1 Venezuela runs under a federal presidential constitutional republic. Since their current constitution came into power in 1999, they have had the same President.

2 Their total nominal GDP is $345.6 billion, and their total per capita is $11,527.

3 The petroleum sector is the dominating force in Venezuela’s economy. It accounts for approximately 80% of their exports. In Venezuela, the citizens enjoy the cheapest petrol in the world due to major government subsidizing of the oil industry.

4 Other exports of Venezuela include steel, cement, aluminum and agriculture products.

5 Their major imports include electronics, chemicals and food products.

6 Venezuela only has two weather seasons, the hot and dry season and the hot and wet season.

7 One of the largest national parks in the world is Canaima National Park which is located in Venezuela.

8 Schoolchildren in Venezuela can choose between attending classes in the morning or the afternoon throughout their entire school career. Older children can even choose to take night classes if they wish.

9 Women from Venezuela have won Miss Universe six times and Miss World five times.

10 “The Simpsons” television show is considered inappropriate in Venezuela and is banned from public television.

11 Its tradition on Christmas to roller skate to church with your family. Venezuelans attend church, then eat a feast with their families to celebrate the holiday.

12 The Joropo is the national dance of the country, and is performed during national holidays and festivals.

13 The Red Devils of Yare festival is held each year. Beautiful costumed red devils play out a traditional battle on Corpus Christi Day. The battle always ends with virtue winning over the devils, which signifies Christianity’s win over Satan.

14 Many Venezuelan homes have Christmas trees on during the holiday season. They also set up grand nativity scenes in their front yards or in their homes to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

15 Venezuelan music is a mixture of Spanish and African music. It is full of percussion instruments and is often accompanied on the streets with dancing. Street performers can be found very easily playing in the cities.

16 In Eastern Venezuela, the Warao Indians live in thatched roof huts along the river. Their people have lived this way for over 100 years.

17 Baseball is the most popular sport to play and watch in the country. Many Venezuelan players have even moved to the United States to play in the U.S. Major Leagues.

18 Most Venezuelans do not own hot water heaters, and take cold showers each night. Bath tubs are also not very common.

19 Slavery was abolished in the country in 1854, long before many other countries abolished the act.

20 Christopher Columbus was the first European to find the Venezuelan coastline.

21 96% of the people of Venezeula are Roman Catholic.

22 The country's unemployment rate is around 8.1%.

23 The formal name of the country is Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela..

24 Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserve in the world.

25 Even though this is one of the top-producing oil countries in the world, about 30% of Venezuelans live in poverty.

26 According to a Gallup survey, only 22% of Venezuelans say they feel safe in their country.

27 In 2015, inflation rose over 141% -- and this continues to be an ongoing problem within the country.

28 Spanish is the official language of Venezuela. There are many regional dialects spoken throughout the country.

29 The literacy rate of the country is over 96%.

30 Venezuela is divided into 23 states.

31 The world's highest waterfall is Angel Falls, located in Venezuela. It is over 3,000 feet tall.

32 Venezuela was the first country to do away with the death penalty. This was abolished in 1863.

33 Part of the Amazon rainforest is located in Venezuela, although the majority is situated in Brazil.

34 Venezuela is the 7th country with the highest number of species.

35 The country's most recent constitution was adopted in 1999.

36 Venezuela's president is selected by popular vote and serves a term of six years.

37 Venezuela is considered to be one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.

38 The majority of the population resides in the northern part of the country, particularly in and around Caracas.

39 Venezuela has five branches of government: executive, legislative, judiciary, citizen, and electoral.

40 It is estimated that Venezuela was first inhabited at least 15,000 years ago.

41 The country was first colonized in 1522 by Spain.

42 On the Venezuelan flag, yellow represents land wealth, blue represents the sea, and red represents the blood shed by heroes.

43 The bolivar fuerte is the official currency of Venezuela.

44 Over 25,000 species of orchids can be found in Venezuela.

45 In addition to having one of the largest oil reserves, the country also has one of the largest natural gas reserves in the entire world.

46 There are over 1,400 bird species found in Venezuela.

47 Venezuela's name comes from the word Veneziola, which means little Venice. It was named as such by Amerigo Vespucci, who saw houses that reminded him of Venice.

48 Lake Maracaibo is the largest lake in South America. It is also one of the oldest in the world, dating back 20 to 40 million years.

49 Because of its oil reserves, Venezuela's gas prices are the cheapest in the world.