Bolívar (state)
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Bolívar ( es, Estado Bolívar, ) is one of the 23 states of
Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
. The state capital city is
Ciudad Bolívar Ciudad Bolívar (; Spanish for "Bolivar City"), formerly known as Angostura and St. Thomas de Guyana, is the capital of Venezuela's southeastern Bolívar State. It lies at the spot where the Orinoco River narrows to about in width, is the sit ...
, but the largest city is Ciudad Guayana. Bolívar State covers a total surface area of and as of the 2011 census, had a population of 1,410,964. The state contains
Angel Falls Angel Falls ( es, Salto Ángel; Pemon language: ''Kerepakupai Merú'' meaning "waterfall of the deepest place", or ''Parakupá Vená'', meaning "the fall from the highest point") is a waterfall in Venezuela. It is the world's tallest unint ...
.


History


Spanish Colonization

During the time of the
Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...
, it was part of the province of Nueva Andalucía and later it was annexed to the province of Guayana from 1777 when King
Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person t ...
created the
Captaincy General of Venezuela The Captaincy General of Venezuela ( es, Capitanía General de Venezuela), also known as the Kingdom of Venezuela (), was an administrative district of colonial Spain, created on September 8, 1777, through the Royal Decree of Graces of 1777, t ...
. The capital of the state, Ciudad Bolivar was founded on December 21, 1595 by Antonio de Berrío, who had come from Nueva Granada (present-day Colombia) with the mission of populating Guyana. The town, originally called Santo Tomás de Guayana, was a fortified port that had to move three times, since it was the target of constant assaults by Caribbean Indians and European corsairs, among whom Sir
Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebelli ...
stood out in 1617. In 1764 it found a definitive site on the banks of the Orinoco, in its narrowest sector, for which it took the name of Santo Tomás de la Nueva Guayana de la Angostura del Orinoco, known simply as Angostura, a name that has persisted for over 80 years and is still remembered today. In 1800, Baron Alexander von Humboldt and
Aimé Bonpland Aimé Jacques Alexandre Bonpland (; 22 August 1773 – 11 May 1858) was a French explorer and botanist who traveled with Alexander von Humboldt in Latin America from 1799 to 1804. He co-authored volumes of the scientific results of their ex ...
visited Angostura and from there they went through El Pao to
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
and then to Cumaná, thus ending the tour of Venezuela.


Independence Era

The
Congress of Angostura The Congress of Angostura was convened by Simón Bolívar and took place in Angostura (today Ciudad Bolívar) during the wars of Independence of Colombia and Venezuela, culminating in the proclamation of the Republic of Colombia (historiograph ...
, inaugurated on February 15, 1819 by the Liberator Simón Bolívar, under the inspiration of General
Francisco de Miranda Sebastián Francisco de Miranda y Rodríguez de Espinoza (28 March 1750 – 14 July 1816), commonly known as Francisco de Miranda (), was a Venezuelan military leader and revolutionary. Although his own plans for the independence of the Spani ...
's Ideology, represented the second Constituent Congress of the Republic of Venezuela. It was convened in the context of the wars of independence of Venezuela and the New Granada. In 1821 (during the
Great Colombia Gran Colombia (, "Great Colombia"), or Greater Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish: ''República de Colombia''), was a state that encompassed much of northern South America and part of southern Central America from 1819 to 18 ...
) it became a department of Orinoco with the largest extension of the time (whose capital was Santo Tomás de la Nueva Guayana de la Angostura del Orinoco or Angostura). When Gran Colombia was dissolved, the territory changed to the Province of Guayana until 1854 when it became the Province of Orinoco (whose capital was Ciudad Bolívar).


19th century

After the separation in 1856 of the then Federal Territory Amazonas, the province of Guayana was renamed in 1864 as the Sovereign State of Guayana once the Federal Revolution came to power under the command of
Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Zavarce (27 January 1820 – 29 April 1870) was the president of Venezuela from 1863 to 1868.United States of Venezuela The United States of Venezuela ( es, Estados Unidos de Venezuela) was the official name of Venezuela, adopted in its 1864 constitution under the Juan Crisóstomo Falcón government. This remained the official name until 1953, when the constitutio ...
. In 1879, it was one of the seven states of the Federation, without the territory corresponding to Amazonas which had become Federal Territory Amazonas. In 1881, it became one of the nine political entities into which the country was divided, receiving the name of Great State Bolivar formed by Guayana and
Apure Apure State ( es, Estado Apure, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. Its territory formed part of the provinces of Mérida, Maracaibo, and Barinas, in accordance with successive territorial ordinations pronounced by the colonial autho ...
. Its territory was diminished with the creation of the federal territories Yuruari and El Caura (1881), Armisticio (1883) and Delta (1884). Between 1890 and 1893, it recovered these territories. In 1887, the current state of
Delta Amacuro Delta Amacuro State ( es, Estado Delta Amacuro, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela, and is the location of the Orinoco Delta. The Paria Gulf and the Atlantic Ocean are found to the north, Bolívar State is found to the south, the Atlantic ...
was separated from the state of Guayana. In 1899, the Apure and Guayana States were separated and established their autonomy; and it is from the 1901 Constitution that the name of Guayana State is changed to Bolivar State, as a tribute to the Liberator, Simón Bolívar. In Angostura, Bolívar convened the Second Congress of the Republic of Venezuela on February 15, 1819. His inaugural speech and the constitution he proposed comprise the last of the three most important documents of his career. The ''Correo del Orinoco'' was also published between 1818 and 1820, giving birth to the Venezuelan free press.


