Monagas (state)

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, anthem = '' Himno del Estado Monagas''
, image_map = Monagas in Venezuela.svg
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Location within Venezuela
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, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Venezuela
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, established_title = Created
, established_date = 1909
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, named_for =
, seat_type = Capital
, seat = Maturín
, government_footnotes =
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, leader_party =
, governing_body = Legislative Council
, leader_title = Governor
, leader_name = Ernesto Luna(2021–present)
, area_footnotes =
, area_total_km2 = 28900
, area_rank = 9th
, area_note = 3.15% of Venezuela
, elevation_footnotes =
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, population_footnotes =
, population_total = 1,460,000
, population_as_of = 2022
, population_density_km2 =
, population_demonym =
, population_note = 3.15% of Venezuela
, timezone1 = VET
, utc_offset1 = −4
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, iso_code = VE-N
, blank_name_sec1 = Emblematic tree
, blank_info_sec1 = Palma de Moriche
, blank2_name_sec1 = HDI (2019)
, blank2_info_sec1 = 0.702
· 10th of 24
, website = http://www.monagas.gob.ve
, footnotes =
, leader_title4 = Assembly delegation
, leader_name4 = 6

Monagas State ( es, Estado Monagas, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela.

Monagas State covers a total surface area of and, as of the 2011 census, had a population of 905,443.

Monagas State is surrounded by Sucre State in the north, Anzoátegui State in the west and south, Bolívar State in the south, Delta Amacuro State in the south and east and the Paria Gulf in the northeast.

The state is named after the general and president of Venezuela José Tadeo Monagas, native from this state, and his brother and fellow president José Gregorio Monagas, native from the neighbor Anzoátegui State.

The capital of the state is Maturín.

History

Pre-colonial period

Monagas dates back to the settlement of the territory by indigenous people of different ethnic groups hundreds of years ago, among which are the Warao and Kalina people, who mainly settled in the Orinoco Delta, and the people in the north of the state. The first aboriginal people to found a presence in the northern part of the region were the Chaima people belonging to the Capaya tribe.

Although settlement of the territory was slow, archaeological excavations and observations by the chroniclers of the Indies point to the existence of a well-developed village in Barrancas in 1530, when the conquistador Diego de Ordaz passed through the area in search of El Dorado. Also in the 16th century, missionaries arrived in the highlands and slowly the Christianisation and re-education of the Indians spread to the south; they thus adapted to a more sedentary life.

In the site where Barrancas is located today, archaeological objects and utensils have been found that belonged to the so-called Barrancoid and Saladoid cultures, the oldest of which have been dated to 1000 years before the Christian era. The archaeological evidence that has been found (and that is still being found) has made it possible to establish that Barrancas has been uninterruptedly inhabited at least since the 11th century, which makes it the oldest town in Venezuela and one of the oldest in the American continent.

Spanish colonization

Diego de Ordaz, a Spanish explorer obsessed with finding the legendary site of El Dorado, arrived in the village in August 1531 after traveling up the Orinoco River via the Caño Manamo. Impressed by its number of inhabitants – which he estimated at "more than 400 " ('huts') – he decided to go down and meet personally with the cacique Naricagua, lord of his territories, whose name of the river Uyapari was associated with the village. The chronicler Juan de Castellanos, in his '' Elegías de varones ilustres de Indias'' (Elegies of Illustrious Men of the Indies'''), describes it as "a powerful town of great people that on the ravines was placed the Cacique of Uyapari lordship".

The Capuchin missionary Friar Gerónimo de Muro, with the help of the Carib (Kalina), Cuaca and Chaima people, founded the town of , also known as San Antonio de Capayacuar, on 7 August 1713.

On 20 April 1731, the Aragonese friar Antonio de Blesa founded Santo Domingo de Guzmán de Caycuar; the area was inhabited by Chaima people and outcasts when the Capuchin missionaries arrived. The settlement would later be called Caicara de Maturín.

A Catholic mission of Chaima Indians with the Capuchin missionary Pedro de Gelsa founded the San Miguel Arcangel de Caripe settlement on 12 October 1734, which would later become Caripe.

Maturín was founded on 7 December 1760 by the Capuchin friar Lucas de Zaragoza.

The territory where Aguasay is now located was founded in 1769 by Friar Manuel de La Mata.

Uracoa was founded in 1784 by Friar José de Manzanera. In 1799 the German geographer Alexander von Humboldt and the Frenchman Aimé Bonpland visited Caripe as part of their trip through Venezuela. Other explorers who toured the area were the Italian Agostino Codazzi (1835) and the German Ferdinand Bellermann (1843).

