The Republic of Venezuela is the sixth largest country in South America, but in variation its landscape rivals that of the much larger countries like Brazil and Argentina. In fact, comparing its geography really doesn't do it justice: the country is simply unique. Anyone who has ever seen a tepuis rising above Venezuela's Gran Sabana can testify that there's nothing really like it, anywhere. Venezuela Slideshow

Venezuela lies at the northern extreme of South America, bordered by Colombia to the West, Brazil to the South, Guyana to the East, and the Caribbean Sea to the North. In all, the country is just over 900,000 square kilometers and divided into 23 states. Its borders seem to hold all of South America in miniature: there are fine stretches of the Andes, huge areas of Amazonian rain forests, fertile plains known as llanos, miles of Caribbean shoreline, and even a small desert. The nation also has a few geographical superlatives, including the world's highest waterfall and South America's biggest lake.

Venezuela is as much a Caribbean country as it is a South American one. Parts of its shoreline could easily be mistaken for that of some paradisiacal Caribbean island, and at night the discos in Caracas come alive with rhythms from all over the Caribbean. If you looked under the earth, you might easily mistake Venezuela for an oil-rich Arabian country. The oil reserves are so vast, in fact, that from time to time engineers and surveyors drill in the wrong place by mistake, miles away from where they think they should be, only to end up finding oil anyway.

Because of its proximity to the Equator, Venezuela experiences few climatic variations. There are really only two seasons: dry and wet. Venezuela BeachThe dry season lasts from December to April, the wet one from May to November. The average temperature is about 27C, but cooler temperatures prevail at higher elevations, especially in the Andes, where jackets are needed.

People

An estimated 28 million people lived in Venezuela as of 2008. 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.

Geography

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: the Maracaibo lowlands;the mountainous region in the north and northwest; the Orinoco basin, with the llanos (vast grass-covered plains) on its northern border and great forest areas in the south and southeast; and the Guiana Highlands, south of the Orinoco, accounting for nearly half the national territory.

With the global community becoming more and more intermeshed, the practice of leaving your home country to seek out medical procedures, both those necessary for health or cosmetic purposes, has become commonplace. A few countries have become synonymous with medical tourism, offering everything from heart surgery, liver transplants, and dental surgery to cosmetic procedures, while others specialize in one area of the medical field.

While a handful of Asian countries have become experts in everything from root canals to hip replacements, South America is an up and coming place to go for cosmetic surgery. This has, to a large degree, to do with the proximity of the continent to North America.

With prices significantly cheaper than in the United States or Canada, Venezuela has become a high-traffic destination for medical tourism. Located on the north shores of South America, Venezuela is also defined by a group of islands off the coast, where many clinics are situated. These Caribbean islands offer a combination of top-notch cosmetic surgeons and a serene tropical paradise in which to facilitate the recovery process.

The clinics in Venezuela are geared towards the North American upper crust, and with prices that are significantly cheaper than in the US, they are coming in droves. The procedures on offer are as numerous and varied as in the best clinics in North America, and the well trained surgeons are of high repute.

History

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. Antonio Guzman Blanco governed from 1870 to 1888, developing an infrastructure, expanding agriculture, and welcoming foreign investment.

Gen. Juan Vicente Gómez was dictator from 1908 to 1935, when Venezuela became a major oil exporter. A military junta ruled after his death. Leftist Dr. Rómulo Betancourt and the Democratic Action Party won a majority of seats in a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution in 1946. A well-known writer, Rómulo Gallegos, candidate of Betancourt's party, became Venezuela's first democratically elected president in 1947. Within eight months, Gallegos was overthrown by a military-backed coup led by Marcos Peréz Jiménez, who was ousted himself in 1958. Since 1959, Venezuela has been one of the most stable democracies in Latin America. Betancourt served from 1959–1964, while Rafael Caldera Rodríguez, president from 1969 to 1974, legalized the Communist Party and established diplomatic relations with Moscow.

