Venezuela: Geography Shaped by Oil (w music)

Venezuela’s geography is one of the most extreme in South America — from Caribbean beaches to the Andes

Mountains, vast grasslands, and dense Amazon rainforest. The Andes reach

Venezuela’s northwest, creating cooler climates and fertile valleys that shaped early settlements

and trade routes. To the south lie the Llanos — massive seasonal plains that flood and dry

each year, supporting cattle culture and some of the country’s most important rivers.

The Orinoco River system drains much of the country, acting as a natural highway long before

modern roads existed. But Venezuela’s most famous geographic feature lies underground — it holds the largest

proven oil reserves on Earth, concentrated in the Orinoco Oil Belt.