Page last updated on February 21,

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
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 33
land: 882,050 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 30,000 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]

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
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
2,800 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

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
More Climate Details

Terrain:
Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Pico Bolivar 5,007 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds

Land use:
arable land: 2.85%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0.88%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: 96.27% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
5,800 sq km (2008)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
1,233.2 cu km (2000)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 8.37 cu km/yr (6%/7%/47%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 313 cu m/yr (2000)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - per capita country ranks ]

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed but not ratified:: none of the selected agreements

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