Cumaná
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Cumaná () is the capital city 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, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
's
Sucre State The Sucre State ( es, Estado Sucre, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Cumaná city. Sucre State covers a total surface area of and, as of the 2011 census, had a population of 896,921. The most important river in ...
. It is located east of
Caracas Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the ...
. Cumaná was one of the first cities founded by
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
in the mainland
Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...
and is the oldest continuously-inhabited Hispanic-established city in
South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
. Its early history includes several successful counters by the indigenous people of the area who were attempting to prevent Spanish incursion into their land, resulting in the city being refounded several times. The municipality of Sucre, which includes the capital city, Cumaná, had a population of 358,919 at the 2011 Census; the latest estimate (as at mid 2016) is 423,546.Instituto Nacional de Estadistica, Caracas. The city is located at the mouth of the
Manzanares River The Manzanares () is a river in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, which flows from the Sierra de Guadarrama, passes through Madrid, and eventually empties into the Jarama river, which in turn is a right-bank tributary to the Tagus. In its u ...
on the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
coast, in the northeast of Venezuela. It is home to first and most important of the five campuses of the
Universidad de Oriente The University of Oriente Venezuela ( es, Universidad de Oriente Venezuela, links=no, UDO) is one of the most important universities of Venezuela, located in Eastern Venezuela. The university has five campuses that are located in the states of ...
, and is a busy maritime port, home of one of the largest
tuna A tuna is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae (mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max length: ...
fleets in Venezuela. The city is close to
Mochima National Park Mochima National Park ( ) is located in the States of Anzoátegui and Sucre (state), on the northeastern coast of Venezuela. The park covers 94,935 hectares and is made up of an exclusively marine area in its western sector (Anzoátegui State), ...
, whose beaches are a popular tourist destination among Venezuelans. Key heroes of and contributors to the Venezuelan independence movement were born in Cumaná, including
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 pr ...
, the ‘Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho,’ a leading general who also served as President of Bolivia and President of Peru. Cumaná is also the birthplace to eminent poets, writers and politicians like
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 of ...
, an important figure in Latin American literature and who later rose to the national political scene; as well as
José Antonio Ramos Sucre José Antonio Ramos Sucre ( Cumaná, 9 June 1890 – Geneva, 13 June 1930) was a Venezuelan poet, professor, diplomat and scholar. He was a member of the Sucre family of Venezuela and the great-great-nephew of Antonio José de Sucre. He was educa ...
, another distinguished poet and diplomat. Several important scientists including
Pehr Löfling Pehr Löfling (31 January 1729 – 22 February 1756) was a Swedish botanist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus. Biography Löfling was born in Tolvfors Bruk, Gävle, Sweden. He studied at the University of Uppsala where he attended courses taught ...
from Sweden,
Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 17696 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, naturalist, explorer, and proponent of Romantic philosophy and science. He was the younger brother of the Prussian minister, p ...
from Germany, and
Aimé Bonpland Aimé Jacques Alexandre Bonpland (; 22 August 1773 – 11 May 1858) was a French explorer and botanist who traveled with Alexander von Humboldt in Latin America from 1799 to 1804. He co-authored volumes of the scientific results of their ex ...
from France accomplished experimental works and discoveries while visiting or living in Cumaná in the 18th century. The city is also home to a
Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
plant, which manufactures the
Hilux The , stylized as HiLux and historically as Hi-Lux, is a series of pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The majority of these vehicles are sold as pickup truck or cab chassis variants, although they ...
and
Toyota Fortuner The Toyota Fortuner, also known as the Toyota SW4, is a mid-size SUV manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota since 2004. Built on the Hilux pickup truck platform, it features two/three rows of seats and is available in either rear-wheel d ...
.


History

Cumaná was the first settlement founded by
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
in
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 ...
, established in 1515 by
Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ol ...
s, under the name Nueva Toledo, but due to successful attacks by the indigenous people (such as the
Cumanagoto people The Cumanagoto people are a group of Native Americans in South America. Their language belongs to the Carib language family. Their territory extended originally over the ancient province of Nueva Andalucía (Cumaná and Barcelona) in eastern Ven ...
), it had to be refounded several times until
Diego Hernández de Serpa Diego Hernández de Serpa (; 1510 – May 10, 1570) was a Spaniards, Spanish conquistador and explorer, who under the patronage of Philip II of Spain was part of the European conquest and colonization of the New Andalusia Province (Venezuela regio ...
's refoundation in 1569 with the name of Cumaná.
Bartolomé de las Casas Bartolomé de las Casas, OP ( ; ; 11 November 1484 – 18 July 1566) was a 16th-century Spanish landowner, friar, priest, and bishop, famed as a historian and social reformer. He arrived in Hispaniola as a layman then became a Dominican friar ...
, attempting a peaceful colonization scheme, was pre-empted by Gonzalo de Ocampo's 1521 punitive raids against the local indigenous people, in retaliation for the destruction of the Dominican convent at Chiribichi. In 1537
New Andalusia Province New Andalusia Province or Province of Cumaná (1537–1864) was a province of the Spanish Empire, and later of Gran Colombia and Venezuela. It included the territory of present-day Venezuelan states Sucre, Venezuela, Sucre, Anzoátegui and Mon ...
was established, with Cumaná as capital (for which the Province was also known as the ''Province of Cumaná''). After
Amerindian The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the Am ...
attacks became less of a threat, the city was on several occasions destroyed by
earthquakes An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
. Thus, the oldest part of the city is late 17th and 18th century; almost none of the 16th century architecture survived. Gained independence on 7/5/1811.


