Venezuela: Geography and Environment

Venezuela sits on the northern coast of South America along the Caribbean Sea, and its geography includes several distinct regions. The Andes mountains extend into the northwest, Lake Maracaibo and its surrounding lowlands, one of the country's major oil producing basins, lie to the west, and the central Llanos form a vast expanse of tropical plains drained by the Orinoco River, one of the longest rivers in South America.

In the southeast, the Guiana Highlands rise into a landscape of ancient plateaus known as tepuis, including Angel Falls, the world's tallest uninterrupted waterfall. Climate is tropical throughout but varies with elevation, from hot lowland plains to cooler conditions in the Andes and on the highland plateaus.

Environmental priorities include managing deforestation and illegal mining pressures in the Guiana Highlands and Amazon adjacent regions, and addressing pollution linked to oil extraction around Lake Maracaibo. Venezuela's tepui ecosystems, isolated for millions of years, also support unique biodiversity that conservation efforts aim to protect.