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) , anthem = '' Himno del Estado Barinas'' , image_map = Barinas 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 = 1937 , founder = , named_for = , seat_type = Capital , seat = Barinas , government_footnotes = , government_type = , leader_party = , governing_body = Legislative Council , leader_title = Governor , leader_name = Sergio Garrido
(2022–present) , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = 35200 , area_rank =
8th 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of ...
, area_note = 3.84% of Venezuela , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = , population_footnotes = , population_total = 816264 , population_as_of = 2011 , population_rank = 15th , population_density_km2 = , population_demonym = , population_note = 2.87% of Venezuela , timezone1 = VET , utc_offset1 = −4 , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , area_code_type = , area_code = , iso_code = VE-E , blank_name_sec1 = Emblematic tree , blank_info_sec1 = Cedro , blank2_name_sec1 =
HDI The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, whi ...
(2019) , blank2_info_sec1 = 0.657
· 23rd of 24 , website = , footnotes = , leader_title4 = Assembly delegation , leader_name4 = 6 Barinas State ( es, Estado Barinas, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Barinas. Barinas State covers a total surface area of and had an estimated population of 970,689 in 2015.


Toponymy

The toponym "Barinas" is a variant of "varinas" (the name of an indigenous ethnic group that inhabited the Piedemonte before the arrival of the Spaniards); this may have a relationship with the name "Barima", given by the tunebos to the
Santo Domingo river Santo Domingo River is a river of Venezuela. It is part of the Orinoco River basin. See also *List of rivers of Venezuela This is a list of rivers in Venezuela. By drainage basin This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributa ...
in the Aya myth. The meaning is unknown, but according to popular belief, it means a 'strong wind that comes from the valleys of the Santo Domingo river', referring to the Barinese wind, which blows in the Llanos Altos. According to Virgilio Tosta, the place name was first used before 1628 as an alternative name for
Altamira Altamira may refer to: People * Altamira (surname) Places *Cave of Altamira, a cave in Cantabria, Spain famous for its paintings and carving *Altamira, Pará, a city in the Brazilian state of Pará * Altamira, Huila, a town and municipality in ...
; in contrast, according to
Betancourt Martínez Bettencourt is a surname and noble family of Norman French origin. The head of the family in the 14th century, Jean de Béthencourt, organized an expedition to conquer the Canary Islands, resulting in his being made King of the Canary Islands. ...
, it was in the foundations of Barinitas such as Nueva Trujillo de Barinas (1628) and Barinas (1759). It expanded with the creation of the Province of Barinas in 1786 and was reduced to the present region in 1859. Because of this toponym, ''Senna aculeata'' – a low, thorny and yellow-flowered shrub in the state – is sometimes called the barinas flower, which is why it is the state flower.


History

Georg von Speyer Georg von Speyer (1500, Speyer, Holy Roman Empire – 11 June 1540, Coro, Klein-Venedig) was a German conquistador in New Granada and Venezuela. His birth name was Georg Hohermuth but he chose to call himself after his place of birth. ...
and
Nikolaus Federmann Nikolaus Federmann ( es, link=no, Nicolás Féderman, ) (c. 1505, Ulm – February 1542, Valladolid) was a German adventurer and conquistador in what is modern-day Venezuela and Colombia. He is a significant figure in the history of Klein-Vened ...
explored the region in 1534 on their way to the Andes. In 1542,
Philipp von Hutten Philipp von Hutten (18 December 1505 – 17 May 1546) was a German adventurer and an early European explorer and conquistador of Venezuela. He is a significant figure in the history of Klein-Venedig (1528 - 1546), the concession of Venezuela Pr ...
traveled from Coro over this area en route towards Colombia. In 1547, Alonso Pérez de Tolosa, who came from
El Tocuyo El Tocuyo is a fertile valley and city in west-central Venezuela at elevation. It is located in south-central Lara State about 60 km southwest of Barquisimeto. The town of El Tocuyo was founded by Juan de Carvajal in 1545 on the banks of the T ...
, also crossed the territory.