20th century

On 21 July 1903, in the vicinity of Ciudad Bolivar, the last battle of the Liberating Revolution was fought where the government army under the command of Juan Vicente Gómez defeated the opposition forces of General Nicolás Rolando. The defeat of the Liberating Revolution marked the end of the 19th century in Venezuela, which was characterized by political instability and great civil wars, giving way to a period of consolidation of the central government under the rule of the Andean people. The state gained more autonomy in 1989 when the first elections for governor and legislative assembly were held and the practice of appointments from the central government in Caracas was ended. On 13 November 2006, the Orinoquia Bridge was inaugurated, the second largest in the country, which facilitates communications between Ciudad Guayana and the opposite bank of the Orinoco River in the states of Anzoátegui and
Monagas ) , anthem = '' Himno del Estado Monagas'' , image_map = Monagas in Venezuela.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location within Venezuela , pushpin_map = , pushpin_m ...
. The Orinoco Mining Arc (AMO), officially created, on 24 February 2016, as the Arco Mining Orinoco National Strategic Development Zone, 2 is an area rich in mineral resources that the Republic of Venezuela has been operating since 2017; occupies mostly the north of the Bolivar state and to a lesser extent the northeast of the Amazonas state and part of the
Delta Amacuro Delta Amacuro State ( es, Estado Delta Amacuro, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela, and is the location of the Orinoco Delta. The Paria Gulf and the Atlantic Ocean are found to the north, Bolívar State is found to the south, the Atlantic ...
state. It has 7,000 tons of reserves of
gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...
,
copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
,
diamond Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...
,
coltan Coltan (short for columbite–tantalites and known industrially as tantalite) is a dull black metallic ore from which the elements niobium and tantalum are extracted. The niobium-dominant mineral in coltan is columbite (after niobium's original ...
,
iron Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...
,
bauxite Bauxite is a sedimentary rock with a relatively high aluminium content. It is the world's main source of aluminium and gallium. Bauxite consists mostly of the aluminium minerals gibbsite (Al(OH)3), boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)) and diaspore (α-AlO ...
and other minerals.


Geography


Geographical location

It is bordered to the north by the Orinoco River and the States of Delta Amacuro, Monagas, Anzoátegui and Guárico; to the south by the Federative Republic of
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
; to the southwest by the State of Amazonas; to the east by the territory of
Guayana Esequiba (), sometimes also called or Essequibo, is a disputed territory of west of the Essequibo River that is administered and controlled by Guyana but claimed by Venezuela.
, in dispute with the Cooperative Republic of Guyana; and to the west by the State of Apure. Three major landscapes can be recognized in a relief between the Guiana shield: the isolated Orinoco savannahs and low mountains, the mountainous landscape dominated by the tabular peaks of the
Tepui A tepui , or tepuy (), is a table-top mountain or mesa found in South America, especially in Venezuela and western Guyana. The word tepui means "house of the gods" in the native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who inhabit the Gran S ...
s and the valleys of the
tributaries A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainag ...
of the Orinoco and the lowlands and partly savannahs of the Yuruari, limited to the east by the Imataca mountain range.


