Introduction

A recent movie titled “Up” depicted the landscape of the country Venezuela in South America. If you look on a map between 60 and 74 degrees West Latitude and between 13 and 2 degrees North Longitude you will find the beautiful country Venezuela.  This country is a neighbor of Columbia and its capital is Caracas. Places like Angle Falls, Andes Mountains, or the Orinoco River are just to name a few that are remarkable landforms and places to see.

People everyday make assumptions and misperceptions about places or people they don’t know about. One misconception is that the country of Venezuela is unstable and corrupt. Another misconception is that this country is dangerous, because there are a large number of kidnappings.  There is also a misconception on oil markets and how Chaves keeps the prices low for his country. This country has its good things and bad things just like every other country.

Caracas Venezuela
http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/country_information.php?Pays=VEN

Misconception 1: Danger in Venezuela

                Many people visit this country year round. Most of the time people think that you have to watch everywhere you go and what you do. In some places it’s very dangerous but in others you will find it to be the most beautiful place you have ever been to. Caracas which is the capital of Venezuela has the world's highest murder rate. Caracas  has become the deadliest city in the world. A total of 7,676 people were killed in the Metropolitan Area of Caracas in 2009. That is near one murder every hour and a half. There have been 43,792 homicides in Venezuela since 2007, according to the violence observatory. As research has shown, the capital is a very violent place, but if you move to the farm lands or communities in rural areas it’s very different.  

http://www.islamargarita.com/canaima.htm

            If you come to Venezuela you have to visit the remarkable landforms and natural landmarks. Angels Falls is the world’s highest waterfall (Canaima) at 979 meters (3,212 feet) tall. Angel Falls is located in the state of Bolívar in Venezuela. This is a remarkable place to visit, but for many it’s a challenge to get to. You have to fly to a camp and go on a river to travel there. The Andes Mountains and Orinoco River are also incredible to see. If you are careful and visit the right places, it’s a different experience then going to the towns in Caracas. Misperceptions are all over, it’s knowing and accepting their culture and way of life before we make a perception.

                                                                                                                                            Angel Falls

Misconception 2: Unstable and Corrupt

                We can assume that Venezuela is unstable because of the government and its president. Venezuela has been ranked as one of the most corrupt (World) countries since the survey for the country started in 1995. In 2010 it was ranked 164, out of 178 countries. There are two major reasons one is oil and the other is cocaine. This is because there is a large area of drug producing regions. President Hugo Chávez knows how to keep his country happy. He keeps his oil prices to a minimum. This is part of the reason, Chávez has made it this long. Also, people might think this because in some parts of the country, there isn’t a lot of money so it appears to be broken down or not taken care of.

Image 3

            Relations between the United States and Venezuela have been harsh for some time. Since taking office, Chávez has sold oil to Cuba. Cuba is a longtime adversary of the United States - and resisted U.S. plans to stop narcotics trafficking in nearby Colombia. He has been a major oil supplier to our country. We struggle and need the oil so get most of our supply from Venezuela. This country is always changing and that’s why some people think it’s not a stable country. Chávez plays a huge role in the country and has made a lot of changes. For example, the money currency is Bolivar("Bolívar). It’s easy to see how people think this country is unstable and corrupt but in many cases it’s not. If you look at it from a different perspective many other countries have the same problems and make just as many decisions and changes.

Misconception 3: Oil and Gas

            For many countries, it’s not easy access to oil and gas. We get our supply from other countries. In the United States, one of our largest oil suppliers comes from Venezuela.  Statistics show that Venezuela is the United States’ fifth largest supplier of imported petroleum. They had 211 billion barrels of proven oil reserves (Country) in 2011, the second largest the world. Last year the same publication listed the country’s reserves at 99.4 billion barrels. They produce so much oil but at the same time give it to other places also. The United States imports from Venezuela have declined in recent years. In 2010, the United States imported 987,000 bbl/d of crude oil and petroleum products. That’s 8.3 percent of total American imports.