Pre-Columbian era

The pre-Columbian history of the Western Plains develops mainly around the present-day territory of Barinas, which was a highly mobile area where numerous indigenous ethnic groups from the
Orinoco The Orinoco () is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes known as the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3 percent of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia. It is the fourth largest river in the wo ...
, the Amazon and the Andes interacted, using the rivers and highlands as convenient communication routes. Starting in the 11th century and ending with the colonization, it is believed there were several successive occupations. At least 33 petroglyphs and many lithic types in the Piedemonte have been found, and more than a score of mounds and roads – long camels – that extend throughout the plain from Colombia have also been found; they may have been used for economic, military and/or religious purposes. The indigenous presence began with the inhabitants of the Agua Blanca complex, about which there is not much information. In 250, groups from the Oriente of Colombia and Ecuador started to settle in the Llano Medio of Bariné, due to its good soils and infrequent flooding. This occupation is characterized by the oldest roads and mounds found in the region today, and by the ceramic complex of the El Oso stream. Their settlements were sedentary and subsisted through the cultivation of corn, hunting and fishing. During this period, El Piedemonte was an area of exchange with Andean groups. From 650 to 1200, Araucanian groups dominated the region, who inhabited its wooded areas and brought with them the chiefdoms and war relations. The period is also characterized by a remarkable population growth and an extension of the groups to the vicinity of the current Guanarito. A possible influence of the groups from central-west Venezuela can also be seen in the use of ceramics. During different periods, the
Arawak The Arawak are a group of indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. Specifically, the term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to the Lokono of South America and the Taíno, who historically lived in the Greate ...
moved around the region, from which they left for
Zulia Zulia State ( es, Estado Zulia, ; Wayuu: ''Mma’ipakat Suuria'') is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Maracaibo. As of the 2011 census, it has a population of 3,704,404, the largest population among Venezuela's states. I ...
and central-western Venezuela, introducing the cultivation of
yucca ''Yucca'' is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40–50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitis ...
and establishing trade routes throughout the Orinoco basin. The Tunebos explored and occupied the Piedemonte and the Llanos Altos of the state, starting from the Sierra Nevada of
El Cocuy El Cocuy () is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative di ...
and the
savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
s of Casanare, following their tradition of occupying three altitudinal levels and bringing a large part of the
Chibcha The Muisca (also called Chibcha) are an indigenous people and culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Colombia, that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish conquest. The people spoke Muysccubun, a language of the Chibchan lan ...
element to the region.


Spanish colonial period

Before the colonization, the state was populated by numerous tribes, who were already organized in communal agricultural societies including the canaguaes, capas, cúcuaros, curaguas, caquetíos, curayes, dásaros, duriguas, guahibos, güeros, orúes, ticoporos, michayes, suripaes, torunos, tobores, tucuriguas, puyures and the varinas, among which the apures, aitures, amaibas, achaguas, baraures, barrancas stand out. These tribes disappeared or became extinct from the state due to colonization, but in many cases, their names remained as place names throughout the state, as is the case of Torunos and Barrancas. In 1535, Europeans started to explore the region, this time on behalf of the Welsares, when the then governor,
Jorge de Espira Jorge is a Spanish and Portuguese given name. It is derived from the Greek name Γεώργιος (''Georgios'') via Latin ''Georgius''; the former is derived from (''georgos''), meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker". The Latin form ''Georgius'' ...
, crossed Barinas along with his group during his expedition in search for El Dorado del Meta and faced jirajaras along the way. Nicolás Federmán passed by the present Arismendi the same year. Philip of Utre, who had accompanied Espira, repeated his expedition in 1541. Alonso Pérez de Tolosa also crossed Barinas in 1549, heading for
El Tocuyo El Tocuyo is a fertile valley and city in west-central Venezuela at elevation. It is located in south-central Lara State about 60 km southwest of Barquisimeto. The town of El Tocuyo was founded by Juan de Carvajal in 1545 on the banks of the T ...
, after he failed in a conquest entrusted to him by the then governor Juan Pérez de Tolosa.


Altamira de Cáceres

The colonization of Barinas began on June 30, 1577, when Captain Juan Andrés Varela, commissioned by the governor of
La Grita Province La Grita Province was a province of the Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica ...
,
Francisco de Cáceres Caceres was the name of a family, members of which lived in Venezuela, Portugal, the Netherlands, England, Mexico, Honduras, Peru, Suriname, the West Indies, and the United States. They came from the city of Cáceres in Spain. Francisco de Cace ...
, founded the city of Altamira de Cáceres while choosing a mountainous place. Altamira was a small city. Its inhabitants led a dangerous life being close to the jirajaras and had limited space. Due to the city's precarious conditions, Varela resigned his post as mayor a few months after founding it, and, a decade later, its inhabitants desired to move. In spite of the inconveniences, Altamira was populated for four decades thanks to cattle raising and tobacco cultivation, and was able to compete with Cuba in the beginning. The population of the city did not prosper as expected, reaching only sixteen Creoles and 250 Indians, in spite of the fact that, according to Virgilio Tosta, "
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus ''Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the chie ...
turned the primitive Barinas into a globally famous name".


New Trujillo of Barinas

The citizens of Altamira gradually moved towards El Llano, until in 1628, by order of the governor of the Province of Mérida and La Grita, Juan Pacheco Maldonado, the city was refounded as "Nueva Trujillo de Barinas" – today Barinitas. This was because the plateau was closer to the Llanos, which they wanted to conquer, while having better land for livestock and tobacco cultivation (which had become intensive due to the high demand and had generated a great deal of smuggling led by the Dutch). Nueva Trujillo is considered the "gateway to the conquest of the Llanos", because from here, important settlements were founded in view of the Llanos: the town of doctrine of Nuestra Señora de la Concepción del Curay (1619, which is La Barinesa today), the city of Nuestra Señora de Pedraza (1951, which is
Ciudad Bolivia Ciudad () is the Spanish word for City Ciudad may also refer to: *La Ciudad (archaeological site), Hohokam ruins in Phoenix, Arizona *La Ciudad, district of Durango City, Mexico *''La ciudad'', novel by Mario Levrero 1970 *La Ciudad ''The City'' ...
today) and the Indian towns of Santa Bárbara and Curbatí. After the sacking of Maracaibo and the burning of
Gibraltar ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song = "Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gibra ...
by the Dutch (1641), the Barinese thought of alternate trade routes; thus, in 1647, Miguel de Ochogavia undertook the successful expedition to discover the Santo Domingo-Apure-Orinoco connection, through which the subsequent conquest of Apure was carried out. This discovery led to the subsequent emergence of the ports of Torunos and Nutrias.


