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:
Area - comparative: Land boundaries:
Coastline: Maritime claims:
Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: Land use:
Irrigated land: Total renewable water resources: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note:
total:
912,050 sq km
country comparison to the world: 33
land:
882,050 sq km
water:
30,000 sq km
Area comparison map:
total:
4,993 km
border countries:
Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
2,800 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea:
12 nm
contiguous zone:
15 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
continental shelf:
200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
More Climate Details
Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point:
Pico Bolivar 5,007 m
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds
arable land:
2.85%
permanent crops:
0.71%
other:
96.44% (2011)
10,550 sq km (2008)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
1,233 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total:
9.06 cu km/yr (23%/4%/74%)
per capita:
358.6 cu m/yr (2008)
subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts
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
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
on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall