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| Location | Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana | | | Geographic coordinates | 8 00 N, 66 00 W | | | Zone | South America | | | Area | total: 912,050 sq km
land: 882,050 sq km
water: 30,000 sq km | | | Land boundaries | total: 4,993 km
border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km | | | Coastline | 2,800 km | | | Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 15 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation | | | Climate | tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands | | | Terrain | Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast | | | Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m | | | Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds | | | Irrigated land | 2,800 km | | | Natural hazards | subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts | | Environment -
current issues | sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations | | Environment -
international agreements | party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed but not ratified:: none of the selected agreements | | | Geography - note | on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall | |
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