'Caracas' (
pron. IPA ) is the
capital and largest city 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 Ãvila) that rises above 7400 ft (2200 m); to the south lies further hills and mountains.
''El Distrito Metropolitano de Caracas'' (The Metropolitan District of Caracas) is the official name of the district governed as Caracas. It covers the
Distrito Capital, 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 out of the Capital District)
urban agglomeration is approximately 4.7 million people.
[citypopulation.de]
History
Colonial Art Museum of Caracas (Quinta Anauco)
.jpg)
Miraflores Presidential Palace,
1909
More than five hundred years ago, the area was populated by local, ethnic tribes and Caracas did not exist. Years went by, and ''
Francisco Fajardo'', a
Spanish colonial attempted to establish a plantation there in the year of
1562. ''Fajardo's stay in the valley did not last long, and he was expelled by the locals. This was the last rebellion on the part of the aborigines, for on
July 25th,
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'' was transformed under the influence of the colonizers into the new city of Caracas. The cultivation of cocoa stimulated the development of the city which became the capital of the
province of Venezuela.
An attempt at revolution to gain independence organized by ''
José MarÃa España'' and ''
Manuel Gual'' was put down on
July 13th,
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 BolÃvar. An earthquake destroyed Caracas on
March 26th,
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 24th,
1821, when BolÃvar gained a decisive victory over the Royalists at ''
Carabobo''.
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.
'Reference:' ''The history and geography of a valley'', by ''Maurice Wiesenthal'', article appeared in the book ''Caracas'', published in 1981.
Symbols
★ '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
1980s). The red field symbolizes the blood spilled by Caraquenian people in favor of independence and the highest ideals of the Venezuelan Nation. Later, in the year
1994, presumably as a result of the change of municipal authorities, it was decided to increase the size of the Caracas coat of arms and move it to the centre of the field. This version of the flag is still in use today.
★ 'Coat of arms:' The coat of arms of the City of Caracas was adopted by the
Libertador Municipality to identify itself. Later, the
Metropolitan Mayor Office assumed the lion, the scallop and the
St. James Cross for the same purpose.
★ 'Anthem:' The anthem of the City is the ''
Marcha a Caracas'' by the composer ''
Tiero Pezzuti de Matteis'' with the lyric by '
José Enrique Sarabia''. The lyrics are said to be inspired by the heroism of the Caracas people, and the memory of the ''City of Red Roofs''.
:Incidentally, the
National Anthem of Venezuela ''"
Gloria al Bravo Pueblo"'' recites: ''"...Y si el despotismo levanta la voz, seguid el ejemplo que Caracas dio."'' ('"...and if despotism raises its voice, follow the example that Caracas gave."') ... meaning that Caracas used to generously give plenty of heroic fighters to wage the Independence War.
Law and government
Caracas 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 Oficial'' 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 ''AlcaldÃa Mayor'', physically located in Libertador municipality.
Geography
Caracas is contained entirely within a valley of the
Venezuelan central range, and separated from the Caribbean coast by a roughly 15 km expanse of El Ãvila
National Park. (This group of mountains is greatly appreciated by the natives of Caracas for its beauty and wealth, and for being a place for natural recreation.) The valley is relatively small and quite irregular, the altitude with respect to
sea level varies from between 870 and 1,043 meters (2,854–3,422 ft), with 900 meters (2,953 ft) in the historic zone. This, along with the rapid population growth, has profoundly influenced the
urban development of the city. The most elevated point of the Capital District, wherein the city is located, is the ''Pico El Ãvila'', which rises to 2,159 meters (7,083 ft). The main body of water in Caracas is the Guaire river, which flows across the city and empties into the ''Tuy river'', which is also is fed by the ''El Valle'' and ''San Pedro'' rivers, in addition to numerous streams which descend from El Ãvila. The ''La Mariposa'' and ''Camatagua'' reservoirs provide water to the city.
