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) , anthem = , image_map = Falcon in Venezuela.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location within
Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
, pushpin_map = , pushpin_map_alt = , pushpin_mapsize = , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name =
Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
, subdivision_type1 = , subdivision_name1 = , subdivision_type2 = , subdivision_name2 = , established_title = Created , established_date = 1864 , founder = , named_for = , seat_type = Capital , seat = Coro , government_footnotes = , government_type = , leader_party = , governing_body= Legislative Council , leader_title =
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
, leader_name = Víctor Clark , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = 24800 , area_rank =
10th 10 (ten) is the even natural number following 9 and preceding 11. Ten is the base of the decimal numeral system, by far the most common system of denoting numbers in both spoken and written language. It is the first double-digit number. The re ...
, area_note = 2.71% of Venezuela , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = , population_footnotes = , population_total = 902847 , population_as_of = 2011 census , population_rank =
11th 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first atteste ...
, population_density_km2 = , population_demonym = , population_note = 3.45% of Venezuela , timezone1 = VET , utc_offset1 = −4 , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , area_code_type = , area_code = , iso_code = VE-I , blank_name_sec1 = Emblematic tree , blank_info_sec1 = Cují yaque , 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, wh ...
(2019) , blank2_info_sec1 = 0.701
· 11th of 24 , website = , footnotes = As Coro State; in 1874, it was renamed as Falcón State. , leader_title4 = Assembly delegation , leader_name4 = 6 Falcón State ( es, Estado Falcón, ) is one of the 23
states of Venezuela The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is a federation made up of twenty-three states ('' es, estados''), a Capital District ('' es, Distrito Capital'') and the Federal Dependencies ('' es, Dependencias Federales''), which consist of many islan ...
. The
state capital Below is an index of pages containing lists of capital cities. National capitals *List of national capitals * List of national capitals by latitude *List of national capitals by population * List of national capitals by area * List of capital c ...
is Coro. The state was named after
Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Zavarce (27 January 1820 – 29 April 1870) was the president of Venezuela from 1863 to 1868.Juan de la Cosa Juan de la Cosa (c. 1450 – 28 February 1510) was a Castilian navigator and cartographer, known for designing the earliest European world map which incorporated the territories of the Americas discovered in the 15th century. De la Cosa was th ...
and Américo Vespucio, as part of an expedition supervised by
Alonso de Ojeda Alonso de Ojeda (; c. 1466 – c. 1515) was a Spanish explorer, governor and conquistador. He travelled through modern-day Guyana, Venezuela, Trinidad, Tobago, Curaçao, Aruba and Colombia. He navigated with Amerigo Vespucci who is famou ...
. In 1527, the city of Coro was founded by Juan Ampíes, who named it "
Santa Ana de Coro Coro, historically known as Neu-Augsburg, is the capital of Falcón State and the second oldest city of Venezuela (after Cumaná). It was founded on July 26, 1527, by Juan de Ampíes as Santa Ana de Coro. It is established at the south of the Pa ...
". In 1811, when
Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
declared its independence from Spain, Coro remained faithful to the
Spanish Crown , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...
and was merged with the
Province of Maracaibo A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outs ...
. In 1815, King
Fernando VII Ferdinand VII ( es, Fernando VII; 14 October 1784 – 29 September 1833) was a Monarchy of Spain, King of Spain during the early 19th century. He reigned briefly in 1808 and then again from 1813 to his death in 1833. He was known to his supporter ...
created the Province of Coro. In 1821, the province was liberated from Spain by
Josefa Camejo Josefa Venancia de la Encarnación Camejo (18 May 1791 – 5 July 1862) also known as La Camejo and Doña Ignacia, is recognized in the National Pantheon of Venezuela as one of the heroines of the Venezuelan War of Independence, supporting the pat ...
during the
Venezuelan War of Independence The Venezuelan War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de Venezuela, links=no, 1810–1823) was one of the Spanish American wars of independence of the early nineteenth century, when independence movements in Latin America fought agai ...
The area then became a province of the department of
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 ...
of the Republic of
Gran Colombia Gran Colombia (, "Great Colombia"), or Greater Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish language, Spanish: ''República de Colombia''), was a state that encompassed much of northern South America and part of southern Central Ameri ...
. In 1830, with the separation of Venezuela from
Gran Colombia Gran Colombia (, "Great Colombia"), or Greater Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish language, Spanish: ''República de Colombia''), was a state that encompassed much of northern South America and part of southern Central Ameri ...
, 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 The Paraguaná Peninsula () is a peninsula in Venezuela, situated in the north of Falcón State, and comprises the municipalities of Carirubana, Los Taques and Falcón. The island of Aruba lies to the north. Bonaire and Curaçao are slightly ...
. In 1859, after 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 govern ...
began on February 20 in Coro, the area was declared the Independent State of Coro. In 1864, it became a federal state, part 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 ...
.


