Discover 21 Fascinating Fun Facts About Venezuela: Culture, Nature, and More!

1. The Real-Life Chocolate Factory

Who needs Willy Wonka when you have Venezuela? This South American paradise is a real-life chocolate factory: Venezuelan cocoa beans, sourced from regions like Porcelana, Ocumare, Canoabo, and more, are coupled with its stellar soil and climate, blessing your taste buds with some of the most exquisite chocolate known to humankind.
Source => cluboenologique.com

2. Pirate-Approved Gold Mines

When pirates aren’t busy searching for buried treasure or swashbuckling their way through the seas, they may just turn to the Venezuelan gold mines for their shiny desires: The Bolívar region in Venezuela hosts the Las Brisas-Las Cristinas mines, holding up to ten million ounces of gold and a billion and a half pounds of copper, only to be commandeered by the infamous “pranatos'', organized crime groups who terrorize locals and make Scrooge McDuck jealous of their plunder.
Source => insightcrime.org

Did you know that Colombia is not only home to the world's finest coffee but also houses over 1,800 bird species, 3,200 types of plants, and unique creatures like the Andean condor and the spectacled bear? 🐻☕🌿 Explore the wild side of this amazing country!

=> Fun Facts about Colombia

3. Versatile Venezuelan Tunes

From livening up a hoedown in the plains to provoking hip-swaying in the city, Venezuelan tunes have quite the versatile range – much like your aunt's famous seven-layer dip at family gatherings: Home to infectious joropo tunes and African-inspired rhythms like sangueo and tamborera, Venezuela is also renowned for classical composers like Antonio Lauro and Gustavo Dudamel, not to mention pop culture heroes such as salsa star Oscar D'Leon and indie rockers La Vida Bohème.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. World's Tallest Waterfall

If the magnificent Angel Falls could speak, it would surely say, "I'm not tall, I'm vertically gifted": Venezuela boasts the world's tallest uninterrupted waterfall, standing proudly at 979 meters (3,212 feet) high with a plunge of 807 meters (2,648 feet). Situated in the spectacular Canaima National Park, this awe-inspiring natural wonder is named after the high-flying U.S. aviator Jimmie Angel, and remains one of Venezuela's top tourist attractions.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Mysterious Mount Roraima

Imagine the Great Plateau from The Legend of Zelda had a love child with a dramatic, moody post-rock album cover: what would you get? None other than the awe-inspiring Mount Roraima! This natural marvel, located in Venezuela, stands a whopping 2,810 meters above sea level, boasts a flat, 31 square kilometer top surrounded by staggering 400-meter-tall cliffs, and functions as a prime spot for hikers to bump into uniquely isolated flora and fauna species that took "social distancing" to a whole new level for thousands of years.
Source => stingynomads.com

6. The Breathtaking National Tree

If you think you're fashionable by choosing the trendiest colors each spring, just wait until you meet Venezuela's national tree, stealing the show with its stunning golden blooms: The araguaney proudly parades its vibrant yellow flowers after the rainy season, reaching heights of up to 12 meters, as immortalized by author Rómulo Gallegos in "the golden spring of the araguaneyes" phrase. While it's a natural party-starter, don't expect a group hug – the tree is known for its sturdy wood but not for its warm cuddling.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. A Beary Successful Brewery

In a twist straight outta Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Venezuela's favorite brew has a frosty mascot who's just right: Empresas Polar, the nation's largest brewery, doesn't just produce the beloved Polar Pilsener beer but has expanded into various sectors of the food and beverage industry. This beary successful business was established in 1941 by Lorenzo Alejandro Mendoza Fleury, Rafael Lujan, and Karl Eggers in Caracas—serving up ice-cold pilseners with a side of bear puns ever since!
Source => thisdrinkinlife.medium.com

8. Capybaras: Fish or Mammal?

When the Vatican played "Whose Mammal is it Anyway?": In Venezuela, capybaras are considered fish during Lent, all thanks to a 400-year-old case of mistaken identity! Spanish missionaries wanted locals to have enough protein during Lent, so they asked the Vatican to classify the gargantuan rodent as a fish. The tradition persists today but has caused a decrease in capybara population due to hunting and habitat changes.
Source => sun-sentinel.com

9. The Fluffy Poodle Moth

In a hair-raising turn of events reminiscent of a 1980s hair band reunion, Venezuela’s Canaima National Park revealed its own answer to a fur-coated rockstar: the “Venezuelan poodle moth.” This magnificent, yet elusive, fluffy sensation titillated the scientific world but left many wondering what breed of moth it truly is: The mysterious Venezuelan poodle moth, first and only photographed in 2009 by Dr. Arthur Anker, remains an unidentified species that potentially belongs to the Artace genus and has never been sighted again, despite subsequent expeditions to this wildlife haven.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. The Stylish Liqui Liqui