19th and 20th centuries

In 1856, the Province of Maturín was created, separated from that of Cumaná. By 1864 the State of Maturín was ratified. But in 1879, Monagas was annexed to the and, from 1891 to 1898, it belonged to the .

In 1904, Maturín became the capital of the Monagas district of Bermúdez State, whose capital was Cumaná. For a long time, Monagas was an extremely poor state. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the people of the plains and swamps north of the Orinoco, under the rule of the Caribs, made alliances with the French and Dutch as a policy of tenacious resistance against Spanish domination. On ancient maps these lands are called Caribana, kingdom of the Caribs.

In 1909 the State of Monagas was created with its current boundaries in honor of General José Tadeo Monagas. In 1924 the Standard Oil Company started oil exploration activities in the area of Caripito, which experienced a slight repopulation. With the drilling of the Moneb No. 1 well in the Quiriquire field in 1928, oil exploitation began and the area experienced an important boost in urban development due to the arrival of migrant labor, particularly from the Caribbean Islands.

In 1929 the Standard Oil Company began to build the storage yard and the deep water dock on the San Juan River and on 15 October 1930, the tanker ''Creole Bueno'' left the port of Caripito with 20,000 barrels of oil bound for Trinidad.

In 1935, the Caripito marine terminal was inaugurated, located on the San Juan River, where Pan American Airways S-42 seaplanes arrived, which included it in their Central American and Caribbean route.

In 1936 Caripito International Airport was selected by aviator Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan as the second stopover of their trip around the world, staying overnight at the Standard Oil Company facilities. The event was widely publicized in the international press and the company provided logistical support to continue the flight through South America.

On 15 November 1940, the city of Punta de Mata was founded. On 28 December the same year, the first oil well was drilled in that area. In addition the Legislative Assembly of Monagas considered the convenience of creating the Bolivar District and integrated the municipalities of Punceres and Colon into its territory, designating Caripito as the capital, according to the decree of 19 January 1940, signed by Governor Jose Maria Isava on 30 January of the same year.

Under the direction of the Corporación Venezolana de Guayana, several hectares of Caribbean pine were planted between Barrancas and the nearby town of Uverito, an activity that significantly boosted the development of the area. By the 1970s, it was the most important settlement and port in the state of Monagas, mainly due to the lack of land road connections to the main nearby cities, such as Tucupita (Delta Amacuro) and Puerto Ordaz ( State of Bolivar), although today it continues to be an important center for the transport of goods and passengers to these cities.

In 1976, the assets of Creole were nationalized and were managed by Lagoven, later by Corpoven and now by PDVSA in association with Repsol. By closing the refinery in 1976 and the oil terminal in 2002, an attempt was made to boost agricultural activity to take advantage of the fertile areas by growing cocoa, pepper, ''Xanthosoma'' ( and ) and yucca.

The newspaper ''El Oriental'' was founded in 1982 in the city of Maturín. On 20 August 1983, the State Legislative Assembly declared the creation of the Municipal Council of Libertador Municipality, in accordance with the provisions of the Law of Political Territorial Division of the State of Monagas, allowing the creation of Libertador Municipality. Since 1989, with the administrative reforms that were approved for the whole country, the state of Monagas elected for the first time, directly and secretly, its own governor and legislative assembly (called the legislative council since 2000).

In 2021, Cosme Arzolay was temporarily appointed governor. In November the same year, Ernesto Luna was proclaimed governor.

Geography

Relief

The state has many plateaus and savannas located in the southwest. In the northeast and the southeast there are deltaic savannas in which rivers such as the San Juan, Guanipa, Caño Mánamo, and Tigre flow into. In the northwest is a group of mountains belonging to the eastern mountain range. This mountain range is divided into two massifs: the massif of el Turimiquire (in which the town of San Antonio is located) and the massif of Caripe (in which the town of Caripe is located). Cerro Negro (2000 m.) is the highest mountain of Monagas State. The mountain landscape features geological material from the Cretaceous, constituted exclusively by sedimentary rocks, predominantly sandstone, shale and limestone, with the main geological formations being El Cantil, Barranquín, Guayuta and Querecual; it has elevations between above sea level, with valleys and depressions.

Climate

The weather is hot in the area of the Llanos, while it is cold in the mountains located in the north of the state. The average temperature in the low areas is between . In the area of the town of Caripe the cold temperature permits the cultivation of certain kind of typical plants from cold climates such as roses and strawberries. The level of rainfall in the state is between during the year.