Falcón State

In 1872 the province was renamed Falcón State, in honor of 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 govern ...
leader
Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Zavarce (27 January 1820 – 29 April 1870) was the president of Venezuela from 1863 to 1868.Lara Lara may refer to: Places * Lara (state), a state in Venezuela *Electoral district of Lara, an electoral district in Victoria, Australia * Lara, Antalya, an urban district in Turkey * Lara, Victoria, a township in Australia * Lara de los In ...
and
Yaracuy Yaracuy State ( es, link=no, Estado Yaracuy, ;) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. It is bordered by Falcón in the north, in the west by Lara, in the south by Portuguesa and Cojedes and in the east by Cojedes and Carabobo. Its geograp ...
, minus the Department of Nirgua, it became part of the Western Northern State. Between 1881 and 1890 is formed, with Zulia, 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 Tucacas is a northern coastal town of Venezuela. It is located in the States of Venezuela, state of Falcón. Geography Tucacas is surrounded by two rivers making access from the interior of Venezuela difficult. It is at an elevation of 1m. H ...
and Chichiriviche, was annexed by Falcón.
Lara State Lara State ( es, Estado Lara, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Barquisimeto. Lara State covers a total surface area of and, in 2015, had a census population of 2,019,211. Toponymy The state is named after a notable ...
received the municipality of Urdaneta. Coro, the capital, founded with the name of Santa Ana de Coro, was declared National Monument in 1950, and
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
has named it Cultural Patrimony of the Humanity in 1993.


Geography

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 The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
, forming maritime valleys. West from the city of Coro, a
coastal plain A coastal plain is flat, low-lying land adjacent to a sea coast. A fall line commonly marks the border between a coastal plain and a piedmont area. Some of the largest coastal plains are in Alaska and the southeastern United States. The Gulf Coa ...
runs parallel to the
Gulf of Venezuela The Gulf of Venezuela is a gulf of the Caribbean Sea bounded by the Venezuelan states of Zulia and Falcón and by La Guajira Department, Colombia. The western side is formed by the Guajira Peninsula. A strait connects it with Maracaibo Lake t ...
. 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 An isthmus (; ; ) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea counterpart of an isthmus ...
of
Médanos de Coro National Park Médanos de Coro National Park (''Parque Nacional Los Médanos de Coro'') is a Venezuelan national park located in the state of Falcón State, Falcón, near the city of Santa Ana de Coro, Coro on the road that leads to Paraguaná. The National Pa ...
.


Climate

A
hot arid climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...
(''BWh'' according to the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
) of very low rainfall dominates the western coast and the
Paraguaná Peninsula The Paraguaná Peninsula () is a peninsula in Venezuela, situated in the north of Falcón State, and comprises the municipalities of Carirubana, Los Taques and Falcón. The island of Aruba lies to the north. Bonaire and Curaçao are slightly ...
. Coro receives of rain per year, which frequently fails in dry years, with an average temperature of , while in
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 ...
there is just of annual rainfall with average temperatures of . The extremely dry, desert conditions, with rainfall of less than , are recognized on the western coasts of Coro and above all on the
isthmus An isthmus (; ; ) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea counterpart of an isthmus ...
of Los Médanos de Coro, with average annual temperatures of between . In the eastern coastal sectors, rainfall increases from per year, always with high temperatures. Somewhat more favourable, with temperatures between , are the climatic conditions of the mountainous foothills, recognizing a sub-humid climate in the higher altitudes of the Sierras de San Luis and
Churuguara Churuguara (choo-roo-wah'rah) is the capital city of Federación Municipality in southern Falcón State, Venezuela. It has a height of 936 m (3,070 ft) and an average daytime temperature of 22.7 ° C (72.86 °F). With a population of 10,800, it ...
, with an annual rainfall of and average temperatures of . On 29 April 2015, Coro recorded a temperature of , which is the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Venezuela.


