Venezuela’s original inhabitants descended from the Carib and Arawak Indian groups, who were then conquered by the Spanish. Africans were brought to the country as slaves by the various groups of Europeans who followed when the country’s riches were discovered. Later on, with the discovery of oil, the rest of the world followed.

Today, a fusion of Africans, Creoles, and Indians comprise two-thirds of the population. The official language is Spanish, with linguistic diversity found in the cities; there are also around 30 ethnic Indian languages surviving in various areas.

Venezuela is known for its grace and hospitality and is an extravagant collage of wonders, natural and man-made. Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, sprawls along a long and narrow coastal valley. Business, finance and government dominate and the architecture is an eclectic mix of colonial, classic and avant garde.

There is an extensive system of freeways that cut through rows of downtown buildings into the glorious countryside. On the outskirts you will find a beach lover’s paradise, a steady stream of sunny days, a 3,000km coastline, and 72 Caribbean islands just offshore. Within easy reach of Caracas, nature exists virtually untouched–vast llanos (plains) where cattle range freely; the towering Andes; powerful waterfalls; deserted coral islands; and the dense rainforests of the upper Orinoco that still shelter primitive Indian tribes.

The variety of Venezuela’s people is reflected in the city’s cuisine: Spanish seafood, Argentine churrasco, Italian pasta, German sausage, Brazilian feijoada, the influence of American food, Middle Eastern, and Asian. Venezuelan dishes include parrilla (barbeque), arepas (cornbread stuffed with just about anything), pabellón criollo (a popular plate of white rice, black beans, thinly shredded meat, and fried plantains) and fresh, exotic tropical fruit. Dining options range from street vendors to formal five-star restaurants that can be followed by a range of after-dinner entertainment, such as disco, salsa, jazz, and elaborate live shows.