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Location:
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Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana
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Geographic coordinates:
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8 00 N, 66 00 W
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Map references:
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south america
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Area:
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total: 912,050 sq km
water: 30,000 sq km
land: 882,050 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than twice the size of California
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Land boundaries:
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total: 4,993 km
border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km
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Coastline:
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2,800 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 15 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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Climate:
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tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
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Terrain:
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Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds
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Land use:
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arable land: 2.95%
other: 96.13% (2001)
permanent crops: 0.92%
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Irrigated land:
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540 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
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Geography - note:
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on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall
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