The natural symbols of Venezuela They seek to highlight their kindness, particularities and local customs. Each nation usually declares a group of elements within its flora and fauna as icons of national identity and differentiators of other cultures.
In the case of Venezuela, in addition to national symbols, there are also natural symbols that not only represent endogenous species from different regions of the country, but also are rooted in Venezuelan culture.
The 3 main natural symbols of Venezuela
1- The turpial
It is the national bird of Venezuela. It was chosen through a contest sponsored by the Venezuelan Society of Sciences and officially decreed as a Venezuelan national bird on May 23, 1958.
This bird is recognized by the yellow-orange tones that cover its entire body, except for the head and wings that tend to be black with white flecks.
It has an intense blue spot around the eyes and is small in size: it measures between 15 and 20 cm. The mating cycle takes place between the months of March and September.
The first record of the turpial in Venezuelan lands dates back to 1839. It was then that the botanist Jhon Lindley assigned it its scientific name and classified it within the family of the icterids, originally from the American continent.
Their preferences lean towards hot places, such as the plains and xerophilous forests. He can be found alone or in pairs in La Guajira, on the Caribbean coast and the Paraguaná peninsula.
It can also be found towards Sucre state and crossing the plains towards the Orinoco delta. It can also be seen on the island of Margarita, on the Colombian borders and even in Panama.
This bird does not build its own nests, but occupies those that it finds uninhabited. In some cases it is installed in some nests by force aggressively expelling its inhabitants.
Its food is based on insects and fruits. It has a very melodious song and usually sings at dawn.
With respect to its name, there are two hypotheses: one affirms that it comes from indigenous roots; and another, supported by the Venezuelan flora and fauna specialist Bruno Manara, indicates that it is the onomatopoeia of his song, which can be heard as"turu-pio, turu-pio".
2- The orchid
Decreed national flower of Venezuela on May 23, 1951 by resolution of the Ministries of Education and Agriculture and Breeding.
The scientist Willian Cattley was the one in charge to name it, since it cultivated the first specimens of this variety in England through another species taken to him from Brazil in 1818.
However, the first records of its presence in Venezuela date back to the 1830s, specifically of the species"Mossiae", popularly known as the Flor de Mayo.
This is a species that grows best in humid and warm environments. Therefore, it is easily found throughout the national geography.
It is mostly purple violet, although it may have different colors: it changes from white to yellow, pink and deep purple.
The orchid is one of the most extended families of the vegetable kingdom. More than 800 genera and 30,000 species are known, although the variants found in South America and Central America do not exceed 60 species.
The majority grows on other vegetables, with which maintains a symbiotic relationship, although there are others that bloom on rocks covered with moss and lichens.
They can be differentiated and classified according to their leaves: there are some that develop only one, while others develop two or three, labeling themselves as unifoliate or bifoliated.
This flower can measure up to 14 cm and is made up of petals and sepals of the same color. They have a large lip, wavy edges and spots of different colors from the rest of the flower.
It can be located in the coastal range from 800 meters to 1500 meters above sea level in the states of Aragua, Miranda, Yaracuy, Carabobo, Portuguesa, Lara, Tachira, Trujillo and Merida.
Orchids exhibitions are held throughout the Venezuelan territory, especially in the month of May. These exhibitions are carried out by specialized organizations.
Some of these institutions are the Venezuelan Society of Natural Sciences (SVCN), the Orchid Society of the Miranda State (SOEM), the Society of Cultivators of Orquídeas de Bolívar (SOCB) and the Venezuelan Association of Orquideology (AVO).
It is considered a symbol of femininity because it is necessary for insects to be male for pollination.
3- The araguaney
Proclaimed national tree on May 29, 1948 by joint resolution of the Ministries of Education and Agriculture and Breeding during the celebration of the first Day of the tree.
This tradition was maintained until 1951, when on May 19 it was decreed that the last Sunday of May would be the tree week.
The araguaney on average can measure between 6 and 8 meters. It has a straight and cylindrical trunk with an average diameter of 60 cm.
It can go unnoticed for most of the year. However, at the end of the drought leaves its green leaves and, at the beginning of the rainy season -between February and April- this tree is full of large and striking flowers of intense yellow color.
During this stage the seeds that have been falling are already at their peak to start germinating a new plant.
Araguaney is a common tree in tropical, deciduous or deciduous forests, as well as in savannahs and arid hills, but it grows easily in almost any light soil and with good drainage, so it is not rare to find it in a large part of Venezuelan territory.
Its scientific name is Tabebuia Chrisantha. Tabebuia is of aboriginal origin derived from"aravanei", and chisantha is a Greek word that means"flower of gold", in reference to the color of its flowers. It is also known as acapro, curarí, araguán, cañada or puy.
The araguaney wood is one of the hardest in the tropical zone. It is used for the construction of furniture, bodies, floors and fine crafts, among others.
It has also been used for urban forestry, living fences, for shade and decoration. It is excellent honey.
References
- American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V).
- Natural symbols Retrieved from Sigavenezuela.com.ve on January 27, 2018.
- Natural symbols of Venezuela. Retrieved from Notilogia.com on January 27, 2018.
- 10 facts about the turpial, the national bird of Venezuela. Retrieved from Latiendavenezolana.com on January 27, 2018.