Spanish province of Barinas

The progressive pacification of the Indians, the development of extensive cattle raising, the general interest in evading the taxes of the Crown and the fall in demand for tobacco by the end of the 17th century caused the Barinese to abandon the table of Moromoy in order to populate the savannas around the rivers Santo Domingo, Masparro and
Boconó Boconó is a city in the Venezuelan Andes, Andean States of Venezuela, state of Trujillo (state), Trujillo. Founded in 1560, this city is the County seat, shire town of the Boconó Municipality and, according to the 2001 Venezuelan census, the mu ...
. The Barinese established their herds there and formed important towns, such as Sabaneta, Barrancas and Obispos. For this reason, on July 11, 1759, the Viceroy of the New Granada,
Jose Solis Jose Solis (died April 23, 2013) was a Filipino politician, who was a member of the House of Representatives for Sorsogon Sorsogon, officially the Province of Sorsogon ( Bikol: ''Probinsya kan Sorsogon''; Waray: ''Probinsya han Sorsogon''; tl ...
, decreed the definitive foundation of Barinas, with the name and on the current place – where the town of San Antonio de los Cerritos was by then, in order to establish a center of power closer to the new towns. Barinas was part of the
Captaincy General of Venezuela The Captaincy General of Venezuela ( es, Capitanía General de Venezuela), also known as the Kingdom of Venezuela (), was an administrative district of colonial Spain, created on September 8, 1777, through the Royal Decree of Graces of 1777, t ...
since its creation. On February 15, 1786, King Carlos III decreed, over a territory that extended to cover the current states of
Apure Apure State ( es, Estado Apure, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. Its territory formed part of the provinces of Mérida, Maracaibo, and Barinas, in accordance with successive territorial ordinations pronounced by the colonial authori ...
and Portuguesa, the creation of the Province of Barinas, separating it from Maracaibo. During this period, there was a remarkable diversification and economic growth, stimulated by the trade and cultivation of
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus ''Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the chie ...
, sugar, indigo,
cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter an ...
, cotton, onoto and coffee. The Spaniards also built the first prison and hospital. There was a great population growth, as census records show. Barinas defeated the
Comuneros Comunero may refer to: * Revolt of the Comuneros, a rebellion in Castile in 1520–1521 * Revolt of the Comuneros (Paraguay), a revolt in Paraguay in 1721–1735 * Revolt of the Comuneros (New Granada) The Revolt of the Comuneros was a p ...
of the Andes (1781), a fact that led to King
Carlos IV , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father =Charles III of Spain , mother =Maria Amalia of Saxony , birth_date =11 November 1748 , birth_place =Palace of Portici, Portici, Naples , death_date = , death_place = ...
granting it, in 1790, the coat of arms that today retains the state capital, along with the motto "very noble and very loyal".


Independence process

Barinas joined the process of the Supreme Board of Caracas on May 5, 1810, thus constituting a Board of Government and Conservation, in which the desire to break with the Crown was formed. In 1811, the Declaration of Independence Act was signed, thus forming part of the First Republic, which fell the following year. After the patriotic victory in the Battle of Niquitao on July 2, 1813, Barinas became part of the Second Republic, which also fell the following year. Paez's campaigns ensured the patriotic victory in Barinas during the Third Republic, in which Venezuela's independence was consolidated. Young Barineses like
José Antonio Páez José Antonio Páez Herrera (; 13 June 1790 – 6 May 1873) was a Venezuelan leader who fought against the Spanish Crown for Simón Bolívar during the Venezuelan War of Independence. He later led Venezuela's independence from Gran Colombia. H ...
and Pedro Briceño Méndez were important heroes of the Independence.


Contemporary period


The Province of Barinas during the contemporary period

During the existence of Greater Colombia, there were several political-administrative changes. In 1821, the Congress of Cúcuta created the Department of Venezuela, which included Barinas. Two years later, the Congress of the Republic separated the current territory of the State of
Apure Apure State ( es, Estado Apure, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. Its territory formed part of the provinces of Mérida, Maracaibo, and Barinas, in accordance with successive territorial ordinations pronounced by the colonial authori ...
from Barinas, making it a province, with the capital in Achaguas. In 1824, in view of the Territorial Division Law, the Department of Venezuela disappeared and the Department of Apure was created, which consisted of the provinces of Barinas and Apure. Two years later, these provinces became part of the Department of Orinoco, along with Guayana. After the dissolution of the Great Colombia, the cantons of Guanare, Ospino and Araure initiated managements to segregate themselves from the Province of Barinas, which would occur in 1851, when the
National Congress ''National Congress'' is a term used in the names of various political parties and legislatures . Political parties *Ethiopia: Oromo National Congress *Guyana: People's National Congress (Guyana) *India: Indian National Congress *Iraq: Iraqi Nati ...
erected the Province of Portuguesa.