Soils

On the coastline the soils are
calcareous Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. In zoology ''Calcareous'' is used as an ad ...
, and between the Lara and Falcón mountains, they are
clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
. They vary in quality, but in general, the availability of land for traditional
agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
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 Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. All ...
areas, basins with very high potential. The limitations of 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.


Relief

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 the country. The
Sierra de San Luis Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" and "saw", from Latin '' serra'') may refer to the following: Places Mountains and mountain ranges * Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico * Sierra de las Nieves, a mountain range i ...
have the highest altitude of the entire system, but are of very modest height; the highest does not exceed 1600 meters (). Cerro Santa Ana is another natural landmark, located in the center of the
Paraguaná peninsula The Paraguaná Peninsula () is a peninsula in Venezuela, situated in the north of Falcón State, and comprises the municipalities of Carirubana, Los Taques and Falcón. The island of Aruba lies to the north. Bonaire and Curaçao are slightly ...
. Unlike the rest of the peninsula, the characteristics of Santa Ana Hill are the contrast between its greenness and the
xerophytic A xerophyte (from Greek ξηρός ''xeros'' 'dry' + φυτόν ''phuton'' 'plant') is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water, such as a desert such as the Sahara or places in the Alps or t ...
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.


Hydrography

The state's
hydrography Hydrography is the branch of applied sciences which deals with the measurement and description of the physical features of oceans, seas, coastal areas, lakes and rivers, as well as with the prediction of their change over time, for the primar ...
is very poor. All the rivers flow north, either into the
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
or the
Gulf of Venezuela The Gulf of Venezuela is a gulf of the Caribbean Sea bounded by the Venezuelan states of Zulia and Falcón and by La Guajira Department, Colombia. The western side is formed by the Guajira Peninsula. A strait connects it with Maracaibo Lake t ...
. However, the main Venezuelan river of the
Caribbean basin In Geography, the Caribbean Basin is generally defined as the area running from Florida westward along the Gulf coast, then south along the Mexican coast through Central America and then eastward across the northern coast of South America. This ...
, the Tocuyo, bathes a large area of 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. *Main rivers: Tocuyo,
Aroa ''Aroa'' is a genus of moths in the subfamily Lymantriinae first described by Francis Walker (entomologist), Francis Walker in 1855. Species are distributed in South Africa, China, throughout India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Java. Description They ...
, Güigüe, Hueque, Matícora, Mitare, Pedregal, Remedios, Ricoa, San Luis. *Lakes: under the San Luis mountain range in the Cueva del Toro, there is an underground lake, the largest known in Venezuela, called "Río Acarite".