Move over, James Bond in your tuxedo, and make way for the suave Venezuelan hombre sporting a stylish liqui liqui: This traditional outfit from the Llanos region features a sleek jacket with a rounded Nehru-style collar, full-length trousers and is often accompanied by alpargata sandals and a llanero hat, making the modern gentleman feel dapper and connected to his rich roots all at once.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

11. Handheld Culinary Masterpieces

Move over, sandwich artists: the real masterpieces of handheld cuisine might just hail from Venezuela! Arepas—deliciously versatile little cornmeal pockets—rule the culinary roost in this South American nation: These tasty treats are made from pre-cooked and ground corn meal, water, and salt, and can be stuffed with an endless array of ingredients like reina pepiada, carne mechada, dominó, perico, pulpo, cochino, sardinas, or even just butter, ham, and cheese. Enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, there's no wrong time to indulge in the ultimate Venezuelan delight!
Source => familiakitchen.com

12. Fashion-Forward National Bird

Who invited the orange carpet to the bird party? Venezuela's troupial, that's who: With its black and orange ensemble, this fashion-forward avian not only holds the title of Venezuela's national bird, but also thrives in Colombia, the Caribbean, and Puerto Rico, flaunting its whimsical neck feathers and striking white wing-eyeliner in an array of habitats like a true trendsetter.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

13. Floating on Black Gold

If oil's well that ends well, Venezuela is indeed sitting pretty on a slick fortune: With its economy floating on a black gold mine, oil contributes about a third of the nation's GDP and a whopping 80% of its exports, making it OPEC's fifth-largest member in terms of oil production.
Source => www1.oanda.com

14. Beauty Queen Champions

When beauty queens reign supreme, Venezuela is the heavyweight champ in tiaras and sashes: With a whopping 23 titles under their jeweled belts, they outshine any other nation in the Big Four international beauty pageant circuit, comprising of Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth, thanks to the styling finesse of Osmel Sousa.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

15. Daring Cowboy Sport

In Venezuela, cowboys don't just ride off into the sunset; they chase it while tumbling cattle for sport: Welcome to coleo, a traditional and daring pastime where male and female llaneros (cowboys) race at breakneck speeds to grab a calf by its tail and drag it until it stumbles, with the champion cow wrangler taking home the glory.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

16. World's Most Beautiful Beach

If you've ever fantasized about retiring to an island filled with beautiful coconuts, we meant beautiful beaches, and sipping on piña coladas all day, then we've got the beach for you: Cayo de Agua in Los Roques, Venezuela, has been named one of the most beautiful beaches in the world by National Geographic, due to its breathtaking turquoise waters and ethereal natural sand bridge, which undoubtedly make it a vision of paradise.
Source => matadornetwork.com

17. Stylish Primate Hair Salon

Who knew Venezuela had its own primate hair salon? Introducing the fabulous, ever-stylish brown weeper capuchin with its signature dark wedge of hair on its forehead: This rare species of gracile capuchin monkey can only be found in the Western Venezuelan Llanos, might make an appearance in Trinidad, and stands out with its thick brown fur, making it a truly unique and fascinating sight in the forests of Venezuela.
Source => animalia.bio

18. Unique Stingless Bees

Who needs honey when you've got Sting playing "Fields of Gold" in the background? In Venezuela, they take honey to the next level: The country is home to over 40 species of stingless bees, including Melipona and Trigona, which produce honeys with higher moisture content and acidity compared to their Apis mellifera counterparts but don't meet international quality requirements.
Source => apidologie.org

19. Soaring Cable Car System

In Venezuela, you can quite literally soar high and feel like Zeus, surveying his mighty empire from atop Mount Olympus: The Mérida Cable Car stretches across 12.5 kilometers and reaches an elevation of 4,765 meters, making it the highest and second longest cable car system in the world. Opened in 1960, it briefly closed in 2008 for a modern-day makeover and reopened in October 2016, with upgraded cable cars capable of zipping 36 passengers at a speed of 5 meters per second.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

20. Ancient Ball-Tossing Pastime

Before the world knew the mad frenzy of tossing Pikachu-shaped balls to capture creatures, one country had perfected the art of ball-tossing competitions: Venezuela's favorite pastime, Bolas Criollas, has teams throwing colored solid balls on an obstacle-free rectangle, aiming to get as close to a tiny target called the mingo. The game continues until a team racks up 100 points and claims victory in this bocce-meets-pétanque-style showdown.
Source => topendsports.com

21. Plastic Surgery Paradise

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all in Venezuela? Pretty much anyone with access to a good surgeon and a bank account: The country boasts such a passion for beauty enhancements that plastic surgery is wildly popular among both men and women, with banks even offering affordable loans specifically for these procedures.
Source => people.howstuffworks.com