Climate
The climate of Caracas is intertropical, with precipitation that varies between 900 and 1,300 millimeters (35–51 in) (annual), in the city proper, and up to 2,000 millimeters (79 in) in some parts of the Mountain range. The annual average temperature is approximately of
22.5 °C (73 °F), with the average of the coldest month (January)
22 °C (72 °F) and the average of the warmest month (May)
24 °C (75 °F), which gives little annual thermal amplitude, of 3°C. The daily thermal amplitude is greater (more than 10°C/50°F), superior to
30 °C (86 °F), that rare times descend to less from
25 °C (77 °F). In the months of December and January abundant fog may appear, in addition to a sudden nightly drop in temperature, until reaching
13 °C (55 °F) or less, this peculiar weather is known by the natives of Caracas as the ''
Pacheco''. In addition, nightly temperatures at any time of the year usually do not surpass
20 °C (68 °F), which results in very pleasant evening temperatures. Hail storms appear in Caracas, although only on rare occasions. Electrical storms are much more frequent, especially between June and October, due to the city being in a closed valley and the orographic action of
Cerro El Ãvila.
Economy
Caracas as the capital of
Venezuela, hosts numerous companies of services, banks, malls, among others. Its activity is in almost 100% of services, excepting some industries established in its metropolitan area, this city also host the
Caracas Stock Exchange, that requests the operations of the purchase and authorizes the sale of the instruments for its negotiation in the stock-market. It also hosts
Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) which is the main company of the country, that negotiates all the
international agreements for the distribution and export of petroleum.
Caracas host the
political power of
Venezuela, has an immense economic capacity like seat of the small and medium industry, the city has excellent routes of communication and transport services between the metropolitan area and the country, Caracas becomes a center for the distribution of products. The high concentration of population has been also important factor for the accelerated multiplication of retail wholesale markets, and in this region, the commerce (national and international), is the activity of greater increase. Between the industries it has, those of,
Chemicals,
Textiles,
Leather, food,
iron and
wood products, there are also important
rubber and
cement factories.
Demographics
Informal settlements locally known as ''barrios'' crowd some of the hillsides of the city
Altamira neighborhood
The population of Caracas is of 5,452,320 (2007) inhabitants, not including the surrounding suburbs, like Petare, whose population is approximately 1,500,000 people.
The mixture of races and cultures has marked this city throughout its history. Previously, during colonial times, Spaniards mixed with local native Indians and again with
African slaves brought to work on the cocoa and coffee fields. As a result, the racial and ethnic composition of Caracas is diverse.
After independence and following the discovery and exploitation of petroleum, European immigrants began to arrive in the growing city. Examples include the French, who brought the telephone system (thus, locals answer the phone in French style, saying "aló", and the Dutch (
Shell Petroleum), who came to exploit the natural resources.
The aftermath of
the Second World War, repressive European dictatorships, and the continued exploitation of petroleum attracted many thousands of immigrants from Spain (
Galicia,
Canary Islands especially), Portugal (
Madeira Island especially), and Italy. Middle Eastern immigrants from
Palestine and
Lebanon also sought a new life in the city.European immigration was notorious during the 1960s and 1970s, but the 1980s and 1990s saw growing numbers of immigrants hailing from neighboring countries such as
Colombia; Ecuador; Peru, Bolivia,
Trinidad and Tobago, and Haiti.
Due to the old Spanish influence, mixture of races and cultures has been an accepted part of life in the city of Caracas. Therefore, it is not difficult to find blond people with dark eyes, as well as very dark people with blondish hair and
blue eyes. Nevertheless, the common demography would be "
mulatos" (people of mixed black and white ancestry), "
mestizos" (mixed white and native Indian), and "
criollos" (three races all together).
Many newcomers from the countryside have arrived, but unfortunately the city has grown haphazardly. No demographic planning has ever been carried out, thus there are entire districts and neighborhoods of Caracas lacking water and electrical systems, not to mention other services like schools, hospitals, police,
fire departments, etc. Therefore, some suburbs and districts of the city are like lawless territories, in which insecurity is felt at all times. Caracas, like many other Latin American cities, represents the best example of "non-planned supportable development", where a modern, progressive city coexists with lawlessness and poverty.
