Venezuela
Country in South America
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is a country in northern South America on the Caribbean coast, bordering Guyana to the east, Brazil to the south, and Colombia to the west. It includes about forty islands, the largest of which is Margarita Island. The total area of the country is 912,050 km², and its capital and largest city is Caracas. As of February 2026, the country's population was estimated at over 28.5 million people.
The territory of Venezuela was inhabited by pre-Columbian peoples, and in 1498, Christopher Columbus declared it a possession of the Spanish Empire. The country received its name, meaning "Little Venice," from the Italian traveler Amerigo Vespucci in 1499. In 1811, Venezuela declared full independence from Spain, and after seceding from Gran Colombia in 1829, it became fully independent. For most of the first half of the 20th century, the country was under military rule.
1998
Hugo Chávez won the presidential elections
2001
The country's name was changed to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
2002
An attempted coup and overthrow of Chávez's regime failed
2013
Hugo Chávez died, and Nicolás Maduro was elected president, whose rise to power marked the beginning of a protracted economic crisis
2018
A new currency, the "sovereign bolivar," was introduced, pegged to the petromoneda cryptocurrency developed at the government's direction
2019
The political crisis escalated – opposition leader Juan Guaidó did not recognize the official election results and declared himself president. The crisis was accompanied by protests
2020
The US brought charges against Maduro and his inner circle for drug trafficking
2024
International sanctions against the country and companies were strengthened
2026
Maduro was detained by US military forces and extradited to the US for trial on charges of involvement in drug trafficking
