Falcón State (Spanish: Estado Falcón , IPA: [esˈtaðo falˈkon] ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela . The state capital is Coro .
49-498: Buchivacoa Municipality is a municipality in Falcón State , Venezuela . This article related to a location in Falcón State , Venezuela is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Falc%C3%B3n State The state was named after Juan Crisóstomo Falcón . Present day Falcón State was first explored in 1499 by Juan de la Cosa and Américo Vespucio , as part of an expedition supervised by Alonso de Ojeda . In 1527,
98-921: A coastal plain runs parallel to the Gulf of Venezuela . 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 . A hot arid climate ( BWh according to the Köppen climate classification ) of very low rainfall dominates the western coast and the Paraguaná Peninsula . Coro receives 380 mm (15 in) of rain per year, which frequently fails in dry years, with an average temperature of 28.4 °C (83.1 °F), while in Punto Fijo there
147-488: A population of over 300,000 inhabitants. Other medium-sized cities structure their respective areas of influence, highlighting Puerto Cumarebo (22 047 inhabitants), Dabajuro (15 269 inhabitants), Tucacas (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
196-604: 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. By 1856, the province contained the cantons of Coro , San Luis, Casigua , Costa Arriba, Cumarebo and the Paraguaná Peninsula . In 1859, after the Federal War began on 20 February in Coro, the area
245-496: 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. Falcon State is subdivided into 25 municipalities ( municipios ), listed below with their administrative capitals, areas and populations. The Paraguaná Peninsula comprises
294-647: 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 . The state legislature is the responsibility of the Falcón State Legislative Council. It is
343-596: Is availability to expand surface area on the eastern coast of Falcón State. Falcón State is one of the main producers of aloe vera 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
392-670: Is found throughout Falcón; the Scolopendra gigantea , which is the largest centipede in the world, and the vivid greenbottle-blue tarantula ( Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens ), of Paraguaná , are also native to the region. In the cactus and spiny forests that encompass the lowlands, plants heavily armed with thorns predominate, such as cují yaque (Falcón's emblematic tree), broom , yabo , espinito , Opuntia (also known as tuna , e.g. prickly-pear) and Pachycereus pringlei (or cardones ). Introduced succulents , such as Aloe vera and sisal plants, are scattered throughout
441-667: 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
490-625: Is just 180 mm (7 in) of annual rainfall with average temperatures of 27.6 °C (81.7 °F). The extremely dry, desert conditions, with rainfall of less than 300 mm or 12 in, 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 28 and 29 °C (82.4 and 84.2 °F). In the eastern coastal sectors, rainfall increases from 800 to 1,200 mm (31 to 47 in) per year, always with high temperatures. Somewhat more favourable, with temperatures between 25 and 27 °C (77.0 and 80.6 °F), are
539-462: Is located on the southwestern coast of the Paraguaná Peninsula . Its metropolitan area includes the parishes of Norte, Carirubana, Punta Cardón and the parish of Judibana in the municipality of Los Taques. It is the largest city in Falcón State. According to the Köppen climate classification , Punto Fijo has a hot arid climate , abbreviated as BWh . The weather is hot year round. The majority of
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#1732863352262588-504: Is one of the most popular sweets, especially during the Easter season. 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
637-410: 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
686-458: Is under construction and expected to be ready by beginning 2010. The city is linked to Coro with a modern two-laned highway passing through the whole isthmus offering great views of the Médanos de Coro National Park as well as flora found in this semi-arid region. The air transport needs of Punto Fijo's are served by Las Piedras Airport, also known as Josefa Camejo International Airport . The city
735-524: The guácharo , or oilbirds, which live inside the caverns. Also found are the blacksmith's bellbird and the keel-billed toucan , and numerous amphibians and reptiles, such as the nibbling turtle, endemic to the mountains of the Sistema Coriano . 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
784-534: 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 . Falconian craftsmanship is rich in artistic expression. Within the popular handicrafts are
833-714: 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. The state's hydrography is very poor. All the rivers flow north, either into the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Venezuela . However, the main Venezuelan river of the Caribbean basin , the Tocuyo , bathes a large area of
882-542: 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
931-482: 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. 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
980-559: 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
1029-425: The State. 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 , sesame , coffee and sugar cane . Coro , the state capitol and the Paraguaná Peninsula have had significant amounts of industrialization and growth. Large oil refineries such as
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#17328633522621078-407: The arid and semi-arid soils come from salinity , dryness caused by low rainfall, low concentration of organic matter and the influence of climatic agents such as wind. The Corian System of Falcon State presents a diversity of landscapes ranging from coastal plains on its Caribbean side to mountain ranges formed by valleys and hills, in an area of transition between the two major mountain systems of
1127-573: The city needed years ago. This includes the main bus station, repairs to public roads, and settlement of a new thermoelectricity energy plant "Josefa Camejo". The private sector has made investments as well, like the Sambil Mall Paraguaná, and Paraguaná Mall. These new complexes now join the Centro Comercial y Recreacional Las Virtudes Mall . Punto Fijo is crisscrossed from north to south and east to west by numerous avenues. A new bus terminal
1176-595: The city of Coro was founded by Juan Ampíes , who named it " Santa Ana de Coro ". In 1811, when Venezuela declared its independence from Spain, Coro remained faithful to the Spanish Crown and was merged with the Province of Maracaibo . In 1815, King Fernando VII created the Province of Coro . In 1821, the province was liberated from Spain by Josefa Camejo during the Venezuelan War of Independence . The area then became
