Venezuela, on the northern coast of South America, is home to an estimated 29.1 million people.
The official language is Spanish, although English is also spoken.
Venezuela is a federal presidential constitutional republic.
According to official government estimates, over 90% of the population is Roman Catholic. There is no official religion.
The bolívar fuerte (Bs.F.) is the currency of Venezuela. It is subdivided into 100 céntimos and replaced the bolívar in January 2008.