Venezuela benefited from the oil boom of the early 1970s. In 1974, President Carlos Andrés Pérez took office, and in 1976 Venezuela nationalized foreign-owned oil and steel companies, offering compensation. Luis Herrera Campíns became president in 1978. Declining world oil prices sent Venezuela's economy into a tailspin, increasing the country's foreign debt. Pérez was reelected to a nonconsecutive term in 1988 and launched an unpopular austerity program. Military officers staged two unsuccessful coup attempts in 1992, while the following year Congress impeached Pérez on corruption charges. President Rafael Caldera Rodríguez was elected in Dec. 1993 to face the 1994 collapse of half of the country's banking sector, falling oil prices, foreign debt repayment, and inflation. In 1997, the government announced an expansion of gold and diamond mining to reduce reliance on oil.

Despite a rough history, Venezuelans are infamous in South America for their easy-going nature and fun-loving spirit. Their national mythology hails back to the days when independent and rugged settlers tamed the lawlessness of the llanos, a heritage not unlike that of the American West. Most Venezuelans them come from a mix of European, Indian, and African roots, while a minority are exclusively white, black, or Indian. Roman Catholicism is the overwhelmingly dominant religion.

Transportation

Air Transport

The main international airport is Simon Bolivar International Airport (locally known as Maiquetia airport) located in the Vargas state. It is approximately a 30-minute ride from Caracas. Buses are available during the day.Continental Airlines links Caracas to Houston daily Newark weekly. American Airlines offers daily flights from Miami, San Juan, Dallas and New York. Delta Airlines offers a daily flight from Atlanta. Air Canada offers a direct flight from Toronto four times a week.

Road Transport

Venezuela has road links with Colombia and Brazil. The road crossing to Brazil, not far from the frontier town of Santa Elena de Uairén, is a long way from most tourist destinations in Venezuela and so not a common point of entry. Border controls are tight and all travelers arriving from Boa Vista are expected to have visas

Handicrafts

Hammocks and some dark wooden handicrafts can be found throughout Venezuela, as well as gaudy painted statuettes of big-busted women. Some areas such as Falcón state have a tradition of excellent glazed pottery.

Places To Visit

Situated on the northern coast of South America, the places to see in Venezuela set the stage for a vacation you'll never forget. The country is filled with numerous mainland memories and island getaways enhanced by the surrounding wildlife and greenery, as well as the engaging allure of the tropical climate. Within Latin America, the country is known as one of the most urban hot spots to check out. Wildlife enthusiasts and lovers of art are truly in paradise, as they explore all of the interesting places to visit in Venezuela.

Central Venezuela
Most of the inhabitants of the country are found here, where great beaches and large cities greet travelers. Some of the more popular towns to check out include Miranda and Vargas.

Angel Falls
Situated in Guiana Highlands, this is one of the most unique places to travel to Venezuela because you will come face to face with the highest waterfall in the world. This is definitely one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country. The landscape is also quite mesmerizing, as grasslands, dense jungle, rivers, and majestic mountains surround the region.

Coro
This is where you will find the first capital of Venezuela, which provides a glimpse at the richness of colonial architecture of the area.

Merida
With the Andes Mountains as an intriguing backdrop, visitors enjoy the many outdoor pursuits found at this destination.

Canaima National Park
The Gran Sabana region is found in the southern-positioned Bolivar State, where a collection of waterfalls and lagoons are the main attractions that create daylong trips to the base of Angel Falls. Some of the creatures awaiting your arrival includes monkeys, blue-cheeked parrots, king vultures, and porcupines.

Caracas
One of the most popular places to visit in Venezuela is called Caracas, which offers surroundings comprised of high mountains and inviting hillsides.

Isla de Margarita
Many coastal islands are attached to Venezuela, including this one, which serves as one the most popular places to visit in Venezuela that tourists truly cannot get enough of.

Los Llanos
Bird watchers often make plans to check out the wonders that await their arrival at this site, where other interesting critters are found within this space. Here, tourists may come across the likes of anaconda, caiman, and wildcat.

Caribbean Islands
When you wish to explore the islands attached to the country, check out Windward Islands, which is one of the largest yacht charter companies in the world. Here, they can arrange for crewed charters to investigate the deep blue sea surrounding Venezuela.