Relief

Almost all of the state is occupied by the Guiana massif; this suffered epirogenic movements that reactivated the basal rock of the shield, cut by fluvial erosion, reached it and gave rise to a staggering of jumps, originating tabular reliefs known as tepuis. The Tepuis are located mainly in the center and south of the structure. The average altitude is 400 m, with a generalized south-north slope. The highest plateaus exceed 2,000 m. The highest point is Mount Roraima (2,875 m), located in the Pacaraima Range, which continues south with those of Parima and Tapirapeco. The north of the massif is quite homogeneous, with heights below 400 m and numerous witness hills. In the northeast, the Nuria and Imataca mountains stand out, as well as plateaus and hills over 500 m high drained by the Yuruari River. The southeast sector is separated from the northwest sector by the
Erebato River Erebato River is a river of Venezuela, tributary of the Caura River. It is part of the Orinoco River basin. See also *List of rivers of Venezuela This is a list of rivers in Venezuela. By drainage basin This list is arranged by drainage basin, ...
and the upper Ventuari Valley. It comprises the Great Savannah and the rest of the territory west of the Caroni River, made up of three high plateaus. The southwest of the massif is made up of lowlands through which the Ventuari, Alto Río Negro and Alto Orinoco rivers flow, with flat topography interrupted by witness hills.


Hydrography

Except for the area comprised in the Yuruari- Cuyuni river basin, the entire state is included in the Orinoco drainage system. Among the most important rivers are the Caroní, the
Paragua ''Marihuana prensada'' or ''cannabis prensado'' (pressed cannabis or marijuana), also known as ''ladrillo'' (brick weed) or, colloquially, ''paragua'' or ''paraguayo'' is a compressed cannabis (drug), cannabis cut into blocks that facilitate trans ...
and the Caura, etc. All of them dig their courses through a rugged topography in the hard rocks of the Guiana shield, giving rise to rapid valleys and waterfalls. In the case of the Caroní River, these unevennesses have allowed the establishment of powerful hydroelectric plants. The Guri Reservoir and the Simón Bolívar Hydroelectric Plant (formerly Raúl Leoni), which covers more than 80,000 hectares, is the most important center for electricity generation in Venezuela. The Churún River, a tributary of the Caroní River, flows from the Auyan Tepui plateau, with a 936.60-meter drop:
Angel Falls Angel Falls ( es, Salto Ángel; Pemon language: ''Kerepakupai Merú'' meaning "waterfall of the deepest place", or ''Parakupá Vená'', meaning "the fall from the highest point") is a waterfall in Venezuela. It is the world's tallest unint ...
, the highest in the world.


Climate

The average annual temperature (Max-Min) is between 27 and 30 °C (
Puerto Ordaz Ciudad Guayana () (in English Guayana City) is a city in Bolívar State, Venezuela. It stretches 40 kilometers along the south bank of the Orinoco river, at the point where it is joined by its main tributary, the Caroní river. The Caroni cros ...
area). Between 27 and 31 °C (Ciudad Bolivar Zone). Between 18 and 23 °C (
Gran Sabana La Gran Sabana (, en, The Great Savanna) is a region in southeastern Venezuela, part of the Guianan savanna ecoregion. The savanna spreads into the regions of the Guiana Highlands and south-east into Bolívar State, extending further to the b ...
Zone). The climate is tropical, although it varies according to the zones; thus, the low areas present high temperatures, which reach an average of 27 °C, and abundant rainfall. The variation of the climate of the extensive territory is determined by the altitude and the winds since the latitude (between 4° and 8° of North latitude) places it totally in the equatorial strip. The low northern lands, influenced by the east and northeast winds, are characterized by a rainy season and a dry season, both very marked; the southern lands receive winds loaded with humidity from the Amazon depression and from the southeast that condense at the contact of the elevations producing intense rains of more than 1600 mm.


Area

The State of Bolivar is the largest state in Venezuela and covers a large area of 242,801 km² which represents 26.49% of the national total. In addition, de Iure claims the territories of
Guayana Esequiba (), sometimes also called or Essequibo, is a disputed territory of west of the Essequibo River that is administered and controlled by Guyana but claimed by Venezuela.
south of the Cuyuni River, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Potaro-Siparuni and Alto Tacutu-Alto Esequibo, which would increase the territory by 124,414 km². The geography of the State of Bolivar is as follows: the State of Bolivar is located in the southeast of Venezuela, it has jungle vegetation and a savannah climate, the State is mostly limited by the Orinoco River. It borders on several Venezuelan states and on the republics of Guyana and
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
.


Politics and government

The State is autonomous and politically equal to the rest of the Federation. It organizes its administration and its public powers through the Constitution of the State of Bolivar, approved by the Legislative Council in Ciudad Bolivar on July 2, 2001.


