214 years ago today, July 5, 1811 (May 15, 1811 in the lunar calendar), Venezuela became independent. Venezuela means "little Venice" in Spanish. More than 490 years ago, when the Spanish expedition first arrived here, they found that the scenery here was magnificent. Most of the houses were built on wooden piles in the water, quite like Venice, the water city, so they called it "Little Venice." This is the origin of the name Venezuela. Venezuela was a settlement of Arawac Indians and Caribbean peoples in ancient times. It was discovered by Columbus in 1498. Spain established its first colony here in 1523 and became a Spanish colony in 1567. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Latin American people's War of Independence broke out against colonial rule. Venezuela's famous national hero Simón Bolívar was one of the main leaders of this war and established outstanding achievements in winning the final victory. On July 5, 1811, Venezuela became the first South American country to declare independence from Spain. In 1830, the Republic of Venezuela was officially established. Venezuela is located in the northern part of South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea in the north, Guyana in the east, Brazil in the south, and Colombia in the west and southwest. It covers an area of 13512 square kilometers and has a coastline of 2813 kilometers. Venezuela is divided into three natural geographical areas: the northwest and northern mountainous areas, mainly the largest mountain range in the country, the Merida Mountains, the northeastern branch of the Andes; the central Orinoco Plain accounts for 1/3 of the country's area; and the southeast is the Guyana Plateau, with an altitude of 800 meters. The highest point in the country is the Bolivar Peak in the Meri Mountains, with an altitude of 5002 meters. The largest river in Venezuela is the Orinoco River, which traverses the entire territory from west to east and has a total length of 2200 kilometers. On a tributary of the Karoni River, there is Angel Waterfall, the world's highest and largest drop, with a drop of 979 meters. Venezuela is rich in various natural resources such as forests, minerals and agriculture, and is one of the most economically developed countries in Latin America. Venezuela ranks first in Latin America in terms of oil and natural gas reserves and is one of the world's largest oil producers and exporters. The capital of Venezuela is Caracas. This beautiful city is located in a basin with mountains and water. It has a history of more than 400 years. It is an ancient city in Latin America. It has a glorious combat history and is also a famous historical city on the Latin American continent that holds high the banner of the struggle against Spanish colonial rule. Francisco Miranda, the pioneer of the Latin American War of Independence, was born here. Caracas is the transportation hub of Venezuela, with highways extending in all directions. Among them, the highway connecting Caracas and Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, is an important international highway. The Venezuelan government pursues policies of safeguarding national independence, safeguarding national sovereignty, protecting the nation's natural resources, and opposing foreign aggression and interference. On June 28, 1974, China and Venezuela established diplomatic relations. In October 1981, President Herrera visited China. He was the first Venezuelan president to visit China after the two countries established diplomatic relations.