Sites of interest
Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex
Mounted statue of Simón BolÃvar in Plaza BolÃvar, Caracas
Santa RosalÃa de Palermo Church in El Hatillo
Plaza Alfredo Sadel, ''Las Mercedes''
''El Silencio'' and the ''Centro Simón BolÃvar''
A narrow street in the colonial town of
Petare
''Los Próceres'' Monument
Caracas Cathedral
San Francisco Church and the legendary San Francisco Kapok
St. Peter's Church
East Park of Caracas
''Los Conductores del PaÃs'' mural, at the Francisco Fajardo Highway
Sambil Mall
Caracas' Aerial Tramway
Ciudad Universitaria
Main articles: Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas
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 artists 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
Antonio Guzmán Blanco in the 1870s, and is most famous for its
Salón ElÃptico, 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 BolÃvar 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 ship led by
Francisco de Miranda, the ''Leander'', maybe will build in the southern part of the park. There was a replica of the ''Santa MarÃa'' ship, used by
Christopher Colombus in his voyages to discover America, was destroyed by the goverment
Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex
Main articles: 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. It is located near the Seat of the museums, the Caobos Park and the Athenian of Caracas, in the cultural zone of the city. It is divided in two rooms: ''Jose Felix Ribas'' and ''RÃos Reyna''. It is constructed on a site of 22 thousand
square meters. The theater was thus named in honor of the Venezuelan pianist
Teresa Carreño.
Casa Natal de BolÃvar
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 BolÃvar 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 BolÃvar's remains were brought from
Colombia; his ashes now rest in the
National Pantheon.
BolÃvar'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.
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
Main articles: Panteón Nacional
Venezuela's most venerated building is five blocks north of
Plaza BolÃvar, 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 BolÃvar, 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 BolÃvar'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
Main articles: Parque Central Complex
At a short saunter east of Plaza BolÃvar is 'Parque Central', a concrete complex of five
high-rise residential slabs of somewhat apocalyptic-appearing architecture, crowned by two 53-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, 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 BolÃvar
Leafy Plaza BolÃvar is the focus of the old town with the inevitable monument to
El Libertador, Simon BolÃvar, at its heart. Modern high-rise buildings have overpowered much of the colonial flavor 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.
El Hatillo
Main articles: El Hatillo Municipality
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 BolÃvar with
El Libertador's statue in the middle. It also has a well preserved
Roman 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, including the neighborhoods of La Boyera, Oripoto, and La Lagunita.
Cerro El Ãvila
Main articles: Cerro El Ãvila
'Cerro El Ãvila' (''Mountain El Ãvila'') (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. In
1958 the mountain was declared National Park, with the name of ''El Ãvila National Park''. The mountain is rounded in outline with smooth contours and its rich colour has inspired many venezuelan painters. On many days at dawn, it is covered with a slight mist caressing its bluish outline. El Ãvila is, in a way, the Calendar of Caracas. On february it is covered with ''Apamate'' flowers, On April the ''Acacias'', on May, the Atapaimas. The ''Damas de Noche'' perfume the mountain paths on November, and during the summer are the araguaneyes, taras and drumstick trees, and the
orchids that flower the whole year round along the lanes. There is a Cable car to El Ãvila which within a few minutes reaches a height of 2137 metres. The journey take us over the buildings and highways of Caracas, and over the land where the spanish gentleman ''Gabriel de Ãvila'', established himself, giving the name to the mountain.
Las Mercedes
Main articles: Las Mercedes
For 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 neighborhood
Main articles: Altamira (Caracas)
'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.
San Ignacio Shopping Mall
For those looking for the best shopping experience in Caracas, San Ignacio mall is the architectonic complex of mixed use, offices and commercial, more exclusive of Caracas.