            Besides the United States, other important places of Venezuelan petroleum exports include the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. One of the fastest growing destinations of Venezuelan crude oil exports has been China. In 2010, China imported 125,900 bbl/d of crude oil from Venezuela (Country), the number increased from 39,000 bbl/d in 2005. As you can see, Venezuela produces an incredible amount of oil and supplies it to several other countries. If you convert their gas prices to ours, it is about 8.5 cents a gallon. It’s ironic to see how our gas supply comes from a country whose gas is so cheap for most Americans.

Oil and Gas Graph

Conclusion

                Venezuela is a beautiful place to live and visit with strong points, and downfalls, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There are many misconceptions that add to its reputation. Some things are true but many things are also false. People can assume many things from newspapers, travels, TV or other media sites. The citizens of the country are the only ones who actually know what it’s like to live here. There are not only misconceptions on what we think but there is also what they think of America. Venezuela is a beautiful place to live and visit. I’m really glad I was able to learn and experience the true Venezuela. I would love to visit this wonderful country one day, and be able to experience it for myself.

Works Cited

"Aangirfan: False flag ops in Venezuela." Aangirfan. Blogspot, 9 Feb. 2009. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://aangirfan.blogspot.com/2009/02/false-flag-ops-in-venezuela.html>.

"Bolívar fuerte." Britannica. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1068976/bolivar-fuerte>.

"Canaima National Park & Angel Falls, Venezuela." Isla Margarita: Your guide to Margarita Island, Venezuela. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://www.islamargarita.com/canaima.htm>.

"Disney/Pixar's Up - Official Trailer      - YouTube  ." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.  . N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://youtu.be/ORFWdXl_zJ4>.

"The World Factbook." The World Factbook. N.p., 18 Apr. 2012. Web. 7 May 2012. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ve.html>.

"Turbulent, Troubled Venezuela - Venezuela - Travel Safety Hub - WorldNomads.com - WorldNomads Adventures." World Nomads Adventures. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://journals.worldnomads.com/safetyhub/story/75220/Venezuela/Turbulent-Troubled-Venezuela>.

"Venezuela." Country Analysis Briefs. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2012. <www.eia.gov/cabs/venezuela/oil.html>.

"Venezuela ." Welcome to Travel.State.Gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1059.html>.

"Venezuela : geography, population cities, map, flag, gdp gnp economy, tourism travel, climate." PENPALS for kids, students, Teacher ads, international penfriends, forums for kids, Blogs, free. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/country_information.php?Pays=VEN>.

"Venezuela Angel Falls." Angel Falls. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 July 2012. <http://www.angel-falls.com/>.

laws. "Venezuelan Facts." AVMO: Venezuelans Association in Missouri. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://www.avmo.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&Itemid=65>.

MLA formatting by BibMe.org.

Venezuela

Bobby Medlicott
Geography, per. 4

Venezuela

MURDER, VIOLENCE, CRIME! This seems to be all we hear about from the Republic of Venezuela. This country is beautiful, but it gets a bad rap due to several factors.  The violence that takes place within the country and the misperception that Hugo Chavez is a dictator deter people from going there. The world’s views on Venezuela are distorted and not accurate, which in turn, hurts the country itself. Many people think that Venezuela doesn’t have much to offer for the rest of the world. Well in no way is this true so these misconceptions need to be set straight.

            A huge reason that people don’t come to Venezuela is because of the country’s high crime rate. It has a high number of homicides and also has an extreme number of kidnappings each day. From July 2008 to July 2010 there were a total of 16,917 kidnappings, which is about 23 each day.  As for deaths due to these crimes, in 2009, Iraq recorded 4,644 murders. In Venezuela for the same year the body count reached over 16,000 murders. This country is very dangerous. For example, Major League Baseball player WilsonRamos was kidnapped in Venezuela this past November. Ramos is from Venezuela and was visiting his family when he was forced into a van at gunpoint. Fortunately, the baseball player was rescued alive and well. 