Executive Power

It is composed of the Governor of the State of Bolivar and a group of State Secretaries. The Governor is elected by the people through direct and secret vote for a period of four years and with the possibility of being reelected continuously, being in charge of the state administration. The current Governor is Justo Noguera Pietri of the PSUV. Like the other 23 federal entities of Venezuela, the State maintains its own police force, which is supported and complemented by the
National Police National Police may refer to the national police forces of several countries: *Afghanistan: Afghan National Police *Haiti: Haitian National Police *Colombia: National Police of Colombia *Cuba: Cuban National Police *East Timor: National Police of ...
and the
Venezuelan National Guard The Bolivarian National Guard of Venezuela ( es, Guardia Nacional Bolivariana de Venezuela - GNB), is one of the four components of the National Armed Forces of Venezuela. The national guard can serve as gendarmerie, perform civil defense roles, ...
.


Legislative power

The State Legislature is the responsibility of the
unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one. Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multi ...
Legislative Council of the State of Bolivar, elected by the people through direct and secret vote every four years, with the possibility of continuous re-election, under a system of proportional representation of the population of the State and its municipalities. The State has 15 deputies, of which 4 belong to the opposition and 11 to the ruling party, including a representation of the indigenous peoples and communities of the State of Bolivar.


Demographics


Populated centres

Ciudad Bolívar is the capital; famous for its colonial architecture. Although Ciudad Guayana is the most populated town in the state and its economic heart. The State of Bolivar is made up of several towns, but some are outstanding for certain reasons, making some of these towns more livable than others. Some of these large populations are: * Ciudad Guayana (made up of San Felix de Guayana and Puerto Ordaz) *Ciudad Bolívar *
Caicara del Orinoco Caicara del Orinoco is a town in, and the administrative seat of, Cedeño Municipality, Bolívar State, Venezuela. Currently the Venezuelan government is building a bridge across the Orinoco at Caicara. When completed the bridge will be 2.4& ...
* Ciudad Piar *
El Callao Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists of the whole Call ...
* El Dorado *Maripa *Santa Helena of Uairen *
Tumeremo Tumeremo is a town in the state of Bolívar in eastern Venezuela. It is the shire town of the Sifontes Municipality. History Its first settlers were Guayan Indians and Kamaracotos, coming from the savanna of the Divina Pastora and Tupuquen l ...
*Upata *
Guasipati Guasipati is a town that serves as the administrative seat An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countri ...
*El Palmar


Race and ethnicity

According to the 2011 Census, the racial composition of the population was:


Indigenous Peoples

The State of Bolivar is home to several ethnic groups that originated in the country. Among the main groups are the
Pemon The Pemon or Pemón (Pemong) are indigenous people living in areas of Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana.See pp.112,113 and 178 of ''Venezuela: the Pemon'', in ''Condé Nast Traveler'', December 2008. They are also known as Arecuna, Aricuna Jaricuna, ...
es, the Yekuana, the Sanemá, the Panares, the Hotis and the Piaroas. All of these groups speak their own languages, although most also speak
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
.


Municipalities

Bolívar State is sub-divided into eleven municipalities (''municipios''), given below with their administrative centres, areas and populations:Instituto Nacional de Estadistica, Caracas.


Economy

In the State of Bolivar there are great energy sources that are very important for Venezuela (the
Guri Dam The Simón Bolívar Hydroelectric Plant, also Guri Dam ( es, Central Hidroeléctrica Simón Bolívar or ''Represa de Guri''), previously known as the Raúl Leoni Hydroelectric Plant, is a concrete gravity and embankment dam in Bolívar State, Ven ...
, among others), famous agricultural products (Guiana cheese,
cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...
,
yucca ''Yucca'' is a genus of perennial plant, perennial shrubs and trees in the family (biology), family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40–50 species are notable for their Rosette (botany), rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped Leaf, ...
,
cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...
, white and brown catalinas, naiboa, among others), and many minerals in great demand (iron, gold,
bauxite Bauxite is a sedimentary rock with a relatively high aluminium content. It is the world's main source of aluminium and gallium. Bauxite consists mostly of the aluminium minerals gibbsite (Al(OH)3), boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)) and diaspore (α-AlO ...
, among others). located in Ciudad Guayana.


Agriculture

The agricultural sector of Bolivar State has little significance, both at the state and national level. The soil, topography, and climate characteristics have led to consider the area as a strong restriction for agricultural development, since a large part of its soils are composed of highly siliceous rocks, with low moisture retention capacity and strong acid reaction. Nevertheless, the exploitation of a great variety of agricultural items, the immense reserves of forest resources, allow us to foresee that through the use of appropriate technology, irrigation and selection of the size of the exploitation, this sector could contribute in an important way in the integral development of the area.


Siderurgy

Bolivar State has the Siderurgica del Orinoco (SIDOR), which is in charge of steel production with Direct Reduction technologies and Electric Arc Furnaces, with natural resources available in the Guayana region.


