The astronomical situation of Venezuela corresponds to the location that the country has on the planet with respect to the Greenwich meridian and the equator. It is expressed through the geographical coordinates represented on the globe; that is, in latitude and longitude.
According to these coordinates, Venezuela is located astronomically between the parallels 12º 11´46 ″ and 0º 38´53 ″ of north latitude (LN), and between the meridians 59º 48´10 ″ to 73º 25´ 00 ″ of west longitude (THE). Regarding its geographical situation, the country is located in the intertropical zone of the northern hemisphere, which is decisive in its climate.
Venezuela directly receives the trade winds from the northeast, which originate in the North Atlantic area with high atmospheric pressure. This country occupies an exceptional astronomical and geographical position on the planet that gives it advantages of a climatological, economic and geopolitical nature.
The reference points used to determine the astronomical location of this or any other country are the geographic coordinates. These coordinates determine the astronomical position of the country, which is invariable, and are represented in degrees, minutes and seconds, starting from the meridian 0 (Greenwich) and the equator.
In the case of Venezuela, in the parallel 12º 11´ 46 ″ north latitude is located Cape San Román, in the Paraguaná peninsula, Falcón state. At the parallel 0º 38´ 53 ″ north latitude is located the source of the Ararí River (Castaño), in the state of Amazonas.
Then, at meridian 59º 48´ 10 ″ is located the confluence of the Barima and Mururuma rivers, in the Delta Amacuro state. And in the meridian 73º 25´ 00 ″ is the source of the Intermedio river, in the state of Zulia.
characteristics
Venezuela presents certain particular characteristics due to its astronomical and geographical situation.
- It is located in the northern hemisphere. Its limits are the following: to the north with the Caribbean Sea and to the south with Brazil. To the east it borders the Atlantic Ocean and Guyana, and to the west with Colombia.
- Because it is located in the intertropical zone, Venezuela is a nation with a tropical climate. However, due to its geographical diversity there is a variety of climates that are determined by the relief and landscape. The climatic conditions of the country depend on planetary atmospheric systems and atmospheric circulation patterns.
- The four seasons do not occur as in other countries in the temperate zone, also located in the northern hemisphere.
- The country is four hours behind the Greenwich meridian. This is because, since 1964, Venezuela has been governed by time zone 20, located west of Greenwich.
- Venezuela has basic geographical features similar to other nations of the American continent, Africa, Asia and Oceania, located between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. This differentiates the country from other nations located in cold or temperate zones.
- Geologically, the formation of the Venezuelan territory is similar to that of the African continent, since the South American subcontinent and Africa were united.
- The relief of Venezuela is varied and presents three types: massifs and plateaus, which are its oldest formations in Guyana; the extensive plains of sedimentary formation, which constitute the region of the plains and mountain ranges; and the high mountains and peaks, which are part of the Andes Mountains that extend to Chile.
- The vegetation, made up of native plants, depends on the relief and the region. There are rainforests, cloud forests, and deciduous or deciduous forests. There are also savannas, xerophilous formations, Andean moorlands and scrublands, and mangroves.
- The hydrography of Venezuela is abundant and is made up of the slopes of the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Lake of Valencia.
Advantage
- It is a country open to all world maritime spaces. Due to its location, it serves as a gateway to or from South America through the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, it allows the country to have easy communication by air and sea with the whole world for trade and international relations.
- The Venezuelan territory is at an equidistant point in America, between the main industrial and financial centers of the world. Its proximity to Panama allows it to have maritime access to the Panama Canal, which connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean.
- Its equidistant position on the continent allows it to serve as a port and airport for stopovers from North America, Europe and Asia.
Importance
Venezuela's location on the planet is exceptional from an economic, climatological and geopolitical point of view. Mainly because, as it does not have four seasons, it enjoys a benign climate almost all year round. This allows you to have more agricultural growing cycles and, therefore, more economic activity.
The country's location close to the isthmus of Panama and its equidistant position make Venezuela an important geostrategic point between the northern and southern hemispheres. Due to its location facing the Caribbean Sea, it is also a territory with great economic potential in terms of maritime trade.