Image 1

                                                        
Now I can understand why these numbers would concern you, but there is a way to reduce your risk of getting into a dangerous situation and that is to be smart. The majority of all of the crimes committed in Venezuela take place in the bad parts of this country. Every country has bad parts where crime is an issue. It is just like any part of the world. Here in Chicago there is plenty of crime in the bad parts of the city and people try to stay away from the malicious atmosphere. You just have to be cautious and stay away from the bad parts of Venezuela because, like Chicago, this is an outstanding place that should belong on your travel itinerary.

            To go with the fear of the country for its crime many people are also afraid of the president Hugo Chavez.  People believe that Chavez is a dictator because he has been president for many terms. Well this is not at all true. In Venezuela there is no limitation as to how many terms someone can serve as president. There have been many elections and Chavez and his party have won every single one. The Organization of American States, European Union, and Carter Center have considered all of these elections free and fair. So Hugo Chavez is not a dictator at all. He has been a very good president for the country of Venezuela.

            Under Chavez the country of Venezuela has greatly prospered. The president has really focused on the education of his country. He has had the government give out nearly 2 million laptops to schools to increase computer literacy. This is not the only region that Chavez has helped out either. The health and economic development have benefitted greatly under the president. Unemployment and poverty have both significantly dropped along with the infant mortality rates. Chavez has done so much for this country, but he is still viewed as a dictator.

Image 2

            Another misconception of Venezuela is about its economy. Many people believe that due to the country’s tropical climate and coastline it is a just a huge fishing industry and that’s it. Well fishing does play a significant part in the economy, but not the biggest part.  Venezuela is a huge exporter of oil, natural gases, and petrochemicals. In fact, oil is a very big reason for the country’s prosperity. In fact, it is the one supporter of Venezuela’s economy. The oil industry brings in almost 80 percent of the export revenue, near half of the central government’s income, and about one-third of the country’s gross domestic product. The oil industry does not just help the Venezuelan economy. It is the Venezuelan economy.

            With oil being such a huge part of the economy many of the other industries in Venezuela’s economy are overlooked. Petroleum has risen respectively in the last years to become now one of Venezuela’s top industries.  The timber industry is doing very well too because 34 percent of the country is covered in trees. Coffee is another significant export. In the 1830s coffee was the biggest export for the country, but now that role has been filled by oil and petroleum.

            One of the more bothersome misconceptions of this country is that it has barely anything to offer to the rest of the world. There could not be any statement farther from the truth than that one. First of all, Venezuela has done wonders for the professional sports around the world. The Major League Baseball Associationhere in the United States has many native Venezuelan players. Some of these include Elvis Andrus, Asdrubal Cabrera, Miguel Cabrera, and Chicago’s own Ozzie Guillen.  Venezuelan athletes are all over not just United States sports, but world sports.

            Venezuelan contribution to the world does not stop at just sports. The United States import many items from the country.  Venezuela exports billions of dollars worth of oil and petroleum to not just the United States, but to the whole world since it is one of the leading exporters of these goods. This is not all though, Venezuela also exports millions of dollars worth of coal, fuels, fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, etc. The list just keeps on going. Venezuela has more than enough to offer to the world.

            The country of Venezuela is truly a remarkable place and definitely does not deserve the reputation that it has, but there is only one thing we can do about it. That is to take time and learn about this country so that are views on it are accurate and not all based on media. This country is a vital part of our world and should start getting treated like it.

Image 3

     

Works Cited

JAMES, MICHAEL S., KEVIN DOLAK, and CHRISTINA CARON. "Kidnapped Baseball Player Wilson Ramos Rescued -- Alive and Well in Venezuela." ABC News. ABC News Network, 11 Nov. 2011. Web. 06 May 2012. <http://abcnews.go.com/International/missing-baseball-player-wilson-ramos-found-alive/story?id=14930280>.

"Major League Baseball Players Born in Venezuela." Baseball Almanac. 2012. Web. 06 May 2012. <http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/birthplace.php?loc=Venezuela>.

