Venezuela

[ ven-uh-zwey-luh; Spanish ve-ne-swe-lah ]

noun
  1. a republic in northern South America. 352,143 sq. mi. (912,050 sq. km). Capital: Caracas.

  2. Gulf of Venezuela. a gulf of the Caribbean Sea between northwestern Venezuela and northern Colombia, connecting with Lake Maracaibo. 75 miles (120 km) long and up to 150 miles (240 km) wide.: Also called Gulf of Maracaibo.

Words Nearby Venezuela

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Venezuela in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Venezuela

Venezuela

/ (ˌvɛnɪˈzweɪlə) /


noun
  1. a republic in South America, on the Caribbean: colonized by the Spanish in the 16th century; independence from Spain declared in 1811 and won in 1819 after a war led by Simón Bolívar. It contains Lake Maracaibo and the northernmost chains of the Andes in the northwest, the Orinoco basin in the central part, and the Guiana Highlands in the south. Exports: petroleum, iron ore, and coffee. Official language: Spanish. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: bolívar. Capital: Caracas. Pop: 28 459 085 (2013 est). Area: 912 050 sq km (352 142 sq miles): Official name: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

  2. Gulf of Venezuela an inlet of the Caribbean in NW Venezuela: continues south as Lake Maracaibo

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Venezuela

Venezuela

Republic in northern South America, bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Guyana to the east, Brazil to the south, and Colombia to the southwest and west. Its capital and largest city is Caracas.

Notes for Venezuela

Venezuela is rich in oil, which accounts for about ninety percent of its export income. Because of its revenue from oil, Venezuela has the highest per capita national income in Latin America. It was a founder of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Notes for Venezuela

Venezuela became independent from Spain in 1821.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.