Barinas State

During the
Federal War The Federal War ( es, Guerra Federal) — also known as the Great War or the Five Year War — was a civil war (1859–1863) in Venezuela between the Conservative party and the Liberal party over the monopoly the Conservatives held over governm ...
(1859–1863), General Ezequiel Zamora maintained federalist control of all the Western Plains from Barinas, and consolidated it with the Battle of Santa Inés on December 10, 1859; after this victory, Zamora left the proclaimed state to besiege San Carlos, at which he was killed. In honor of him, Barinas was renamed "Zamora" in 1862, recovering its original name in 1936. As for all the other provinces, Barinas became a de jure state since the proclamation of the
United States of Venezuela The United States of Venezuela ( es, Estados Unidos de Venezuela) was the official name of Venezuela, adopted in its 1864 constitution under the Juan Crisóstomo Falcón government. This remained the official name until 1953, when the constitutio ...
, with the
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these princi ...
of 1864, thus repealing the ephemeral merger it had with Apure during the last year of the war. On April 30, 1879, in accordance with the Guzmancism's plan for the reduction of states, it was proposed the conformation of the South State of the West from the territories of the states of Barinas, Carabobo, Portuguesa and Cojedes and the Department of Nirgua of the State of Yaracuy, denominated as "sections"; however, after the protest of Barinitas for the distance of Valencia as capital, such union was given excluding Carabobo and Nirgua. Barinas proposed to include Apure as part of the State. Despite the fact that the South West later acquired the name "Zamora", the centre of power was not in Barinas, but in Ospino, provisionally, and then in Guanare. At the end of the 1880s and in view of the secessionist movement of Cojedes, the idea of the disintegration of the South West in Barinas was promoted. This led to the separation of the sections of Zamora on April 22, 1899, by Ignacio Andrade's government. However, the previous degree of autonomy was not granted. In 1989, the states were granted greater political autonomy with the country's first regional elections.


Geography


Relief and geology

The Western Plains predominate. The plains extend from the Camaguán marshes in the far east and rise in height towards the west, thus dividing into the Lower Plains, up to 120 m above sea level, the Middle Plains, up to 160 m above sea level, and the Upper Plains, up to 200 m above sea level. This plain ends abruptly where Troncal 5 passes, in a line that goes from the town of Las Veguitas to Punta de Piedras, from which the Mérida mountain range begins, the final part of the Andina. The lowest and least rugged section of this part of the mountain range is the Sierra del Piedemonte, in which hills, small mountains, depressions and mesas predominate. The highest and most rugged parts are the Sierra Nevada, the Sierra del Tapo-Caparo and the Sierra de Calderas, with the first peak close to 4 000 m above sea level inside Barinas, and the last one has a lot of valleys. The tables of Moromoy, El Curay and Parangula are landmarks that separate the high and low parts. Two large passes are found, both to the north: the pass of the valleys and the depression of the Santo Domingo River and the pass of the Boconó River valleys. In the Paleozoic, the Merida mountain range was formed as an island. The sediments of this mountain range accumulated to the east and west, giving way to the formation of the Llanos, around the Mesozoic. The most important geological formations in the state are Palmarito; Caparo, with fossiliferous shales; and Sabaneta, with sandstone.


Hydrography

Barinas is characterized by an abundance of rivers, so many that its capital is considered "the capital of the rivers of Venezuela". All its rivers originate in the east of the Mérida mountain range and flow into the left bank of the
Apure River The Apure River is a river of southwestern Venezuela, formed by the confluence of the Sarare and Uribante near Guasdualito, in Venezuela, at , and flowing across the Llanos into the Orinoco. It provides significant transportation in the area. Orig ...
, which has, for the most part, short upper and middle courses; the river floods the Llanos Bajos during rainy periods. The tributaries of the river in Barinas are the Portuguesa, Masparro, Santo Domingo,
Caparo Caparo plc is a British company involved mainly in the steel industry, primarily in the design, manufacturing and marketing of steel and niche engineering products. Current affairs Caparo was founded by Lord Swraj Paul, in 1968. Sixteen compan ...
, Canaguá and Uribante Rivers, all of which are navigable. Some rivers that flow through the Piedemonte give rise to depressions around it. There are three reservoirs in the state: those of the rivers Boconó, Masparro and Caparo.


