Venezuela Neighbouring Countries and South American Neighbors

Venezuela’s Neighboring Countries

Venezuela sits strategically on South America’s northern edge, cozied up with Colombia, Brazil and Guyana. Each neighbor shapes Venezuela’s scene—both in the lay of the land and the nitty-gritty of politics.

Geographical Overview

Venezuela’s got quite the mix when it comes to where it butts up against other places. Over to the west is Colombia, forming a lengthy stretch of land border. The east side tags Guyana, and there’s a bit of political drama to be had there. Down south, Brazil marks its territory, while the northeast gives way to the sea with maritime boundaries courtesy of Trinidad and Tobago. And hey, don’t forget the Caribbean Sea holding fort up north, plus some oceanic tango with a bunch of Caribbean islands.

Here’s a quick run-down of who’s where:

Country/Region	Direction	Type of Border
Colombia	West	Land
Brazil	South	Land
Guyana	East	Land
Trinidad and Tobago	Northeast	Maritime
Caribbean Sea	North	Maritime

Plus, Venezuela’s got more watery neighbors—a whole suite of maritime mingling with France, The Netherlands, the UK and the US, all hanging out in Caribbean waters (Wikipedia).

Treaty-Established Boundaries

Venezuela didn’t just sketch these borders in the sand. Nope, these lines are inked in treaties with the neighbors, setting the stage for everyone to play nice.

• Colombia: Treaties here iron out where the line lies, making sure both folks and resources know where they stand.

• Brazil: The Brazilian limits get sorted out by deals that consider rivers and jungles, like the mighty Amazon and the Orinoco.

• Guyana: The line with Guyana’s been drawn by treaties, but tensions simmer, especially over the Essequibo piece. Check out the tensions with Guyana for the juicy bits.

Get the full scoop on these borders by diving into our deep dive on the geographical overview.

To wrap your head around the full picture of Venezuela and its neighborhood dynamics, look around our other reads on borders in far-flung spots like Somalia and South Africa.

Venezuela’s Border Disputes

Getting the scoop on Venezuela’s border disputes isn’t just fascinating—it’s key to understanding how the country plays ball with its neighbors. Below, we’ll check out the age-old spat with British Guiana and what’s bubbling over with Guyana today.

History with British Guiana

Venezuela and British Guiana (a.k.a. today’s Guyana) have been at it since way back in the 19th century. The gloves came off officially in 1841 over land that stretches all the way to the Essequibo River. Why? Well, gold was a pretty tempting prize back then, and Venezuela wasn’t about to let it slip away. (Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State)

But then, in October 1899, a bunch of folks at an arbitration tribunal said Britain gets to keep 95% of the land. Venezuela thought, “Alright, guess we’ll chill,” but come 1962, President Rómulo Betancourt did a full 180, calling it quits on that agreement. Throw in Brazil’s border beef in 1901, letting Great Britain take a chunk of land again, and you see a pattern that probably got folks in Venezuela scratching their heads (CEBRI Journal).

Tensions with Guyana

Fast forward to today, and things are still pretty heated. Venezuela’s not backing down on its claim over a huge piece of land west of the Essequibo River in Guyana, which messes with their diplomacy and trade.

Then on October 23, 2023, President Nicolás Maduro stirred the pot by setting up a vote to toss out the 1899 decision. Guyana isn’t thrilled, and the border’s buzzing with soldiers now (CEBRI Journal). It’s a tango of tempers, reminding everyone that past hurt runs deep.

For other tales on country camaraderie (or lack thereof), check out our scoop on Senegal’s neighboring countries and Suriname’s border buddies.

Neighbors to the West

Border with Colombia

Venezuela cozies up to Colombia on its western side, sharing a lengthy friendship of about 2,219 kilometers, making it Venezuela’s most substantial border connection.

A Quick Geography Tour:

• The line between Venezuela and Colombia meanders all the way from the Guajira Peninsula right down to the jungle beats of the Amazon Basin.
• Nature gets dramatic with the Catatumbo River, famous for its jaw-dropping lightning shows, and the vast, open Llanos grasslands.
• Their border story is written in a series of treaties from way back, keeping things official and hassle-free.

Feature	Details
Total Length	2,219 kilometers
Key Landmarks	Guajira Peninsula, Catatumbo River, Llanos

Looking Back:

• The divide here wasn’t just drawn on a whim. It’s a result of years of back-and-forth chat and accords, ensuring both sides see the line eye to eye.

You can dig more into Venezuela’s boundary tales over at treaty-established boundaries.

Today, Colombia and Venezuela see folks shuffling across borders like never before, thanks to Venezuela’s present-day financial struggles. Curious about how this human movement is change-shaping regions? Check out Venezuelan Refugee Crisis.

