Falcón State (, ) is one of the 23
states of Venezuela
The Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is a federation made up of twenty-three states ('), a Capital District (Venezuela), Capital District (') and the Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, Federal Dependencies ('), which consist of many ...
. The
state capital
Below is an index of pages containing lists of capital city, 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 ...
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 Basque 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 the o ...](_blank)
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 is famous for having named Venezuela, which he explored during his first two expeditions, for having been the first European to visit Guyana, Curaçao ...
. In 1527, the city of Coro was founded by
Juan Ampíes, who named it "
Santa Ana de Coro
Coro is the capital of Falcón, Falcón State and the second oldest city in Venezuela (after Cumaná). It was founded on July 26, 1527, by Juan de Ampíes as Santa Ana de Coro. It was historically known as Neu-Augsburg (from 1528 to 1546) by the ...
".
In 1811, when
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
declared its independence from Spain, Coro remained faithful to the
Spanish Crown
The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country.
The Spanish ...
and was merged with the
Province of Maracaibo. In 1815, King
Fernando VII 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 pa ...
during the
Venezuelan War of Independence
The Venezuelan War of Independence (, 1810–1823) was one of the Spanish American wars of independence of the early nineteenth century, when independence movements in South America fought a civil war for secession and against unity of the S ...
. The area then became a province of the department of
Zulia
Zulia State (, ; 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. It is also one of t ...
of the Republic of
Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia (, "Great Colombia"), also known as Greater Colombia and officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish language, Spanish: ''República de Colombia''), was a state that encompassed much of northern South America and parts of Central ...
. In 1830, with the separation of Venezuela from
Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia (, "Great Colombia"), also known as Greater Colombia and officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish language, Spanish: ''República de Colombia''), was a state that encompassed much of northern South America and parts of Central ...
, 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. In 1859, after the
Federal War
The Federal War () — also known as the Great War or the 5 Year War — was a civil war in Venezuela between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party over the monopoly the Conservatives held over government positions and land ownership, an ...
began on 20 February 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 () was the official name of Venezuela, which adopted in its 1864 constitution under the Juan Crisóstomo Falcón government. This remained the official name until 1953, when the constitution of that year renamed ...
.
Falcón State
In 1872 the province was renamed Falcón State, in honor of the
Federal War
The Federal War () — also known as the Great War or the 5 Year War — was a civil war in Venezuela between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party over the monopoly the Conservatives held over government positions and land ownership, an ...
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:
People
* Lara (name), can be a given name or a surname in several languages
* Lara (mythology), a naiad nymph, daughter of the river Almo in Ovid's ''Fasti''
Places
*Lara (state), a state in Venezuela
* Electoral district ...](_blank)
and
Yaracuy
Yaracuy (, ;) is one of the 23 States of Venezuela, states of Venezuela. Yaracuy is located in the Central-Western Region, Venezuela. It is bordered by Falcón State, Falcón in the north, in the west by Lara State, Lara, in the south by Portug ...
, 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 Falcón .
In 1899, the territory comprising the towns of
Tucacas and
Chichiriviche, was annexed by Falcón.
Lara State
Lara State (, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. Lara is located in the Central-Western Region, 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.
...
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 (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
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 is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...
, forming maritime valleys.
West from the city of Coro, a
coastal plain
A coastal plain (also coastal plains, coastal lowland, coastal lowlands) is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a sea coast. A fall line commonly marks the border between a coastal plain and an upland area.
Formation
Coastal plains can f ...
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 to ...
. 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 (; : isthmuses or isthmi) 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 count ...
of
Médanos de Coro National Park.
Climate
A
hot arid climate (''BWh'' according to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
) of very low rainfall dominates the western coast and the
Paraguaná Peninsula.
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 Ca ...
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 (; : isthmuses or isthmi) 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 count ...
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, 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 (mineral), lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of Science, scientific disciplines.
In zoology
''Calcare ...
, 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. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
. They vary in quality, but in general, the availability of land for traditional agriculture 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 (, ) 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. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...
areas, basins with very high potential. The limitations of the arid and semi-arid soils come from
salinity
Salinity () is the saltiness or amount of salt (chemistry), salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity). It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg (grams of salt per liter/kilogram of water; the latter is dimensio ...