The country has more than 2,700 kilometers of coastline (including the island arc). It has a very varied relief and great landscape diversity.
From the tourist point of view it could be a true world power, not to mention the abundant fishing resources and large mineral deposits of its maritime and continental territories.
Consequences
The consequences of the astronomical situation in Venezuela are related, especially, to its weather conditions.
Regarding its relative location, this nation is situated in the northern and western hemispheres. It is found in the extreme north of South America, bordering Guyana to the east, Brazil to the south, Colombia to the southwest, and the southern waters of the Caribbean Sea to the north.
With reference to its absolute location, it is located between parallels 0 ° 38 ′ 53 "(source of the Arari River in the state of Amazonas) and 12 ° 11 ′ 46" (Cape San Román) north latitude.
Likewise, between meridians 58 ° 10 ′ 00 "(eastern end of the Essequibo River, in Guayana Esequiba) and 73 ° 25 ′ 00" (source of the Oro River, Zulia state), west longitude.
Climatology
This country is located in the intertropical region, specifically between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
The intertropical zones are characterized by abundant rainfall. These are the result of solar heating that forces the air to rise through an area called the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).
There, the northeast trade winds and the southeast trade winds converge in the low pressure area.
In this area, rainfall of up to 200 days a year is recorded. Therefore, they are the wettest on the planet.
Also, they do not have a dry season and are very hot. However, due to its topographic conditions, not all its regions experience the consequences of the astronomical situation in Venezuela with the same intensity.
Temperature
Temperatures depend on the elevation of the ground. Thus, four zones are distinguished. In the tropical zone (located below 800 meters) the temperatures are high, oscillating annually between 26 ° C and 28 ° C.
The temperate zone (between 800 and 2,000 meters) has averages between 12 ° C and 25 ° C. In the cold zone (between 2,000 and 3,000 meters) the temperatures are between 9 ° C and 11 ° C.
Finally, in the páramos (above 3,000 meters high), the annual averages are below 8 ° C.
Precipitation
In the Venezuelan nation, the rains mark the seasonal variations, and not the temperature.
In most of the country two periods are distinguished: the rainy and the dry. The first occurs from May to December, with occasional precipitation in the other months. The dry period, or summer, takes place the rest of the year.
The average annual rainfall is also different in each region. In the lowlands and plains it ranges from a semi-arid 430 mm in the western part of the Caribbean coastal areas to around 1,000 mm in the Orinoco delta.
Protected valleys in mountainous areas receive little rain, but slopes exposed to the northeast trade winds experience heavy rains.
Caracas, the capital city, has an annual average of 750 mm of precipitation, with June, July and August being the rainiest months.
Ecology
The astronomical situation of Venezuela, together with its topographic conditions, has allowed the development of a wide range of ecosystems.
In general, three thermal floors are distinguished: the lowland plains (elevated to about 500 meters above sea level), the mountains (with elevations of about 5,000 meters), and the wooded interior highlands (with scattered peaks above 2,000 meters).
Each of these thermal floors is home to a great biodiversity. The Venezuelan landscape includes towering mountains, rainforests, river plains, and arid coastal plains. All these eco-regions provide a multiplicity of natural habitats.
References
- Astronomical situation of Venezuela. Retrieved April 4, 2018 from sites.google.com
- Geography of venezuela. Consulted of monografias.com
- Latitude and Longitude of Venezuela. Consulted of espanol.mapsofworld.com
- Astronomical location of Venezuela. Consulted from es.scribd.com
- Geographic coordinates of Venezuela. Consulted of geodatos.net
- Geography of venezuela. Consulted of es.wikipedia.org
- Location of Venezuela (s / f). World Atlas. Recovered from worldatlas.com.
- Territorial Organization (s / f). Territorial organization. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Embassy of Australia. Recovered from australia.embajada.gob.ve.
- Rosenberg M. (2017, March 03). ITCZ. Thought Co. Recovered from thoughtco.com
- Haggerty, RA (Editor) (1990). Venezuela: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress. Recovered from countrystudies.us.
- McCoy, JL, Martz, JD, Lieuwen, E. and Heckel, HD (2017, August 01). Venezuela. Encyclopædia Britannica. Recovered from britannica.com.