10°30N 66°55W, pop (2000e) 2 208 000. Federal capital of Venezuela; altitude, 960 m/3150 ft; founded in 1567; often damaged by earthquakes; major growth since the 1940s, greater than any other Latin-American capital; airport; airfield; railway; metro; three universities (1725, 1953, 1970); mountain pass gives access to port (La Guaira) and airport; commercial, cultural, and industrial centre; birthplace of Bolívar; many museums, Plaza Bolívar, Panteón Nacional (with Bolívar's tomb), Casa Natal del Libertador, Capitolio Nacional, cathedral (1674); Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas is a world heritage site.
Coordinates: 10°30′N 66°55′W
| Santiago de León de Caracas | |||||
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Nickname: "La Sultana del Avila (English:The Avilas' Sultan)
La Sucursal del Cielo (English:Branch of Heaven)" |
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Motto: Ave María Santísima, sin pecado concebida, en el primer instante de su ser natural.
(English: Hail Holiest Mary, conceived without sin, in the first instant of Your Natural Being) |
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| Coordinates: 10°30′N 66°55′W | |||||
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| Country | Venezuela | ||||
| State | Distrito Capital / Miranda | ||||
| Counties | Libertador, Chacao, Baruta, Sucre, El Hatillo | ||||
| Mayor | Juan Barreto (2004 – 2008) | ||||
| Area | |||||
| - City | 1,930 km² (1199.2 sq mi) | ||||
| Elevation | 900 m (3,000 ft) | ||||
| Population | |||||
| - City (2005) | 3,276,000 | ||||
| - Density | 1,697/km² (4,394/sq mi) | ||||
| - Urban | 4,700,000 | ||||
| Website: alcaldiamayor.gob.ve | |||||
Caracas (pron.
History
More than five hundred years ago, the area was populated by peaceful local ethnic tribes and Caracas did not exist. This wast the last rebellion on the part of the aborigines, for on July 25, 1567, the Spanish captain Diego de Losada laid the foundations of the city of Santiago de León de Caracas, and the ethnic settlement of Catuchacao became transformed under the influence of the colonizers into the new city of Caracas.
As the economy of oil-rich Venezuela grew steadily during the first part of the 20th century, Caracas became one of Latin America's economic centers, and was also known as the preferred hub between Europe and South America. The change in the economic structure of the country, now oil dependant, and the fast development of Caracas made it a magnet for the rural communities who migrated to the capital city in a typical unplanned fashion, creating the 'ranchitos' (slum) belt interwined in Caracas valley geography.
Flag
The flag of Caracas consists of a burgundy red field with the version of the Coat of Arms of the City effective since the decade of 1980.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms of the City of Caracas was adopted by the Libertador Municipality to identify itself and later the Metropolitan Mayor Office assumed the lion, the scallop and the St. James Cross for the same aim.
Anthem
The anthem of the City is the Marcha a Caracas by the composer Tiero Pezzuti de Matteis with the lyrics of José Enrique Sarabia, according to the agreement approved by the City council in March 28, 1984, score and lyrics were added like integral part of this decree.
Law and government
Caracas has five municipalities: Baruta, El Hatillo, Chacao, Libertador and Sucre.
Geography
Caracas is located in a valley, urban development in the last century has expanded to the adjacents mountains.
Economy
Caracas as the capital of Venezuela, hosts numerous companies of services, banks, malls, among others.
Demographics
The population of Caracas is of 3,276,000 inhabitants, not including the sorrounding suburbs, like Petare, whose population might get up to 1,500,000 people.
Fortunately, due to the old spanish influence, mixture of races and cultures have been a common issue in the city of Caracas.
Nowadays, due to the new petroleum boom, and new inmigration policies, Caracas is receiving inmigrants who come now from Cuba, China and Arabic Countries like Irak and Iran.
It is quite normal to find in Caracas an amazing 60-store, magnificent, high-tech building just beside some poor, weak, dangerous houses.
Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex
The Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex (Complejo Cultural Teresa Carreño), or more commonly the Teresa Carreño Theater (Teatro Teresa Carreño), is one of the most important Theaters of Caracas and Venezuela, where symphonic and popular concerts imagine frequently, operas, ballet and theater.
Casa Natal de Bolívar
Skyscrapers may loom overhead, but there's more than a hint of original colonial flavor in this neatly proportioned reconstruction of the house where Simón Bolívar was born on July 24, 1783.
Bolívar's funeral was held 12 years after his death at the Iglesia de San Francisco, just a few blocks west, and it was also here that he was proclaimed 'El Libertador' in 1813.
Museo de Arte Colonial
The gardens that surround this museum are almost as enticing as its interior. Head there late on a Sunday morning and you might catch a chamber music concert in rooms which were once the house stables
Panteón Nacional
Venezuela's most venerated building is five blocks north of Plaza Bolívar, on the northern edge of the old town.
Parque Central
At a short saunter east of Plaza Bolívar is Parque Central, a concrete complex of five high-rise residential slabs of somewhat apocalyptic-appearing architecture, crowned by two 53-storey octagonal towers while one of them is currently going under major repairs due to the fire which burned the building on October 17, 2004.
Parque Central is Caracas' art and culture hub, loaded with museums, cinemas, the Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex, and the Caracas Athenaeum, home to the esteemed Rajatabla theatre company.
Plaza Bolívar
Leafy Plaza Bolívar is the focus of the old town with the inevitable monument to El Libertador, Simon Bolívar, at its heart.
The Museo Caracas on the ground floor highlights local history, and has some great models of the city as it appeared in the early 19th century and 1930s.
El Hatillo
El Hatillo is a colonial town located at the south-east suburbs of Caracas in the municipal area of the same name.
Cerro El Ávila
Cerro El Ávila (Mountain El Ávila) (Wuaraira Repano), is a mountain in the mid-North of Venezuela, it rises next to Caracas and separates the city from the Caribbean Sea, is considered like the vegetal lung of Caracas, being one of the sites of reference of the city.
Las Mercedes
For who wishes to know the most commercial and cosmopolitan district of Caracas, must visit Las Mercedes, this zone reunited some of the best restaurants of the city, that include the diverse gastronomical specialities, along with pleasant pubs, bars and pools. It is the favorite place of meeting of the Caracas youth, it has some of the most exclusive stores of the city, and important malls of Caracas.
Altamira neighborhood
Altamira is a neighborhood located in the Chacao municipality of Caracas, it has its own Metro Station, many hotels and restaurants, and is an important business center of the city, the Francisco de Miranda avenue (a major avenue in Caracas) and the Distibuidor Altamira (a congested highway exit) are both located in Altamira..
The Caracas Cathedral
The Cathedral is situated in one corner of the Plaza Bolívar and has fallen into ruin and been rebuilt several times since its foundation in 1594, The parents of Simón Bolívar are buried in the Cathedral, besides its hand carved altars, it possesses some magnificent works of art, a Resurrection by Rubens, the Presentation of the Virgin by Murillo, and the Last supper, and unfinished work by the Venezuelan painter Arturo Michelena.