The region is dominated by a rainy tropical climate with some local variations that respond to various factors such as altitude, wind and proximity to the sea. Most of the state, in the southern strip, has a climate typical of savannas with dry seasons that can last up to six months, which produces a severe water shortage. The average annual temperature of Monagas is approximately . In Maturín, Temblador and Uverito, average temperatures are between .

Hydrology

The rivers of the state belong to one of the two basins that are located in the state, the Atlantic Ocean basin and the Orinoco River basin. Rivers such as the Guanipa, Tigre, Morichal Largo, Caño Mánamo, Amana, Tonoro, Tabasca, and Uracoa flow into the Orinoco River. On the other hand, the Guarapiche, San Juan, Río de Oro, and Caripe rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean. The rivers of the Atlantic Ocean basin come from the mountains located in the northwest of the state and the rivers of the Orinoco River basin come from the many plateaus located in the southwest of Monagas State and from Anzoategui State.

It has an extensive hydrographic network with a fairly uniform geographical distribution, with the Guarapiche River standing out in the area of the tables. The rivers are numerous and of little depth, marking the end of the piedmont in which three river basins with a north–south course are located: those of the rivers Amana-Areo, Guarapiche, and Púnceres-Aragua. From west to east the Tácata, Tonoro, Caris, Guanipa and Tigre rivers cross the state. Monagas State has a great number of moderate rivers and streams; among the main ones are:

*Guarapiche River
*Mapirito River
*Tigre River
*Morichal Largo River
*San Juan River

Vegetation

The area's vegetation is intertropical and is adapted to the different altitudes, climates, and kinds of soil in the state. The State of Monagas has an extensive biodiversity compared to other Venezuelan states. More than 2000 species of vascular flora have been catalogued within the Monagas territory. The most symbolic tree in the state is the moriche (''Mauritia flexuosa'') along the Morichal Largo River. The dominant vegetation type in the north of Monagas State is rainforest, such as that found in the mountainous area of the San Juan River valley and the municipalities of Acosta and Caripe. In these cold areas, it is possible to grow temperate plants such as strawberries and roses. However, in the flat regions, towards the south-east of the state, intertropical savanna vegetation dominates, such as thorny scrub, grasses, cujíes and other varieties that have adapted to the conditions of the state such as ''Ceiba'', , Caribbean pine, jabillo and carob tree. Another variation of the vegetation present in Monagas State can be found along the banks of the main rivers, where extensive forests of mangroves, palms and morichals have formed.

Protected areas

Cueva del Guácharo National Park was created in May 1975 by the Venezuelan government to protect the ecosystem surrounding the Guácharo Cave. The park has a surface area of and includes the mountainous areas of the municipalities of Acosta and Caripe in Monagas State and Ribero Municipality in Sucre State.

The Alexander von Humboldt National Monument is located in the park. It was created in 1949 to protect the Guácharo Cave. This national monument is named after the German explorer Alexander von Humboldt, who visited the cave in 1799.

Another protected area is the Guarapiche Forestal Reserve, which protects the forests located along the banks of the Guarapiche and San Juan Rivers.

Politics and government

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.

Monagas has five branches of government, and is autonomous and equal to the rest of the states of the Federation:

Executive branch

It is formed by the Governor of Monagas and a cabinet of trusted state secretaries who assist him in the management of the government and are freely appointed and removable officials, an attorney, autonomous institutes and state foundations.

Governors chosen by popular vote
* Guillermo Call (1990–1992); (1993–1995) Acción Democrática
* Luis Eduardo Martínez (1996–1998); (1999–2000) Acción Democrática
* Miguel Gómez (2000) Movimiento Quinta República
* Guillermo Call (2001–2004) Acción Democrática
* José Gregorio Briceño (2004–2008) MIGATO, Movimiento Quinta República; (2009–2012) United Socialist Party of Venezuela
* Yelitza Santaella (2012—2021) United Socialist Party of Venezuela.
* Cosme Arzolay (2021), temporarily
* Ernesto Luna (2021—present) United Socialist Party of Venezuela.

Legislative branch

It consists of a unicameral parliament called the Legislative Council of the State of Monagas, which is responsible for approving the regional budget, passing state laws and supervising the administration of the state governor.

Judicial branch

It depends on the judiciary at the national level organized through the Judicial District of the State of Monagas.

City branch

Formed by the State Ethics Council and the State Comptroller General's Office, the latter is responsible for overseeing the proper use of the resources available to the regional government.

Electoral branch

It reports to the National Electoral Council at the national level which organizes the region through the so-called Main Electoral Board of the State of Monagas.