Climate

Being in the intertropical zone and extending more towards the meridians than the parallels, Barinas has a climate determined by altitude, winds and two seasons: the dry season, from October to March, and the rainy season, from April to September. Of these factors, the altitude modifies the temperatures more forcefully. The cold winds that flow from the east of the Mérida mountain range to the Llanos Altos cause the characteristic phenomenon of the Barinese wind. According to Köppen's classification, the Sierra del Tapo-Caparo and the Llanos have a savanna climate (Aw); the Piedemonte and Alto Apure, a monsoon climate (Am); the Sierra Nevada and Sierra de Calderas, a humid
mountain climate Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate. Definition There are multiple definitions of ...
(Cfbi); and the highest parts of the last two mountain ranges, a tropical
alpine climate Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate. Definition There are multiple definitions of ...
(ETH).


Flora and fauna

Barinas has two ecoregions: the Llanos and the
Northern Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the List of mountain ranges#Mountain ranges by length, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range i ...
, the latter being its center of endemism. The Llanos constitute extensive grasslands and abundant gallery forests. In its flora, there are many trees, such as the apamate; jabillo; samán;
ceiba ''Ceiba'' is a genus of trees in the family Malvaceae, native to tropical and subtropical areas of the Americas (from Mexico and the Caribbean to N Argentina) and tropical West Africa. Some species can grow to tall or more, with a straight, la ...
; mango; merecure; cañafístola llanera; and the araguaney, the national tree. There are also many palms, especially the llanera. Among the herbs, the
water lilies ''Water Lilies'' (or ''Nymphéas'', ) is a series of approximately 250 oil paintings by French Impressionist Claude Monet (1840–1926). The paintings depict his flower garden at his home in Giverny, and were the main focus of his artistic ...
and the mother-of-pearl and barina flowers stand out. The Mérida mountain range has, from its highlands to its foothills, moors, tropical mountain forests and wooded savannas. Among its vegetation, the cardón, cují,
bucare ''Erythrina'' is a genus of plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. It contains about 130 species, which are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. They are trees, with the larger species growing up to in height. The generic na ...
and frailejones are characteristic in its upper parts, while in the foothills, pardillo, granadilla, caobas and vera grows. There are more than 450 species of birds, among which are the prey species – especially the
Andean condor The Andean condor (''Vultur gryphus'') is a giant South American Cathartid vulture and is the only member of the genus ''Vultur''. Found in the Andes mountains and adjacent Pacific coasts of western South America, the Andean condor is the lar ...
, herons, storks, ducks, the parachute, the Orinoco woodpecker and the carrao. Mammals are the most abundant vertebrates, highlighting the deer, foxes,
otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes we ...
s,
anteater Anteater is a common name for the four extant mammal species of the suborder Vermilingua (meaning "worm tongue") commonly known for eating ants and termites. The individual species have other names in English and other languages. Together wit ...
s, honey bears, cachicamos, cunaguars, jaguars, spider monkeys,
capuchins Capuchin can refer to: *Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, an order of Roman Catholic friars *Capuchin Poor Clares, an order of Roman Catholic contemplative religious sisters *Capuchin monkey The capuchin monkeys () are New World monkeys of the sub ...
, rabbits and chigüires. Rabbits, spectacled bears, porcupines and
shrew Shrews (family Soricidae) are small mole-like mammals classified in the order Eulipotyphla. True shrews are not to be confused with treeshrews, otter shrews, elephant shrews, West Indies shrews, or marsupial shrews, which belong to differen ...
s are only found in the Andes. In the Llanos, there are many reptiles, including
anaconda Anacondas or water boas are a group of large snakes of the genus '' Eunectes''. They are found in tropical South America. Four species are currently recognized. Description Although the name applies to a group of snakes, it is often used t ...
s, podocnemids, iguanas,
rattlesnake Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genera ''Crotalus'' and ''Sistrurus'' of the subfamily Crotalinae (the pit vipers). All rattlesnakes are vipers. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small anima ...
s, babo, jicotea turtles, mato real, Orinoco caiman and
mapanare ''Bothrops atrox'' — also known as the common lancehead, ''fer-de-lance'', ''barba amarilla''Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. ''The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere''. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plate ...
. The rivers are inhabited by
catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive ...
,
piranha A piranha or piraña (, , or ; or , ) is one of a number of freshwater fish in the family Serrasalmidae, or the subfamily Serrasalminae within the tetra family, Characidae in order Characiformes. These fish inhabit South American rivers, f ...
s, goldfish and
electric eel The electric eels are a genus, ''Electrophorus'', of neotropical freshwater fish from South America in the family Gymnotidae. They are known for their ability to stun their prey by generating electricity, delivering shocks at up to 860 volts ...
s. There are also two species in danger of extinction: the morrocoy sabanero and tonina.


Government & politics

Barinas is part of the Venezuelan federation, which is symmetrical: each entity has its own legal personality, competences, income and autonomous executive and legislative power, with authorities elected by majority rule in universal, direct and secret suffrage for four-year periods and revocable by referendum. They also have their own autonomous comptroller's and procurator's office and a council for planning and coordinating public policies. Venezuela's states are obliged to maintain independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to comply with and enforce the Constitution and the law. The Barinas law emphasizes decentralization as the main goal. The foundations of the essence of Barinas are in the ethical and moral heritage of its people; in the values of freedom, equality, justice, cooperation, solidarity and independence; in the personal values and spiritual potential of its people; in its natural resources; and in its history, traditions, customs, idiosyncrasy, folklore, art and own aspirations. Barinas also protects biodiversity, which includes cultural diversity. The aims of Barinas are to protect and defend people and their dignity, facilitate the exercise of popular will and citizen participation in public affairs, maintain freedom, promote private initiative and free enterprise and the welfare of people. The citizens of Barinas are obliged by law to protect the family; know, promote and protect the cultural heritage; contribute to economic and human development; encourage private initiative; promote free enterprise; and reject violence. They also have the right to participate freely in state public affairs, in the exercise of control, monitoring and supervision of public management and in the processes of decentralization.


Executive

The executive power of each state is exercised by the governors. In the case of Barinas, they would have only been reelected once, until the national constitution was reformed in 2009. The governor of Barinas is elected by direct universal and secret ballots every four years and has his secretaries as assistants. According to the law, the government aims to achieve the spiritual, educational and economic elevation of the people, create a framework of incentives that allow the achievement of technological innovations that contribute to the integral development of the state and create the conditions that raise the levels of productivity.


Governors

Zenaida Gallardo Zenaida (Greek name meaning "Life of Zeus.") Zenaide (Italian), Zénaïde ( French), or Zinaida (russian: Зинаида).
was sworn in as the governor of Barinas State on January 5, 2017, replacing Adán Chávez, who was appointed as
Minister for Culture A culture minister or a heritage minister is a common cabinet position in governments. The culture minister is typically responsible for cultural policy, which often includes arts policy (direct and indirect support to artists and arts organizatio ...
on January 4, 2017. Gallardo resigned a few months later, citing health reasons. In June 2017,
Argenis Chávez Argenis Chávez Frías (born 3 July 1958) is a Venezuelan politician who currently serves as Governor of Barinas state since 2017. He is one of the brothers of the former Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez. He was secretary of the Barinas stat ...
, brother of former president
Hugo Chávez Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (; 28 July 1954 – 5 March 2013) was a Venezuelan politician who was president of Venezuela from 1999 until his death in 2013, except for a brief period in 2002. Chávez was also leader of the Fifth Republ ...
, was sworn in as governor. 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 Bolivarian National Guard of Venezuela ( es, Guardia Nacional Bolivariana de Venezuela - GNB), is one of the four components of the National Armed Forces of Venezuela. The national guard can serve as gendarmerie, perform civil defense roles, o ...
.


Legislative

The legislative power of each state in Venezuela is exercised by a legislative council, made up of seven to fifteen legislators each, who proportionally represent the population of their states and their municipalities. State legislators can be reelected only twice. The seat of the Legislative Council of Barinas is the Manuel Palacio Fajardo building; its powers are limited to those designated by the constitutions and laws.


Territorial division

Barinas is divided into
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
, which in turn are subdivided into parishes. The twelve municipalities of Barinas are organized according to population conditions (which must be greater than 10,000), economic development, capacity to generate their own income, geographical situation, historical and cultural elements and other factors. They constitute historical institutions of natural law and are considered to be the most cohesive entities after the family. The parishes are considered to be the best places to achieve greater efficiency in the management of local governments, citizen participation and decentralization.


Municipalities and municipal seats

# Alberto Arvelo Torrealba ( Sabaneta) #
Andrés Eloy Blanco Andrés Eloy Blanco Meaño (6 August 1896 – 21 May 1955) was a noted Venezuelan poet and politician. He was a member of the '' Generación del 28'', and one of the founders of Acción Democrática (AD). He was Minister of Foreign Affairs o ...
( El Cantón) #
Antonio José de Sucre Antonio José de Sucre y Alcalá (; 3 February 1795 – 4 June 1830), known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" ( en, "Grand Marshal of Ayacucho"), was a Venezuelan independence leader who served as the president of Peru and as the second p ...
( Socopó) # Arismendi ( Arismendi) # Barinas ( Barinas) # Bolívar ( Barinitas) # Cruz Paredes ( Barrancas) # Ezequiel Zamora ( Santa Bárbara) # Obispos ( Obispos) # Pedraza (
Ciudad Bolivia Ciudad () is the Spanish word for City Ciudad may also refer to: *La Ciudad (archaeological site), Hohokam ruins in Phoenix, Arizona *La Ciudad, district of Durango City, Mexico *''La ciudad'', novel by Mario Levrero 1970 *La Ciudad ''The City'' ...
) #
Rojas Rojas is a surname found throughout the Spanish-speaking world, especially in Latin America. Rojas may refer to: People A * Adrián Rojas (born 1977), Chilean professional football player * Aguelmis Rojas (born 1978), Cuban long-distance runn ...
( Libertad) # Sosa (
Ciudad de Nutrias Ciudad () is the Spanish word for City Ciudad may also refer to: *La Ciudad (archaeological site), Hohokam ruins in Phoenix, Arizona *La Ciudad, district of Durango City, Mexico *''La ciudad'', novel by Mario Levrero 1970 *La Ciudad ''The City'' ...
)


Economy

The mining potential is expressed by non-metallic minerals, such as limestone, sand, silicate, quartz, red clay, feldspar, gravel, silica sand and phosphorite. As for energy resources, there are hydrocarbon reserves in the southern zone of San Silvestre, where
PDVSA Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA, ) (English: Petroleum of Venezuela) is the Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural gas company. It has activities in exploration, production, refining and exporting oil as well as exploration and productio ...
exploits several oil fields. In 2001, Repsol YPF was awarded the Barrancas block for the production of two-million cubic meters of free gas per day. The gas is fed to the Termobarrancas electric plant in the Obispos municipality, with a generation capacity of 450 megawatts. Agricultural production in Barinas is very important for the local economy as well as livestock production. The fertile soils provide the necessary conditions for the production of
corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The ...
, sorghum,
banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...
,
cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter an ...
, coffee, cotton and
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 c ...
. These items are the main axis of agriculture in Barinas State.


Tourism

Barinas has a contrast between landscapes of mountains, plains, rivers and streams, offering tourists a variety of options, from contemplating rare species in their habitat, to enjoying its spectacular parks and natural spas. From the city of Barinas to the state of Merida, passing through the municipality of Bolivar, which includes the towns of Barinitas, Altamira de Caceres and Calderas, with a pleasant climate, characteristic of the tropical rainforest. Barinitas, the capital of the municipality, has places for tourism: the Moromoy Park for camping; the Balneario La Barinesa, which has recreational facilities; and, towards the southeast, the El Cacao Sector, for mountain biking practice. There is also the boulevard of Plaza Bolívar and the San Pedro Church. The route that leads to Altamira de Cáceres is used for bird watching because of the diversity of species. Altamira de Cáceres is the first seat (1577) of what is today the city of Barinas. It still preserves its colonial architecture, with its historic red-roofed houses. The Plaza Bolívar was converted into a boulevard; in its surroundings, the church can be found, along with the Alfredo Arvelo Larriva House of Culture, inns, restaurants, wine cellars, bakeries, shops and handicrafts. "Los Castillos" mill is located near the "La Bellaca" farmhouse, close to the town of Calderas; the artisan process of making panela is carried out at the mill, which was produced by the locals since past times. In Calderas, there are natural places with recreational facilities, such as the "La Piedra del Patio" spa, on the banks of the Azul River. The house of Avelino Moreno culture and the "Centro de Enseñanza para el Desarrollo Rural" (CENDER) is located here. Near the city of Barinas, there are two important reservoirs: the Manuel Palacio Fajardo (Masparro), located 15 minutes from the town of Barrancas, and Juan Antonio Rodriguez Dominguez (Boconó - Tucupido), located on the border with the Portuguese State; tourists can go on boat trips, kayaking, jet skiing, bird watching, and controlled sport fishing. The population of Obispos (founded in 1713) is dominated by the cultivation of mussels, corn, cotton, sorghum and forest products, in addition to livestock and oil exploitation. Obispos has a colonial temple of San Nicolás de Bari, which was built in the 18th century, and hosts popular activities such as the joropo, corrío, coplas, tonadas, bullfighting and patron saint festivities. Near Trunk 5 are the towns of Mijagual, Santa Rosa, Libertad, Dolores, City of Otters and Puerto de Nutrias. There are large scale plantations of oilseeds, cereals, sugar cane, tomatoes and yucca and fruit trees, as well as a livestock area. In Sabaneta, the cultural aspect of Los Diablos Danzantes de San Hipólito stands out; in the musical aspect, there are the celebrations of the Festival de la Bandola in the town of Dolores (December), the Festival de la Libertad and La Paz (January) and the making of typical musical instruments in the town of Libertad. In El Real, in the month of January and at various times of the year, the inhabitants of this area and pilgrims from various parts of the world venerate the image of Nuestra Señora del Rosario del Real, which appeared in the mid-17th century. Near the Paguey River is the village of San Silvestre, which, in December, celebrates its patron saint's festival in honour of San Silvestre, where bullfighting is one of the most popular tourist events in the village. Another site of interest is the Sierra Nevada National Park located between the state of Merida and Barinas. It is a protected ecosystem that has forests, moors, xerophilous scrubs and the highest mountains in the country, such as Pico Bolivar (5,007 m), the Humboldt Peak (4,920 m), Bompland (4,942 m), La Concha (4,920 m), El Toro (4,755 m) and El Leon (4,740 m). The Balneario Municipal and El Balneario Río Boconó, located on the banks of the Cipe River, are natural spas surrounded by lush trees. Around Peña Viva, there is a vast network of pre-Columbian petroglyphs that constitute the richest and most complete sample known in Venezuela today. Barinas has a botanical garden located within the Universidad Nacional Experimental de Los Llanos Ezequiel Zamora.


