VENEZUELA, one of the provinces which composed the republic of Colombia, but which has recently been erected into an independent republic, is situated between 2° and 12° north lat. and 60° and 73° west long. It is bounded on the north by the Caribbean sea, on the east by British Guiana, on the west by New Granada, and on the south by Brazil. This country was named Venezuela by the Spaniards, from the towns of the Indians, built on the small islands in the lake Maracaibo, having a resemblance to Venice.

The mountains of Venezuela, which form a part of the great branch extending from the west to the gulph of Paria, divide the lands of the coast from the plains of the valley of the Orinoco. It is on these rivers that there is such a diversity of climate, that a traveller may observe the fruits of the tropics luxuriating at a short distance from those of Europe. The surface of the ground is rent in every direction by the force of subterraneous convulsions. To the south of this chain, the llanos, or plains, which stretch to the Orinoco, are inhabited solely by herds of cattle tended by mulattoes. The climate of Venezuela is modified according to the situation of its districts. On the coast and in the plains a scorching heat prevails, accompanied in the latter with deluges of rain. In the mountain valleys the air is in general pure and mild, and in some of the more elevated parts even cold.

The soil of Venezuela is fertile, and yields in abundance all the products of the West Indies, besides many which those islands do not possess. Its chief commercial article is cocoa, which is inferior to none in the Americas. The other objects of cultivation are vanilla, maize, indigo, cotton, sugar, tobacco, and coffee. Here also wild cochineal, dyewoods, medicinal drugs, gums, and resins, find that climate which is most favourable to their growth. The immense plains in the interior feed multitudes of cattle, horses, and mules; and in the valleys and mountains sheep and deer are numerous. All kinds of game are found in this country; and the rivers abound with fish.

The forests produce every species of timber fit for the purposes of the joiner or the shipwright. Cedar is used for their door-posts, window-frames, tables, &c.; black, red, and yellow ebony are common; mahogany, brasiletto, and all sorts of ornamental woods, are to be found in the greatest abundance and of the finest quality. The immense forests which overspread the chain of mountains remain unexplored.

For about a century after this country was subdued by the Spaniards, their attention was almost wholly directed towards its mineral productions, and the pearl fishery on its coasts. But being disappointed in their expectations of immense riches from these sources, they at last began to cultivate the soil. They first planted cocoa trees; and so large were the profits from this source, that cocoa alone occupied their fields till a very late period. About the year 1774, indigo began to be cultivated; and immense plains, hitherto desert, were soon covered with this plant, which was speedily followed by cotton, sugar, tobacco, coffee, &c. But notwithstanding the aptitude of the soil, and the genial nature of the climate, agriculture still languishes in these fine regions, partly from want of enterprise and industry, and partly from too great a confidence in the prolific nature of the soil.

On the plains of Venezuela the rainy season commences in April and continues till November. The rains fall oftener in the morning than in the evening, and on an average occupy three hours of each day. During this period, the plains nearest the rivers are converted into lakes of immense extent.

The rivers of Venezuela are more numerous than in any other part of Spanish America. Every valley has its stream; and though many of them are not of sufficient size to be navigable, yet all afford ample supplies of water to irrigate the plantations on their banks. The principal of those which run from the mountains of Caraccas and Coro into the Caribbean sea, are the Guiges, Tocuyo, Aroa, Ya-racuy, and the Tuy. The Guiges falls into that sea sixteen leagues west of the city of Coro. The Tocuyo discharges its waters twenty-five leagues east of the Gauges, or Gaigues: its source is fifteen leagues south of the town of Curora, at the distance of nearly one hundred miles from the ocean; and it is navigable as far as the village of Banagua, at the distance of forty leagues from its mouth, its banks furnishing abundance of timber of the largest size, and fit for every kind of building. The Aroa rises in the mountains west of the town of St. Felipe, and enters the ocean at Burburata bay. The Yaracuy enters the Caribbean sea near the latter. The Tuy discharges itself into the sea thirty leagues east of La Guayra; it rises in the mountains of St. Pedro, ten leagues from the capital, and being joined by the Guayra, becomes navigable, and serves to transport the produce of the cultivated plains or valleys of Aragoa, Tacata, Cua, Sabana, Ocumare, Santa Lucia, and Santa Teresa, through which it passes, and which particularly abound in cocoa of the best quality. The following are the more important rivers which rise on the southern side of the chain, and flow to the Orinoco: the Guarico which receives some of the branches of the Apure, and then following a course parallel to that river, enters the Orinoco by the Rio Mancapra, which flows through the plains of Calaboso; the Portuguesa. which is formed by the union of the two rivers Pao and Barquisimeto, flows through the greater part of Venezuela, and joins the Apure forty miles north-west of its mouth. For an account of the Orinoco, see Orinoco.

Besides Caraccas, the capital of Venezuela, (see Caraccas), the principal towns are La Guayra, the port of Caraccas, one of the hottest places in the world; Caro, the principal town of the province of that name, with a population of about 10,000; Porto Cavello, thirty leagues north-east of Caraccas, with a population of 9000; Guanara, ninety-three leagues south-west of Caraccas, with a population of above 12,000; Barquisimeto, 120 miles west-south-west of Caraccas, with a population of more than 11,000; Tocuyo, twenty leagues north of Truxillo, with above 10,000 inhabitants; San Carlos, situate on the small river Aguare, with about [7:21:592]9000 inhabitants; Araura, situate between two branches of the river Aricagua. with a population of 11,000; Maracay, situate in the rich vale of Aragua, a beautiful and flourishing town, with 10,000 inhabitants; Victoria, on the road leading from Caraccas to Porto Cavello, in the midst of a most productive country; Tulmero, two leagues from Maracay, with 8000 inhabitants; Valencia, sixteen miles south-west of Caraccas, with 15,000 inhabitants; Barcelona, at the mouth of the river Neveri, with 14,000 inhabitants; Cumana, the capital of the province of the same name, with about 20,000 inhabitants; Angostura, on the Orinoco, with 3000 inhabitants.