Flora and fauna

The marine
flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...
is very rich. There is a great diversity of algae on the rocky shores and on the reef bottoms. The fishing potential of its waters is enormous and among the species that are extracted are shrimp,
octopus An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttle ...
,
squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting t ...
, mackerel,
corocoro is a Japanese monthly manga magazine published by Shogakukan, established on May 15, 1977. Its main target is elementary school-aged boys, younger than the readers of shōnen manga. Several of its properties, like ''Doraemon'' and the ''Pokémo ...
, mullet,
horse mackerel Horse mackerel is a vague vernacular term for a range of species of fish throughout the English-speaking world. It is commonly applied to pelagic fishes, especially of the Carangidae (jack mackerels and scads) family, most commonly those of the gen ...
, lebranche and dogfish. Other species require protection such as
sea turtle Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhe ...
s and the critically endangered
Orinoco crocodile The Orinoco crocodile (''Crocodylus intermedius'') is a critically endangered crocodile. Its population is very small, and they can only be found in the Orinoco river basin in Colombia and Venezuela. Extensively hunted for their skins in the 19 ...
. The latter inhabits the coastal mangroves of Morrocoy, Cuare and the isthmus, along with the sea
shearwater Shearwaters are medium-sized long-winged seabirds in the petrel family Procellariidae. They have a global marine distribution, but are most common in temperate and cold waters, and are pelagic outside the breeding season. Description These tub ...
, herons, ,
gannet Gannets are seabirds comprising the genus ''Morus'' in the family Sulidae, closely related to boobies. Gannets are large white birds with yellowish heads; black-tipped wings; and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the ...
s and the
flamingo Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbea ...
. Among the invertebrates, the Hueque
scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always en ...
(Tityus falconensis) stands out, discovered in the caves of the
Juan Crisóstomo Falcón National Park The Juan Crisostomo Falcón National Park ( es, Parque nacional Juan Crisóstomo Falcón), also known as the Sierra de San Luis, is in the southern part of the Falcón state in Venezuela. It has an area of covering the municipalities of Bolív ...
and which is distributed in a great part of the Falconian territory; the giant scolopendra, which is the largest centipede in the world, and the blue
tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although m ...
of Paraguaná (''Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens'') are also native. In the cardonales and spines that occupy the lower areas, plants heavily armed with thorns predominate. The (Falcón's emblematic tree), broom, yabo, , tunas and are common. Aloe vera and sisal crops are scattered throughout the region. In this environment,
bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...
s, savannah rabbits, common
fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
es, wild mice,
iguana ''Iguana'' (, ) is a genus of herbivorous lizards that are native to tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The genus was first described in 1768 by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in his ...
s and lizards stand out; and among the birds are the cardinal coriano and the paraulata llanera or chuchube (Mimus gilvus). It is also the endemic site of the Hueque scorpion (Tityus falconensis), a species of native scorpion whose distribution is excluded from the state of Falcon. On the upper slopes of the mountains, cloud forests dominate where an enormous variety of ferns and palms grow. In the limestone formations of the Sierra you can find the guácharo, as well as interesting birds such as the blacksmith's bellbird and the emerald-billed toucan, and reptiles such as the nibbling turtle, a species endemic to the mountains of the Sistema Coriano.


Geology

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 the Cocodite table are supported by an ancient
igneous Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ''ignis'' meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or ...
-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 the upper tertiary.


Politics and government

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.


Executive power

It is composed of the Governor of the State of Falcón and a group of State Secretaries of his confidence appointed and removed by 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 is Victor Clark, of the ruling
United Socialist Party of Venezuela The United Socialist Party of Venezuela ( es, Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela, PSUV) is a left-wing to far-left socialist political party which has been the ruling party of Venezuela since 2010. It was formed from a merger of some of the p ...
(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 National Police may refer to the national police forces of several countries: *Afghanistan: Afghan National Police *Haiti: Haitian National Police *Colombia: National Police of Colombia *Cuba: Cuban National Police *East Timor: National Police of ...
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, ...
.


Legislative power

The state legislature is the responsibility of the Falcón State Legislative Council. It is 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.


Municipalities and municipal seats

Falcon State is subdivided into 25 municipalities (''municipios''), listed below with their administrative capitals, areas and populations.Instituto Nacional de Estadistica, Caracas. The
Paraguaná Peninsula The Paraguaná Peninsula () is a peninsula in Venezuela, situated in the north of Falcón State, and comprises the municipalities of Carirubana, Los Taques and Falcón. The island of Aruba lies to the north. Bonaire and Curaçao are slightly ...
comprises the municipalities of Carirubana, and Falcón.