Looking for more chat about worldly neighbors? Peek at:

• San Marino’s neighbors
• Guayana’s neighbors
• Colombia’s buddies

Neighbors to the East

Boundaries with Guyana

Venezuela’s eastern frontiers reach Guyana, stirring up a pot of historical and ongoing border squabbles. This boundary has turned into a years-long tug-of-war, sparking heated debates over the years.

Historical Context

The spat over the boundary began way back in the colonial times. In October 1899, an arbitration tribunal handed a whopping 95% of the disputed land to Britain, leaving Venezuela with the leftovers. Venezuela swallowed this bitter pill until 1962. That’s when President Rómulo Betancourt decided to slam the gavel and shouted a big “Nope!” making the award null and void. This effectively reopened the can of worms surrounding the Essequibo region dispute (CEBRI Journal).

Recent Developments

Fast forward to October 23, 2023, President Nicolás Maduro stirred the pot even more by throwing in a plan for a referendum to chuck the 1899 arbitration decision out the window. This move added fuel to the fire, sending troops scuttling along the border and raising worries of an ugly showdown (CEBRI Journal).

Back in March 2018, Guyana decided it was high time to take matters to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), asking for a thumbs-up that the 1899 decision was legit and binding for both parties. By December 2020, the ICJ gave a nod to hear the nitty-gritty of the case (CEBRI Journal).

Geopolitical Impact

This border bickering is a big deal geopolitically. The area is loaded with juicy natural resources, making any control there a gold mine, economically and strategically speaking.

Current Border Status

The Venezuela-Guyana boundary is still tied up in knots, with historical contracts and current legal loops. Both countries aren’t backing down from claiming the Essequibo region, turning it into one of those notorious “who-owns-what” clashes in South America.

Peek into more South American border dramas with our related pieces on San Marino Neighbouring Countries and Sierra Leone Neighbouring Countries.

Neighbors to the South

Brazilian Borders

Venezuela and Brazil have a long stretch of border between them that binds the two South American neighbors over about 1,366 miles. There’s a whole lot of geographical togetherness going on between these lands.

Geographical Features

Now, this border region is a natural show-stopper! You can find some really cool stuff like the Guiana Highlands, where nature decided to play with plateaus and mesas, or as the locals call them, tepuis. These massive stone tables are made of the most robust sandstone, resisting erosion like nobody’s business (Britannica). Spread over by wild savanna and some semi-deciduous forest, this area is one of the planet’s last great hide-and-seek spots, with vast regions that are still waiting to be explored (Britannica).

Key Border Facts

Border Aspect	Description
Length	About 1,366 miles
Geographical Area	Dominated by the Guiana Highlands featuring those cool tepuis and vast savannas
Main Points of Interest	All sharing those stellar Guiana Highlands with not just Brazil, but also Colombia and Guyana (Britannica)
Notable Topography	Jaw-dropping plateaus, crowned with unyielding sandstone caps

If your interest in borders is piqued by now, you might wanna go on a fun detour to read about the Senegal neighboring countries or maybe even a hop to the Trinidad and Tobago neighboring countries. You know, kind of like map gossip—exploring how geography and politics are shaking hands (or sometimes not).

The mix of Venezuela’s landscape at its southern edge with Brazil is a magnificent spread of biodiversity, making it a standout natural frontier in the heart of South America.

Migratory Impact

Venezuelan Refugee Crisis

Venezuela has been hit hard by a refugee crisis, shaking up its nearby nations. Why you ask? It’s a mix of money troubles and messy politics in the country.

Since 2014, around eight million Venezuelan folks have packed up and left, hoping for a better life abroad, with loads of ’em landing in places not too far away. Check out these numbers from Council on Foreign Relations:

Country	Number of Venezuelan Refugees/Migrants
Colombia	3 million
Peru	1.5 million
Brazil	568,000
Ecuador	Thousands of friendly faces
Chile	Big numbers
Argentina	Big numbers too

Causes of the Crisis

So, what’s driving all this? Sky-high inflation, reaching 190 percent in 2023, has left wallets empty and dreams dashed (Council on Foreign Relations). Plus, with the dip in oil exports — the lifeblood of Venezuela’s economy — the system’s taken a hit.

Impact on Neighboring Countries

With so many Venezuelans on the move, neighbors like Colombia, Brazil, and Peru are feeling the pressure. They’re doing their best to help out, offering food and shelter to those in need, but it ain’t all easy peasy.

Curious about more geographical scoop? Peek into articles about san marino neighbouring countries, saudi arabia neighbouring countries, and sierra leone neighbouring countries.

Also, get a deeper look at how moving populations are reshaping South America and beyond in our other resources on senegal neighbouring countries, syria neighbouring countries, and zimbabwe neighbouring countries.