Coltan

By 2017, coltan production will begin through Parguaza, a company established by the Venezuelan state and the Venezuelan Corporation Faoz.


Forest Resources

Some woods are exploited, many of them precious like bucare, mahogany and others like plum, crawl, guamo, sarrapia and carob.


Tourism

The state of Bolivar has some of the most important tourist attractions in Venezuela and South America among which the
Angel Falls Angel Falls ( es, Salto Ángel; Pemon language: ''Kerepakupai Merú'' meaning "waterfall of the deepest place", or ''Parakupá Vená'', meaning "the fall from the highest point") is a waterfall in Venezuela. It is the world's tallest unint ...
(the world's largest waterfall) and numerous characteristic mountains called Tepuis such as Mount Roraima, as well as many natural wells, caves, rivers, fluvial islands, forests, rock formations, waterfalls and lakes of all types.


Main Places of interest

* Historical Zone of
Ciudad Bolívar Ciudad Bolívar (; Spanish for "Bolivar City"), formerly known as Angostura and St. Thomas de Guyana, is the capital of Venezuela's southeastern Bolívar State. It lies at the spot where the Orinoco River narrows to about in width, is the sit ...
* Canaima National Park * Lagoon of Canaima * El Sapo and El Sapito Falls * Yuri Falls * Mayupa Rapids *Pozo de la Felicidad (Pit of the Happiness) (Saró Marú) * Orquídea Island * Ratón Island *
Angel Falls Angel Falls ( es, Salto Ángel; Pemon language: ''Kerepakupai Merú'' meaning "waterfall of the deepest place", or ''Parakupá Vená'', meaning "the fall from the highest point") is a waterfall in Venezuela. It is the world's tallest unint ...
or Korepakupai Vená * Ayan-tepui * Kavac Indian village * Cave Uruyén * Kamarata Indian village * Wareipa Indian community * El Encanto Falls * Avak Indian community * Roberto Beach * Kanwaripa Indian community *
Caroní River The Caroní River is the second most important river of Venezuela, the second in flow, and one of the longest, from the Kukenan tepui through to its confluence with the Orinoco River. The name "Caroní" is applied starting from the confluence ...
* La Maloca Indian village * Kukenán Falls (in the Tepui Kukenán or Matawí) * La Piedra de La Virgen (The rock of the virgin) * El Danto Falls * La Arenaria * Monumento al Soldado Pionero * Aponwao I River * Tarotá Baths * Toroncito Ravine * Toron merú Falls * Karuay Falls * Chinak merú Falls (Aponwao falls) * Parupa * Anotén * Chivatón Falls * Mission of Kavanayen * Kamoirán Rapids * Kama merú Falls * Arapán merú (Pacheco Ravine) * Soruapa River or Woimeri * San Francisco de Yuruaní (Kumaracapai) Indian Community * Jasper Creek (Kako Parú or Jaspe Ravine) * Urué merú * Kukenán Bridge River * Paraitepui Indian Community of Roraima * Wonkén Indian Community *
La Gran Sabana La Gran Sabana (, en, The Great Savanna) is a region in southeastern Venezuela, part of the Guianan savanna ecoregion. The savanna spreads into the regions of the Guiana Highlands and south-east into Bolívar State, extending further to the b ...
(''Spanish: Great Plains'') *
Angel Falls Angel Falls ( es, Salto Ángel; Pemon language: ''Kerepakupai Merú'' meaning "waterfall of the deepest place", or ''Parakupá Vená'', meaning "the fall from the highest point") is a waterfall in Venezuela. It is the world's tallest unint ...
* Monte Roraima * Sarisariñama * Kavanayén *
Santa Elena de Uairen Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...
* Cerro Bolivar, a large iron mine * Caroni River


Historical sites


Castles of Guayana

30 km from San Félix on the road to Piacoa in the State of Delta Amacuro, you will find Los Castillos de Guayana, buildings built on rocky hills on the right bank of the Orinoco River during the colonial era to protect Santo Tomé de Guayana from attacks by pirates and adventurers who feverishly sought El Dorado, the most fabulous of our indigenous inventions that would drive the feverish minds of the conquistadors mad.


Castillo de San Francisco de Asís

The first of the castles, San Francisco de Asís (Fuerte Villapol) was built on the banks of the Orinoco in the 17th century between 1678 and 1684, as referred to by Gerónimo Martínez-Mendoza, by order of the Governor Cap. Tiburcio de Axpe y Zúñiga, in the narrowest part of the Orinoco after Angostura, on the land where San Francisco's auspices once stood, established by Don Antonio de Berrío, the first governor of Guayana and founder of Santo Tomé de Guayana.


