What Is the Capital of Venezuela?

Venezuela is located on South America’s northern coast, and the country shares its land borders with Brazil, Guyana, and Colombia. The nation is roughly triangular in shape and has an extensive northern coastline of 2,800 km. Venezuela encompasses a total area of 916,445 square km and has an estimated population of 31,568,179. The country has incredible biodiversity and a wide range of habitats, which range from the eastern Andes to the western Amazon Basin.

What Is the Capital of Venezuela and Where Is it Located?

The capital city of Venezuela is Caracas. Like most of the world's national capitals, Caracas is also the most populous city in the nation. The city is located along the Guaire River in Venezuela’s northern part, where it is separated from Caribbean Sea coast by the Cerro El Ávila mountains. The city has an area of 777.1 square km and a population of 1,943,901 people. The city's average elevation is 3,000 ft above sea level and its highest point of elevation is 4,600 ft. Caracas experiences a tropical savanna climate.

History of the Capital City of Venezuela

Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in Caracas, the area was inhabited by the indigenous people of the region. The first attempt by the Spanish to establish a plantation in the region in 1562 failed. However, in July 1567, the Spanish overcame the resistance of the natives people and laid the foundations of modern-day Caracas. Diego de Losada is credited as founder of the city. A decade later, the city became the capital of Venezuela Province, which was a Spanish colony. In the 18th century, the struggle for independence from colonial rule began in Venezuela. Caracas experienced several rebellions during this independence movement. After many unsuccessful uprisings, two decisive battles, the Battle of Carabobo and the Battle of Lake Maracaibo, finally resulted in Venezuela’s independence from colonial rule. Caracas was named capital of the sovereign nation.

Current Role of the Capital of Venezuela

As the seat of Venezuala's national government, Caracas is home to the nation's important government buildings. These include the President of Venezuela’s official residence, which is named the Palacio de Miraflores, and the Federal Legislative Palace, which serves as the meeting place of the National Assembly. Other federal government buildings, ministries, and departments, and the foreign embassies are also based in Caracas. Shopping centers, banks, and service companies make up the service sector of the city’s economy. Textiles, chemicals, iron products, and leather are some of the important industries based in Caracas.

In addition to the political capital, Caracas is also the cultural capital of Venezuela. The city has numerous attractions like theaters and museums. However, Caracas is also known for its high crime rate, and in 2015 was named the city with the highest per capital murder rate in the world. This high crime rate is one of the biggest deterrents to the development of a successful tourism industry in the nation. Another factor is poor transport infrastructure. However, the Venezuelan government is making several attempts to upgrade the tourist facilities in Caracas and the rest of the country to encourage more visitors to the naturally beautiful country.