) , anthem = , image_map = Falcon in Venezuela.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location within Venezuela , pushpin_map = , pushpin_map_alt = , pushpin_mapsize = , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Venezuela , subdivision_type1 = , subdivision_name1 = , subdivision_type2 = , subdivision_name2 = , established_title = Created , established_date = 1864 , founder = , named_for = , seat_type = Capital , seat =

Coro Coro or CORO may refer to: Entertainment * ''Coro'' (Berio), a composition by Luciano Berio * Coro (music), Italian for choir * Coro TV, Venezuelan community television channel * Omweso (Coro), mancala game played in the Lango region of Uganda * ...

, government_footnotes = , government_type = , leader_party = , governing_body= Legislative Council , leader_title = Governor , leader_name = Víctor Clark , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = 24800 , area_rank =

10th 10 (ten) is the even natural number following 9 and preceding 11. Ten is the base of the decimal numeral system, by far the most common system of denoting numbers in both spoken and written language. It is the first double-digit number. The rea ...

, area_note = 2.71% of Venezuela , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = , population_footnotes = , population_total = 902847 , population_as_of = 2011 census , population_rank =

11th 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first attested i ...

, population_density_km2 = , population_demonym = , population_note = 3.45% of Venezuela , timezone1 = VET , utc_offset1 = −4 , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , area_code_type = , area_code = , iso_code = VE-I , blank_name_sec1 = Emblematic tree , blank_info_sec1 = Cují yaque , blank2_name_sec1 = HDI (2019) , blank2_info_sec1 = 0.701
· 11th of 24 , website = , footnotes = As Coro State; in 1874, it was renamed as Falcón State. , leader_title4 = Assembly delegation , leader_name4 = 6 Falcón State ( es, Estado Falcón, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is

. The state was named after

Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Zavarce (27 January 1820 – 29 April 1870) was the president of Venezuela from 1863 to 1868.Juan de la Cosa and Américo Vespucio, as part of an expedition supervised by Alonso de Ojeda. In 1527, the city of Coro was founded by Juan Ampíes, who named it "

Santa Ana de Coro Coro, historically known as Neu-Augsburg, is the capital of Falcón State and the second oldest city of Venezuela (after Cumaná). It was founded on July 26, 1527, by Juan de Ampíes as Santa Ana de Coro. It is established at the south of the Par ...

". In 1811, when Venezuela declared its independence from Spain, Coro remained faithful to the

Spanish Crown , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

and was merged with the

Province of Maracaibo A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...

. In 1815, King

Fernando VII , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles IV of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Parma , birth_date = 14 October 1784 , birth_place = El Escorial, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Madrid, Spain , burial_pla ...

created the

Province of Coro Coro Province (1811 - 1864) was a province in the Zulia Department of Gran Colombia, and later one of the provinces of Venezuela, after Venezuelan independence in 1830. In 1864 it became one of the States of Venezuela, as Coro State, and was rena ...

. In 1821, the province was liberated from Spain by

Josefa Camejo Josefa Venancia de la Encarnación Camejo (18 May 1791 – 5 July 1862) also known as La Camejo and Doña Ignacia, is recognized in the National Pantheon of Venezuela as one of the heroines of the Venezuelan War of Independence, supporting the pat ...

during the

Venezuelan War of Independence The Venezuelan War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de Venezuela, links=no, 1810–1823) was one of the Spanish American wars of independence of the early nineteenth century, when independence movements in Latin America fought agai ...

The area then became a province of the department of Zulia of the Republic of Gran Colombia. In 1830, with the separation of Venezuela from Gran Colombia, the Falcón area became a separate province of that nation. Casco Central Santa Ana de Coro, estado Falcon, Venezuela

Casco Central Santa Ana de Coro, estado Falcon, Venezuela

By 1856, the province contained the cantons of

, San Luis, Casigua, Costa Arriba, Cumarebo and the Paraguaná Peninsula. In 1859, after the Federal War began on February 20 in Coro, the area was declared the Independent State of Coro. In 1864, it became a federal state, part of the United States of Venezuela.

Falcón State

In 1872 the province was renamed Falcón State, in honor of the Federal War leader

Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Zavarce (27 January 1820 – 29 April 1870) was the president of Venezuela from 1863 to 1868.Lara and Yaracuy, minus the Department of

Nirgua Nirgua is a city and the seat of the Nirgua Municipality in the state of Yaracuy, Venezuela. History The city was founded on January 25, 1625, by Don Juan de Meneses. References

Cities in Yaracuy 1625 establishments in the Spanish Empire ...