Religious Buildings
Catedral de Caracas Basílica Menor de Santa Capilla Sinagoga Tiferet Israel en Maripérez Mezquita Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim Iglesia San Francisco Iglesia Santa Rosalía de Palermo Basílica Santa Teresa Iglesia Rumana Ortodoxa de San Constantino y Santa Elena Iglesia Nuestra Señora de AltagraciaSeats and parks
Plaza O’Leary Plaza Venezuela/ Paseo Colón Plaza Bolívar Plaza Francia Plaza La India Plaza de los Museos Plaza la Castellana Plaza Andres Eloy Blanco Plaza El Venezolano Parque del Este: Rómulo Betancourt Parque del Oeste: Jovito Villalba Parque Los Caobos Parque Los Chorros Parque Arístides Rojas Parque Vinicio Adames Parque ARUFLO Parque Cueva del Indio Parque Zoológico de Caricuao Parque Zoológico El Pinar Parque Manuel San Parque Maracaibo Parque Sanz Parque Zoológico de Contacto: “Expanzoo” Jardín Botánico de Caracas Jardines de las Universidades: Simón Bolívar y Central de Venezuela Paseo Los Próceres Paseo El Calvario Parque nacional El Ávila Cerro el Volcán Parque Nacional Macarao Zona de Protección del Litoral Central Zona de Protección del Área Metropolitana de Caracas Zona de Protección “El Algodonal”Colleges and universities
Caracas is home for some of the most prestigious universities in the country, including Universidad Central de Venezuela, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, Universidad Metropolitana, Universidad José María Vargas and several others.
Sports
Most notably football and baseball teams are located in Caracas. The baseball teams Tiburones de La Guaira and Leones del Caracas have like seat the Estadio Olímpico de la UCV, of the Central University of Venezuela, with a capacity of 25.000 spectators.
They city has two football stadiums:
Estadio Olímpico de la UCV, with capacity of 30.000 spectators (but is being extended to 40,000 for the Copa América 2007) Brígido Iriarte stadium, with a capacity of 12.000 spectators (old seat of the Caracas Fútbol Club and Deportivo Italchacao).Caracas for being the capital of Venezuela, has the seat of the National Institute of Sports and the Venezuelan Olympic Committee as well as of many clubs and national federations of a great diversity of disciplines.
Culture
Caracas is Venezuela's cultural capital, boasting several restaurants, theaters, museums, and shopping centers.
Museums and theaters
| Museo del Transporte Guillermo José Schael Museo del Teclado Museo Sacro de Caracas Museo de los Niños Museo de Ciencias Naturales Museo Histórico Militar Cinemateca Nacional Museo de Arte Colonial: Quinta de Anauco Galería de Arte Nacional Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas (MACC), with one of the most important art collections of South America. Museo Jacobo Borges Museo de Bellas Artes Museo Alejandro Otero Ateneo de Caracas | Museo Arturo Michelena Museo Audiovisual Museo de la Estampa y el Diseño Carlos Cruz-Diez Museo de Arte Popular de Petare Museo Alejandro Otero Galería Contini, an international gallery of paintings (America and Europe) Centro de Arte La Estancia Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas Cuadra Bolivariana Casa natal del Libertador Simón Bolívar Museo Bolivariano Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex Teatro Municipal Teatro Nacional Centro de Estudios Latinoamericanos Rómulo Gallegos (CELARG) Poliedro de Caracas |
Notable natives
Caracas has been the birthplace of many politicians and artists that notably shaped the country's history and culture:
Simón Bolívar Simón Rodríguez Andrés Bello Luisa Cáceres de Arismendi Teresa Carreño Rómulo Gallegos Carlos Cruz-Díez Pedro Gual Antonio Guzmán Blanco Francisco de Miranda Armando Reverón Tito Salas Fermín Toro Martín Tovar y Tovar Arturo Uslar-Pietri José Ángel Lamas Juan Antonio Perez BonaldeRecreation
The city has two main football stadiums: The Olympic Stadium (35,000) and the Estadio Brígido Iriarte, with a capacity of 25,000 seats, which is home to the Caracas Fútbol Club and Italchacao). Baseball teams Tiburones de la Guaira and Leones del Caracas also play on their shared stadium Estadio Universitario (33,000 seats).
