Venezuela

= Greetings from Venezuela! = ==
 * =Venezuelan Culture=

==Venezuela's capital, Caracas, and all the other major cities are located along the coast. Historically the coast has been the most populated area in the country and is where most of Venezuela's population lives today. The rest of the country is traditionally referred to as the interior. The northernmost tip of the Andes' continental range runs through the northernmost part of Venezuela. Andean inhabitants are portrayed as conservative and reserved, having more in common culturally with other Andean populations than with the rest of the country.==

= Venezuela Art =

=Venezuelan art was initially dominated by religious motifs but began emphasizing historical and heroic representations in the late 19th century, a move led by Martin Tovar. Modernism took over in the 20th century.= @http://www.venezuelatuya.com/guayana/sotoeng.htm

=Venezuela Literature= =Venezuelan literature originated soon after the Spanish conquest of the mostly pre-literate indigenous societies; it was dominated by Spanish influences. Following the rise of political literature during the War of Independence, Venezuelan Romanticism, notably expounded by Juan Vicente González and Fermin Toro.=

=Major writers and novelists include Rómulo Gallegos, Teresa de la Parra, Arturo Uslar Pietri, Adriano González León, Miguel Otero Silva, and Mariano Picón Salas. The great poet and humanist Andrés Bello was also an educator and intellectual (He was also a childhood tutor and mentor of Simon Bolivar). Others, such as Laureano Vallenilla Lanz and José Gil Fortoul, contributed to Venezuelan Positivism.= []

=Venezuela Music= __https://eee.uci.edu/programs/rgarfias/sound-recordings/chipolenado.jpgj__

Video of Venezualanx =http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCXWoF6hnf4= **Music of Venezuela is exemplified by the groups Un Solo Pueblo.** = =

=Sports= == =The major sports in Venezuela are football (soccer) and baseball. Venezuela started playing baseball in the 20th century, which they got the influence from USA’s oil companies. Rugby and basketball are also popular sports but not nearly as popular as football or baseball.= [] = = =Architecture= == =Carlos Raul Vilanueva was the most important architect. He designed the Central University of Venezuela, Capitolio, the Baralt theatre, and the General Rafael=

=Venezuelan Food= Arepas, above, are only some of the great foods that are eaten regularly in Venezuela! Usually they are cut open and filled with delicious meat. Mango juice, and passion fruit juice are 2 very favorite beverages to drink in Venezuela. = = = = = = = = =Venezuelan Education= Many children in Venezuela under 5 attend a preschool. Children are required to attend school from the age of 6. They attend primary school until they are 11. They are then promoted to the second level of basic education, where they stay until they are 14 or 15. Public school students usually attend classes in shifts. Some go to school from early in the morning until about 1:30pm and others attend from early afternoon until about 6:00pm. All school children wear uniforms, it's mandatory.

By Sabit Rashdi (R3)

By: Aaron Burt (R3)