, it became part of the Western Northern State. Between 1881 and 1890 is formed, with Zulia, the state of Falcón-Zulia. In 1891 Falcón was reestablished as a separate state. In 1899 its name changed, and for a short period of time, it retook its historical denomination of Estado Coro; returning in 1901 to tFalcón . In 1899, the territory comprising the towns of

Tucacas Tucacas is a northern coastal town of Venezuela. It is located in the States of Venezuela, state of Falcón. Geography Tucacas is surrounded by two rivers making access from the interior of Venezuela difficult. It is at an elevation of 1m. H ...

and

Chichiriviche Chichiriviche is a Venezuelan city located in Falcón state located on the east coast, 195 km southeast of Coro. Capital of Municipality Monseñor Iturriza. It has a population for 2011 of 18,960 inhabitants. Chichiriviche is surrounded by ...

, was annexed by Falcón.

Lara State Lara State ( es, Estado Lara, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Barquisimeto. Lara State covers a total surface area of and, in 2015, had a census population of 2,019,211. Toponymy The state is named after a notable ...

received the municipality of Urdaneta. Coro, the capital, founded with the name of Santa Ana de Coro, was declared National Monument in 1950, and UNESCO has named it Cultural Patrimony of the Humanity in 1993.

Geography

Falcón State is located in the north of the Corian System. To the south, Falcón contains medium-altitude mountain ranges configured from east to west, which in the eastern part of the state reach the Caribbean Sea, forming maritime valleys. West from the city of Coro, a coastal plain runs parallel to the

Gulf of Venezuela The Gulf of Venezuela is a gulf of the Caribbean Sea bounded by the Venezuelan states of Zulia and Falcón and by La Guajira Department, Colombia. The western side is formed by the Guajira Peninsula. A strait connects it with Maracaibo Lake to ...

. To the north lies one of the most characteristic geographic features of the Venezuelan coast: the Paraguana Peninsula, linked to the mainland by the isthmus of

Médanos de Coro National Park Médanos de Coro National Park (''Parque Nacional Los Médanos de Coro'') is a Venezuelan national park located in the state of Falcón State, Falcón, near the city of Santa Ana de Coro, Coro on the road that leads to Paraguaná. The National Pa ...

Climate

hot arid climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

(''BWh'' according to the Köppen climate classification) of very low rainfall dominates the western coast and the Paraguaná Peninsula.

receives of rain per year, which frequently fails in dry years, with an average temperature of , while in Punto Fijo there is just of annual rainfall with average temperatures of . The extremely dry, desert conditions, with rainfall of less than , are recognized on the western coasts of Coro and above all on the isthmus of Los Médanos de Coro, with average annual temperatures of between . In the eastern coastal sectors, rainfall increases from per year, always with high temperatures. Somewhat more favourable, with temperatures between , are the climatic conditions of the mountainous foothills, recognizing a sub-humid climate in the higher altitudes of the Sierras de San Luis and Churuguara, with an annual rainfall of and average temperatures of . On 29 April 2015, Coro recorded a temperature of , which is the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Venezuela.

Soils

On the coastline the soils are calcareous, and between the Lara and Falcón mountains, they are clay. They vary in quality, but in general, the availability of land for traditional agriculture can be classified as low, with 89% of very low potential, 3% of low potential and 6% of moderate potential. Only 2% of it is located in the southeast valleys and alluvial areas, basins with very high potential. The limitations of the arid and semi-arid soils come from

salinity Salinity () is the saltiness or amount of salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity). It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg (grams of salt per liter/kilogram of water; the latter is dimensionless and equal ...

, dryness caused by low rainfall, low concentration of organic matter and the influence of climatic agents such as wind.

Relief

The Corian System of Falcon State presents a diversity of landscapes ranging from coastal plains on its

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

side to mountain ranges formed by valleys and hills, in an area of transition between the two major mountain systems of the country. The

Sierra de San Luis Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" and "saw", from Latin '' serra'') may refer to the following: Places Mountains and mountain ranges * Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico * Sierra de las Nieves, a mountain range i ...

have the highest altitude of the entire system, but are of very modest height; the highest does not exceed 1600 meters (). Cerro Santa Ana is another natural

landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

, located in the center of the Paraguaná peninsula. Unlike the rest of the peninsula, the characteristics of Santa Ana Hill are the contrast between its greenness and the xerophytic vegetation of the Paraguaná area. It has three peaks: the Santa Ana (the highest, that ascends to about 830 meters above sea level), the Buena Vista and Moruy.

