Caracas
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Caracas
Caracas () is the capital and largest city of Venezuela. It is located in the north of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range (Cordillera de la Costa). The valley's temperatures are springlike. Terrain suitable for building on lies between 760 and 910 m (2,500 and 3,000 ft) above sea level. The valley is close to the Caribbean Sea, separated from the coast by a steep 2200 m (7400 ft) high mountain range, Cerro Ávila; to the south there are more hills and mountains. El Distrito Metropolitano de Caracas (The Metropolitan District of Caracas) includes the Distrito Capital (the capital city proper) and four other municipalities in Miranda State including Chacao, Baruta, Sucre, and El Hatillo. The city of Caracas had an estimated population of 3,140,076 as of 2005. The population of Greater Caracas, including neighboring cities outside the Capital District proper, is approximately 4.7 million.[1] HistoryMore than five hundred years ago, the area was populated by indigenous peoples and Caracas did not exist. Francisco Fajardo, the son of a Spanish Captain and a Guaqueri queen, attempted to establish a plantation in the valley in 1562 after founding a series of coastal towns. Fajardo's settlement did not last as it was destroyed by the locals led by Terepaima and Guacaipuro. This was the last rebellion on the part of the natives, for on July 25, 1567, the Spanish captain Diego de Losada laid the foundations of the city of Santiago de León de Caracas. The cultivation of cocoa stimulated the development of the city which in 1777 became the capital of the capitanía general of Venezuela. An attempt at revolution to gain independence organized by José María España and Manuel Gual was put down on July 13, 1797. But the ideas of the French Revolution and the American Wars of Independence inspired the people, and on July 5, 1811 a Declaration of Independence was signed in Caracas. This city was the birthplace of two of Latin America's most important figures: Francisco de Miranda and "El Libertador" Simón Bolívar. An earthquake destroyed Caracas on March 26, 1812 and was portrayed by authorities as a divine punishment for rebelling against the Spanish Crown, during the Venezuelan War of Independence. The valley became a cemetery, and the war continued until June 24, 1821, when Bolívar gained a decisive victory over the Royalists at the Battle of Carabobo.[2] 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. During the 1950s, Caracas began an intensive modernization program which continued throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. The Universidad Central de Venezuela, designed by modernist architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva and now a UNESCO monument, was built. Joining El Silencio, also by Villanueva, several workers' (23 de Enero, Simon Rodriguez) and new middle class residential districts (Bello Monte, Los Palos Grandes, Chuao, Cafetal, etc.) sprouted in the valley, extending its limits towards the East and South East. On October 17 2004, one of the Parque Central towers caught fire. The change in the economic structure of the country, now oil dependent, and the fast development of Caracas made it a magnet for the rural communities who migrated to the capital city in an unplanned fashion, creating the ranchos (slum) belt in the valley of Caracas.Symbols
GovernanceCaracas has five municipalities: Baruta, El Hatillo, Chacao, Libertador and Sucre. The constitution of Venezuela specifies that municipal governments be divided into executive and legislative branches. The executive government of the municipality is governed by the mayor, while the legislative government is managed by the Municipal council. In March 8, 2000, the year after a new constitution was introduced in Venezuela, it was decreed in Gaceta Official N° 36,906 that the Metropolitan District of Caracas would be created, and that some of the powers of these municipalities would be delegated to the Alcaldía Mayor, physically located in Libertador municipality.EconomyCaracas hosts numerous service companies, banks, and malls, among others. Most economic activity is in services, excepting some industries established in its metropolitan area. Caracas is home to the Caracas Stock Exchange and Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). The PDVSA is the largest company in Venezuela and negotiates all the international agreements for the distribution and export of petroleum. Small and medium industry also contribute to the economic capacity of Caracas. The city has excellent routes of communication and transportation between the metropolitan area and the country. Caracas is a regional center for the distribution of products. The high concentration of population has also been an important factor for the growth of retail wholesale markets, which form the fastest-growing segment of commerce in the region. Important industries in Caracas include chemicals, textiles, leather, food, iron and wood products. There are also rubber and cement factories. Geography
