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Map courtesy of pbs.org |
Roughly twice the size of California, Venezuela lies at the northernmost extreme of South America and is bordered by Colombia, Brazil and Guyana. It boasts a majestic landscape ranging from snow-capped Andean peaks in the west, Amazonian jungles and broad savannahs in the south, and hundreds of miles of Caribbean beaches in the north. Venezuela is a highly urbanized country; its modern, sprawling capital of 4 million, Caracas, has one of the most dramatic settings among South American cities.
Because of its proximity to the equator, Venezuela does not have traditional seasons and climate varies by altitude. Coastal and lowland areas are hot year-round while the highlands have a more moderate climate. Most of the country has two distinct seasons: dry (November-May) and wet (June-October). Caracas, at about 3,000 ft., has one of the most pleasant climates in the world, with an average daytime high of 86 F and
cool evenings.
Venezuela’s population of 26 million includes inhabitants of European, Middle Eastern, and African ancestry, as well as indigenous peoples. Most Venezuelans are mestizos, with about 20 percent of the population European, 10 percent of African origin and 2 percent indigenous.
Venezuela economy is highly dependent on oil revenues, which account for roughly 90 percent of export earnings, more than 50 percent of the federal budget revenues, and around 30 percent of GDP. With 77 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, Venezuela ranks as the fifth-largest oil exporter in the world and the fourth-largest supplier of oil to the United States. Venezuela’s oil wealth has long been administered by the state oil company PDVSA, and the government has placed the few remaining oil operations in private hands under state control.
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Caracas, Venezuela - Photo courtesy of eTravelPhotos.com |
Commercial links between the two countries are strong. The United States is Venezuela’s most important trading partner, representing about a third of imports and approximately 60 percent of Venezuelan exports. In turn, Venezuela is the United States' third-largest export market in Latin America, purchasing goods such as machinery, transportation equipment, agricultural commodities and auto parts.
In 1998, Venezuelans elected President Hugo Chavez, a former army officer who led a coup attempt against the government in 1992. Once elected, he proclaimed a "Bolivarian revolution," named after South America's hero of independence Simon Bolivar, and more recently has announced his intention to create “Socialism for the 21st Century.” The charismatic Chavez has pursued populist policies aimed at helping the poor and concentrating power in his own hands. Oil revenues fund lavish social programs. Mr. Chavez has also sought to strengthen Venezuela’s regional influence, and to reduce U.S. influence, through diplomatic and economic overtures towards its neighbors in the hemisphere. The president won a third term in elections in December 2006 and in early 2007 he was granted sweeping powers to rule by decree for the next 18 months. Political polarization has characterized his term in office.
Venezuela has one of the highest literacy rates in the region; of Venezuelans age 15 and older, 93.4 percent can read and write. Every citizen is entitled to a free education. Nine years of education are compulsory.
Venezuela has a well-developed higher education system thathasexpanded greatly during the past half century. Excellent public and private universities cover all academic disciplines.Venezuela has nearly 50 institutions of higher education, with more than half a million students.
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Angel Falls, Venezuela
Photo courtesy of gosouthamerica.about.com |
As government-to-government relations between the U.S. and Venezuela become more strained, academic exchange has gained significance as a means of mutual understanding. The Fulbright Program in Venezuela has a long and vital history dating from the mid-1970s. Recent grantees have been drawn from fields as varied as anthropology, political science, education, music, film studies, geology, public health and conflict resolution. In collaboration with colleagues at private and public universities, they have conducted research, lectured to undergraduate and graduate students, worked on curriculum development, initiated exchange programs with Venezuelan institutions and published works. U.S. scholars in any discipline have much to contribute to maintaining international linkages and advancing mutual understanding, and scholars at all career levels with or without prior experience in Venezuela are welcome. Full-time research awards are available. On average four Fulbright grants are awarded each year to U.S. scholars. Please visit www.cies.org/award_book/award2008/country/WesVenVE.htm to view the opportunities available.
CIES encourages interested applicants to make use of the following links to complement their research into potential opportunities available in Venezuela. Please also feel free to contact CIES program staff if you have additional questions.
U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela
www.embajadausa.org.ve
Official site of the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela, with consular information, current news, and information on public affairs, with in-depth reports on political and economic issues.
Embassy of Venezuela, Washington D.C.
www.embavenez-us.org
An in-depth site with extensive news, political and economic information and news archives.
Embassy World Website
www.embassyworld.com/maps/Maps_Of_Venezuela.html
Links to a variety of interactive maps of Venezuela.
General Country Information |
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U.S. Department of State
www.state.gov/p/wha/ci/ve/
Background information on Venezuela including political conditions, foreign relations, relations with the U.S., history, people, government, economy and business.
Ministry of Tourism
www.mintur.gob.ve/portal/
Useful links regarding tourism and travel in Venezuela.
Ministry of Higher Education
www.mes.gov.ve/
Provides official government information on higher education in Venezuela
Nations Online Project, a worldwide portal and reference directory www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/venezuela.htm
World Travel Guide
www.worldtravelguide.net/country/300/country_guide/South-America/Venezuela.html
Travel information including information on sports, climate, business, health and good regional and city information.
Lonely Planet
www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/south-america/venezuela
Traveler's information on Venezuela, including sections on events, activities, culture and history.
Library of Congress
www.loc.gov/rr/international/hispanic/venezuela/venezuela.html
Comprehensive guide to many aspects of life in Venezuela gathered by regional experts at the Library of Congress.
USAID
www.usaid.gov/our_work/cross-cutting_programs/transition_initiatives/country/venezuela/index.html
Information on USAID programs in Venezuela.
DAI
www.dai.com/work/project_detail.php?pid=53
Information on recent DAI programs in Venezuela.
*All university Web sites are in Spanish.
The list below contains links to individual institutions that have hosted Fulbright scholars in the past or have expressed an interest in hosting a Fulbright scholar. Other affiliations are possible at universities in Caracas and other cities. Please visit www.braintrack.com for a more complete list of possible universities.
Central University of Venezuela in Caracas
www.ucv.ve
The University of the Andes in Merida
www.ula.ve
Simon Bolivar University in Caracas
www.usb.ve
The University of the Oriente
www.udo.edu.ve
Metropolitan University in Caracas
www.unimet.edu.ve
The University of Zulia in Maracaibo
www.luz.edu.ve
The University of Carabobo in Valencia
www.uc.edu.ve
Institute for Advanced Business Studies (IESA)
(graduate school of business and public management) www.iesa.edu.ve
El Universal – English version
http://english.eluniversal.com/
El Mundo
www.elmundo.com.ve/
ABYZ News Links
www.abyznewslinks.com/venez.htm
ABYZ provides a comprehensive list of newspapers and news media in Venezuela.
General Information on Latin America |
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U.S. Department of State - The Americas
http://usinfo.state.gov/wh/
U.S. news, reports, and policy relating to the Americas. Also includes links to numerous online journals.
Latin American Network Information Center
http://lanic.utexas.edu/
Comprehensive information about every aspect of Latin American life and culture, including specific information about Venezuela.
Political Database of the Americas
www.georgetown.edu/pdba/
A comprehensive database maintained by Georgetown University.
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