Built under the direction of the architects
Carlos Gomez de Llarena & Benacerraf, the construction of this huge
Commercial Center began in May of 1993, opening in September of 1998. The result of this project: 120,000 square meters (~1.3 million sq ft) of construction with beautiful walls of Italian granite, four parking levels, and two office towers. Because of its design, San Ignacio Mall, won the international award of Latin American architecture Mies Van Der Rohe of 1998, turning into one of the more valuable architectonic pieces of Venezuela.
Caracas Cathedral
The Cathedral is situated in one corner of the Plaza BolÃvar, it was founded in 1594. The parents of
Simón BolÃvar are buried there, 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'', an
unfinished work by the Venezuelan painter
Arturo Michelena.
San Francisco Church
Along with the Cathedral, the church of San Francisco is one of the most important religious buildings in Caracas. It houses some
XVII 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 BolÃvar.
Religious buildings
★
Caracas Cathedral
★ Santa Capilla
Minor Basilica
★ St. Peter's Church
★ La Chiquinquirá Church
★ Tiferet Israel Synagogue in Maripérez
★ San Francisco church
★
Santa RosalÃa de Palermo church
★
Santa Teresa Basilica
★ San Constantino and
Santa Elena Romanian Orthodox Church
★ Nuestra Señora de Altagracia church
★ Al-Ibrahim Mosque
Seats and parks
★ Plaza
O’Leary
★
Plaza Venezuela/ Paseo Colón
★
Plaza BolÃvar
★
Plaza Francia
★ Plaza La India
★ Plaza de los Museos
★ Plaza la Castellana
★ Plaza Bernardo O'Higgins
★ Plaza
Andrés Eloy Blanco
★ Plaza El Venezolano
★ Plaza Alfredo Sadel
★ Plaza Lincoln
★ Plaza Morelos
★ Plaza Brión
★ Plaza Páez
★ Plaza Miranda
★ Plaza Caracas
★ East Park of Caracas: ''
Francisco de Miranda''
★ West Park of Caracas: ''
Jovito Villalba''
★ Los Caobos Park
★ Los Chorros Park
★
ArÃstides Rojas Park
★ Vinicio Adames Park
★ Aruflo Park
★ Cueva del Indio Park
★
Caricuao Zoo
★ El Pinar Zoo
★ Manuel San Park
★ Maracaibo Park
★ Sanz Park
★ “Expanzoo†Zoo
★ Botanic Garden of Caracas
★ Gardens of the Simón BolÃvar and Central of Venezuela universities
★
Paseo Los Próceres
★
Paseo El Calvario
★
El Ãvila National Park
★ El Volcán mountain
★ Macarao National Park
★ Central Coast Protected Zone
★ Protected Zone of the Metropolitan District of Caracas
★ “El Algodonal†Protected Zone
Colleges and universities
Central University of Venezuela
''Laberinto Cromovegetal'', at the Universidad Simón BolÃvar
Universidad Metropolitana
Central University of Venezuela
Main articles: Central 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 BolÃvar University
Main articles: Universidad Simón BolÃvar
('Universidad Simón BolÃvar' 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 BolÃvar University is a well-known school with a high reputation in scientific and engineering careers. Its graduates are known for achieving high professional standards.
Other universities
★
Universidad Católica Andrés Bello
★
Universidad Metropolitana
★
Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón RodrÃguez
★
Universidad Santa Maria
★
Universidad José MarÃa Vargas
★
Universidad Monteavila
★
Universidad Nueva Esparta
★
Universidad Experimental Politécnica Antonio José de Sucre
★
Universidad Pedagógica Experimental Libertador
★
Universidad Alejandro de Humboldt
★
Universidad Bolivariana de Venezuela
Sports
''Estadio OlÃmpico de la UCV''
Most notably
football and
baseball teams are located in Caracas. Several other sports also have Caracas as their home.
The baseball teams
Tiburones de La Guaira and
Leones del Caracas have like seat the ''Estadio OlÃmpico de la UCV'', of the
Central University of Venezuela, with a capacity of 25 000 spectators.