North-south view of central Caracas from Cerro El Ávila Climate
Generalísimo Francisco de Miranda air base and El Ávila national park DemographicsThe population of the administrative city of Caracas is estimated at 3,140,076 as of (2005). The conurbation including the surrounding suburbs has an estimated population of 5 million. Sites of interestMain library of City University of Caracas
Pico Oriental of the Cerro El Ávila Casa del Libertador (Simón Bolívars birthplace) Federal CapitolThe Federal Capitol occupies an entire city block, and, with its golden domes and neoclassical pediments, can seem even bigger. The building was commissioned by Antonio Guzmán Blanco in the 1870s, and is most famous for its Salón Elíptico, an oval hall with a mural-covered dome and walls lined with portraits of the country's great and good. East ParkThe Caracas East Park (Parque del Este) was designed by Brazilian architect Roberto Burle Marx. It is a green paradise in the middle of the city, and contains a small zoo. A replica of the ship led by Francisco de Miranda, the Leander, it will build in the southern part of the park. There used to exist a replica of the Santa Maria ship, used by Christopher Colombus in his voyages to discover America. Teresa Carreño Cultural ComplexThe 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. Simón Bolívar birthplace houseSkyscrapers may loom overhead, but there is 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. The museum's exhibits include period weapons, banners and uniforms. Much of the original colonial interior has been replaced by monumental paintings of battle scenes, but more personal relics can be seen in the nearby Museo Bolivariano. Pride of place goes to the coffin in which Bolívar's remains were brought from Colombia; his ashes now rest in the National Pantheon. 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. The church dazzles the eye with its richly gilded baroque altarpieces, and still retains much of its original colonial interior, despite being given a modernizing once-over by Guzmán Blanco. National PantheonVenezuela's most venerated building is five blocks north of Plaza Bolívar, on the northern edge of the old town. Formerly a church, the building was given its new purpose as the final resting place for eminent Venezuelans by Antonio Guzmán Blanco in 1874. Parque Central ComplexAt a short distance east of Plaza Bolívar is Parque Central, a concrete complex of five high-rise residential slabs of somewhat apocalyptic-appearing architecture, crowned by two 56-storey octagonal towers, one of them is under repair due to the fire which burned the building on October 17, 2004. Parque Central is Caracas' art and culture hub, with museums, cinemas, the Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex, and the Caracas Athenaeum, home to the esteemed Rajatabla theatre company. The Mirador de la Torre Oeste, on the 52nd floor, gives a 360° bird's-eye view of the city. PlazasPlaza Bolívar is the focus of the old town with the monument to El Libertador, Simon Bolívar, at its heart. Modern high-rise buildings have overpowered much of the colonial flavor of Caracas' founding neighborhood. Plaza Caracas is s square is located in the Simón Bolívar Center, at the foot of the well-known towers, 30 storey dominating El Silencio District and forming a unique testimony to the early days of the modernisation of the city. The square is an important centre of the activities of the city since its construction in 1983. It has various levels for pedestrian and motorised traffic, and contains the business, shops, restaurants, services of a zone in which are concentrated important public and private institutions. El HatilloEl Hatillo is a colonial town located at the south-east suburbs of Caracas in the municipal area of the same name. This small town, which is one of Venezuela's few well-preserved typical colonial areas, gives an idea of what Caracas was like in centuries past. Cerro El ÁvilaCerro 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, it is considered the lung of Caracas due to the fact that there is no construction on it, only vegetation, this makes it a sites of reference of the city. Las MercedesFor those who wish to know the most commercial and cosmopolitan district of Caracas, you 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 meeting place of the Caracas youth, it has some of the most exclusive stores of the city. Altamira neighborhoodAltamira 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. Religious buildingsCaracas has numerous religious buildings. The Caracas Cathedral is situated in one corner of the Plaza Bolívar, it was founded in 1594. The parents of Simón Bolívar are buried there, besides its hand carved altars, it possesses works of art such as, The Resurrection by Rubens, the Presentation of the Virgin by Murillo, and the Last Supper, an unfinished work by the Venezuelan painter Arturo Michelena. Along with the Cathedral, the San Francisco Church is one of the most important religious buildings in Caracas. It houses some 17th century masterpieces of art, carvings, sculptures and oil