Hydrography

Embalse de El Isiro visto desde la Chapa

The state's hydrography is very poor. All the rivers flow north, either into the Caribbean Sea or the

. However, the main Venezuelan river of the Caribbean basin, the Tocuyo, bathes a large area of the state before flowing into the Caribbean on the east coast of the state after travelling 423 km. Another river worth mentioning that flows into the Caribbean is Rio Aroa, with a length of 130 km. From the basin of the Gulf of Venezuela, the main ones are the Matícora (201 km) and the Mitare with 120 km. *Main rivers: Tocuyo,

Aroa ''Aroa'' is a genus of moths in the subfamily Lymantriinae first described by Francis Walker (entomologist), Francis Walker in 1855. Species are distributed in South Africa, China, throughout India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Java. Description They ...

, Güigüe, Hueque, Matícora, Mitare, Pedregal, Remedios, Ricoa, San Luis. *Lakes: under the San Luis mountain range in the Cueva del Toro, there is an underground lake, the largest known in Venezuela, called "Río Acarite".

Flora and fauna

The marine flora is very rich. There is a great diversity of

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

on the rocky shores and on the reef bottoms. The fishing potential of its waters is enormous and among the species that are extracted are

shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...

octopus An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttle ...

squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting t ...

mackerel Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of pelagic fish, mostly from the family Scombridae. They are found in both temperate and tropical seas, mostly living along the coast or offshore in the oceanic environment. ...

, corocoro, mullet, horse mackerel, lebranche and dogfish. Other species require protection such as sea turtles and the critically endangered Orinoco crocodile. The latter inhabits the coastal mangroves of Morrocoy, Cuare and the isthmus, along with the sea shearwater,

heron The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus ...

s, , gannets and the flamingo. Among the invertebrates, the Hueque scorpion (Tityus falconensis) stands out, discovered in the caves of the

Juan Crisóstomo Falcón National Park The Juan Crisostomo Falcón National Park ( es, Parque nacional Juan Crisóstomo Falcón), also known as the Sierra de San Luis, is in the southern part of the Falcón state in Venezuela. It has an area of covering the municipalities of Bolív ...

and which is distributed in a great part of the Falconian territory; the giant scolopendra, which is the largest centipede in the world, and the blue tarantula of Paraguaná (''Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens'') are also native. In the cardonales and spines that occupy the lower areas, plants heavily armed with thorns predominate. The (Falcón's emblematic tree), broom, yabo, , tunas and are common.

Aloe vera ''Aloe vera'' () is a succulent plant species of the genus ''Aloe''. It is widely distributed, and is considered an invasive species in many world regions. An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but grows wild in tro ...

and sisal crops are scattered throughout the region. In this environment, bats, savannah

rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...

s, common

fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

es, wild mice, iguanas and lizards stand out; and among the birds are the cardinal coriano and the paraulata llanera or chuchube (Mimus gilvus). It is also the endemic site of the Hueque scorpion (Tityus falconensis), a species of native scorpion whose distribution is excluded from the state of Falcon. Scarlet Ibis, Corocoro Colorado (Eudocimus ruber)

Scarlet Ibis, Corocoro Colorado (Eudocimus ruber)

On the upper slopes of the mountains, cloud forests dominate where an enormous variety of ferns and palms grow. In the limestone formations of the Sierra you can find the guácharo, as well as interesting birds such as the blacksmith's bellbird and the emerald-billed toucan, and reptiles such as the nibbling turtle, a species endemic to the mountains of the

Sistema Coriano The Sistema Coriano also known as Lara-Falcón Formation, Coro region or Coriano system is one of the eight natural regions of Venezuela. Is the hilly and semi-mountainous area in northwest Venezuela, north of the Mérida Andes and east of the Mar ...