State constitution

Monagas is organized on the basis of the Constitution of the State of Monagas, adopted by the Legislative Council on 21 March 2002.

Municipalities and municipal seats

# Acosta ( San Antonio de Capayacuar)
# Aguasay (Aguasay)
# Bolívar ( Caripito)
# Caripe (Caripe)
# Cedeño ( Caicara de Maturín)
# Ezequiel Zamora (Punta de Mata)
# Libertador ( Temblador)
# Maturín (Maturín)
# Piar ( Aragua de Maturín)
# Punceres ( Quiriquire)
# Santa Bárbara ( Santa Bárbara)
# Sotillo ( Barrancas del Orinoco)
# Uracoa ( Uracoa)

Demographics

The population of Monagas State has increased since the 1920s due to the opening of its oil fields. The majority of its inhabitants are ''Mestizo;'' that is, they result from the progeny of native Indians, Black Africans and White Europeans. Many people from neighbouring states as Sucre and Nueva Esparta, as well as persons from other countries as Spaniards, Italians, Portuguese, Syrian, Lebanese and Chinese have immigrated to the state because of the petroleum industry and business opportunities. The majority of the population is concentrated in the northern area of Monagas state. At least fifty percent of inhabitants live in the capital state of Maturín. The most populated cities are Maturín (514,046), Punta de Mata (69,000), Caripe (37,350), Caripito (52,000) and Temblador (36,000).

Monagas also has inhabitants of the Warao and Kariña ethnic groups.

Race and ethnicity

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

Economy

The main economical activity is the exploitation of oil. Many towns such as Punta de Mata, El Tejero, and Temblador depend on this activity.

Other towns such as Caripe and San Antonio live off agriculture and livestock farming. Coffee is planted in the areas next to the towns of Caripe and San Antonio. Cocoa is cultivated near Caripito. Maize, tomato, sugar-cane, tobacco, banana, rice, yucca and tropical fruits grow in other areas.

Cattle is concentrated in the southern and western parts of Monagas, where there are great extensions of savannas and plateaus.

The state has forests with its corresponding industry.

Because of the oil exploitation Maturín is a main commercial and banking centre in the east of Venezuela.

Tourism

Natural heritage

* Puertas de Miraflores: also called Puertas del Guarapiche, it is a gorge or canyon where the Guarapiche river begins. It is formed by two rocky walls high.
*El Guamo Dam: contains the waters of the Guarapiche, Colorado, Cocollar and other rivers. It is built over the ruins of the towns of San Francisco, Cachimbo and Colorado. It has a park.

*Spa Miraflores: its waters come from the Guarapiche river and has temperatures that oscillate between . It has a road leading travelers to the Gates of Miraflores.
*La Bomba de Caripito Spa in the La Tubería sector.
*Río Selva Spa, a natural space with crystalline waters provided by the waters of the Tabasca and Uracoa Rivers. Located in the town of Tabasca, it has accommodation facilities, bathrooms, air conditioning, restaurant, swimming pool with natural water from morichales, kiosks with grills and dressing rooms.
*Poza de Azufre: located in the Los Morros Sector, this busy space is suitable for health tourism because of the healing properties of the pool, formed by the spring with a high content of copper and sulfur. It has a temperature of approximately .
*Cascada el Nazareno: in the middle of a tropical forest, there is a waterfall of more than 50 meters high on an immense rock. It is also known as the .
*Morichal Largo River: it is formed by deltaic plains and forests of galleries that border its margins. The predominant plant species in this rainforest is the moriche tree, whose roots penetrate deep into the underground water reserves, giving rise to the springs that feed the flow of the rivers in the region.
*Yagrumito Volcano: it is a mud volcano located southeast of the city of Maturin, is about in relative height and occupies about , including mud pools and mudflats without vegetation, although the cone alone should not exceed about . The crater opening is approximately in diameter.

Built heritage

*Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral: a Romanesque-style Catholic church, it is located between Bolivar Avenue and Monagas Street. It was inaugurated in 1981 and is considered one of the most modern cathedrals in Latin America. It has stained glass windows that adorn its interior.
*San Simón de Maturín Church: it is the oldest Catholic church in Maturín. It was built between 1884 and 1887. It is of neo-Gothic style, with pointed arches. It has a central tower on the façade. It is located on Rojas Street, in front of Bolívar Square.
*Church of San Francisco de Guayareguar: is located near the El Guamo Dam.
*William H. Phelps Public Library: inaugurated on 5 September 1948. It was built and donated by William H. Phelps Sr.
*Mural of the Foundation of San Antonio de Capayacuar: erected in 1987, it is located at the entrance of San Antonio.
*Church of San Antonio de Padua de San Antonio de Maturín.
*El Playon – Community "Culantrillar" Parish San Antonio (Acosta)
* Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Church, Caripito: it is the main Catholic church, built in 1936.

