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Weather: Caracas, Venezuela
City Guides and Maps: Venezuela
January 22, 1997
(CNN) -- The drop in oil prices didn't help. Neither did the political instability and a drastic currency devaluation. But Venezuela, with the world's highest waterfall, miles of beaches, snow-topped mountains, rolling plains, tropical islands, mighty rivers and dense jungles, has found a shelter from the storm through tourism.
Situated on the northern coast of South America, Venezuela is the size of France and Germany put together, and has more than 20 million inhabitants. A leading oil producer and a founding member of OPEC, Venezuela is one of South America's richest countries and enjoys the continent's highest rate of growth. The climate is tropical, with more temperate areas along the coast.
From the snow-capped Andes Mountains in the west and dense Amazonian jungles in the south to the stunningly beautiful Gran Sabana plateau in the east, and the white-sand beaches lining the Caribbean coast, Venezuela offers visitors great diversity. And it's readily accessible.
Flying time to the capital Caracas is five hours from New York and three hours from Miami. Flights also leave from Los Angeles, but they are routed through Miami. There is no railway in Venezuela, which means buses are the primary form of transportation. Buses frequently leave from the main Caracas bus terminal to almost every corner of the country, and despite inflation, prices remain moderate.
Bigger than Niagara
Venezuela is rich in plant and animal life. The country is host to 15 percent of all the world's species of birds, and 40 percent of the over 3,000 bird species found in South America live within its borders. For bird-watching, the vast plains region of Los Llanos and the Parque Nacional Henri Pittier are among the best places to visit.Camaima, with a chain of seven magnificent waterfalls, hosts some of the world's most magnificent sights. Salto Angel, the world's highest waterfall, with an uninterrupted drop of 807 meters -- 16 times the height of Niagara Falls -- is located nearby. And in the southeast is the fascinating landscape of the Gran Sabana, where earth remains much as it was a thousand years ago.
The Camaima National Park in the Gran Sabana is a paradise for nature lovers and photographers. There, visitors can see the beautiful scenery that inspired the book "Jurassic Park." One of the two parts of the planet never covered by the ocean, the Camaima National Park features distinctive flat-topped mountains called tepuis. Over the years, the area has developed unique plants and animals, exclusive to each tepuis.
The rivers that converge in the waterfalls at Camaima comprise major water sources of the world. And for those interested in ecotourism, the park offers government-licensed tour companies that balance enjoyment of the environment with responsible tourism.
Getting around the country
The great expanse of plain, the Ilanos, between the populated northern coastline and the rain forest in the south and east, is Venezuela's version of the Wild West. Here, cowboys called Ilaneros, spend their lives herding cattle across trackless plains.
The Andes Mountains on the western border of Venezuela, feature permanently snow-capped peaks. The most unusual habitat associated with these mountains is the paramos, a specialized life zone that occurs in South America only in the Andes. Many endemic plants are found in this region.
East of Maracaibo, the oil capital of Venezuela, stretch some 1,100 miles of beaches, from coves with coral reefs just off shore, to the island maze of the Orinoco delta where the hunting and gathering Guaraunos live in houses on stilts.
Venezuela is home to 32 national parks and 14 national monuments. And to preserve the country's precious resources, the country has 40 protected zones for future land use, five critical areas, nine watersheds, one protected forest, protected agricultural zones, two fauna reserves, and four fauna refuges. Enjoy!
Weather: Caracas, Venezuela
City Guides and Maps: Venezuela
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