Attractions

The city features a wide variety of colonial style architecture still in excellent condition. The San Antonio de la Eminencia Castle, a large Spanish fort, is open to the public and can be seen from the beach. Also surviving is the Santa Maria de la Cabeza castle, which was built in 1669. The Museo del Mar (Museum of the Sea) displays marine and maritime artifacts.


Indigenous species

The Cumana region is home to the
Endler's livebearer ''Poecilia wingei'', known to aquarists as Endlers or Endler's livebearer, in the genus ''Poecilia'', is a small fish native to the Paria Peninsula in Venezuela. They are prolific breeders and often hybridize with guppies. These very colorful hyb ...
, a vibrantly coloured aquarium fish named after John Endler who discovered it in nearby Laguna de Los Patos. This fish is now extinct within the lake but survives in home aquaria across the world.


Notable people

*
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 pr ...
(1795–1830), independence leader *
José Antonio Ramos Sucre José Antonio Ramos Sucre ( Cumaná, 9 June 1890 – Geneva, 13 June 1930) was a Venezuelan poet, professor, diplomat and scholar. He was a member of the Sucre family of Venezuela and the great-great-nephew of Antonio José de Sucre. He was educa ...
(1890–1930), poet and diplomat *
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 of ...
(1897–1955), poet, humorist and politician * Luis Peñalver (b. 1941), baseball player *
Iñaki Anasagasti Iñaki Anasagasti (born 16 November 1947) is a Venezuelan-Spanish politician, belonging to the Basque Nationalist Party. Biography Anasagasti was born to exiled Spanish parents in Cumaná, Venezuela. His father was a Basque nationalist and a ...
(b. 1947), Spanish politician *
Rafael Betancourt Rafael Jose Betancourt (born April 29, 1975) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians and Colorado Rockies, as well as in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) ...
(b. 1975), baseball player * Francisco Sánchez (b. 1976), swimmer, world champion *
Luis Maza Luis Alberto Maza Mayorca (born June 22, 1980 in Cumaná, Venezuela) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball infielder. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers of the Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2008. Listed at 5'9", 180 lb., he bat ...
(b. 1980), baseball player *
Armando Galarraga Armando Antonio Galarraga Barreto (born January 15, 1982) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. Galarraga made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Texas Rangers on September 15, 2007. He was traded to the Detroit Ti ...
(b. 1982), baseball player * César Jiménez (b. 1984), baseball player *
Vanessa Peretti Vanessa Jackeline Gómez Peretti (born March 21, 1986) is a model and Miss Venezuela International 2006. She is tall. Peretti was the first deaf woman to compete in the Miss Venezuela pageant, when she represented the Sucre state. She compete ...
(b. 1986), first deaf entrant in the
Miss Venezuela Miss Venezuela (Spanish: ''Organización Miss Venezuela'') is the national beauty pageant of Venezuela, traditionally held in September. It is preceded by two or three months of preliminary events, with the awarding of corporate prizes. The fi ...
pageant *
Jesús Sucre Jesús Marcelo Sucre Medina (born April 30, 1988) is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, and Baltimore Orioles. Career Sea ...
(b. 1988), baseball player *
Gelmin Rivas Gelmin Javier Rivas Boada (born 23 March 1989) is a Venezuelan footballer who currently plays as a striker for Al-Khaldiya SC. Club career Rivas joined MLS side, D.C. United on 31 August 2020. On 6 September 2020, Rivas made his debut in a 0 ...
(b. 1989), footballer


Transportation

The city is served by
Antonio José de Sucre Airport Antonio José de Sucre Airport is a commercial airport serving Cumaná, the capital of Sucre state in Venezuela. The Cumana VOR-DME (Ident: CUM) is located on the field. Airlines and destinations See also *Transport in Venezuela *List of ai ...
, with commercial passenger airline flights to Caracas.


Gallery

File:Castillo San Antonio de la Eminencia. Cumaná - Sucre - Venezuela.JPG, Castle of San Antonio de la Eminencia File:Calle Sucre, San Francisco - panoramio.jpg, Sucre Street File:Vista Casco Histórico de Cumaná, Edo. Sucre.jpg, Historical quarter of Cumaná File:Playa San Luis - panoramio.jpg, San Luis Beach File:Plaza Ayacucho De Cumaná.jpg, Ayacucho Square


References

* Krzysztof Dydniski & Charlotte Beech, ''Lonely Planet Venezuela'', (2004)


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cumana Cities in Sucre (state) Populated places established in 1515 Port cities and towns in Venezuela 1515 establishments in the Spanish Empire