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Caracas

Encyclopedia : C : CA : CAR : Caracas

 Santiago de León de Caracas
Official flag of Caracas

City flag City seal
City 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)
City nicknames:
La Sucursal del Cielo (English: Branch of Heaven)
La Sultana del Avila (English:The Avilas' Sultana)
La Ciudad de los Techos Rojos (English:The City of Red Roofs, former)
Location of Caracas
Location of Caracas
Established July 25, 1567
Municipalities Libertador
Chacao
Baruta
Sucre
El Hatillo
Mayor Juan Barreto (2004 – 2008)
Area
  –Land
  –Water 		1,930 km²
N/A km²
N/A km²
Population
  –Total (2005)
  –Density 		Metropolitan district
3,276,000
1,697/km²
Time zone UTC –4
Latitude
Longitude 		10º 30’ N
66º 55’ 70’’ W
Official website: [Alcaldía Mayor]
Caracas (pron. IPA [ka'ɾakas]) is the capital of Venezuela. It is located in the north of the country, following the contours of a narrow mountain valley located on the Venezuelan coastal range (Cordillera de la Costa). The valley's temperatures are springlike, and the urbanizable terrain of the Caracas Valley lies between 2,500 and 3,000 ft (760 and 910 m) above sea level. The Valley is close to the Caribbean Sea , separated from the coast by a steep mountain range (Cerro Ávila) that rises above 8,000 ft (2600 m); to the south lies further hills and mountains. The historic center of Caracas, known as the Libertador District, had an estimated population of 2.1 million in 2005 [Population projection by state]. In that same year, the official metropolitan area [Gobierno en Linea: Distrito Capital] had an estimated population of 3.3 million [United Nations World Urbanization Prospects report]. Distrito Capital is the name of Caracas' primary seat. The metropolitan area also covers part of Miranda State.

Contents

History

The city was founded on July 25, 1567 as Santiago de León de Caracas by Spanish explorer Diego de Losada.

The city of Caracas was the birthplace of two of Latin America's most important figures: Francisco de Miranda and "El Libertador" Simón Bolívar.

An earthquake destroyed the city on March 26, 1812 and was portrayed by authorities as a divine punishment to people rebelling against the Spanish Crown, during the Venezuelan War of Independence.

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.

On October 17 2004, one of the Parque Central Torre towers caught fire.

Flag

Official flag of Caracas 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.

The red field, remembrance of the predominant color in the royal pennants of Colonial Caracas, symbolizes the blood spilled by Caraquenian people in favor to the Independence and the highest Ideals of the Venezuelan Nation.

The original design of the Caracas Flag appeared in the decade of 1980 and consisted of a burgundy red cloth with the version of the then adopted and still effective Coat of Arms located to the canton.

Later, in 1994, presumably as a result of the change of municipal authorities, it was decided to place the Caracas coat of arms slightly increased of size on the center of the field, configuration that maintains at the present time.

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. Symbollogically speaking, this raised a conflict then that Caracas identifies the Coat of Arms of the Capital of the Republic.



Places of interest




Ciudad Universitaria

Enlarge

Ciudad Universitaria







Ciudad Universitaria


The main campus of the Central University of Venezuela, designed by the renowned architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva and declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 2000 is considered to be a masterwork of Modern Architecture and Art. Over 28 artist from the Modern Avant-garde participated in the project. Among them Hans Arp, Alexander Calder, Fernand Léger, Victor Vasarely with the Venezuelans Francisco Narváez, Alejandro Otero and Oswaldo Vigas.








Capitolio Federal

The Capitolio Federal occupies an entire city block, and, with its golden domes and neoclassical pediments, can seem even bigger. The building was commissioned by 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.


Visit on Independence Day and you'll catch a glimpse of the original Act of Independence of 1811, installed inside a pedestal topped by a bust of Bolívar and displayed only on this most auspicious of public days. The halls surrounding the salon are daubed with battle scenes commemorating Venezuela's fight for independence.



Parque del Este

Designed by brazilian architect Roberto Burle Marx.  A green paradise in the middle of the city, where diverse activities can be done. A park where typical animals can be seen in a little zoo. A replica of the famous ship led by Christopher Columbus, la Santa Maria, is in the southern part of the park.



Casa Natal de Bolívar

Skyscrapers may loom overhead, but there's more than a hint of original colonial flavour 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 modernising once-over by Guzmán Blanco.