Castillo San Diego

Years later and to reinforce the defenses of the first castle was built the Castle of El Padrastro or San Diego - construction began in 1747 - so called because it was located on a hillock or stepfather, from where you can see the Castle of San Francisco which it protects. These castles were restored in 1897 by the then President of Venezuela, Joaquín Crespo, who renamed them Fuerte Campo Elías al Castillo de San Diego and Fuerte Villapol al Castillo de San Francisco, in honor of these heroes who, despite being born in Spain, fought in the Republican ranks during the war of independence.


Ruins of the Caroni Missions

They are called the Ruins of the Mission of the Purísima Concepción del Caroni, or better known as "Las Misiones del Caroni". These ruins served as the governing house of the Catalan Capuchins, and were declared a National Historic Monument on August 2, 1960. It exemplifies a magnificent building belonging to the colonial architecture, finally built with stones, bricks, tiles, wood and mortar, which gave it a structure strong enough to be preserved through the centuries. A bell tower, the chapel and a mural composed of images representing the sun and moon, clouds and angels, as well as silhouettes, which presumably represent the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception and Saint Francis of Assisi, are components that can be seen inside this rectangular space that follows the structure of the main nave of the temple or church. The same is provided with a parking lot that communicates to the temple by means of a paved road, and connects to the bank of the Macagua reservoir.


Culture

In many indigenous cultures of the State of Bolivar there are musical and artisan manifestations. In other environments the joropo is danced, exactly in the northwest of the state, due to the proximity of the plains of Guariqueños and Apureños. The passage, the blows, the tunes to the sound of the harp, cuatro and maracas, are characteristic of this area of Bolivar. The carnivals in El Callao are very colorful and have already gained fame and tradition with the peculiar Guayana Calypso. This dance originated with the arrival of the Antilleans who brought their customs and their typical English, it was mixed with ours emerging along with the local patois and many other customs. The craftsmanship in the State of Bolivar is mostly referred to basketwork, made with moriche palm. The Indians make objects that are utilitarian and that are very sought after by tourists such as peony seed necklaces, San Pedro tears, toucan peaks, etc... *Culture Houses: *Carlos Raúl Villanueva Culture House, (Ciudad Bolívar) *María Cova Fernández Culture House, (Upata) *Ciudad Guayana Culture House *House of Culture Maripa Cultural Complex of Tumeremo


Languages

Apart from
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
, which is the main language, several languages are spoken in some sectors of Bolivar. * Caribbean Family: Pemón, Yekuana, Panare and Akawayo *
Yanomamo The Yanomami, also spelled Yąnomamö or Yanomama, are a group of approximately 35,000 indigenous people who live in some 200–250 villages in the Amazon rainforest on the border between Venezuela and Brazil. Etymology The ethnonym ''Yanomami' ...
family: sanemá *
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
: Saint Martin de Turumban In addition, there are isolated languages such as joti. The Arutani-sapé languages have probably become extinct. According to article 9 of the Constitution of the State of Bolivar of 2001, Spanish is the official language of the State and all the indigenous languages are official for their respective peoples.


Folklore

In the numerous indigenous cultures of the State of Bolivar, there are musical and artisanal manifestations. The inhabitants of the jungle use reed flutes and rattles for their spiritual invocations or for joy in moments of collective expansion. In other environments the joropo is danced, exactly in the northwest of the State, due to the proximity to the plains of Guariqueños and Apureños; the passage, the blows, the tunes to the sound of the harp, maracas and cuatro are characteristic in this area of the State of Bolivar. Penetrating into the interior, the carnivals in El Callao are very colorful, and they already have fame and tradition with the peculiar Calypso. The Guiana Calypso originated with the arrival of Antilleans to the State, who brought their customs in their typical English, mixed with ours, giving rise to the Calypso and many other customs. A notable figure of the carnival groups and its main sponsor was the popularly called la Negra Isidora, who gave much importance to this spectacle.


