Gained independence from Spain in 1830. President Hugo Ch vez Fr as since 1999. Spanish is the official language. English, French, German and Portuguese are also spoken by some sections of the community. GMT - 4.
Coverage is limited to around Caracas.
E-mail can be accessed from cybercaf s in most urban areas. Services are available from public telegraph offices. There is an efficient mail service from Venezuela to the USA and Europe. Airmail to Europe takes three to seven days. Internal mail can sometimes take longer.