Museo de Arte Colonial

The gardens that surround this museum are almost as enticing as its interior. The museum is housed in a gorgeous colonial country mansion known as Quinta Anauco, which is surrounded by beautiful greenery. Inside the house you'll find meticulously restored rooms, filled with carefully selected works of art, furniture and period household and many other historical artifacts. 


The quinta was well outside the historic town when it was built back in 1797, but today it's an oasis in the inner suburb of San Bernardino. 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. Formerly a church, the building was given its new purpose as the final resting place for eminent Venezuelans by Antonio Guzmán Blanco in 1874. The entire central nave is dedicated to Bolívar, with the altar's place taken by the hero's bronze sarcophagus, while lesser luminaries are relegated to the aisles. The national pantheon's vault is covered with 1930s paintings depicting scenes from Bolívar's life, and the huge crystal chandelier glittering overhead was installed in 1883 on the centennial of his birth. It's worth hanging around to catch the ceremonial changing of the guard, held several times a day.



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. The Mirador de la Torre Oeste, on the 52nd floor, gives a 360° bird's-eye view of the city.






Plaza Bolívar

Enlarge

Plaza Bolívar







Plaza Bolívar

Leafy Plaza Bolívar is the focus of the old town with the inevitable monument to El Libertador, Simon Bolívar, at its heart. Modern high-rise buildings have overpowered much of the colonial flavour of Caracas' founding neighborhood. But the lively area still boasts some important sites.


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. To grasp just how much this city has grown, take a look at the map dating from 1578 in the building's central courtyard.



A narrow street in El Hatillo Town.

Enlarge

A narrow street in El Hatillo Town.







El Hatillo


El 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. Just like every town in Venezuela, El Hatillo has its own Plaza Bolívar with El Libertador statue in the middle. It also has a well preserved Catholic Church, and many colonial houses. Even the municipal government, banks, and bookshops in this neighborhood keep the colonial look, with tall windows, floor-to-top wood doors, and red tile roofs.


The actual colonial section of El Hatillo municipality represents only a small part of the total land size. Other parts of El Hatillo municipality are regular residential and commercial zones, inlcuding the neighborhoods of La Boyera, Oripoto, and La Lagunita.



Religious Buildings





Seats and parks



Culture

Caracas 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, the Middle East, Germany, Portugal, China, and Latin American countries.



Museums and theaters









Notable caraquenians


Caracas has been the birthplace of many politicians and artists that notably shaped the country's history and culture:



Recreation

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).





Transportation

The Caracas metro has been in operation since 1983 and is the safest and quickest way to travel in the city.
Nearby Maiquetia has Maiquetia International Airport.



Panorama






Images of Caracas



Image:PicoOriental.jpg|Pico oriental "La Silla de Caracas" en el Parque Nacional del Ávila
Image:Este de Caracas.JPG|Eastern Caracas with the Avila mountain behind
Image:Altamira.JPG|Este de Caracas
Image:Teleférico caracas1.jpg|Teleférico de Caracas




Magazine covers for the 400th anniversary of Caracas in 



Image:Parque del Este.jpg|Parque del Este (Caracas East Park)
Image:Ceiba of San Francisco.jpg|Ceiba of San Francisco
Image:Andrés Bello Avenue.jpg|Andrés Bello Avenue
Image:Caracas 400th anniversary.jpg|Caracas 400th anniversary




References





External links





Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[Caracas Virtual] - Informative portal of the city.
  • [Caracas Brief Information Travel Guide]
  • [Caracas Stock Exchange]
  • [Novolari's Caracas Tourism Site]
  • [VenezuelaTuya's Caracas Tourism Site]
  • [Caracas News from World News]
  • [Lonely Planet - Caracas]
  • [Maiquetia Airport (serves Caracas)]
  • [Caracas Lions Baseball Club]
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 Municipalities of Caracas 

    


    
 
Baruta | Chacao | El Hatillo | Libertador | Sucre

    

    

    


    
 Political Divisions of Venezuela
 
    


    


    
 Capital District:
 Caracas

    
 States:
 Amazonas | Anzoátegui | Apure | Aragua | Barinas | Bolívar | Carabobo | Cojedes | Delta Amacuro | Falcón | Guárico | Lara | Mérida | Miranda | Monagas | Nueva Esparta | Portuguesa | Sucre | Táchira | Trujillo | Vargas | Yaracuy | Zulia

    
 Federal dependencies:
 Los Monjes Archipelago | Las Aves Archipelago | Isla Aves | Los Hermanos Island | Islas Los Frailes | Los Roques Archipelago | La Sola Island | La Tortuga Island | La Orchila | La Blanquilla Island | Los Testigos Island | Isla de Patos

    

    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    



     



    

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