Geology

Early Cretaceous rocks cover the pre-existing sedimentary units in the south, in what is one of the thickest sections in South America. The rounded hills of the Cocodite table are supported by an ancient igneous-metromorphic complex and a poorly-metamorphosed Jurassic succession. To the east of Vela de Coro and Cumarebo, the foothills are supported by outcrops of the young Tertiary, also present to the north of Urumaco, where the stones are rough and darkened by iron oxide; while the plains concentrated in the lower part of the rivers are alluvial. The arid plain presents quaternary earthquakes, with elevations sustained by rocks from the upper tertiary.

Politics and government

As a federal state, it is autonomous and equal in political terms to the other members of the Federation. It organizes its administration and public powers through the Federal Constitution of Falcón State of 2004, issued by the Legislative Council.

Executive power

It is composed of the Governor of the State of Falcón and a group of State Secretaries of his confidence appointed and removed by the regional government. The Governor is elected by the people through a direct and secret vote for a period of four years and with the possibility of immediate reelection for equal periods, being in charge of the state administration before the Legislative Council. The first elected governor of Falcon was Aldo Cermeño of the Social Christian Party ( Copei), who governed between 1989 and 1992. The current state governor is Victor Clark, of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) party, elected for the 2017-2021 period. Like the other 23 federal entities of Venezuela, the State maintains its own police force, which is supported and complemented by the National Police and the Venezuelan National Guard.

Legislative power

The state legislature is the responsibility of the Falcón State Legislative Council. It is a unicameral and autonomous body, elected by the people through direct and secret vote every four years, and maybe re-elected for two consecutive periods, under a system of proportional representation of the population of the state and its municipalities. It has 11 legislators, of whom 3 are list and 8 are nominal.

Municipalities and municipal seats

Falcon State is subdivided into 25 municipalities (''municipios''), listed below with their administrative capitals, areas and populations.Instituto Nacional de Estadistica, Caracas. Parque Nacional Cueva de la Quebrada del Toro

Parque Nacional Cueva de la Quebrada del Toro

Puerto Escondido (Cabo de San Román) (8580590685)

The Paraguaná Peninsula comprises the municipalities of Carirubana, and Falcón.

Demographics

The population of Falcon State in 2011 was 902,847 inhabitants, while in 2001 there were 763,188 inhabitants. Its population density has risen from 30.8 inhabitants/km² in 2001 to 36.4 inhabitants/km² in 2011. Due to the constant growth of urban areas, a decrease in rural life is observed, with the urban population reaching 67.3% of the total state population in 1990. In 2011 it is estimated that the urban population will be around 600,000 inhabitants, distributed in several cities headed by the

conurbation A conurbation is a region comprising a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ca ...

of 228,931 inhabitants formed by the city of Santa Ana de Coro (192,558 inhabitants) and its port La Vela de Coro (36,373 inhabitants); and by the metropolitan area of Punto Fijo, which includes the former fishing villages of Las Piedras, Carirubana and Punta Cardón, with a population of over 300,000 inhabitants. Playa en Cumarebo

Other medium-sized cities structure their respective areas of influence, highlighting

Puerto Cumarebo Puerto Cumarebo capital of Zamora Municipality, Falcón state, Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South Amer ...

(22 047 inhabitants),

Dabajuro Dabajuro is a city and municipality in southwestern Falcón State, Venezuela with a population of 25,469 (c. 2005). History While a small agricultural village existed on the site, it was really in 1914 with the arrival of the oil companies in the ...

(15 269 inhabitants),

(12 970 inhabitants), Churuguara (10 800 inhabitants) and Mene de Mauroa (10 302 inhabitants). Moreover, according to the last population census conducted by the National Institute of Statistics in 2011, 55.7% of the population is ethnically recognized as mestizo; 38.9% as Caucasian, concentrated mainly in the city of Punto Fijo; and 4.1% identified themselves as black.

Race and ethnicity

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

Main population centers

*Coro, the state capital, is the axis around which the political, cultural and social life of the region revolves. Founded on July 26, 1527. The first historical and religious capital of Venezuela. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December 9, 1993. *La Vela de Coro, the place where the national flag was first raised. Fishing, commercial and artisanal community. Along with Coro, World Heritage Site. *Mitare, a town in the west of the state, is a few kilometres from Coro. Its economy is based on the production of goats and shrimp fishing. *Puerto Cumarebo, capital of the municipality of Zamora Called La Perla de Falcon, is a fishing, commercial, tourist, agricultural and artisanal zone. *Punto Fijo, capital of the municipality Carirubana, located in the peninsula of Paraguaná. Commercial city, under the regime of Free Zone of Tourist Promotion and Investment since 1998, is the main economic, industrial, population and productive axis of Falcon. *Punta Cardón, located in the peninsula of Paraguaná. It has the "Gustavo Riera" Zoo, the only zoo in the state. *Santa Cruz de Los Taques, discovered in 1502 by Alonso de Ojeda, in this town is the bay of Amuay, a place of great scenic beauty. *Pueblo Nuevo, for many years was the largest population of the Paraguana Peninsula. Founded between 1730 and 1770, its economy is based on artisan activity, especially represented by excellent

