Location: | Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana |
| Geographic coordinates: | 8 00 N, 66 00 W |
| Map references: | South America |
| Area: | total: 912,050 sq km
water: 30,000 sq km
land: 882,050 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly more than twice the size of California |
| Land boundaries: | total: 4,993 km
border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km |
| Coastline: | 2,800 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 15 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
| Climate: | tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands |
| Terrain: | Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m |
| Natural resources: | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds |
| Land use: | arable land: 2.95%
other: 96.13% (2001)
permanent crops: 0.92% |
| Irrigated land: | 540 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts |
| Environment - current issues: | sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands |
| Geography - note: | on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall
Source: CIA World Factbook
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