Demographics

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/km2 in 2001 to 36.4 inhabitants/km2 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 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 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 ...
, which includes the former fishing villages of Las Piedras, Carirubana and Punta Cardón, with a population of over 300,000 inhabitants. Other medium-sized cities structure their respective areas of influence, highlighting
Puerto Cumarebo Puerto Cumarebo capital of Zamora Municipality, Falcón state, Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South Amer ...
(22 047 inhabitants),
Dabajuro Dabajuro is a city and municipality in southwestern Falcón State, Venezuela with a population of 25,469 (c. 2005). History While a small agricultural village existed on the site, it was really in 1914 with the arrival of the oil companies in the ...
(15 269 inhabitants),
Tucacas Tucacas is a northern coastal town of Venezuela. It is located in the States of Venezuela, state of Falcón. Geography Tucacas is surrounded by two rivers making access from the interior of Venezuela difficult. It is at an elevation of 1m. H ...
(12 970 inhabitants),
Churuguara Churuguara (choo-roo-wah'rah) is the capital city of Federación Municipality in southern Falcón State, Venezuela. It has a height of 936 m (3,070 ft) and an average daytime temperature of 22.7 ° C (72.86 °F). With a population of 10,800, it ...
(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 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.


Race and ethnicity

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


Main population centers

*Coro, the state capital, is the axis around which the political, cultural and social life of the region revolves. Founded on July 26, 1527. The first historical and religious capital of Venezuela. Declared a
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
on December 9, 1993. *La Vela de Coro, the place where the national flag was first raised. Fishing, commercial and artisanal community. Along with Coro, World Heritage Site. *Mitare, a town in the west of the state, is a few kilometres from Coro. Its economy is based on the production of goats and shrimp fishing. *Puerto Cumarebo, capital of the municipality of Zamora Called La Perla de Falcon, is a fishing, commercial, tourist, agricultural and artisanal zone. *Punto Fijo, capital of the municipality Carirubana, located in the peninsula of Paraguaná. Commercial city, under the regime of Free Zone of Tourist Promotion and Investment since 1998, is the main economic, industrial, population and productive axis of Falcon. *Punta Cardón, located in the peninsula of Paraguaná. It has the "Gustavo Riera" Zoo, the only zoo in the state. *Santa Cruz de Los Taques, discovered in 1502 by Alonso de Ojeda, in this town is the bay of Amuay, a place of great scenic beauty. *Pueblo Nuevo, for many years was the largest population of the Paraguana Peninsula. Founded between 1730 and 1770, its economy is based on artisan activity, especially represented by excellent ceramists. * Adícora, primary holiday resort in the Paraguaná peninsula, located 60 km north of Coro. *Tocuyo de la Costa, a town located on the banks of the Tocuyo River in the municipality of Monseñor Iturriza. *Tocópero, a town whose economy derives from livestock and crafts, also has a cement industry that covers the entire state. *Tucacas, gateway to the state of Falcón on its eastern side. It is mainly a tourist and commercial town. *Chichiriviche, the main tourist center of the Venezuelan northwest. Located on the eastern coast of the state, it gives access to Morrocoy National Park. *Churuguara, capital of the municipality of Federación. The most important town in the Falcón mountain range, is mainly a tourist and agricultural town. *Dabajuro, has the largest commercial movement of the western Falcon. It is a collection center for the trade of agricultural and livestock products. *Mene de Mauroa, located 188 km west of Coro. Capital of the municipality of Mauroa, its economy is based on agricultural production. *Mirimire, the population of the east of the state. Its economy is based on the production of cattle, tobacco, corn and sugar cane. *Pedregal, capital of the municipality of Democracia. Cattle and artisan population of the Falconian west. *San Juan de Los Cayos, located 169 km southeast of Coro. Potential producer of fish, bananas, avocado, coconut and cattle. *Santa Cruz de Bucaral, capital of the Union municipality. It is one of the youngest towns in the Falcon Mountain Range. *Capatárida, capital of the municipality Buchivacoa, located west of Coro. It has a great historical and cultural tradition, economic activity based on goat breeding and fishing. *San Luis, a town located in the Sierra Falcon. It was initially inhabited by Jirajaras Indians. *Cabure, the old settlement of Jirajaras Indians. It was founded in 1769. *Curimagua, a valley in the Falcon Mountains. Cradle of the pre-independence movement led by the Zambo José Leonardo Chirino. *Borojó, a population of indigenous origin in the municipality of Buchivacoa located west of Falcon.


Economy


Economic resources

Its economic resources include; *Livestock:
poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their feathers. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails, ...
, cattle, goats and
pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...
s. *Fishing: Tuna, catfish, mackerel,
corocoro is a Japanese monthly manga magazine published by Shogakukan, established on May 15, 1977. Its main target is elementary school-aged boys, younger than the readers of shōnen manga. Several of its properties, like ''Doraemon'' and the ''Pokémo ...
and mullet (marine). Shrimp, crab and lobster, pepitonas and quigua (in) (mollusks). *Agricultural products: Sugar cane, coconut, corn, melon, yam, ocumo and
sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many othe ...
. *Forest resources:
Candlestick A candlestick is a device used to hold a candle in place. Candlesticks have a cup or a spike ("pricket") or both to keep the candle in place. Candlesticks are less frequently called "candleholders". Before the proliferation of electricity, candl ...
,
cedar Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae *Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona * ...
, cují,
guamo Guamo is a town and municipality in the Tolima department of Colombia. The population of the municipality was 30,516 as of the 2018 census. References Municipalities of Tolima Department {{Tolima-geo-stub ...
, jabillo and vera. *Mineral resources: Sand, limestone, coal, chromite, gravel, oil and phosphate rocks.


Agriculture and cattle raising

The main economic activity in terms of employment is agriculture, with important crops such as coconut, onions, corn, tomatoes, patilla, melon, coffee, aloe and
legume A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...
s. The state of Falcón is the largest producer of coconut and
copra Copra (from ) is the dried, white flesh of the coconut from which coconut oil is extracted. Traditionally, the coconuts are sun-dried, especially for export, before the oil, also known as copra oil, is pressed out. The oil extracted from co ...
, 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 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 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.


Economic activities

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 the ports of Las Piedras, ,
Puerto Cumarebo Puerto Cumarebo capital of Zamora Municipality, Falcón state, Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South Amer ...
, Zazárida, Chichiriviche, and
La Vela de Coro La Vela de Coro is the port of Coro, Venezuela. Coro and its port form a conurbation, although Coro is in the municipality of Miranda and La Vela is in a separate municipality, Colina. The twin settlements were founded by the Spanish in the 16t ...
, highlighting the industrialization of crustaceans with the presence on the coast of the state of
shrimp farms Shrimp farming is an aquaculture business that exists in either a marine or freshwater environment, producing shrimp or prawns (crustaceans of the groups Caridea or Dendrobranchiata) for human consumption. Marine Commercial marine shrimp farm ...
, as in Boca de Ricoa and at various points of the Paraguaná peninsula. In Falcón, there are some working oil fields in , Media, Hombre Pintado and Tiguaje and natural gas fields in
Puerto Cumarebo Puerto Cumarebo capital of Zamora Municipality, Falcón state, Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South Amer ...
and other nearby areas. However, most oil industry activity 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 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 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 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 the State.


Infrastructure

The region is mostly coastal lowlands and the northern Andean mountain hills, and is mostly dry with limited
agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
production. Farming mostly occurs in river valleys and mountainous areas, and includes
maize 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. Th ...
, coconut, sesame,
coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...
and
sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...
. Coro, the state capitol and the Paraguaná Peninsula have had significant amounts of industrialization and growth. Large
oil refineries An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, lique ...
such as the Paraguana Refinery Complex in the city of
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 ...
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 Amuay () is a fishing town located in the Paraguana Peninsula, in Falcón state, Venezuela. It is a natural bay, also has a fishing port and the bigger part of the Paraguana Refinery Complex ''(one of the largest oil refineries in the world - ...
.


Tourism


National parks and monuments

*Los
Médanos de Coro National Park Médanos de Coro National Park (''Parque Nacional Los Médanos de Coro'') is a Venezuelan national park located in the state of Falcón State, Falcón, near the city of Santa Ana de Coro, Coro on the road that leads to Paraguaná. The National Pa ...
: Desert landscape of singular beauty, located in the heart of the city of Coro. It has an area of 91 280 hectares. * Morrocoy National Park: Made up of keys and islets of coral origin, white sand, turquoise sea and dense mangrove forests. It has an area of 32 090 hectares. *National Park Cueva de la Quebrada del Toro: Located in the Falconian mountain range, it has an area of 4885 hectares. *
Juan Crisóstomo Falcón National Park The Juan Crisostomo Falcón National Park ( es, Parque nacional Juan Crisóstomo Falcón), also known as the Sierra de San Luis, is in the southern part of the Falcón state in Venezuela. It has an area of covering the municipalities of Bolív ...
: It has a great variety of natural attractions. It has an extension of 20,000 hectares. *Cerro Santa Ana Natural Monument: Located in the center of Paraguaná. It has an area of 1900 hectares and an altitude of 850 meters above sea level. It was declared a Natural Monument on June 14, 1972.


