Venezuela has a population of 23 million people and is the sixth largest country in South America. Its name is a distortion of "Little Venice", as the indigenous people lived in huts built on stilts in shallow lagoons when the conquistadors arrived.
The country boasts a breathtaking geography, with a Caribbean coastal zone, a mountainous region, vast cattle-rich plains and jungles. The Orinoco river, 1,600 miles long, bisects the country.
Since achieving independence in 1811, the country has had 25 constitutions and more than 100 changes of government, with military rulers in power until 1945.
Venezuela as such has officially ceased to exist, renamed the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela under the new constitution which also declares the nation's indigenous people the true owners of the country, repairing a historic debt.
The country is the largest oil supplier to the US, making it a strategic trading partner. The Clinton administration denied Hugo Chavez a visa before he became president, but relations with Washington have been cordial to date. Venezuela is due to host the OPEC convention this year, the first meeting of oil-producing nations in 25 years.