Otis, John. "Has Hugo Chavez Really Helped the Poor in Venezuela | PRI's The World." The PRI's World. Medtronic Foundation, 5 July 2011. Web. 06 May 2012. <http://www.theworld.org/2011/07/has-hugo-chavez-really-helped-venezuelas-poor/>.

Reporting., SIMON ROMERO; María Eugenia Díaz Contributed. "The New York Times." The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 Aug. 2010. Web. 06 May 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/world/americas/23venez.html?pagewanted=all>.

"South of the Border - a Film by Oliver Stone." Media Misperceptions – Venezuela – The Spin vs. The Truth «. Web. 06 May 2012. <http://southoftheborderdoc.com/spin-vs-the-truth/>.

"Venezuela-Industry." Encyclopedia of the Nations. 2012. Web. 06 May 2012. <http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Venezuela-INDUSTRY.html>.

Images

3. Venezuela Beautiful Landscape. Digital image. Best Tourism. 9 Sept. 2010. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://www.bestourism.com/bests/bestimages?tag=-Venezuela>.

2. Venezuela Caribbean Coast. Digital image. Journey Latin America. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk/Holiday-Types/Tailor-Made/Holiday-List/Venezuela/Beach-Holidays-in-Venezuela.aspx>.

1. Wilson Ramos. Digital image. Abc News. 11 Nov. 2011. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://abcnews.go.com/International/missing-baseball-player-wilson-ramos-found-alive/story?id=14930280#.T6hqdu2LHdk>.

           

By: Teresa Tellez-4

Venezuela

            With a latitude and longitude of 9 degrees North and 66 degrees west and many religious celebrations being one of the misconceptions, Venezuela is the sixth most populous country in Latin America. Even though Venezuela has a population of 26,023,528this country has good food like street hot dogs and people are friendly. Venezuelans are characterized by their outgoing personalities. The second misconception is that Venezuela has too many political issues and finally the third is that they don’t have transportation due to their mountain ranges. Some of the pollutions there is in Venezuela is the sewage and oil pollution. One of the most important facts about Venezuela is that the independence is July 5^th. The flag of Venezuela is rectangular with three horizontal stripes of equal with yellow blue, and red. In the center of the blue stripe there are seven stars in the form of an arc that represent the seven original provinces that declared the independence and also the coat of arms has been added to the upper left corner of the flag. (http://www.questconnect.org/sa_venezuela.htm ) Venezuelans have a life expectancy of 73 years. In the following I will talk about the Location, Place, Movement and Regions of Venezuela.

            Source: (http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/04/4904-004-C3B192FF.gif)

          To start off with location Venezuela is located in the Northern of South America. Some major cities of this country are: Maracaibo, Valencia, Barquisimeto, Maracay Merica, and Ciudad Bolivar. Some of the major landforms are the Guina Highlands and the Llanos. The Guiana Highlands are about over 1,000 miles in length and they stretch from southern Venezuela to Northern border of Brazil. Llano is a very fertile plain located in eastern and Central and southern of Venezuela. (http://www.flightshotelstours.com/world-travel-destinations/venezuela-tours/tourist-attractions/ ) One of the most popular music in Venezuela is the Llanero music which is a rural type of music. Another style of music that is popular is the Gaita style but it is only played during Christmas seasons. This type of music was introduced by Africans that migrated to Venezuela and usually the themes of these songs are ranges from human to love. Finally one of the last types of music is the Fusion music and was created by artists by mixing rumba, Latin jazz, and salsa. Most of Venezuela’s music styles were imported from other places like Trinidad and Cuba.(http://40vacations.com/venezuela/culture.php)

  Source: (http://crln.org/files/images/Venezuela%20Map.jpg)