Population of the Republic of Venezuela.
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The amount of the imports and exports of Venezuela were,
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In the year 1831, by one of those revolutions which have followed each other in too rapid succession in Spanish America, the extensive country, then called Colombia, was dissevered into three independent republics under the names of Venezuela, New Granada, and Equator. The last of these has already been described under the article Quito; it only remains that we shortly notice the republic of New Granada. It extends from the equator to 12° north lat., and from 68° to 83° west long.; having Venezuela on the east, Brazil and Equator on the south, the Pacific ocean on the west, and the Caribbean sea on the north.

The cordillera of the Andes crosses the country from north to south, and insensibly decreases in elevation towards the province of Panama. Between 2° 30' and 5° 15' of north lat., the main chain separates into three parallel ridges. The eastern, some of whose summits are covered with snow, divides the great river Magdalena from the plains of the Meta. The central ridge separates the Magdalena from the Rio Cauca: this is the most lofty of the three, and rises into the region of eternal snow. The western ridge separates the Rio Cauca from the province of Choco: it scarcely attains an elevation of 4500 feet, and is nearly lost in the province of Panama. For a more particular description, see Andes.

The rivers are very numerous. The chief of these is the Rio Grande de la Magdalena, a majestic navigable river, of which, however, little is known. It is said to rise about thirty miles east of Popayan, near the sources of the Cauca, in 8° south lat., and after a northerly course of immense length the two rivers unite, after having flowed in nearly a parallel line on the opposite side of the same chain of mountains. Its chief tributaries are the Suarez, the Gallinazo or Sogamozo, the Rio Negro, and the Bogota or Funza. The Meta is a noble river, which rises in the mountain ridge opposite to Bogota, and flowing eastward joins the Orinoco thirty leagues below the cataracts of Atures. Its banks are inhabited chiefly by Indians. The Apure is also a large river, which rises in one of the ridges which diverge from the eastern branch of the Andes, and joins the Orinoco twelve leagues below Santiago. The river Atrato flows into the gulph of Darien, and by it much of the internal produce is exported. But the whole country abounds with rivers and streams to an extent which it would be tedious to enumerate. Every valley has its rivers, large or small, and, if not navigable, at least sufficient to fertilise the ground.

The principal cities have been already described. See Bogota, Santa Marta, Carthagena , Pavama, Porto Bello, Veragua, Ροpαyαν, Μομpοχ, Ilonda, Tunja, and Pasto, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1834.

The vegetable productions of the country are nearly the same as those of Venezuela. The soil is exceedingly fertile: the fruits are produced in great luxuriance, and the trees attain an immense bulk.

Its vast forests are infested by numerous tribes of wild animals. Among these the jaguar or tiger, and the American leopard, are very destructive to the cattle. Wild boars, foxes, armadilloes, squirrels, deer, rabbits, and monkeys are abundant, and are eaten by the Indians and Negroes.

The feathered tribes are numerous and beautiful. Among these the toncan with its large bill, the gallinazo vulture, which clears the country of dead carcases, and the macaw, with its beautiful plumage and disagreeable voice, are the most singular.

Providence has dealt out his gifts to this quarter with a lavish hand; but to compensate for this preference over more sterile lands and less genial climates, he has mingled with them evils of the most serious kind,—noxious animals, oppressive heat, furious thunder storms and earthquakes. The insects and reptiles are as numerous as the birds and beasts. Among the insects may be mentioned the centipede, the scorpion, the spider, the pique or jigger of the West Indies; among the reptiles, the rattlesnake, the dart, and the still more venomous coral snake. While the feet of the pedestrian are insecure from the attacks of these creatures, his face is exposed to the venom of the musquitoes. The bed may be surrounded with gauze curtains to protect the sleeper, but it is of no avail, for another and almost imperceptible enemy finds access through the threads: these are called mantas blancas, from their resembling white cloaks while flying in clouds in the air. In some places bats are so numerous that they cover the street in an evening in clouds, and infest the houses.

The hills and rivers are supposed to have formerly supplied considerable quantities of gold. The gold washing of most consequence are those of the Novita, Zitara, and the river Andegada, in the province of Choco. All the ground between this river and the San Augustin is auriferous. 10,800 marks of gold is the utmost annual produce of the washings of Choco. Here a piece of gold was once found by a negro which weighed twenty-five pounds. Platina is also found in this and the neighbouring province of Antioquia. This valuable metal is discovered in grains in the alluvious grounds between the second and sixth degrees of north latitude. the ravine of Oro, between the villages of Novita and Tado, yields the greatest quantity.

New Granada is divided into twenty provinces, and 110 cantons. The total population, as taken in the first quarter of 1835, was 1,686,038.

On the 31st of August 1835 there were three universities, nineteen colleges, and seven public schools in the republic, attended by 2307 pupils; of Lancasterian schools there were 125, attended by 6741 boys, and five attended by 220 girls; of schools upon the old system, 419, attended by 11,557 boys, and 141 attended by 1605 girls; thus proving that female education must be very much neglected, for while 20,605 young men and boys are attending the schools and colleges, only 1825 girls are receiving instruction in the schools.
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Statement of the Population of the Republic of New Granada, distinguishing Males from Females, Married from Unmarried, Free from Slaves, with the number of Ecclesiastics in each Province, in the First Quarter of the Year 1835.
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The Population in 1825 was 1,228,259, shewing an increase in the year of 457,779.

Statement of the Number of Convents, Priests, and Nuns belonging to each Order, in New Granada, in the First Quarter of the Year 1835.
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