paintings. The Central University of Venezuela, created in the time of Philip V, was lodged in the church cloisters, today is the seat of the Language Academy, and the Academies of History, Physics, and Mathematics. This church is of much historical and sentimental value to the people of Caracas, for it was in its precincts where the people congregated in 1813, to concede the title of El Libertador (The Liberator) to Simón Bolívar. Colleges and universitiesCentral University of Venezuela(Universidad Central de Venezuela in Spanish) is a premier public University of Venezuela located in Caracas. Founded in 1721, it is the oldest university in Venezuela and one of the first in Latin America. The university campus was designed by architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva and it was declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 2000. The Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas, as the main Campus is also known, is considered a masterpiece of architecture and urban planning and it is the only university campus designed in the 20th century that has received such recognition by UNESCO. Simón Bolívar University(Universidad Simón Bolívar in Spanish) or USB, is a public institution located in Caracas, Venezuela with scientific and technological orientation. Its motto is "La Universidad de la Excelencia" ("University of Excellence"). Both nationally and globally, Simón Bolívar University is a well-known school with a high reputation in scientific and engineering careers. Its graduates are known for achieving one of the highest professional standards in the world. Other universities
Sports
Leones del Caracas logo
UCV Baseball Stadium Between the most important soccer stadiums we have:
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. Bodybuilding, in particular Female Bodybuilding has become popular in Caracas as well. The most famous names being Betty Viana and Yaxeni Oriquen, who is also a Ms. Olympia champion. Both women are also natives of Caracas.
Sports teams
CultureCaracas is Venezuela's cultural capital, boasting several restaurants, theaters, museums, and shopping centers. The city is also home to an array of immigrants from but not limited to: Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Middle East, Germany, China, and Latin American countries. Caracas has the reputation as being one of the most dangerous cities in Latin America. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6576413.stmhttp://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1059.htmlhttp://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/South_America/Venezuela/Warnings_or_Dangers-Venezuela-BR-1.htmlhttp://www.slate.com/id/2154426 Museums, libraries and cultural centresCaracas, has been a city with great cultural aspirations throughout the course of its history. Institutions such as the old Atheneum bear witness to this awareness. The National library holds a great amount of volumes, and affords abundant bibliographic information for the student of the discovery and independence of Venezuela. The museum of Colonial Art has on show an interesting exhibition of Venezuelan art from the periods previous to its independence with fountains, furniture, colonial courtyards etc. In the Fine Arts Museum are kept some archaeological finds with some good examples of precolombine pottery. Since 1974, Caracas has had a Contemporary Art Museum, containing works representing the most important tendencies in contemporary art, and since 1982, counts with a Children's Museum, a privately managed museum foundation, with the propose of teaching children about science, technology, culture and arts. The Natural Science Museum, has a rich collection os archaeological pieces from the primitive native cultures, in these collections and in other no less important galleries (Raúl Santana Creole Museum, Transport Museum, the Coin Museum, Bolivarian Museum, Jacobo Borges Museum, Carlos Cruz-Diez Museum, Alejandro Otero Museum, Sacred Museum, etc.) the cultural aspirations of Caracas are more than evident.GastronomyCaracas has a rich gastronomical heritage due to the influence of immigrants, leading to a wide choice of regional and international cuisine. There are a great variety of international restaurants including French, Italian, Spanish, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican. The district of La Candelaria is well known for its Spanish restaurants, due to the number of Galician and Canarian immigrants that came to this area in the mid-20th century. Typical dishes include: Pabellón Criollo, empanadas, arepas, hallaca, black roast beef and chicken salad. Chicha, guarapo, carato and tizana (mixed beverage with fruits) are typical drinks. Notable nativesCaracas has been the birthplace of many politicians and artists that notably shaped the country's history and culture:
TransportationInside Plaza Venezuela station of the Caracas Metro
Francisco Fajardo Highway in Chacao Municipality
Sister citiesCities twinned with Caracas are:
Districts
PanoramaReferences
See alsoExternal links
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