Puerto Cabello
Coordinates: 10°28′00″N 68°01′00″W / 10.4666667°N 68.0166667°W
| Puerto Cabello | |||
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 Puerto Cabello
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| Coordinates: 10°28′00″N 68°01′00″W / 10.4666667°N 68.0166667°W | |||
| Country | Venezuela | ||
| State | Carabobo | ||
| Counties | Puerto Cabello | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Economista Rafael Lacava Evangelista (2008 - 2012) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 729 km2 (281 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2001) | |||
| • Total | 201.511 (INE, 2,010) | ||
| Website | Alcaldía de Puerto Cabello | ||
Puerto Cabello (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpweɾto kaˈβeʝo]) is a city on the north coast of Venezuela. It is located in Carabobo State about 75 km west of Caracas. As of 2001, the city has a population of around 154,000 people. The city is the home to the largest port in the country and is thus a vital cog in the country's vast oil industry. Its name translates to 'Port Hair' in English.
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[edit] Climate
| Climate data for Puerto Cabello | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 30 (86) |
29 (85) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
31 (87) |
31 (87) |
31 (87) |
31 (88) |
32 (89) |
31 (88) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
30.4 (86.8) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 22 (72) |
22 (72) |
23 (73) |
23 (74) |
23 (74) |
23 (74) |
24 (75) |
23 (74) |
24 (75) |
25 (77) |
24 (75) |
23 (74) |
23.4 (74.1) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 99 (3.9) |
33 (1.3) |
10 (0.4) |
43 (1.7) |
89 (3.5) |
76 (3) |
109 (4.3) |
99 (3.9) |
64 (2.5) |
61 (2.4) |
94 (3.7) |
104 (4.1) |
881 (34.7) |
| Source: Weatherbase [1] | |||||||||||||
[edit] History
Due to Puerto Cabello's location it was attacked by buccaneers and was a popular market for Dutch smugglers during the 17th century. Most of the contraband trade consisted of dealing in cacao with neighboring island Curaçao, colonized by the Dutch. Also Puerto Cabello was at that time under Dutch control.
It was not until 1730 that the Spanish took over the port, after the Real Compañía Guipuzcoana had moved in. This company built warehouses, wharves and an array of forts to protect the harbor.
During the War of Jenkin's Ear, the commodore Charles Knowles at command of the 70-gun HMS Suffolk in 1743 received orders to carry out attacks on the Spanish settlements at Puerto Cabello and La Guaira. The Spanish were well informed of the plans, and were able to recruit extra defenders, and were supplied with gunpowder by the Dutch. Consequently an attack on La Guaira on 18 February 1743 was beaten off by the defenders. Knowles withdrew his force and refitted at Curaçao before attempting an assault on Puerto Cabello on 15 April, and again on 24 April, but both assaults were beaten back. Knowles called off the expedition and returned to Jamaica.
By the 1770s Puerto Cabello came to be the most fortified town on the Venezuela’s coast. The San Felipe castle and the Solano fortress remain from the period. It was the last Spanish royalist stronghold during Venezuela’s war for independence, it was captured by José Antonio Páez in 1823.
In 1962, Puerto Cabello was the site of an uprising by pro-Fidel Castro naval officers, marines, and members of the FALN. Although loyalist naval forces were able to quickly take back the base and arrest the rebels, they were unable to prevent the marines from occupying the city and arming pro-Castro forces. Despite ambushes and bloody house-to-house fighting, loyal National Guard and mechanized regular forces were able to retake Puerto Cabello.[2]
[edit] Law and government
Puerto Cabello has one municipality: Puerto Cabello 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
[edit] Tourism
Puerto Cabello has exhibited strong tourist potential and has been shown to have a local, growing tourist industry, this is mainly because of its position as the main trading area in the country, its communications, its rich historic heritage and its location in front of the Caribbean Sea.
The streets of the Colonial ages preserve their rustic and picturesque appearance, with their beautiful households and mansions and the cobblestone paving on the streets, all these features make the city a nice and growing tourist destination.
In the jetty, one can see the Caribbean Sea, as well as the massive Fortín de San Felipe, also known as the Castillo del Libertador, this powerful fort worked as a refuge for citizens during the Colonial times, because pirates invaded the city constantly.
[edit] Attractions
- Protestants Graveyard.
- Solano Fortress or Castle (part of the San Esteban National Park)
- San Felipe Castle.
- Long Island.
- Puente de Los Españoles (San Esteban Pueblo).
[edit] Natives
- Carlos Zambrano, professional baseball player for the Chicago Cubs, was born here.
- Pablo Sandoval, professional baseball player for the San Francisco Giants, was born here.
- Fernando Nieve, professional baseball player for the New York Mets, was born here.
- Victor Moreno, professional baseball player, was born here.
[edit] Transport
Puerto Cabello is served by a station on the Instituto de Ferrocarriles del Estado network.
[edit] Industry
The UCOCAR shipyards are in Puerto Cabello, and have been awarded contracts to construct patrol vessels for the Venezuela Coast Guard.[3][4]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Puerto Cabello, Venezuela". Weatherbase. 2011. http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=21408&refer=wikipedia. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
- ^ "Venezuela: Siege of Puerto Cabello". The New York Times. June 15, 1962. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,873615-1,00.html. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
- ^ Armando F. Mastrapa III (2012-01-11). "Cuba & Venezuela will jointly build coastal patrol boats". Cubapolidata. http://cubapolidata.com/2012/01/11/cuba-venezuela-will-jointly-build-coastal-patrol-boats/. Retrieved 2012-02-02. "An agreement has been signed between the Venezuelan Defense Ministry and Cuban Transportation Ministry to jointly build patrol boats for the Venezuelan Navy in Puerto Cabello (Carabobo), announced Admiral Diego Alfredo Molero Bellavia (Commander General, Venezuela Navy)." mirror
- ^ "JDW 10-Jan-2012 Venezuela, Cuba sign patrol craft accord". Jane's. 2012-01-10. http://www.newsorganizer.com/article/jdw-10-jan-2012-venezuela-cuba-10b0f3309b9a57e093186d530b6598ec/. Retrieved 2012-02-02. "The Venezuelan Ministry of Defence and the Cuban Ministry of Transport on 5 January signed an agreement under which Cuban technicians will assist in production of coastal patrol craft production at Venezuela's UCOCAR Navy shipyard." mirror
[edit] External links
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