Venezuela

American  

[ven-uh-zwey-luh, ve-ne-swe-lah] / ˌvɛn əˈzweɪ lə, ˌvɛ nɛˈswɛ lɑ /

noun

1. a republic in northern South America. 352,143 sq. mi. (912,050 sq. km). Caracas.

2. Also called Maracaibo.  Gulf of Venezuela. a gulf of the Caribbean Sea between northwestern Venezuela and northern Colombia, connecting with Lake Maracaibo. 75 miles (120 km) long and up to 150 miles (240 km) wide.

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Venezuela British  

/ ˌvɛnɪˈzweɪlə /

noun

1. Official name: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.  a republic in South America, on the Caribbean: colonized by the Spanish in the 16th century; independence from Spain declared in 1811 and won in 1819 after a war led by Simón Bolívar. It contains Lake Maracaibo and the northernmost chains of the Andes in the northwest, the Orinoco basin in the central part, and the Guiana Highlands in the south. Exports: petroleum, iron ore, and coffee. Official language: Spanish. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: bolívar. Capital: Caracas. Pop: 28 459 085 (2013 est). Area: 912 050 sq km (352 142 sq miles)

2. an inlet of the Caribbean in NW Venezuela: continues south as Lake Maracaibo

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Venezuela Cultural  

1. Republic in northern South America, bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Guyana to the east, Brazil to the south, and Colombia to the southwest and west. Its capital and largest city is Caracas.

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Discover More

Venezuela became independent from Spain in 1821.

Venezuela is rich in oil, which accounts for about ninety percent of its export income. Because of its revenue from oil, Venezuela has the highest per capita national income in Latin America. It was a founder of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Example Sentences

Meantime, increase oil production in the U.S. and Venezuela to mitigate the oil shortages.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas was in the starting lineup for the team’s 4-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday, the same day as the funeral of his father in Venezuela.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Venezuela on Thursday threw open the country's vast mineral reserves to private investment, less than three months after rolling back state control over the oil sector, in line with US demands.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

"We think we can take that up another 50% so call it somewhere around 350,000 to 400,000 barrels a day of just the Chevron share of our position in Venezuela."

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Virgilio Morales has recently returned from Venezuela where he earned his medical degree.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez