Caracas is the capital and largest city of Venezuela.
The official name of the city is Santiago de León de Caracas.
It is located along the Guaire River in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range (Cordillera de la Costa).
As of April 2019, the population of Caracas is about 2 million people.
The city covers a total area of 433 square kilometers (167 square miles).
Caracas is contained entirely within a valley of the Venezuelan central range, and separated from the Caribbean coast by a roughly 15 kilometers (9 miles) expanse of El Ávila National Park. The valley is relatively small and quite irregular.
The highest point in Caracas is 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) above sea level and the lowest point is 870 meters (2,850 feet) above sea level.
At the time of the founding of the city in 1567, the valley of Caracas was populated by indigenous peoples.
The foundation − 1567 – “I take possession of this land in the name of God and the King” These were the words of Don Diego de Losada in founding the city of Caracas on 25 July 1567.
The city grew slowly until the 1940s, after which it expanded by monumental proportions, and its influence came to extend to even the remotest parts of the country.
Caracas has been considered one of the most important cultural, tourist, industrial and economic centers of Latin America.
The flag of Caracas consists of a burgundy red field with the version of the Coat of Arms of the City (effective since the 1980s). The red field symbolises the blood spilt by Caraquenian people in favour of independence and the highest ideals of the Venezuelan Nation. Later, in the year 1994, presumably as a result of the change of municipal authorities, it was decided to increase the size of the Caracas coat of arms and move it to the center of the field. This version of the flag is still in use today.
Caracas is a modern, dynamic and diverse city where multiple realities converge at the same time. The architectural, cultural and socioeconomic identity of Caracas has been fragmentation and is the key to understanding Venezuela.
There are many attractions in and around Caracas.
The El Ávila National Park was formed in 1958, fulfilling an interest in the protection of the forested mountains surrounding Caracas prevalent since the 19th century. The park has long been recognized as an important resource and the native inhabitants that lived in the mountains approximately 500 years ago built trails connecting the city to the coast. These trails were used in the 17th century by Spanish colonizers, along with pirates and merchants travelling to the city, the oldest trail being aptly named the Camino de los Espanolẽs.
The Teleférico de Caracas is a gondola lift that ascends El Ávila Mountain within El Ávila National Park.
Parque del Este (“East Park”), officially Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Park, in honor of the Venezuelan national hero, is a public recreation park located in the Sucre Municipality of Metropolitan Caracas. Opened in 1961 it is one of the most important of the city, with an area of 82 hectares (200 acres).
The Central University of Venezuela is a premier public university of Venezuela located in Caracas. It is widely held to be the highest ranking institution in the country, and it also ranks 18th in Latin America. Founded in 1721, it is the oldest university in Venezuela and one of the oldest in the Western Hemisphere. The main university campus, Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas, was designed by architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva and it is considered a masterpiece of urban planning and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000.
The National Pantheon of Venezuela is a final resting place for national heroes. The Pantheon (Latin Pantheon, from Greek Pantheon, meaning “Temple of all the Gods”) was created in the 1870s on the site of a ruined church on the northern edge of the old town of Caracas. The Pantheon was reopened in 2013 after a 3 year long process of expansion and restoration.
Plaza Francia (France Square in Spanish), also known as “Plaza Altamira”, is a public space located in Altamira, east Caracas. It was built at the beginning of the 1940s and opened in August 11, 1945 with the original name of “Plaza Altamira”. Is name was later changed due to an agreement between the cities of Caracas and Paris to have a Venezuela Square in Paris and a France Square in Caracas.
Plaza Bolivar marks the spot where Diego de Losada founded the city in 1567. Public buildings like Capitolio Nacional, the Catedral Metropolitana, the Foreign Office, and the Palacio Municipal surround the square. But, the real meaning of Plaza Bolivar is found in its energy, which keeps Caracas alive.
Caracas has been considered one of the most important cultural, tourist, industrial and economic centers of Latin America.
The annual average temperature is approximately 23.8 °C (75 °F), with the average of the coldest month (January) 22.8 °C (73 °F) and the average of the warmest month (July) 25.0 °C (77 °F), which gives a small annual thermal amplitude of 2.2 °C (4.0 °F).
There are professional association football, baseball and several other sports.
The city is home to many immigrants from Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Middle East, Germany, China, and Latin American countries.
Caracas has a gastronomical heritage due to the influence of immigrants, leading to a choice of regional and international cuisine.