Culture

The Venezuelan people have a very rich and very diverse cultural heritage. A melting pot culture has been created by wide influences, from the original American Indians to the Spanish and Africans who arrived after the Spanish conquest; the 20th century waves of immigration brought many Italians, Portuguese, Arabs, Germans, and others from the bordering countries of South America. About 85% of Venezuelans live in urban areas in the northern part of the country. Even though almost half of the land area is south of the Orinoco River, only 5% of the population live in that area. About 96% of the population call themselves Roman Catholic. The rest belong to other churches, mainly the Protestant church.

Venezuela's heritage, art and culture has been heavily influenced by its Latin American context. These elements extend to its historic buildings, architecture, art, landscape, boundaries and monuments. Venezuelan culture has been shaped by indigenous, Spanish, and African influences dating as early as the colonial period. Before this period, indigenous culture was expressed in art (petroglyphs), crafts, architecture (shabonos), and social organisation. Aboriginal culture was subsequently assimilated by Spaniards; over the years, the hybrid culture had diversified by region.

Art

Venezuelan art is gaining prominence. Initially dominated by religious motifs, it began emphasising historical and heroic representations in the late 19th century, a move led by Martín Tovar y Tovar. Modernism took over in the 20th century. Notable Venezuelan artists include Arturo Michelena, Cristóbal Rojas, Armando Reverón, Manuel Cabré, the kinetic artists Jesús-Rafael Soto and Carlos Cruz-Diez, and Yucef Merhi.

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, emerged as the first important genre in the region. Although mainly focused on narrative writing, Venezuelan literature was advanced by poets such as Andrés Eloy Blanco and Fermín 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. Others, such as Laureano Vallenilla Lanz and José Gil Fortoul, contributed to Venezuelan Positivism.

Architecture

Carlos Raúl Villanueva was the most important Venezuelan architect of the modern era; he designed the Central University of Venezuela, (a World Heritage Site) and its Aula Magna. Other notable architectural works include the Capitol, the Baralt Theatre, the Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex and the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge.

Music

Typical musical styles and pieces mainly emerged in and around the llanos region, including Alma Llanera (by Pedro Elías Gutiérrez and Rafael Bolivar Coronado), Florentino y el Diablo (by Alberto Arvelo Torrealba), Concierto en la Llanura by Juan Vicente Torrealba, and Caballo Viejo (by Simón Díaz). The Zulian gaita is also a popular style, generally performed during Christmas. Indigenous musical styles are exemplified by the groups Un Solo Pueblo and Serenata Guayanesa.

The national dance is the joropo. The national musical instrument is the cuatro.

Sport

Baseball is Venezuela's most popular sport, though football, spearheaded by the increasingly successful Venezuela national football team, is gaining influence. Famous Venezuelan baseball players include Luis Aparicio (inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame), David (Dave) Concepción, Oswaldo (Ozzie) Guillén (White Sox manager, World Series champion in 2005), Andrés Galarraga, Omar Vizquel (a ten-time Gold Glove winner), Luis Sojo, Miguel Cabrera, Bobby Abreu, Magglio Ordonez and Johan Santana (a two-time Cy Young Award winner).

National Symbols

Venezuela's national symbols are the Flag, the Coat of Arms and the National Anthem. Since the flora and fauna of the territory are remarkable, the government also officially declared these national symbols:

The national flower is the orchid (Cattleya mossiae). This kind of orchid is also known as Flor de Mayo (May Flower). It was first discovered in the northern land in 1839 and was given the status of National Flower on 23 May 1951.
The national tree is the araguaney (Tabebuia chrysantha). Known as aravanei by the caribes, it can be found mostly in regions with temperate weather, where it can reach a height between 6 and 12 m. The araguaney flourishes within the period following a rainy season, mostly in the first months of the year. Rómulo Gallegos referred to these months as 'La primavera de oro de los araguaneyes' (the golden spring of the araguaneyes). It was declared the National Tree on 29 May 1945.
The national bird is the turpial (Icterus icterus). It is fully coloured with yellow-orange tones except in the head and the wings, which are black with a few tones in white. It also has a blue spot surrounding the eyes. It can be found in woods, the llanos, at the shores of jungles, and in northern and southern Orinoco. The turpial is appreciated due to its singing and was declared the National Bird on 23 May 1958.