Gastronomy

The gastronomy of the State of Bolivar is the result of the fusion of several Venezuelan indigenous cultures. It is characterized by the use of yucca, merey, corn and pescaculodo, from which dishes with unique and extraordinary flavors are derived. The State of Bolivar has a very varied gastronomy using the products of the zone, being the
cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...
(prepared from the yucca) the main companion of the diverse plates, standing out then the fish of river known as the sapoara and the merey from where diverse candies,
nougat Nougat ( , ; ; az, nuqa; fa, نوقا) is a family of confections made with sugar or honey, roasted nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and macadamia nuts are common), whipped egg whites, and sometimes chopped candied fruit. ...
s, etc are prepared. There are also varieties of cheese such as: telita, queso de mano and guayanés, among others. The sapoara, a gastronomic tradition of the State of Bolivar, is a fish that abounds in the vicinity of the Orinoco and Caroní rivers. It is famous in Ciudad Bolivar and in general in all the zones bordering the Orinoco River. This fish is prepared in
sancocho Sancocho (from the Spanish verb ''sancochar'', "to parboil") is a traditional soup in several Latin American cuisines. Variations represent popular national dishes in Dominican Republic, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Ecuador, Panama, Puerto Rico, Tri ...
, fried, stuffed and roasted. It is defined by specialists as the most characteristic and distinctive fish of Ciudad Bolívar because of its habit of appearing once a year, being one of the few places where it can be fished, in front of the Orinoco promenade in Ciudad Bolívar. Fishing for the toad takes place exactly in front of the dock where the boats that transport the inhabitants of Ciudad Bolivar and Soledad arrive. Here, the great celebration of the city takes place during the month of August every year, internationally known as "La Feria de la Sapoara". One of the dishes prepared with the sapoara, is the gilthead, baked, stuffed and the morrocoy cake cut in wheels, in sancocho and the rest remains in the imagination of the housewives or the great chefs of the gastronomic field that abound in the State. Thus, the recipes of the specialists who have been cooking for years for the demanding national and international palates, suggest that the fish can be prepared fried (dorado), having
salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...
and garlic as main ingredients. If the preference is to eat it baked, do not forget to open it from the back and cover it with salt, applying various condiments such as chopped seasoning ( chili,
onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onio ...
, paprika),
mustard Mustard may refer to: Food and plants * Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment * Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment ** Mustard seed, seeds of the mustard p ...
, etc., and fill it with vegetables and egg and then wrap it in
aluminum foil Aluminium foil (or aluminum foil in North American English; often informally called tin foil) is aluminium prepared in thin metal leaves with a thickness less than ; thinner gauges down to are also commonly used. Standard household foil is typ ...
, placing it in the oven until it browns. This dish can be accompanied by yucca, salad and
rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...
or with some potatoes au gratin, all according to the taste of each person. Sancocho de sapoara, is undoubtedly also a delight of the culinary art of the State of Bolivar; it is prepared like any soup and you add the vegetables and seasonings you want. This fish, due to its condition and unique appearance during one month of the year, forces everyone to enjoy its nutrients and rich flavor.


Sports

The most important is Club Deportivo Mineros de Guayana, which is the one that has obtained the most achievements at a national and international level, and one of the best in Venezuela, which plays in the First Division of Venezuela, the Minervén Bolívar Fútbol Club (formerly Minerven del Callao), which has already disappeared, both based in the Cachamay Stadium in Ciudad Guayana with a capacity for 41 players.600 spectators, Angostura FC based in the Ricardo Maya Stadium in Ciudad Bolivar, which plays in the Venezuelan First Division, Caroni Fútbol Club based in the Polideportivo Venalum, Estudiantes de Caroni FC playing in the Polideportivo El Gallo and the oldest club in Venezuela, Minasoro FC from El Callao, which was founded in 1958, will all play next season in the Venezuelan Third Division. It also has the largest baseball stadium in the country, the Estadio La Ceiba in Ciudad Guayana (Venezuela), recently restored and with a capacity of 30,000 spectators. The
2007 Copa America 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...
, held throughout Venezuela, including the State of Bolivar, some games were played in the re-inaugurated Cachamay Stadium, making it the largest international event held in the State. Several international tournaments of junior categories have also been held and it has hosted several games of the Copa Libertadores, the
Copa Conmebol The Copa CONMEBOL ( en, CONMEBOL Cup) was an annual football cup competition organized by CONMEBOL between 1992 and 1999 for South American football clubs. During its time of existence, it was a very prestigious South American club football contes ...
and the Copa Sudamericana. In 2007, with the expansion of the Venezuelan Professional Basketball League, a franchise was approved in the basketball area, which was initially called Macizos de Guayana and at the beginning of 2008 in its presentation to the press was renamed
Gigantes de Guayana Gigantes de Guyana is a basketball club based in Puerto Ordaz, Bolívar State, Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coa ...
, which became the tenth team in the Venezuelan basketball league playing since then in the Hermanas González Gym. At the end of 2011, the first season of the new Venezuelan Volleyball Super League was held, where the Huracanes de Bolivar team debuted and was the champion of the 2011 season, beating the
Industriales de Valencia The Industriales de Valencia was a baseball club who played from 1955 through 1968 in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. The Industriales joined the league as a replacement for the Santa Marta BBC. The Industriales were based at Valencia ...
team in the final. The team dominated the entire season from start to finish, demonstrating its great level and supremacy in Venezuela.