ceramist Ceramic art is art made from ceramic materials, including clay. It may take forms including artistic pottery, including tableware, tiles, figurines and other sculpture. As one of the plastic arts, ceramic art is one of the visual arts. Whil ...

s. *

Adícora Adícora is a village located northeast coast of the Paraguaná Peninsula, in Venezuela, specifically in the Falcón Municipality and 24 kilometers south of the island of Aruba Aruba ( , , ), officially the Country of Aruba ( nl, Land Aruba ...

, primary holiday resort in the Paraguaná peninsula, located 60 km north of Coro. *Tocuyo de la Costa, a town located on the banks of the Tocuyo River in the municipality of Monseñor Iturriza. *Tocópero, a town whose economy derives from livestock and crafts, also has a cement industry that covers the entire state. *Tucacas, gateway to the state of Falcón on its eastern side. It is mainly a tourist and commercial town. *Chichiriviche, the main tourist center of the Venezuelan northwest. Located on the eastern coast of the state, it gives access to Morrocoy National Park. *Churuguara, capital of the municipality of Federación. The most important town in the Falcón mountain range, is mainly a tourist and agricultural town. *Dabajuro, has the largest commercial movement of the western Falcon. It is a collection center for the trade of agricultural and livestock products. *Mene de Mauroa, located 188 km west of Coro. Capital of the municipality of Mauroa, its economy is based on agricultural production. *Mirimire, the population of the east of the state. Its economy is based on the production of cattle, tobacco, corn and sugar cane. *Pedregal, capital of the municipality of Democracia. Cattle and artisan population of the Falconian west. *San Juan de Los Cayos, located 169 km southeast of Coro. Potential producer of fish, bananas, avocado, coconut and cattle. *Santa Cruz de Bucaral, capital of the Union municipality. It is one of the youngest towns in the Falcon Mountain Range. *Capatárida, capital of the municipality Buchivacoa, located west of Coro. It has a great historical and cultural tradition, economic activity based on goat breeding and fishing. Disfruta en familia

*San Luis, a town located in the Sierra Falcon. It was initially inhabited by Jirajaras Indians. *Cabure, the old settlement of Jirajaras Indians. It was founded in 1769. *Curimagua, a valley in the Falcon Mountains. Cradle of the pre-independence movement led by the Zambo José Leonardo Chirino. *Borojó, a population of indigenous origin in the municipality of Buchivacoa located west of Falcon.

Economy

Economic resources

Its economic resources include; *Livestock: poultry, cattle, goats and pigs. *Fishing: Tuna, catfish, mackerel, corocoro and mullet (marine). Shrimp, crab and lobster, pepitonas and quigua (in) (mollusks). *Agricultural products: Sugar cane, coconut, corn, melon, yam, ocumo and

sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many othe ...

. *Forest resources: Candlestick, cedar, cují,

guamo Guamo is a town and municipality in the Tolima department of Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as we ...

, jabillo and vera. *Mineral resources: Sand, limestone, coal,

chromite Chromite is a crystalline mineral composed primarily of iron(II) oxide and chromium(III) oxide compounds. It can be represented by the chemical formula of FeCr2O4. It is an oxide mineral belonging to the spinel group. The element magnesium can s ...

, gravel, oil and phosphate rocks.