Principal avenues
Bolívar avenue (the longest avenue of Venezuela in straight line) Simón Bolívar avenue (southeast of the city) Universidad avenue Baralt avenue Sucre avenue Urdaneta avenue Andrés Bello avenue Lecuna avenue Panteón avenue Libertador avenue Francisco de Miranda avenue (the longest of Caracas) Páez avenue O'Higgins avenue San Martín avenue Teherán avenue Acacias avenue Las Palmas avenue Abraham Lincoln avenue (Boulevard of Sabana Grande) Francisco Solano avenue Casanova avenue Intercomunal avenue of El Valle Fuerzas Armadas avenue Nueva Granada avenue Presidente Medina avenue (also known like: Victoria avenue) Roosevelt avenue Principal avenue of El Cementerio Paseo Los Ilustres Las Acacias avenue Paseo Los Próceres Río de Janeiroa avenue Principal avenue of las Mercedes Venezuela avenue of El Rosal Tamanaco avenue Intercomunal Santa Mónica-Cumbres de Curumo avenue Boulevard of El Cafetal Sanz avenue Principal avenue of Caurimare 4ª avenue of los Palos Grandes San Juan Bosco avenue Luís Roche avenue Sucre avenue of los Dos Caminos Los Castaños avenue of los Chorros Rómulo Gallegos avenue Principal avenue of Macaracuay La Guairita avenue (Cemetery of th east)Districts
| Caracas Districts | |
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| Northwest | Catia • 23 de Enero • Propatria • Lomas de Urdaneta • Casalta El Atlántico • Caño Amarillo • Los Magallanes de Catia • Alta Vista • Ruperto Lugo • Lídice • Gramoven • Manicomio |
| Center | El Silencio • Capitolio • La Hoyada • Altagracia • La Pastora • Cotiza • Quita Crespo • Guaicaipuro • La Candelaria |
| Southwest | Artigas • Vista Alegre • Bella Vista • Colinas de Vista Alegre • La Yaguara • Zona Industrial de La Yaguara • El Algodonal • Carapa • Antímano • Washington • Las Fuentes • El Paraíso • El Pinar • La Paz • El Paraíso • Montalbán • Juan Pablo II • La Vega • Las Adjuntas • Caricuao • Mamera |
| Centereastern | El Conde • Parque Central • San Agustín del Sur • San Agustín del Norte • Simón Rodríguez • Maripérez •La Colina • Las Palmas • Las Lomas • San Rafael • Los Caobos • Quebrada Honda • San Bernardino • La Campiña • La Florida • Alta Florida • Chapellín • Los Cedros • El Bosque • Chacaíto • Sabana Grande • Bello Monte |
| South | Cementerio • Los Carmenes • Los Castaños • Prado de Maria • La Bandera • Las Acacias • Colinas de las Acacias • Los Rosales • Valle Abajo • Los Chaguaramos • Ciudad Universitaria • Santa Mónica • Colinas de Santa Mónica • Colinas de Bello Monte • Cumbres de Curumo • El Valle • Los Jardines de El Valle • Coche • Delgado Chalbaud • La Rinconada |
| Eastern | Country Club • El Pedregal • San Marino • Campo Alegre • Chacao • Bello Campo • El Rosal • El Retiro • Las Mercedes • Tamanaco • Chuao • Altamira • Los Palos Grandes • La Castellana • La Floresta • Santa Eduvigis • Sebucán • La Carlota • Santa Cecilia • Campo Claro • Los Ruices • Montecristo • Los Chorros • Los Dos Caminos • Boleíta • Los Cortijos • La California • Horizonte • El Marqués • La Urbina • El Llanito • Macaracuay • La Guairita • Caurimare • El Cafetal • San Román • Santa Rosa • San Luis • Santa Sofía • Santa Paula • Santa Inés • Los Pomelos • Palo Verde • Petare |
| Southeastern | Valle Arriba • Santa Fe • Los Campitos • Prados del Este • Alto Prado • El Peñón • Baruta • Piedra Azul • La Trinidad • La Tahona • Monterrey • Las Minas • Cerro Verde • Los Naranjos • La Boyera • Alto Hatillo • El Hatillo • Los Geranios • La Lagunita • El Placer • El Guayabao • El Volcán • La Unión • Sartanejas • |
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