Transport

The access to the State is possible by water, land and air; the entrance from the States of Amazonas, Apure, Guárico, Anzoátegui, Monagas and Delta Amacuro; being the international airports of Ciudad Bolívar and Ciudad Guayana the most important, also has international access. Other airports of national traffic are in La Urbana, Caicara del Orinoco, Upata, Guasipati, La Paragua, El Dorado, Santa Elena de Uairén, Canaima and other smaller ones distributed in the entity. The main land routes are the North Trunk Highway 19 which, through the Angostura Bridge, crosses the Orinoco River from the State of Anzoátegui Municipality of Independencia, Soledad to Ciudad Bolívar and continues to Ciudad Guayana; and the Highway that, through the Orinoquia Bridge, crosses the Orinoco and joins Trunk Highway 19 very close to Ciudad Guayana. From here the Trunk 10 starts via
Upata Upata () is a Venezuelan city inside the bulk of Guayana at the north of the Bolívar State. It is the capital and most important town of Piar Municipality. It is located between the basins of the rivers Orinoco and Cuyuní. The name of Upata ...
,
Guasipati Guasipati is a town that serves as the administrative seat An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countri ...
,
El Callao Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists of the whole Call ...
,
Tumeremo Tumeremo is a town in the state of Bolívar in eastern Venezuela. It is the shire town of the Sifontes Municipality. History Its first settlers were Guayan Indians and Kamaracotos, coming from the savanna of the Divina Pastora and Tupuquen l ...
, El Dorado, La Escalera - Gran Saba - km 88, until
Santa Elena de Uairen Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...
, crosses the border with Brazil, reaches the Line to continue to Boa Vista and Manaos Brazil. Other routes communicate with the State of Amazonas to the west. The waterways are mainly on the Orinoco, in fishing boats among others, but there are also trips on certain rivers of the state, such as the Caura and the Caroní.


Dams


Tocoma Dam

The Tocoma Dam officially known as the Manuel Piar Hydroelectric Plant is a Venezuelan hydroelectric plant located on the lower Caroni River in the state of Bolivar. It is under construction and is the latest hydroelectric development project in the lower Caroní basin. The project includes the installation of 2,300 MW to generate an average annual energy of 12,100 GWh. Ten Kaplan generating units of 230 MW, manufactured by the Argentine company IMPSA, are expected to start operations between 2012 and 2014.


Caruachi Dam The Caruachi Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Caroní River in Bolivar state, Venezuela. It supports a hydroelectric power facility with a capacity. It is about downstream from the Guri Dam belonging to the Central Hidroeléctrica Simón B ...

The Caruachi Dam is a water reservoir located more than 60 kilometers downstream of the Guri Reservoir, and 25 kilometers upstream of the Macagua Reservoir in Venezuela. It was inaugurated in 2006, and covers an area of 250 km². It provides 12% of the national electricity demand. It is also known as the Francisco de Miranda Hydroelectric Power Plant. CVG Edelca, in view of the high environmental impact caused by the construction of the third hydroelectric dam in the Caroní, worked together with the Ministry of the Environment to rescue the flora, fauna and valuable archeological treasures found in the region, which are now permanently exhibited in the Caroní Ecomuseum. The 12 generators in the engine room of the Caruachi Dam are covered with reproductions of baskets of the Yekuana ethnic group. Each turbine represents the myths of the tribe covering a space of 16 meters in diameter to cover the entire turbine. While the walls display large reproductions of 13 indigenous petroglyphs from different regions of Guyana and Venezuela.


Macagua Dam

The Macagua Dam, also known as the Antonio Jose de Sucre Hydroelectric Plant, is part of the Bolivar State Electricity Generating Park. It consists of three stages: Macagua I, which has 6 small units; Macagua II, which has 12 units; and the newer Macagua III, which has 2 units. The complex generates 2190 Mw. It has a length of 322 m., and has 12 radial gates of 22 m. wide and 15.6 m. high. It can be admired leaving Puerto Ordaz, towards San Felix. In its interior is located the Plaza del Agua and the Caroní Ecomuseum. One of the greatest attractions of the place is a bridge that stands on the spillway, through which visitors can drive.


See also

*
States of Venezuela The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is a federation made up of twenty-three states ('' es, estados''), a Capital District ('' es, Distrito Capital'') and the Federal Dependencies ('' es, Dependencias Federales''), which consist of many islan ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolivar (State) States of Venezuela States and territories established in 1901 Guayana Region, Venezuela