General
Island name: Isla de Aves (Spanish for "Island of Birds").
Country name: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela (VE).
Nationality: Venezuelan(s).
Languages: Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects.
Capital: Caracas.
Population: Isla de Aves is an uninhabited island.
Climate: tropical; hot, humid.
Geography
Area: 65 sq km.
Geographic coordinates: 15°40'18'' N 63°36'59'' W. Isla
Aves is an isolated scrap of land in the eastern Caribbean.
Highest point: rises 4 m above the sea on a calm day.
Location: 30 miles west of Los Roques, 500 km north of Margarita,
115 miles southwest of Montserrat, 340 miles north of the Venezuelan mainland.
Size: 375 m in length and never more than 50 m in width.
Terrain: flat.
Tourist Information
Accommodations: none.
Activities: sailing, diving, snorkeling, swimming, fishing.
Average tourist arrivals: no day tours or mass tourism
to spoil the nature.
Electricity: 110 Volts, 60 cycles. American two-pin plugs are
generally used.
Entry Requirements: VE: a passport is required valid for at least
six months, but a visa is not necessary if entering on a completed Tourist
Entry Card, which is valid for a touristic stay of up to 90 days. No special
vaccinations are required, although those traveling to the jungle should
consult their physician as to whether or not they need protection from
yellow fever and malaria.
Extension of stay: not possible.
Health: There are no vaccination requirements for Venezuela.
Telephone: country code - 58.
Time: UTC-4.5.
Money
Costs of living: very moderate.
Credit cards: VE: There are ATMs in the cities (however some
travellers have experienced problems using them), and most credit cards,
including MasterCard/Eurocard, American Express and Visa, are accepted
in major cities. Travelers’ checks are not recommended. Visitors are also
warned that there is a serious problem with credit card fraud.
Currency: Venezuela's new currency is the Bolivar Fuerte (VEF),
which replaced the Bolivar (VEB) in January 2008. US dollars are the most
favoured foreign currency
Inflation rate (consumer prices): VE: 29.9% (1998).
Tipping: VE: Tipping is at the discretion of the client and not
obligatory. A ten percent service charge is usually added to restaurant
bills. Taxis require no tips, but it is customary to give baggage handlers
a tip of $1USD per bag.
Transport
Airport: none.
Ferry Service: none.
Ports and harbors: none. Las Aves can be reached by charter boat
from Los Roques, but most visiting yachts sail between Bonaire and the
Venezuelan mainland.
Politics
Ethnic groups: VE: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German,
African, indigenous people.
Government type: VE: federal republic.
Legal system: VE: open, adversarial court system; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
Literacy: VE: 91.1% (male: 91.8%, female: 90.3%).
Religions: VE: nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%.
Economy
Agriculture products: fish.
GDP per capita: VE: $13,000 (2009 est.).
Industries: tourism.
Natural resources: none.
Unemployment rate: VE: 7.9% (2009 est.). |