Agriculture and cattle raising

The main economic activity in terms of employment is agriculture, with important crops such as coconut, onions, corn, tomatoes, patilla, melon, coffee, aloe and

legume A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...

s. The state of Falcón is the largest producer of coconut and copra, goats and goat products. It is the second largest in the production of fish, paprika and vegetables such as onions, and third in bovine milk and melon production. It also has great advantages for the production of dry floor vegetables such as melon, onions, sideburns and tomatoes. Coconuts alone represent approximately 20,000 hectares in cultivation, and there is availability to expand surface area on the eastern coast of Falcón State. Falcón State is one of the main producers of

aloe vera ''Aloe vera'' () is a succulent plant species of the genus ''Aloe''. It is widely distributed, and is considered an invasive species in many world regions. An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but grows wild in tro ...

in Venezuela, and the coffee, region has 3500 hectares in cultivation, but with a provision of 12 700 hectares, distributed in the Sierra de Coro in the south of the federal entity. In the mountains coffee is cultivated, having prestige the productions in the Sierra de San Luis and Sierra de Churuguara. On the Eastern Coast, there are important plantations of coconut trees, which have developed an important industry of oil extraction and use of copra. As for livestock, there is an abundance of goats, cattle and, to a lesser extent, pigs.

Economic activities

Falcon is the Venezuelan state with the most kilometres of coast, therefore the fishing activity has special dimensions. The annual production is 30,471 tons of fish and seafood, landed in the ports of Las Piedras, ,

, Zazárida,

, and

La Vela de Coro La Vela de Coro is the port of Coro, Venezuela. Coro and its port form a conurbation, although Coro is in the municipality of Miranda and La Vela is in a separate municipality, Colina. The twin settlements were founded by the Spanish in the 16t ...

, highlighting the industrialization of crustaceans with the presence on the coast of the state of

shrimp farms Shrimp farming is an aquaculture business that exists in either a marine or freshwater environment, producing shrimp or prawns (crustaceans of the groups Caridea or Dendrobranchiata) for human consumption. Marine Commercial marine shrimp farm ...

, as in Boca de Ricoa and at various points of the Paraguaná peninsula. Villa Caribe Paraguana

In Falcón, there are some working oil fields in , Media, Hombre Pintado and Tiguaje and natural gas fields in

and other nearby areas. However, most oil industry activity is in the Paraguaná Refining Center, one of the largest in the world, made up of the Amuay Refining Complex and the Cardón Refinery, both with a capacity of 940,000 barrels of oil per day, which represents 75% of Venezuela's total refining capacity. These refineries are fed with crude oil and gas through products coming from the Maracaibo Lake basin. Likewise, a tourist investment free zone has been consolidated in the Paraguaná peninsula. Falcón also has mineral deposits to generate basic inputs for industries such as ceramics, fertilizers, energy, chemicals, abrasives, metalworking, pharmaceuticals, pottery, and paint, among others. Phosphates are exploited in Riecito and limestone in Chichiriviche, which are processed at the Cumarebo cement plant (Holcim de Venezuela). It also has immense coal deposits in the western zone, with proven reserves for open-pit mining in the order of 20 million metric tons, and reserves estimated at 120 million metric tons, within a radius of action of 50,000 hectares. Other minerals in the area include graphite, silica, limestone, dolomite, phosphate, chromite and marble. Thanks to the dry and arid climate, there are five natural salt flats and some 220,000 hectares of land suitable for the construction of artificial salt flats spread throughout the Falconian territory. Of all the salt mines, only the Las Cumaraguas salt mine is under industrial exploitation, the rest being exploited by hand. Also, thanks to its natural landscapes (like the Medanos de Coro and the National Parks Cueva de la Quebrada del Toro, Sierra de San Luis and Morrocoy) tourism is gaining importance in the economy of the State.

Infrastructure

The region is mostly coastal lowlands and the northern Andean mountain hills, and is mostly dry with limited agriculture production. Farming mostly occurs in river valleys and mountainous areas, and includes maize,

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

sesame Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...

, coffee and sugar cane. Aerogeneradores en Punto Fijo

, the state capitol and the Paraguaná Peninsula have had significant amounts of

industrialization Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...

and growth. Large

oil refineries An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, liquefie ...

such as the Paraguana Refinery Complex in the city of Punto Fijo are located on the southwestern shore of the Paraguaná Peninsula, and approximately two-thirds of Venezuela's total oil production occurs in this area, much of which is exported via tanker ships that ship internationally through the port of Amuay.

Tourism

National parks and monuments

*Los

: Desert landscape of singular beauty, located in the heart of the city of Coro. It has an area of 91 280 hectares. *

Morrocoy National Park Morrocoy National Park is located in the easternmost coast of Falcón state and northwestern of Golfo Triste, in the west central Venezuelan coast, near the towns of Boca de Aroa, Tucacas, Sanare, Chichiriviche, Flamenco and Tocuyo de la Costa, ...

