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Venezuela| Population: | 26,023,528 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area: | 352,145 sq. miles | ||||||
| Location: | South America | ||||||
| Capital: | Caracas | ||||||
| Major Cities: | Maracaibo, Valencia | ||||||
| Language(s): | Spanish | ||||||
| Summer Olympic Debut: | 1948 | ||||||
| Medal Record: |
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An oil-rich republic in northern South America, Venezuela helped found the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The Orinoco tar belt is believed to contain the world's largest oil reserves.
When Columbus landed on Venezuela during his third voyage to the New World between 1498 and 1500, he wrote, "I believe that this is a very great continent which until today has been unknown." Name means "Little Venice," coined in 1498 by Alonso de Ojeda because natives lived in houses on stilts.
Venezuela has produced several major league baseball players including Bobby Abreu, Magglio Ordonez, Johan Santana and Omar Vizquel.
Vancouver Outlook: Venezuela is not expected to compete for a medal.
Britain's Degale has boxing's latest upset James Degale strolled through the back hallway at Workers' Gymnasium bellowing a tuneless song. Degale wasn't the only fighter with a song in his heart after the final day of quarterfinal bouts.