The
Navegantes del Magallanes, another baseball team, although it was founded in Caracas, was moved to
Valencia, Carabobo, but it has a great liking in the capital, in special by its historical rivalry with the local team.
The city has two football stadiums:
★
Estadio OlÃmpico de la UCV, with capacity of 30 000 spectators (but is being extended to 40 000 for the
Copa América 2007)
★
BrÃgido Iriarte stadium, with a capacity of 12 000 spectators (old seat of the
Caracas Fútbol Club and
Deportivo Italchacao). The Caracas Football Club opens its own stadium in
August 2005, called ''Cocodrilos Sport Park''.
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.
★ Caracas hosted the
1983 Pan American Games
Sports teams
★ 'Baseball':
Leones del Caracas B.B.C.
★ 'Football': ''
Caracas Fútbol Club, Estrella Roja Futbol club, Deportivo Italia''
★ 'Basket': ''Cocodrilos de Caracas B.B.C.''.
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,
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.
[1][2][3][4]
Museums, libraries and cultural centres
Bolivarian Museum of Caracas
Caracas, 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 highly interesting archaelogical finds with some good examples of precolombine pottery. Also worthy of a visit in its art gallery with its many masterpieces by international and venezulean painters. Art enthusiasts should not miss a visit to the
Arturo Michelena Art Museum, situated in the former studio of this great venezuelan artist. Since
1974, Caracas has had a Contemporary Art Museum, containing magnificent 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 archaelogical pieces from the primitive native cultures, in these collections and in other no less important galleries (the ''Raúl Santana Creole Museum'', The ''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, and its interest in the future, is never to the detriment of the enthusiasm with the relics of the past are preserved. Behind its appearance of a dynamic city, Caracas conserves the essence of its history with an aristocratic refinement.
Gastronomy
Caracas has an important gastronomical culture, due to the influence of immigrants, for that reason is frequent to find food specialties of the diverse regions of Venezuela, jointly with international ones. A great variety of
French,
Italian,
Spanish,
Hindu,
Chinese,
Japanese, and
Mexican restaurants exists, among others. The district of ''La Candelaria'' is very well-known by its Spanish restaurants, since the array of Galician and Canary immigrants at this zone, since the middle of the
XX century, contributing to the gastronomical wealth of the city. Between the main typical foods they emphasize: ''Pabellón Criollo'',
empanadas,
arepas,
hallaca, ''Black roast beef'' and ''chicken salad''. Between the typical drinks we found
chicha,'' guarapo'', ''carato'' and ''tizana'' (alcoholic beverage with fruits).
Museums and theaters
Notable natives
Plaza Francia at the Chacao Municipality
Chacaito, a commercial district of Caracas
Caracas has been the birthplace of many politicians and artists that notably shaped the country's history and culture:
★
Simón BolÃvar
★
Simón RodrÃguez
★
Andrés Bello
★
Manuel Blum
★
Luisa Cáceres de Arismendi
★
Teresa Carreño
★
Rómulo Gallegos
★
Carlos Cruz-Diez
★
Pedro Gual
★
Antonio Guzmán Blanco
★
Francisco de Miranda
★
Armando Reverón
★
Ilich RamÃrez Sánchez
★
Tito Salas
★
FermÃn Toro
★
MartÃn Tovar y Tovar
★
Arturo Uslar-Pietri
★
José Ãngel Lamas
★
Juan Antonio Pérez Bonalde
★
Juan Bautista Plaza
★
Juan Vicente Torrealba
★
Carlos Eduardo Machado
★
Aquiles Nazoa
★
Alfredo Sadel
Transportation
Agua Salud station
Rómulo Gallegos avenue
Francisco Fajardo Highway
★ The '
Caracas Metro' has been in operation since 1981. With three lines and more than 40 stations, it covers a great part of the city, it also has an integrated ticket system, that combines the route of the ''Metro'' with those offered by the ''Metrobús'', a bus service of the
Caracas Metro. The Metro system works from 5:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
★ Buses are the main means of
mass transportation. There are two bus systems: the traditional system and the ''Metrobús''. The traditional system runs a variety of bus types, operated by several companies on normal streets and avenues:
★
★ 'bus'; large buses.
