Caracas

Santiago de León de Caracas
File:Caracas view.jpg
Flag Seal
Nickname:  La Sultana del Avila (English:The Avilas' Sultan) La Sucursal del Cielo English: Heaven's branch (on earth)
Motto(s):  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)
Country	Venezuela
State	Capital District
Counties	Libertador, Chacao, Baruta, Sucre, El Hatillo
Government
• Mayor	Juan Barreto (2004 – 2008)
Area
• City	1,930 km2 (1,199.2 sq mi)
Elevation	900 m (3,000 ft)
Population  (2005)
• City	3,140,076
• Density	1,697/km2 (4,394/sq mi)
• Urban	4,700,000
Website	alcaldiamayor.gob.ve

Caracas (pron. IPA [ka'ɾakas]) 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 Ávila) 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.

History

First Map of Caracas by Governor Juan de Carvajal, 1578

More than five hundred years ago, the area was populated by indigenous peoples and Caracas did not exist. Francisco Fajardo, a Spanish colonial, attempted to establish a plantation there in the year of 1562. Fajardos 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. 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 María 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 Bolívar. 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 Bolívar gained a decisive victory over the Royalists at Carabobo.

View of Caracas in 1812

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

File:Simón Bolívar Center under construction.jpg

Simón Bolívar Center under construction, 1950s

• 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 Stock Exchange logo

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 Alcaldía Mayor, physically located in Libertador municipality.

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.

Geography

North-south view of central Caracas from Cerro El Ávila

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 Ávila 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 Ávila, 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 Ávila. The La Mariposa and Camatagua reservoirs provide water to the city.

Climate

Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda air base , and El Ávila national park

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 Ávila.

Climate data for Carcas
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Source 1: weatherbase.com
Source 2: weather.com

Demographics

Buildings in Plaza Venezuela

Informal settlements locally known as barrios crowd some of the hillsides of the city

Caracas from El Calvario

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

Main library of Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas

Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex

File:PanteonNacional.jpg

The National Pantheon (Panteón Nacional)

Mounted statue of Simón Bolívar in Plaza Bolívar, Caracas

Santa Rosalía de Palermo Church in El Hatillo

Casa del Libertador (Simón Bolívar's birthplace)

File:Plaza Alfredo Sadel.jpg

Plaza Alfredo Sadel, Las Mercedes

El Silencio and the Centro Simón Bolívar

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 País mural, at the Francisco Fajardo Highway

Sambil Mall

Caracas' Aerial Tramway

Ciudad Universitaria

Main article: 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 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 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 María ship, used by Christopher Colombus in his voyages to discover America, was destroyed by the government

Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex

Main article: 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 Ríos 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 Bolívar

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 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 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 article: 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

Main article: Parque Central Complex

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, 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 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 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 article: 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 Bolívar 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 Ávila

Main article: Cerro El Ávila

Cerro El Ávila (Mountain El Ávila) (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 Ávila 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 Ávila 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 Ávila 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 Ávila, established himself, giving the name to the mountain.

Las Mercedes

Main article: 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 article: 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 Bolívar, it was founded in 1594. The parents of Simón Bolívar 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 Bolívar.

Religious buildings

• Caracas Cathedral
• Santa Capilla Minor Basilica
• St. Peter's Church
• La Chiquinquirá Church
• Tiferet Israel Synagogue in Maripérez
• San Francisco church
• Santa Rosalía 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 Bolívar
• 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
• Arístides 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 Bolívar and Central of Venezuela universities
• Paseo Los Próceres
• Paseo El Calvario
• El Ávila 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 Bolívar

File:A1bigC.jpg

Universidad Metropolitana

Central University of Venezuela

Main article: 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 Bolívar University

Main article: Universidad Simón Bolívar

(Universidad Simón Bolívar 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 Bolívar 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 Rodríguez
• Universidad Santa Maria
• Universidad José María 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

File:Leones del Caracas logo.jpg

Leones del Caracas logo

Estadio Olímpico 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 Olímpico 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 Olímpico de la UCV, with capacity of 30 000 spectators (but is being extended to 40 000 for the Copa América 2007)
• Brígido 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 archaeological 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 archaeological 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).

