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Hacha Falls spill in Canaima National Park, where minerals give water and sand a red tint.
Photograph by Sergio Pitamitz
From its sugared beaches in the north to its snowcapped Andean peaks in the west, this is a country multiply blessed with natural gifts. • Most important, of course, is oil. • Venezuela boasts some of the largest proven deposits on the planet, placing it among the world's major economic players. • President Hugo Chávez has introduced free health care, land reform, and substantial food subsidies, but detractors complain that most people in the country remain desperately poor, many unable to find jobs.
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