Venezuela vs. Colombia
Geography
| Venezuela | Colombia | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana | Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama |
| Geographic coordinates | 8 00 N, 66 00 W | 4 00 N, 72 00 W |
| Map references | South America | South America |
| Area | total: 912,050 sq km land: 882,050 sq km water: 30,000 sq km | total: 1,138,910 sq km land: 1,038,700 sq km water: 100,210 sq km note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, and Serrana Bank |
| Area - comparative | almost six times the size of Georgia; slightly more than twice the size of California | slightly less than twice the size of Texas |
| Land boundaries | total: 5,267 km border countries (3): Brazil 2137 km, Colombia 2341 km, Guyana 789 km | total: 6,672 km border countries (5): Brazil 1790 km, Ecuador 708 km, Panama 339 km, Peru 1494 km, Venezuela 2341 km |
| Coastline | 2,800 km | 3,208 km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 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 | territorial sea: 12 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 | tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands |
| Terrain | Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast | flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains (Llanos) |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Pico Bolivar 4,978 m lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m mean elevation: 450 m | highest point: Pico Cristobal Colon 5,730 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 593 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds | petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 24.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 3.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 20.6% (2018 est.) forest: 52.1% (2018 est.) other: 23.4% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 37.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 1.4% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 34.5% (2018 est.) forest: 54.4% (2018 est.) other: 8.1% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 10,550 sq km (2012) | 10,900 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts | highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts volcanism: Galeras (4,276 m) is one of Colombia's most active volcanoes, having erupted in 2009 and 2010 causing major evacuations; it has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Nevado del Ruiz (5,321 m), 129 km (80 mi) west of Bogota, erupted in 1985 producing lahars (mudflows) that killed 23,000 people; the volcano last erupted in 1991; additionally, after 500 years of dormancy, Nevado del Huila reawakened in 2007 and has experienced frequent eruptions since then; other historically active volcanoes include Cumbal, Dona Juana, Nevado del Tolima, and Purace |
| 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 | deforestation resulting from timber exploitation in the jungles of the Amazon and the region of Chocó; illicit drug crops grown by peasants in the national parks; soil erosion; soil and water quality damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Geography - note | note 1: the country lies on major sea and air routes linking North and South America note 2: Venezuela has some of the most unique geology in the world; tepuis are massive table-top mountains of the western Guiana Highlands that tend to be isolated and thus support unique endemic plant and animal species; their sheer cliffsides account for some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world including Angel Falls, the world's highest (979 m) that drops off Auyan Tepui | only South American country with coastlines on both the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea |
| Total renewable water resources | 1.325 trillion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 2.36 trillion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | most of the population is concentrated in the northern and western highlands along an eastern spur at the northern end of the Andes, an area that includes the capital of Caracas | the majority of people live in the north and west where agricultural opportunities and natural resources are found; the vast grasslands of the llanos to the south and east, which make up approximately 60% of the country, are sparsely populated |
Source: CIA Factbook