: Made up of keys and islets of coral origin, white sand, turquoise sea and dense mangrove forests. It has an area of 32 090 hectares. *National Park Cueva de la Quebrada del Toro: Located in the Falconian mountain range, it has an area of 4885 hectares. *

: It has a great variety of natural attractions. It has an extension of 20,000 hectares. *Cerro Santa Ana Natural Monument: Located in the center of Paraguaná. It has an area of 1900 hectares and an altitude of 850 meters above sea level. It was declared a Natural Monument on June 14, 1972.

Natural heritage

*Thermal waters of Cardón and Cuiva *Guaibacoa Hot Springs *Boca de Aroa Beach *Adicora Beach *Cumarebo Port Beach *Tucacas Beaches *Beaches in Chichiriviche *Beaches of Morrocoy *Manaure Well *Tacarigua-Jatira Dam *Hueque Falls *Cuare Wildlife Refuge *The Indian's Cave (''Cueva del Indio'') *Haiton del Guarataro

Built heritage

*Athenaeum of Coro *Cathedral Basilica Menor de Santa Ana *Balcón de los Arcaya (Museum of Popular Pottery) *Balcón Bolívar (Museum of Contemporary Art) *House of 100 windows (''Casa de las 100 ventanas'') *Casa de las Ventanas de Hierro *Los Torres House *House of the Sun (''Casa del Sol'') *Treasury House (''Casa del Tesoro'') *Alberto Henriquez House Museum (Choir Synagogue) *Jewish cemetery in Coro *San Clemente's Cross *Church of San Nicolás de Bari *San Clemente Church *San Francisco Church * Lucas Guillermo Castillo Diocesan Museum *Elias David Curiel School of Music *Hato Aguaque or Casa de Josefa Camejo *Taima Taima Archaeological and Paleontological Museum

Culture

Handicrafts

Falconian craftsmanship is rich in artistic expression. Within the popular handicrafts are the hammocks with unique styles, techniques and values of the state. The craft production is large and varied. The craftsmen of the towns that surround the city of Coro specialize in the manufacture of furniture with the wood of the cardon, the stick of Arch and the curarí. The wood is complemented using vegetable fibres such as sisal or with cow and goat skins. In Paraguaná the clay is worked to build objects for current domestic use, applying the same techniques used by the Caquetíos Indians. On the eastern coast, the attraction is the basketwork made with bulrush, cocuiza and vines and the hammocks made with thread.

Gastronomy

The typical Falconian food allows the enjoyment of a variety of flavors represented in its specialities, such as goat talkarí, , goat milk cheese, custard, peeled arepa and goat milk candy. At a national level, rice with coconut and rice pudding is one of the most popular sweets, especially during the Easter season. Monumento a la Bandera en La Vela de Coro

Monumento a la Bandera en La Vela de Coro

Folklore

Folkloric, traditional and religious expressions offer a seal of originality in the state. In typical celebrations, features of African, indigenous and European cultures are associated. Among these celebrations is the Baile de las Turas, which has its origin in an indigenous dance related to the hunting season and the harvesting of the corn crop. It is celebrated in San Pedro, El Tural and Mapararí in the mountain region, between 23 and 24 September. The drum dances in the cities of Coro, La Vela and Puerto Cumarebo are very joyful and colourful, and the celebration of the Day of the Mad (December 28) in La Vela de Coro, with masked parades in the streets and public squares, reaches a display similar to that of the great carnivals of the world.

Sports

Unión Atlético Falcón (Second Division of Venezuela): a professional football club based in the city of Punto Fijo, Falcon State, Venezuela. It was founded in 2006, in the city of

. *

Cachorros de Falcón (Bolivarian National Baseball League): It is one of the teams that has remained since the birth of the Bolivarian National Baseball League 15 years ago, which was champion of the Central Western Region on a couple of occasions, in 2012 by the hand of former professional baseball player Yony Naveda, and in 2016, under the helm of Roberto Chirinos, the latter, who is again in charge of the Westerners in 2019. Polideportivo Manaure

Sports facilities

*Pedro Conde Stadium *José David Ugarte Stadium *Eduardo "Tata" Amaya Stadium *Carlos Sanchez Covered Gym *Fenelon Diaz Covered Gym *Ramon Pena Gilly Gym

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Falcon States of Venezuela States and territories established in 1864 1864 establishments in Venezuela