Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/74

Italy (London, 1871), and the authorities cited in Floeenti-xe School of Painting. VENEZUELA, ven'e-zwe'hi, Sp. pron. va'na- thwfi'hi or ihically) va'na-swft'la (It., Little Venice, so called from the pile-dwellings seen by the early explorers on the Maracaibo) . A repub- lic on the northern coast of South America, bound- ed on the north by the Caribbean Sea, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and British Guiana, on the south by Brazil and Colombia, and on the west by Colombia. Its area, since the most recent ad- justment of its boundary lines, is estimated at 5!l.'i.lJ4.3 square miles. Topography. The area may be divided into three fairly definite regions: (1) the agricultu- ral and mountainous district of the north and northwest; (2) the district between this region and the Orinoco; and (3) the Guiana highlands of the southeast. The mountains of the first re- gion may be classed under two great systems. The first, the Venezuela Andes, starts from the Nido de Pamplona in Colombia and runs northward in two branches. The westernmost, passing directly north, forms the boundary liotween Colombia and Venezuela and ends in the Goajira Peninsula, its highest point being in the Sierra de Perija ( 10,000 feet) ; the other runs to the northeast, subdivid- ing north of the highlands of Trujillo into the two chains of the Coro system. This eastern range has the loftiest mountains of Venezuela, with five peaks above the limit of perpetual snow, the highest, the Sierra Nevada de Merida ( Picha Concha) , attaining an altitude of 15,400 feet. In- closed between these two ranges is the low- land region of Lake Maracaibo. The eastern range of the Venezuelan Andes is separated by the valleys of the Yaracui and Cojede rivers from the Caribbean Jlountains — the other sys- tem of this region — which run eastward from Lake JIaracaibo, with a break at the plain of Barcelona, to the Paria Peninsula. These mountains form two parallel ranges — the Coast Range (Sierra de Mar) proper (in many places rising precipitously from the sea), and a some- what more southerly range, paralleling it about thirty miles distant. Between these two ranges run ispurs inclosing valleys and lakes, of which Lake Valencia is the mo.st important. The western portion contains the highest peaks — Nai- guata (1)127 feet) and Silla; the largest peak of the eastern portion is Turumiquire. South and .southeast of the Cordillera and Car- ibbean systems and extending to the Orinoco River lie's the second great toiiographical region of the Republic — the Orinoco Valley — which may conveniently be divided into two distinct areas: the lower, commonly designated by the name of lUinof) (((.v.), and the uiijx'r. consisting of that portion lying above the junction of the Jleta with the Orinoco. This latter region is largely unex- |)lored, but is supposed to consist of elevated plains, traversed by hills and low mountains, and largely covered by forests. The third region be- longs topographically to Guiana, and consists of plateaus and generally low mountains, which reach in Roraima an altitude of over 8000 feet, and are varied by open areas and forests. A con- siderable part of the Brazilian boundary is formed by the Parinia and Pacaraima moun- tains. There are no active volcanoes among the mountains of Venezuela, but destructive earlli- VENEZUELA. quakes (Caracas destroyed in 1812) are common. Tlie coast-line of Venezuela is some 1700 miles long, with numerous gulfs and bays, of which Maracaibo, Paria, and Coro are the most im- portant. The northern coast is generally short and steep, but the plains of Maracaibo and Coro are low and in some places marshy. Of the nu- merous islands belonging to Venezuela, JIargarita (q.v. ) is the only one of importance. The outlet of Lake Maracaibo forms an important harbor, and Puerto Cabello and Cumana are also good natural ones, but the shipping of La Guayra ren- ders it the chief port of the Republic. HYDROCRAPiiy, The fluvial system of Venezue- la, with six rivers navigable for large vessels, is probably the mo.st important of South America. Of its thousand or more streams the larger num- ber are affluents of the Orinoco (q.v.), which, with its great tributaries — the Apure, Meta, and Negro (the latter united by the Cassiquiare to the Amazon system) — forms the great outlet for the interior of Colombia, as well as of Vene- zuela. The other important drainage areas are those of the Caribbean Sea. of Lakes Maracaibo and Valencia, and the Gulf of Paria. In ad- dition to the lakes mentioned, there are about 200 others of small importance. Few countries are so well watered as ^"enezuela. Climate. Like that of its sister republic Co- lombia, the climate of Venezuela is affected less by its latitude than by its altitude. Three distinct zones or temperature areas are marked by the . altitudes of 2300 and 6500 feet. Below the first come the 'warm lands' of the coast and lla- nos, with a mean temperature varying from 78 to 90 degrees, but with the trade winds temper- ing the heat of the coast sections. Scattered eases of yellow and 'pernicious' fever occur in this region, especially around Lake Maracaibo, but epidemics are unknown. On the llanos the rainy season — from April to October — is likely to engender fevers, but in general the Svarra lands' of Venezuela are fairly healthful, much more so than most portions of the Caribbean coast. The temperate zone, extending broadly from the limit of the cocoa palm and cacao, or from about 2300 feet up. to that of the banana and sugar cane, has a delightful and salubrious climate. The rainy and dry seasons divide the year here as in the lower zone, but with much less deftniteness. The mean temperature ranges from 50 to 77 degrees, the greatest extremes known at Carficas, since ISUS, being 83.4 degrees and 48 degrees. Above an altitude of G500 feet come the 'cold lands.' The line of perpetual snow begins at about 14,000 feel. Flora and Fauna. In a general way the flora may be said to resemble that of Brazil, with a wide variety on account of the presence of lofty mmmtains. Extensive f(ucsts of full tro]iical luxuriance, overgrown with air plants and lianas, and harboring many vegetal types of striking appearance and economic importance (lignum- vita Brazil woo<l, coral-trees, numerous palms, etc.) are foiind on the slopes of the northern mountains iind in the soith and southwest near the Brazilian and Colombian borders. Above 3000 feet begins the ])lant life of the teniperrtte zones. Tlie llanos are giMierally covered with long grass, interspersed near the marshy regions with chnnps of trees; but in the dry districts cactus, agave, and hardy slirubs are found. Mangrove swamps