Puerto Ordaz is a planned city which, together with the older settlement of San Felix, forms Ciudad Guayana in Bolívar State, eastern Venezuela. Puerto Ordaz is located at the confluence of the Caroní and Orinoco Rivers and is the site of the Llovizna Falls. There are bridges across the Caroni and a new bridge across the Orinoco (Second Orinoco crossing). It is one of Venezuela's largest cities and is the base for large iron and steelworks and aluminium industries. The city has a large hydroelectric power plant, Macagua. Due to its planned nature, the city has a drastically different feel to it than many other South American cities. The towers of the Alta Vista district recall New York, and many of the residential neighborhoods have architecture and landscaping that are similar to suburbs in the United States in the 1950s, including 'cookie cutter' homes, sidewalks, and patterned lawns.

Economic activity

Many of Venezuela's prime industries are based in Puerto Ordaz, these include Alcasa, Venalum, Bauxilum, Carbonorca (primary aluminum manufacturers and anode suppliers for the aluminum industry), Ferrominera (iron ore processing), and Ternium Sidor (Orinoco Steelmaking). The country's main electricity producer, Edelca, and the regional development office, CVD (Corporación Venezolana de Guayana) are also located in Peurto Ordaz..

Port

The main port is operated for the Ternium Sidor industry and it's used for iron exportation. The biggest part of the river traffic over the Orinoco river has this port as destination, which is located at the mouth of the Caroní on the Orinoco. There are other 13 ports in the city. The rest of the river traffic is destined for the iron company, commercial delivery for aluminium companies and others companies located near the river.

Hydroelectric Centrals

In Puerto Ordaz is located the electricity industry of Caroní (Edelca) which manage several of the hydroelectric centrals over the Caroní river: Macagua I and II and Caruachi, all of the 3 located on the urban side of Guayana city. Edelca also built and administers Guri (this one is for now, the second world biggest dam, in terms of the capacity of hydroelectric generation) and gave origin to the Guri reservoir, the second biggest lake in Venezuela. Puerto Ordaz is also the only city in the world with a hydroelectric dam in the middle of the city

Law and government

Cachamay Stadium

Orinokia bridge

Puerto Ordaz is conformated by Caroní Municipality, Venezuelan law specifies that municipal governments have four main functions: executive, legislative, comptroller, and planning. The executive function is managed by the mayor, who is in charge of representing the municipality's administration. The legislative branch is represented by the Municipal Council, composed of seven councillors, charged with the deliberation of new decrees and local laws. The comptroller tasks are managed by the municipal comptroller's office, which oversees accountancy. Finally, planning is represented by the Local Public Planning Council, which manages development projects for the municipality.

Transportation

Puerto Ordaz is crisscrossed from north to south and east to west by numerous avenues. Some of them are:

• Guayana Avenue: It's the main traffic avenue of the city, since it crisscrosses the city from its start to its end, it starts at the toll on the "Ciudad Bolivar-Ciudad Guayana" Highway, and goes all the way through Puerto Ordaz (industrial zone, airport, commercial zone, residential zone, even the touristic zone since it side passes the Cachamay Park).
• Atlantico Avenue: Goes through Puerto Ordaz from west to east on the south side of the city. It intersects with the Las Americas avenue and the Leopoldo Sucre Figarella avenue. This gives a high importance to this avenue.
• Las Americas Avenue: Connects the Altavista sector (north of the city) with the centre.
• Paseo Caroní Avenue: Stars on the west side of the city and ends at the Atlantic avenue, it's also an important avenue.

On December 3, 2006, was inaugurated the Orinokia bridge, which crosses the Orinoco river.

Recreation

In Puerto Ordaz the principal recreation centers are:

• Natural: Llovizna park, Cachamay park, Loefling park.
• Shopping centers: Orinokia mall, Altavista Mall, Atlántico Mall.
• Family: Macagua Eco museum, Christmas Park and the Italian-Venezuelan Club.

Colleges

Puerto Ordaz is also well known for having one of the best engineering schools in Latin America, the main universities are:

Regional hubs:

• Andrés Bello UCAB (Catholic University)
• UDO (East University)
• Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho (UGMA) University
• Bicentenaria de Aragua (UBA) University

Puerto Ordaz is headquarter of colleges like:

• UNEXPO (Polytechnic Experimental National University)
• UNEG (Experimental National University of Guayana)

Technical Institutes

• Fe y Alegría Puerto ordaz
• U.E.E.T.I. Fundación "La Salle"
• I.U.T. Antonio José de Sucre
• I.U.T. Pedro Emilio Coll
• I.U.P. Santiago Mariño

Tourism

Inside the city are located the Llovizna and Cachamay Parks, with their waterfalls. Other local attractions are the Caroní Ecomuseum and the Macagua Dam. At the city, from the Angosturita bridge and the San Félix port, it can be observed the amazing union of the Caroní and Orinoco rivers; the different colors of the water on both rivers presents a natural show. Taking Puerto Ordaz as a starting point, it can be visit the Orinoco Delta, the Canaima's National Park, Guri's reservoirs, the colonial castles at the Orinoco riverside and many other interesting places. The Castles of Guayana are located at the right side of the Orinoco, at about 35 kilometers from San Félix.

Hotels

• Intercontinental Guayana Hotel
• Rasil Hotel
• Mara Inn Best Western Hotel
• Embajador Hotel
• Dos Ríos Hotel

See also

• Venezuela
• Ciudad Guayana
• Bolívar state
• List of cities in Venezuela

External links

• BBC article in a Puerto Ordaz aluminium plant

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