567. Simón Bolívar, who led the liberation from Spain of much of the continent, was born in Caracas in 1783. With Bolívar taking part, Venezuela was one of the first South American colonies to revolt in 1810, winning independence in 1821. Federated at first with Colombia and Ecuador as the Republic of Greater Colombia, Venezuela became a republic in 1830. A period of unstable dictatorships followed.

Venezuela, a third larger than Texas, occupies most of the northern coast of South America on the Caribbean Sea. It is bordered by Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south. Mountain systems break Venezuela into four distinct areas: (1) the Maracaibo lowlands; (2) the mountainous region in the north and northwest; (3) the Orinoco basin, with the llanos (vast grass-covered plains) on its northern border and great forest areas in the south and southeast; and (4) the Guiana Highlands, south of the Orinoco, accounting for nearly half the national territory.

340,560 sq mi (882,050 sq km); total area: 352,144 sq mi (912,050 sq km)

25,730,435 (growth rate: 1.4%); birth rate: 18.7/1000; infant mortality rate: 21.5/1000; life expectancy: 74.5; density per sq mile: 76

Caracas, 3,517,300 (metro. area), 1,741,400 (city proper)

Maracaibo, 1,889,000 (metro. area), 1,854,300 (city proper); Valencia, 1,515,400; Barquisimeto, 948,900

Bolivar

Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects

Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people

Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%

93% (2003 est.)

Petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds.

Corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish.

Required by all except the following, who do, however, require a Tourist Entry Card (DEX-2), which is issued free of charge by an authorized air carrier on presentation of valid air tickets (including return or onward ticket) for stays of maximum 90 days (non-extendable):
(a) nationals of countries mentioned in the chart above, except 1. nationals of Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia and Malta who do need a visa.
2. (b) nationals of Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Grenada, Guatemala, Hong Kong (SAR), Iceland, Jamaica, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Romania, San Marino, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad & Tobago and Uruguay.

Tourist Entry Card: Free of charge (single-entry). Tourist: US$38 (multiple-entry). Business: US$75 (multiple-entry). Student: US$75 (multiple entry). Transit: US$38 (single-entry).

Tourist/Tourist Entry Cards: 90 days (tourist visas are valid for up to one year but only permit entry for 90 days in any one period). Business: 180 days. Transit: up to 72 hours.