★
★ 'buseta'; medium size buses.
★
★ 'microbus' or 'colectivo'; vans or minivans.
★ '
IAFE'; train services to and from Tuy Valley cities of Charallave and Cúa.
★ The '
Simón BolÃvar International Airport', the biggest and most important in the country is located outside the city, roughly 20 miles from the downtown area. Taxis and Buses are available at the airport to provide transportation to the city.
Main avenues
★ BolÃvar avenue (the longest straight line avenue of Venezuela)
★ 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
★ San MartÃn avenue
★ Abraham Lincoln avenue (Boulevard of Sabana Grande)
★ Intercomunal avenue of El Valle
★ Fuerzas Armadas avenue
★ Nueva Granada avenue
★ Presidente Medina avenue (also known as: Victoria avenue)
★ Paseo Los Ilustres
★ Paseo Los Próceres
★ RÃo de Janeiro avenue
★ Principal avenue of las Mercedes
★ Boulevard of El Cafetal
★ LuÃs Roche avenue
★ Rómulo Gallegos avenue
★ Principal avenue of Macaracuay
★ Mexico avenue
★ Boyacá avenue (also known as: Cota 1000)
Sister cities
Caracas
sister cities are:
★
Cluj-Napoca,
Romania
★
Tehran,
Iran
★
San Francisco,
United States
★
Istanbul,
Turkey
★
Moscow,
Russia
★
Madrid,
Spain
★
Damascus,
Syria
★
Ecatepec,
Mexico
★
Managua,
Nicaragua
★
Havana,
Cuba
★
Minsk,
Belarus
Districts
| Caracas Districts |
|---|
| 'Northwest ' | Catia • 23 de Enero • Propatria • Lomas de Urdaneta • Casalta • El Atlántico • Caño Amarillo • Los Magallanes de Catia • Alta Vista • Ruperto Lugo • LÃdice • Gramoven • Manicomio |
| 'Center' | El Silencio • Capitolio • La Hoyada • Altagracia • La Pastora • Cotiza • Quinta Crespo • Guaicaipuro • La Candelaria |
| 'Southwest' | Artigas • Vista Alegre • Bella Vista • Colinas de Vista Alegre • La Yaguara • Zona Industrial de La Yaguara • El Algodonal • Carapa • AntÃmano • Washington • Las Fuentes • El ParaÃso • El Pinar • La Paz • El ParaÃso • Montalbán • Juan Pablo II • La Vega • Las Adjuntas • Caricuao • Mamera |
| ' Centereastern' | El Conde • Parque Central • San AgustÃn del Sur • San AgustÃn del Norte • Simón RodrÃguez • Maripérez •La Colina • Las Palmas • Las Lomas • San Rafael • Los Caobos • Quebrada Honda • San Bernardino • La Campiña • La Florida • Alta Florida • ChapellÃn • Los Cedros • El Bosque • ChacaÃto • 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 • BoleÃta • Los Cortijos • La California • Horizonte • El Marqués • La Urbina • Terrazas del Ãvila • El Llanito • Macaracuay • La Guairita • Caurimare • El Cafetal • San Román • Santa Rosa • San Luis • Santa SofÃa • 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 • |
Panorama
_y_Bello_Monte,_Panoramica.jpg)
'Caracas and the Francisco Fajardo Highway'
References
See also
★
Large Cities Climate Leadership Group
External links
★
Caracas Venezuela Hotels Photos, travel information and hotels
★
Caracas Virtual - Informative portal of the city.
★
Caracas Brief Information Travel Guide
★
Backpacking in Caracas
★
Caracas Lions Baseball Club
★
Caracas News from World News
★
Caracas Stock Exchange
★
Lonely Planet - Caracas
★
Maiquetia Airport (serves Caracas)
★
VenezuelaTuya's Caracas Tourism Site
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