Blanquilla is an island, one of the Federal Dependencies of

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in ...

, located in the southeastern

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

about 293 km (182 miles) northeast of

Caracas Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the ...

. It is a popular location for divers, as well as famous for its white sand beaches, for which it is named. The island's wildlife include local cacti and iguana. The island is also home to feral donkeys and goats. Its reefs are notable for their black coral, which is used for jewelry and other crafts. The island is formed by the Aves Ridge, a seafloor feature which protrudes above water to the north, forming several other islands. Has an area of 64.53 km²http://www.guiaviajesvirtual.com/index_dependenciasfederales.php?recharge=rutaturistica SouthernCaribbeanIslands

In 2014, assertions made by the Hong Kong media that Venezuela was considering transferring ownership of Blanquilla island to China in exchange for the forgiveness of its $50 billion in debt were denied by the Chinese government.

References

Federal Dependencies of Venezuela Venezuelan islands of the Leeward Antilles {{Venezuela-geo-stub

See also

References