Carúpano

Carúpano

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Carúpano
Coordinates: 10°40′20″N 63°14′25″W / 10.67222°N 63.24028°W / 10.67222; -63.24028Coordinates: 10°40′20″N 63°14′25″W / 10.67222°N 63.24028°W / 10.67222; -63.24028
Country Venezuela
State Sucre
Municipality Bermúdez
Founded 23 December 1647
Government
 • Mayor Julio Rodriguez (PSUV)
Area
 • Total 203 km2 (78 sq mi)
Elevation 10 m (30 ft)
Population (2010)
 • Total 173.877 hab.
 • Density 856/km2 (2,220/sq mi)
 • Demonym Carupanero(a)
Time zone VST (UTC-4:30)
 • Summer (DST) not observed (UTC-4:30)
Postal code 6150
Area code(s) (+58) 294
Website bermudez-sucre.gob.ve
The area and population figures are for the municipality

Carúpano is a city in the eastern Venezuelan state of Sucre. It is located on the Venezuelan Caribbean coast at the opening of two valleys, some 120 km east of the capital of Sucre, Cumaná.[1] This city is the shire town of the Bermúdez Municipality and, according to the 2001 Venezuelan census, the municipality has a population of 122,195.[2]

History

It was somewhere on the Peninsula of Paria, near Carúpano, where Christopher Columbus first set foot on the American continent for the only time, during his third voyage (in all his other trips he only explored the Caribbean islands).

It was in Carúpano where Simón Bolívar, the liberator of Venezuela, issued a decree ending slavery in 1814.[3]

The King Ferdinand VII of Spain on 1815 send a fleet of 18 warships and 42 cargo ships which landed in Carupano and Isla Margarita with the mission to pacify the revolts against the Spanish monarchy in the American colonies.

In May 1962 Carúpano was the scene of a short-lived military rebellion against the government of Rómulo Betancourt, in which rebel military officers took over the city. The incident is known as El Carupanazo.

In July 1997, a violent earthquake struck the city and most of the state. This earthquake was centered in the town of Cariaco, where most of the deaths and damage occurred.[4][5]

Economy

Cacao, coffee, sugar, cotton, timber and rum[6] have been important exports of Carúpano since colonial times. Carupanese rums are highly appreciated nationwide, so the internal consumption usually leaves little surplus rum for export.

As of November 2006, Carúpano is a domestic scheduled destination of Avior Airlines, flying from the local General José Francisco Bermúdez Airport.[7]

Demographics

Bermúdez Municipality in Sucre State

The Bermúdez Municipality, according to the 2001 Venezuelan census, has a population of 175,877 (up from 100,794 in 1990). This amounts to 15.5% of Sucre's population.[2] The municipality's population density is 1,559 people per square mile (601.95/km²).[1][2]

Government

Carúpano is the administrative centre of Bermúdez Municipality. The mayor of the Bermúdez Municipality is Julio César Rodríguez, elected in 2008.[8]

Sites of interest

House of Cable

The House of Cable was where the first submarine cable between Europe and America arrived, joining the French city of Marseille with Carúpano, back in the late 19th century. This house is today the headquarters of the Tomas Merle foundation and the Paria Project, two organizations that promote tourism and industry.

Religious buildings

Squares and parks

Escuelas y Liceos:

Notable natives

Famous Carupaneros include Wolfgang Larrazábal, former president of Venezuela; Jictzad Viña, Miss Venezuela 2005; Antonio José de Sucre, one of the paramount leaders of the South American war of independence, was thought to have lived there but hailed from Cumana; Andrés Eloy Blanco, one of the most important Venezuelan poets also came from Cumana; Eladio Lárez, president of Radio Caracas Television, one of Venezuela's largest television networks; and Washington Nationals major league baseball catcher Jesús Flores.

See also

References

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, April 23, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.