Natural Heritage

*Balneario Municipal *Balneario Río Boconó *Canagua *Bruzual Bridge *Cerro el Gobernador *Cave los Diablos *Cave los Corredores *Unellez Botanical Garden *La Acequia *La Piedra del Patio *La Yuca Parque *La Carolina *Los Samanes Park *Moromoy Park *Sierra Nevada National Park * Tapo-Caparo National Park *Sabana de Anaro *
Masparro River Masparro River is a river of Venezuela. It is part of the Orinoco River basin. See also *List of rivers of Venezuela This is a list of rivers in Venezuela. By drainage basin This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries i ...
* Pagüey River *
Santo Domingo River Santo Domingo River is a river of Venezuela. It is part of the Orinoco River basin. See also *List of rivers of Venezuela This is a list of rivers in Venezuela. By drainage basin This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributa ...
*La Yuca River


Outstanding buildings

*House of Culture * House of the Poet Lazo Martí *Alfredo Arvelo Larriva Cultural Center *Virgen del Real Tourist Complex *El Calvario Manuel Reservoir *Church of St. Nicholas of Bari of Obispos * Church of the Immaculate Conception * Alberto Arvelo Torrealba Museum * El Marqués Palace *Rafael Calvo Municipal Art Workshop


Demographics

In Barinas State, the rural population had traditionally predominated; in 1950, it was estimated that the rural population corresponded to 84.8% of the total population of Barinas. The state had 424,491 inhabitants according to the 1990 census. The population estimate for 2015 is 901,129. The state has the second-largest amount of
Venezuelan Colombians Colombians ( es, Colombianos) are people identified with the country of Colombia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Colombians, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the sour ...
with more than 300,000, after the State of
Táchira Táchira State ( es, Estado Táchira, ) is one of the 24 states of Venezuela. The state capital is San Cristóbal. Táchira State covers a total surface area of and as of the 2011 census, had a population of 1,168,908. At the end of the 19t ...
. Most of these people live in the city of Barinas. This immigration, which has lasted for more than 40 years, is mainly due to the
Colombian conflict The Colombian conflict ( es, link=no, Conflicto armado interno de Colombia) began on May 27, 1964, and is a low-intensity asymmetric war between the government of Colombia, far-right paramilitary groups, crime syndicates, and far-left guerr ...
.


Race and ethnicity

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


Sports

The state of Barinas has a First Division football club, Zamora Fútbol Club, founded on February 2, 1977, and they reside in
La Carolina Stadium LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
, which was one of the stadiums used for the
2007 Copa America 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...
, held in Venezuela. In 2007, Barinas hosted the second leg of the Nissan South American Cup between Zamora F.C. and Olmedo of Ecuador, which the visiting team won two goals to one, which was the first international match of Zamora F.C.. Subsequently, it hosted three
South American Cup The CONMEBOL Sudamericana, named as ''Copa Sudamericana'' (; pt, Copa Sul-Americana ), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second-most prestigious club competition in South American f ...
matches and three editions of the Copa Libertadores. In 2011, Zamora F.C. won the
Clausura The ' and ' tournaments is a split season format for Spanish-speaking sports leagues. It is a relatively recent innovation for many Latin American football leagues in which the traditional association football season from August to May is divi ...
Championship and was runner-up in Venezuela. In mid 2013, they won the championship for the second time, and the Venezuelan Professional Football Tournament against
Deportivo Anzoategui ''Deportivo'' (Spanish, 'sporting') may refer to: * Deportivo de La Coruña, commonly known as simply Deportivo, a Spanish football club * Déportivo, a French rock band * Deportivo (Mexicable), an aerial lift station in Ecatepec, Mexico * Deport ...
. In 2013, Zamora Football Club won its first absolute championship, the 2013 Closing Tournament. In May 2014, it won its Absolute Bicampionship vs
Mineros de Guayana Asociación Civil Club Deportivo Mineros de Guayana, known as Mineros de Guayana or simply Mineros, is a professional football club based in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela. History The Colegio Loyola Gumilla's field, located in Puerto Ordaz, was used ...
, and in December 2016, it got its third star (absolute championship) in five years after being crowned champion in the Opening Tournament vs Deportivo Anzoátegui, and winning the Absolute Final vs Zulia FC. The Varyna Sport Volleyball Club of the national professional volleyball league in Venezuela was also created in 2011. In baseball, the Petroleros de Barinas Team was established, which plays in the Venezuelan national parallel league, where it has been proclaimed champion twice.


Transport

The state's road network is the main means of communication, both internally and with the rest of the country. This road has 7,094.5 km of trunk roads of which only 15% are paved, so it is advisable to travel in all-terrain vehicles. Trunk 5 is the most important road axis and communicates Barinas with the states of Portuguesa, Táchira and Apure.


See also

* States of Venezuela


References

{{Authority control States of Venezuela States and territories established in 1937