               Second of all place, the area of Venezuela is 912,050 square Km. Venezuela has a population of 26,023,528. Each year Venezuela has a population of growth of one percent. For the most part the population religion has a 96 percent of catholic, two percent protestant and two percent of other. The nationality is Venezuelan(s) and the main language is Spanish but there are also some who speak Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German and Indigenous. Venezuela’s natural resources are: Petroleum, Natural gas, Ironed ore, Gold, Bauxite, Hydropower and diamonds. The climate of Venezuela is tropical to temperate but it varies depending on the elevation. Venezuela has a 67% of Mestizo which is a mixture of European and Indian, two percent white, ten percent black and Amerindian with two percent. Venezuelans have three main meals which start off with a large breakfast, a large dinner around noontime and a very light supper in the evening. Some of the most popular foods in Venezuela are Empanadas which are deep fried pasties, Chachapas that is like a pancake/crepe dish filled with cheese, ham, or bacon. Venezuela does not have a very well education provided since only 20-30% of Venezuelans population goes through obtaining a university degree. Venezuela provides free education through twelve grades for all its population. Most of Venezuelans live under nuclear families which are both parents and siblings.
  Source: (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTY6p6E80HUrrSzagb2n8r0C-z4YFhxpsCSOP743QZOBrXdsSKy1_S3u_8WhV9TsF1nczzd_SvL32CHM9pqqJdwkwIhwFce2fmBkOpkRxlbb9XUfAZ5AhIFudhLcWapdX4eYP9QGXdpAjp/s1600/venez.JPG)
               Movement is very important in Venezuela since most of the population lives in the coast of Venezuela. Most of the key trading in Venezuela is from Brazil, China, Columbia and Mexico. Venezuela’s economic development has been slow to the communications and transportation due to their Mountain ranges. Another misconception is that because of their mountain ranges they don’t have transportation but, most of their stuff is transported by ship but know their president Hugo Chaves has announced The National Railway Development Plan which entails railway lines through the nation which was proposed in March 2009. Most of the holidays and traditions in Venezuela are very religious according to one of the misconceptions.  Really the month of December and January are the only months that Christmas is celebrated and is a religious holiday. Christmas begins with the religious celebrations since the 16^th of December with masses every morning until December 24^th with a religious service at midnight called Misa de Gallo. During the Christmas celebration they put up a nacimiento which is a “Nativity Scene”. Also January sixth is the day of Reyes Magos which is translated to the three wise kings and children receive toys and candies.(http://www.californiamall.com/holidaytraditions/traditions-Venezuela.htm)
             Region is also one of the most important places and terms since the political life is very popular in one of the misconception of Venezuela.  In 1999 colonel Hugo Chavez Frias was overwhelmingly voted into office as Venezuelans president. There are two main political parties and they are the social Christian and the left-leaning democratic action. Venezuela’s military includes an estimated eight thousand members divided into army, navy and air force. Men occupy most important political, economic social and religious positions in Venezuela so not everybody is engaged in the political life. Skyscrapers and a fountain in the plaza are located in Venezuela, Caracas. Some of the most popular tourist destinations in the world are the Andes Mountains, La Gran Sabana located in one of the biggest national parks of Venezuela, the Margarita Island which has a very pleasant climate and finally the Fashion Hub known for their fashion trend.(http://www.everyculture.com/To-Z/Venezuela.html)
                 Venezuela is another country with a beautiful nature and a great place to visit also. The Venezuelans have a special way to greet someone which is woman giving two kisses one on each cheek even if is their first time meeting to either men or woman. Men only greet woman with a kiss and not men to men. Venezuela has a unique meaning to the colors of the Venezuelans flag. The yellow strands stand for the richness of the Venezuelan earth, blue stands for the immense sea separating Venezuela from Spain, and finally red stands for the blood that was spilled in the battles for independence.  Its nature is incredible having 351 species of mammals, 341 reptiles, and 284 species of amphibians. Venezuela’s national bird is the Turpial. The national flower is the Flor De Mayo which is translated to May flower. Also the national tree is the Araguaney. The Andes Mountains is the home to the endangered South American bear plus many other birds too.