Natural heritage

*Thermal waters of Cardón and Cuiva *Guaibacoa Hot Springs *Boca de Aroa Beach *Adicora Beach *Cumarebo Port Beach *Tucacas Beaches *Beaches in Chichiriviche *Beaches of Morrocoy *Manaure Well *Tacarigua-Jatira Dam *Hueque Falls *Cuare Wildlife Refuge *The Indian's Cave (''Cueva del Indio'') *Haiton del Guarataro


Built heritage

*Athenaeum of Coro *Cathedral Basilica Menor de Santa Ana *Balcón de los Arcaya (Museum of Popular Pottery) *Balcón Bolívar (Museum of Contemporary Art) *House of 100 windows (''Casa de las 100 ventanas'') *Casa de las Ventanas de Hierro *Los Torres House *House of the Sun (''Casa del Sol'') *Treasury House (''Casa del Tesoro'') *Alberto Henriquez House Museum (Choir Synagogue) *Jewish cemetery in Coro *San Clemente's Cross *Church of San Nicolás de Bari *San Clemente Church *San Francisco Church * Lucas Guillermo Castillo Diocesan Museum *Elias David Curiel School of Music *Hato Aguaque or Casa de Josefa Camejo *Taima Taima Archaeological and Paleontological Museum


Culture


Handicrafts

Falconian craftsmanship is rich in artistic expression. Within the popular handicrafts are 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 Sisal (, ) (''Agave sisalana'') is a species of flowering plant native to southern Mexico, but widely cultivated and naturalized in many other countries. It yields a stiff fibre used in making rope and various other products. The term sisal may ...
or with cow and goat skins. In Paraguaná the clay is worked to build objects for current domestic use, applying 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.


Gastronomy

The typical Falconian food allows the enjoyment of a variety of flavors represented in its specialities, such as goat talkarí, , goat milk cheese, custard, peeled arepa and goat milk candy. At a national level, rice with coconut and rice pudding is one of the most popular sweets, especially during the Easter season.


Folklore

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 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 (December 28) 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 the world.


Sports

* Unión Atlético Falcón (Second Division of Venezuela): a professional football club based in the city of
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 ...
, Falcon State, Venezuela. It was founded in 2006, in the city of
Santa Ana de Coro Coro, historically known as Neu-Augsburg, is the capital of Falcón State and the second oldest city of Venezuela (after Cumaná). It was founded on July 26, 1527, by Juan de Ampíes as Santa Ana de Coro. It is established at the south of the Par ...
. * Cachorros de Falcón (Bolivarian National Baseball League): It is one of the teams that has remained since the birth of the Bolivarian National Baseball League 15 years ago, which was champion of the Central Western Region on a couple of occasions, in 2012 by the hand of former professional baseball player Yony Naveda, and in 2016, under the helm of Roberto Chirinos, the latter, who is again in charge of the Westerners in 2019.


Sports facilities

*Pedro Conde Stadium *José David Ugarte Stadium *Eduardo "Tata" Amaya Stadium *Carlos Sanchez Covered Gym *Fenelon Diaz Covered Gym *Ramon Pena Gilly Gym


See also

*
States of Venezuela The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is a federation made up of twenty-three states ('' es, estados''), a Capital District ('' es, Distrito Capital'') and the Federal Dependencies ('' es, Dependencias Federales''), which consist of many islan ...
*
List of Venezuela state legislatures This is a list of the state-level legislative councils of Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Falcon States of Venezuela States and territories established in 1864 1864 establishments in Venezuela