, 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
The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
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 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. Unlike the rest of the peninsula, the characteristics of Santa Ana Hill are the contrast between its greenness and the
xerophytic
A xerophyte () is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water. Examples of xerophytes include cactus, cacti, pineapple and some gymnosperm plants. The morphology (biology), morphology and physiology ...
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 primary ...
is very poor. All the rivers flow north, either into the
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...
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 to ...
. However, the main Venezuelan river of the
Caribbean basin, 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, 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
Caribbean
The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
marine life off the coast is very rich. There is a great diversity of
algae
Algae ( , ; : alga ) is an informal term for any organisms of a large and diverse group of photosynthesis, photosynthetic organisms that are not plants, and includes species from multiple distinct clades. Such organisms range from unicellular ...
on the rocky shores and on the reef bottoms. The rich fishing grounds have been known for centuries; among the species that are caught locally are various
shrimp
A shrimp (: shrimp (American English, US) or shrimps (British English, UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily Aquatic locomotion, swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchi ...
, octopus,
squid
A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...
,
mackerel
Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of pelagic fish, mostly from the family Scombridae. They are found in both temperate and tropical seas, mostly living along the coast or offshore in the oceanic environment.
...
,
corocoro,
mullet,
horse mackerel,
lebranche and
dogfish.
Other species in the area are endangered and highly protected, such as several types of
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, loggerh ...
and the
critically endangered
An IUCN Red List critically endangered (CR or sometimes CE) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of t ...
Orinoco crocodile. The latter inhabits the coastal mangroves of
Morrocoy, Cuare Wildlife Refuge, and the
isthmus
An isthmus (; : isthmuses or isthmi) 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 count ...
, along with the numerous species of
wading and
seabirds
Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same envi ...
, such as
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 tube ...
,
heron
Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 75 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus ''Botaurus'' are referred to as bi ...
s,
scarlet ibis
The scarlet ibis, sometimes called red ibis (''Eudocimus ruber''), is a species of ibis in the bird family Threskiornithidae. It inhabits tropical South America and part of the Caribbean. In form, it resembles most of the other twenty-seven ex ...
,
gannet
Gannets are seabirds comprising the genus ''Morus'' in the family Sulidae, closely related to boobies. They are known as 'solan' or 'solan goose' in Scotland. A common misconception is that the Scottish name is 'guga' but this is the Gaelic n ...
s and the
Caribbean flamingo. Among the many
invertebrates
Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''spine'' or ''backbone''), which evolved from the notochord. It is a paraphyletic grouping including all animals excluding the chordate subphylum ...
, the Hueque
scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...
(''
Tityus falconensis''), named after the region and discovered in the caves of the Juan Crisóstomo Falcón National Park, is found throughout Falcón; the ''Scolopendra gigantea'', which is the largest centipede in the world, and the vivid greenbottle-blue tarantula (''Greenbottle blue tarantula, Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens''), of Paraguaná Peninsula, Paraguaná, are also native to the region.
In the
cactus
A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...
and spiny forests that encompass the lowlands, plants heavily armed with thorns predominate, such as (Falcón's emblematic tree),
broom
A broom (also known as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool, consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is thus a ...
, ''yabo'', , ''
Opuntia
''Opuntia'', commonly called the prickly pear cactus, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae, many known for their flavorful fruit and showy flowers. Cacti are native to the Americas, and are well adapted to arid clima ...
'' (also known as ''tuna'', e.g. prickly-pear) and ''
Pachycereus pringlei'' (or ''cardones''). Introduced
succulents, such as ''
Aloe vera
''Aloe vera'' () is a succulent plant species of the genus ''Aloe''. It is widely distributed, and is considered an invasive species in many world regions.
An evergreen perennial plant, perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but ...
'' and
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 sisal fiber is ...
plants, are scattered throughout the region. Fauna in this habitat includes bats, rabbits, foxes, rodents,
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 by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti, J.N. Laurenti in ...
s and lizards; among the birds are the
vermilion cardinal
The vermilion cardinal (''Cardinalis phoeniceus'') is a species of bird in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.
Taxonomy and systematics
The vermilion cardinal is monotypic. It an ...
and the tropical mockingbird, also known as ''paraulata llanera'' or ''chuchube'' (
''Mimus gilvus'').
