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Venezuela

Life in the tropics is simply fantastic for IFAs! Our Client’s Venezuela office is located on the south-eastern side of Caracas, in the prestigious La Lagunita Country Club, overlooking the country’s premier golf course.

Venezuela is situated on the northern tropical Caribbean coast of South America, and borders Brazil to the south, Guyana to the east, and Colombia to the west. The islands of Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles, and Trinidad and Tobago are located on the country’s northern coast.

The nation is widely known for its petroleum industry, the environmental diversity of its countrysides, and its absolute natural beauty. According to many claims, Christopher Columbus was so captivated by Venezuela's landscape when he arrived to its shoreline in 1498, that he referred to the land as ‘Tierra de Gracia’ - Land of Grace - which has become the country’s nickname.

Petroleum Rich Economy

Venezuela is highly dependent on the petroleum sector, which comprises about one-third of the nation’s GDP, around 80% of export income, and over half of government operating returns. After earlier weaknesses, the country’s economy recovered strongly in 2004-2005, boosted by high oil prices and robust consumption growth. Venezuela continues to be an important supplier of crude oil for the US market.

The oil sector operates through the government-owned Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), which also owns the U.S.-based distributor CITGO – with some 14,000 service stations in the U.S.

Venezuela’s oil-rich economy grew steadily during the first part of the 20th century. As a result, Caracas became one of Latin America's economic centres, and is also known as the preferred hub between Europe and South America.

Venezuela

Caracas

The capital city of Caracas is located in the north of the country, and follows the contours of a slender mountain valley located on the Venezuelan coastal range of Cordillera de la Costa. Caracas’ historic centre, the Libertador District, has a population of more than three million.

Founded on July 25, 1567 as Santiago de León de Caracas by Spanish explorer Diego de Losada, Caracas was the birthplace of two of Latin America's most notable figures: Francisco de Miranda and ‘El Libertador’ Simón Bolívar.

Caracas offers a vast array of restaurants, theatres, museums, and shopping centres. The city is also the residence of to a very large immigrant population from - but not limited to - Spain, Italy, the Middle East, Germany, Portugal, China, and Latin American countries.

Venezuela

Leisure Pursuits

Most residents of Caracas tend to head to the white sands and palm tree-lined sanctity of Venezuela’s beaches along the Caribbean coastline every weekend, the nearest of which are approximately a 40-minute drive from Caracas.

Venezuela boasts loads of great things to do in your spare time, from beach life and water sports to the dramatic Andes; the great plains of the Orinoco basin to the vastness of the Amazon rainforest.

And if Caracas’ attractions are not enough for you, from the capital city it is easy to visit the outlying Caribbean islands of Bonaire, Aruba, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Grenada, with Miami being a mere 2.5-hour flight away.

Places to Visit

Caracas offers visitors and expat workers many interesting and unusual sights to choose from. Just a small cross-section of them:

  • Ciudad Universitaria: The chief campus of the Central University of Venezuela, the building was designed by the prominent architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva, and is considered to be a masterpiece of modern architecture and art.
  • Parque del Este: Designed by Brazilian architect Roberto Burle Marx, Parque del Este is a verdant paradise in the city’s centre.
  • Casa Natal de Bolívar: This house, where Simón Bolívar was born on July 24, 1783, includes museum exhibits of period weapons, banners and uniforms.
  • Museo de Arte Colonial: The grounds that surround this museum are almost as alluring as its interior. The museum is housed in a stunning colonial country mansion known as Quinta Anauco, which is surrounded by beautiful greenery. Inside the house are painstakingly refurbished rooms, filled with works of art, furniture and many other historical artifacts.
  • The National Pantheon (Panteón Nacional): Venezuela's most revered building is five blocks north of Plaza Bolívar, on the northern edge of the old town. Formerly a church, the building serves as the final resting place for eminent Venezuelans.
  • Parque Central: This is Caracas' art and culture core, full of museums, cinemas, the Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex, and the Caracas Athenaeum, home to the esteemed Rajatabla theatre company.
  • El Hatillo: This colonial town is located in the south-east suburbs of Caracas. The small town, which is one of Venezuela's few preserved colonial areas, gives citizens a small window on colonial Caracas.
Venezuela

Large Expat Population

There is a sizeable expatriate community in Venezuela, consisting mainly of Americans, other Latinos, Germans, French, Italians and British. Venezuela makes for an excellent location for those starting – and continuing - a career in offshore financial services, as there is no discernable competition of note in Caracas.

In short, Caracas has a great deal to offer IFAs interested in spending some time in this spectacular city. You may never want to leave.

So, if you are looking for the opportunity to work in a greenfield environment, earn a very handsome income (where the pound goes a very long way), and have a desire for some exotic fun in the Caribbean sun, then Caracas should to be at the top of the list.

For further information about Venezuela we recommend that you visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuela where you will find many useful links and informative articles to prepare you for your move.