*Casa de la Cultura Juvenal Ravelo de Caripito: it is a cultural house inaugurated in 1974. It has an auditorium, an exhibition hall, dressing rooms, a conference room, a library, multipurpose rooms and an internal recreational square. It is located in the El Bajo sector, Boyacá Avenue. It is named in honor of , a native artist from Caripito.
*Monument to the Nazarene: built in 2.05 with cement, rods, and galvanized steel mesh by sculptor Jesus David Martinez, it consists of an image of the Nazarene, high, carrying his cross on a slope and dressed in a purple tunic with gold trimmings.
*Caripito religious museum: it houses life-size images and other religious objects.
*Hacienda Sarrapial: typical house of the time of the agrarian Venezuela. It is the headquarters of the Monaguense Tourism Corporation. It is located on Alirio Ugarte Pelayo Avenue, on the Boquerón hill.
*Uyapari Museum: Anthropological museum founded in 1984, on the old seat of the National School Uriapara, in front of the Plaza Bolívar. It is the most important center for the diffusion of the Barrancoid culture, the oldest in Venezuela, highlighting the scientific work for the rescue of the archaeological heritage, such as workshops for the manufacture of replicas of original Barrancoid pieces.
*Church of San Rafael Arcángel de (Barrancas del Orinoco): Catholic church originally built in Bahareque style in 1790 by Friar Joaquín de Morata. It was rebuilt in 1931 with a cement structure and in 1984 it was the object of an expansion process that culminated in 1987. The original façade was kept, although it was reinforced to accommodate a capacity of 3,000 people.

Parks

*Andrés Eloy Blanco Park: located on the southern road.
*Parque del Este: located in La Floresta.
*La Guaricha Zoo: located on Raúl Leoni Avenue, near the old terminal of the José Tadeo Monagas International Airport.
*Bolívar Recreational Park: located in the Los Guaritos sector.
*Parque Menca de Leoni: located on Juncal Avenue.
*Padilla Ron Park: located in the Las Cocuizas sector.
*Rómulo Betancourt Park: located on Universidad Avenue.

Education

At university level Monagas State has the following public university institutes:

Caripe
* Universidad Nacional Abierta (UNA).

Caripito
* Universidad Nacional Abierta (UNA).
* Instituto Universitario Tecnológico de Caripito.

Maturín
* Universidad de Oriente, Núcleo Monagas (UDO-Monagas).
* Universidad Bolivariana de Venezuela (UBV).
* Universidad Pedagógica Experimenta Libertador – Instituto Pedagógico de Maturín (UPEL-IPM).
* Universidad Nacional Abierta (UNA).
* Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodríguez (UNESR).

San Antonio
* Núcleo del Instituto Pedagógico de Maturín (UPEL-IPM), was created on 28 July 1983, by Decree No. 2176 of President Campins. The existing public pedagogical institutes in Venezuela (Barquisimeto, Caracas, Maracay and Maturín), which operated autonomously, were integrated into the UPEL as nuclei by Resolution No. 22 dated 28 January 1988.

And these private university institutes:

Caripe
* Instituto Universitario Pedagógico Monseñor Arias Blanco

Maturín
* Universidad Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho (UGMA). Only postgraduate studies.
* Universidad Cecilio Acosta (UNICA). Only postgraduate studies.
* Universidad de Margarita (UNIMAR)
* Universidad Santa María (USM)
* Instituto Politécnico Santiago Mariño (IUPSM)
* Instituto Universitario de Tecnología Industrial Rodolfo Loreto Arismendi (IUTIRLA)
* Instituto Universitario de Tecnología Venezuela (IUTV)

Punta de Mata
* Instituto Universitario de Tecnología de Cumaná (IUTC)
* Universidad Nacional Abierta (UNA)

Piar
*UNEFA

Temblador

*Universidad Nacional Abierta (Unidad de Apoyo Temblador)
*Universidad Territorial Deltaica Francisco Tamayo (Programa Temblador)

Culture

Monagas state has a culture very similar to other eastern states of Venezuela. Natives of Monagas share with the population of the eastern states the quick manner of speaking the Spanish language, food, some musical rhythms as the galerón or joropo, typical clothing such as the liqui liqui of the Llanos, and veneration of the Virgin of El Valle.

Festivals