On the upper slopes of the mountains, cloud forests dominate, and an enormous variety of ferns and other plants grow. In the
limestone
Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
formations of the Sierra, you can find the ''
guácharo'', or oilbirds, which live inside the caverns. Also found are the blacksmith's bellbird and the
keel-billed toucan
The keel-billed toucan (''Ramphastos sulfuratus''), also known as sulfur-breasted toucan, keel toucan, or rainbow-billed toucan, is a colorful Latin American member of the toucan family. It is the national bird of National symbols of Belize, Bel ...
, and numerous amphibians and reptiles, such as the nibbling turtle,
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
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 ( ), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.
The magma can be derived from partial ...
-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 (, PSUV, ) is a Socialism, socialist political party which has been the ruling party of Venezuela since 2007. It was formed from a merger of some of the political and social forces that support the Bolivar ...
(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 and the
Venezuelan National Guard
The Bolivarian National Guard of Venezuela ( - GNB), is a gendarmerie component of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela, National Armed Forces of Venezuela. The national guard can serve as gendarmerie, perform civil defense roles, or ...
.
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 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/km
2 in 2001 to 36.4 inhabitants/km
2 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
A conurbation is a region consisting of a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ...
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 Ca ...
, 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, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Feder ...
(22 047 inhabitants),
Dabajuro (15 269 inhabitants),
Tucacas (12 970 inhabitants),
Churuguara (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 26 July 1527. The first historical and religious capital of Venezuela. Declared a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
on 9 December 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
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 Ca ...
, 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. It is home to the
Universidad de 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.
* 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 local
ceramist
Ceramic art is art made from ceramic materials, including clay. It may take varied forms, including artistic pottery, including tableware, tiles, figurines and other sculpture. As one of the plastic arts, ceramic art is a visual art. While ...
s.
*
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, cattle, goats and pigs.
* Fishing: Tuna, catfish, mackerel,
corocoro and mullet (marine). Shrimp, crab and lobster, pepitonas and quigua (in) (mollusks).
* Agricultural products: Sugar cane, coconut, corn, melon, yam,
ocumo and
sorghum
''Sorghum bicolor'', commonly called sorghum () and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a species in the Poaceae, grass genus ''Sorghum (genus), Sorghum'' cultivated for its grain. The grain i ...
.
* Forest resources:
Candlestick,
cedar, cují,
guamo,
jabillo and vera.
* Mineral resources: Sand, limestone, coal,
chromite
Chromite is a crystalline mineral composed primarily of iron(II) oxide and chromium(III) oxide compounds. It can be represented by the chemical formula of Iron, FeChromium, Cr2Oxygen, O4. It is an oxide mineral belonging to the spinel group. The ...
, 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
Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consum ...
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 ...
, 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
''Aloe vera'' () is a succulent plant species of the genus ''Aloe''. It is widely distributed, and is considered an invasive species in many world regions.
An evergreen perennial plant, perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but ...
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, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Feder ...
, Zazárida,
Chichiriviche, and
La Vela de Coro, highlighting the industrialization of crustaceans with the presence on the coast of the state of
shrimp farms, 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, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Feder ...
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 production. Farming mostly occurs in river valleys and mountainous areas, and includes maize,
coconut
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...
,
sesame
Sesame (; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a 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 cultivated for ...
, coffee and
sugar cane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...
.
Coro, the state capital 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 products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, liquefied pet ...
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 Ca ...
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.
Tourism
National parks and monuments

* Los
Médanos de Coro National Park: Desert landscape 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: 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 14 June 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 sisal fiber is ...
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 (28 December) 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 Ca ...
, Falcon State, Venezuela. It was founded in 2006, in the city of
Santa Ana de Coro
Coro is the capital of Falcón, Falcón State and the second oldest city in Venezuela (after Cumaná). It was founded on July 26, 1527, by Juan de Ampíes as Santa Ana de Coro. It was historically known as Neu-Augsburg (from 1528 to 1546) by the ...
.
* 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 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is a federation made up of twenty-three states ('), a Capital District (Venezuela), Capital District (') and the Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, Federal Dependencies ('), which consist of many ...
*
List of Venezuela state legislatures
This is a list of the state-level legislative councils of Venezuela.
Legislative Authority is exercised in each State by a Legislative Council, consisting of no more than fifteen and at least seven members, who proportionally represent the popul ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Falcon
States of Venezuela
States and territories established in 1864
1864 establishments in Venezuela