evidence: This climate is extremely hot and dry, with brief and very scarce rains. In many cases, the soil lacks vegetable cover. It is found in some federal dependencies, like the Los Monjes, La Tortuga and La Orchila archipelagos and, largely, the Araya Peninsula (Sucre state). [...] Insular Region: This consists of the Nueva Esparta state and federal territories, with an administrative base at La Asuncion , capital city of the state of Nueva Esparta . The region is the smallest in the country, its main feature is its condition of being composed of islands of small size . The climate is tropical warm. The islands and archipelagos of the Venezuelan Caribbean have a diverse and lush vegetation as the rest of the islands of the southern Caribbean Sea , where alternate tropical forest ecosystems , mangrove forests and semi - desert areas. Tourism is developed in most of the islands and is the main income for this region . Destinations are recognized internationally for its beautiful beaches and landscapes: La Isla Margarita , Los Roques and Mochima name a few. The island arc covers a total of 311 islands that form a line parallel to the coast. The soils are formed from igneous , metamorphic , very old and eroded rocks exposed to the surface between them are the Monks Archipelago , Archipelago Los Roques , Isla Orchila Island Blanquilla Island Brothers , and Los Frailes Archipelago Witnesses archipelago .