1225-475: 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 1,300 mm or 51 in and average temperatures of 22 °C or 71.6 °F. On 29 April 2015, Coro recorded a temperature of 43.6 °C (110.5 °F), which is the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Venezuela. On
1274-531: The coastal mangroves of Morrocoy , Cuare Wildlife Refuge, and the isthmus , along with the numerous species of wading and seabirds , such as shearwater , herons , scarlet ibis , gannets and the Caribbean flamingo . Among the many invertebrates , the Hueque scorpion ( [[Tityus falconensis ), named after the region and discovered in the caves of the Juan Crisóstomo Falcón National Park ,
1323-473: 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
1372-633: 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
1421-603: 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 (28 December) 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
1470-463: The country. The Sierra de San Luis have the highest altitude of the entire system, but are of very modest height; the highest does not exceed 1600 meters ( Cerro Galicia [ es ] ). Cerro Santa Ana is another natural landmark, 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
1519-451: 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
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1568-649: The late Rafael González Estaba, former city historian, who said that the place where the city now stands was a common stop (the "fixed point") for passers-by and fishermen. Punto Fijo has the world's second largest oil refinery complex, the Paraguaná Refinery Complex (CRP is its Spanish acronym), which consists of the Amuay and Cardón Refineries (both part of the CRP). The operation once refined around 1 million barrels per day, and all of these petroleum products were fuel for
1617-486: The local and regional economy. Also, Punto Fijo possesses the second most important fishing fleet in Venezuela, and has an industrial zone where electronics plants and light machinery plants are located. Punto Fijo includes a Free Zone for Touristic Investment allowing importation of goods free of tariffs. The progressive development that Punto Fijo is facing currently has given incentive to local, municipal, state and national authorities to carry out public building works that
1666-417: The municipalities of Carirubana, Los Taques [ es ] and Falcón. 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/km in 2001 to 36.4 inhabitants/km 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
1715-522: 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. 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,
1764-480: 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. According to the 2011 Census, the estimated racial composition of the population was: Its economic resources include; The main economic activity in terms of employment is agriculture, with important crops such as coconut, onions, corn, tomatoes, patilla , melon, coffee, aloe and legumes . The state of Falcón
1813-693: The ports of Las Piedras , Carirubana [ es ] , Puerto Cumarebo , Zazárida, Chichiriviche , and La Vela de Coro , highlighting the industrialization of crustaceans with the presence on the coast of the state of shrimp farms , as in Boca de Ricoa and at various points of the Paraguaná peninsula. In Falcón, there are some working oil fields in Mene de Mauroa [ es ] , Media, Hombre Pintado and Tiguaje and natural gas fields in Puerto Cumarebo and other nearby areas. However, most oil industry activity
1862-417: The region. Fauna in this habitat includes bats, rabbits, foxes, rodents, iguanas and lizards; among the birds are the vermilion cardinal and the tropical mockingbird, also known as paraulata llanera or chuchube ( Mimus gilvus ). On the upper slopes of the mountains, cloud forests dominate, and an enormous variety of ferns and other plants grow. In the limestone formations of the Sierra, you can find
1911-553: 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
1960-434: The rocky shores and on the reef bottoms. The rich fishing grounds have been known for centuries; among the species that are caught locally are various shrimp , octopus, squid , mackerel , corocoro , mullet , horse mackerel , lebranche and dogfish . Other species in the area are endangered and highly protected, such as several types of sea turtle and the critically endangered Orinoco crocodile . The latter inhabits
2009-501: 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. The typical Falconian food allows the enjoyment of a variety of flavors represented in its specialities, such as goat talkarí, celce coriano , goat milk cheese, custard, peeled arepa and goat milk candy. At a national level, rice with coconut and rice pudding
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2058-625: 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. The Caribbean marine life off the coast is very rich. There is a great diversity of algae on
2107-416: 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 and Chichiriviche , was annexed by Falcón. Lara State received the municipality of Urdaneta . Coro, the capital, founded with
2156-457: 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 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
2205-569: The upper tertiary. 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. It is composed of the Governor of the State of Falcón and a group of State Secretaries of his confidence appointed and removed by
2254-420: 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
2303-470: The world. Punto Fijo Punto Fijo is the capital city of the municipality of Carirubana in northern Falcón State, Venezuela . It is located on the southwestern coast of the Paraguaná Peninsula . Its metropolitan area includes the parishes of Norte, Carirubana, Punta Cardón and the parish of Judibana in the municipality of Los Taques. Punto Fijo is the largest city in Falcón State. Punto Fijo
2352-633: Was declared the Independent State of Coro. In 1864, it became a federal state, part of the United States of Venezuela . In 1872 the province was renamed Falcón State, in honor of the Federal War leader Juan Crisóstomo Falcón . In 1879, along with Lara and Yaracuy , minus the Department of Nirgua , it became part of the Western Northern State. Between 1881 and 1890 is formed, with Zulia,
2401-472: Was founded in the early 1940s, on the outskirts of two refinery operations established by Standard Oil and Shell during the 1940s. Despite the name of the 1958 Puntofijo Pact , Punto Fijo is unrelated to the pact (the pact was signed at Puntofijo Residence in Caracas ). Punto Fijo has an estimated population of 270,000 (est. 2002 census ), mostly in the urban center. Punto Fijo's name is commonly attributed to
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