Biggest stew

On September 15, 2007, Caracas, Venezuela chefs broke the Guinness World Records by serving 15,000 litres, largest stew (Sancocho - enough to feed 70,000 people). 13 hours cooking in 5 meter-high pot (20,000-litre) were done with 100 helpers. They used 7,000 kilos (15,340 pounds) of vegetables and 5,000 kilos meat and chicken. Guinness officials monitored the record attempt. Mexico held the record in July.

Museums and theaters

Museo del Transporte Guillermo José Schael Museo del Teclado Museo Sacro de Caracas Children's Museum of Caracas[5] Museo de Ciencias Naturales Museo Histórico Militar Cinemateca Nacional Museo de Arte Colonial: Quinta de Anauco Galería de Arte Nacional Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas (MACC), with one of the most important art collections of South America. Museo Jacobo Borges Museo de Bellas Artes Museo Alejandro Otero Ateneo de Caracas

Museo Arturo Michelena Museo Audiovisual Museo de la Estampa y el Diseño Carlos Cruz-Diez Museo de Arte Popular de Petare Museo Alejandro Otero Galería Contini, an international gallery of paintings (America and Europe) Centro de Arte La Estancia Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas [6] Cuadra Bolivariana Casa natal del Libertador Simón Bolívar Museo Bolivariano Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex [7] Teatro Municipal Teatro Nacional Centro de Estudios Latinoamericanos Rómulo Gallegos (CELARG) [8] Poliedro de Caracas [9]

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 Bolívar
• Simón Rodríguez
• 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 Ramírez Sánchez
• Tito Salas
• Fermín Toro
• Martín Tovar y Tovar
• Arturo Uslar-Pietri
• José Ángel Lamas
• Juan Antonio Pérez Bonalde
• Juan Bautista Plaza
• Juan Vicente Torrealba
• Carlos Eduardo Machado
• Aquiles Nazoa
• Alfredo Sadel

Transportation

Inside Plaza Venezuela station of the Caracas Metro

Agua Salud station

Rómulo Gallegos avenue

Francisco Fajardo Highway

• The Caracas Metro has been in operation since 1981. With 04 lines and more than 50 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:
  • Autobus; large buses.
  • Camioneta; medium size buses.
  • microbus or camionetica; vans or minivans.
• IAFE; train services to and from Tuy Valley cities of Charallave and Cúa.
• The Simón Bolívar 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

• Bolívar 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 Martín 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
• Río de Janeiro avenue
• Principal avenue of las Mercedes
• Boulevard of El Cafetal
• Luís 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 • Lídice • 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 • Antímano • Washington • Las Fuentes • El Paraíso • El Pinar • La Paz • El Paraíso • Montalbán • Juan Pablo II • La Vega • Las Adjuntas • Caricuao • Mamera
Centereastern	El Conde • Parque Central • San Agustín del Sur • San Agustín del Norte • Simón Rodríguez • Maripérez •La Colina • Las Palmas • Las Lomas • San Rafael • Los Caobos • Quebrada Honda • San Bernardino • La Campiña • La Florida • Alta Florida • Chapellín • Los Cedros • El Bosque • Chacaíto • 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 • Boleíta • Los Cortijos • La California • Horizonte • El Marqués • La Urbina • Terrazas del Ávila • El Llanito • Macaracuay • La Guairita • Caurimare • El Cafetal • San Román • Santa Rosa • San Luis • Santa Sofía • 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

File:Ciudad universitaria (izquierda) y Bello Monte, Panoramica.jpg

Caracas and the Francisco Fajardo Highway

See also

• Large Cities Climate Leadership Group

External links

• Caracas Venezuela Hotels Photos, travel information and hotels
• Template:Es icon 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