Maiquetía is a city located in the
Central Region of
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 ...
, in the state of
Vargas. It is at approximately 19 m above sea level on a small shelf between 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 ...
and the mountains behind it.
Caracas
Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (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 northern p ...
, the Venezuelan capital, is approximately 37 km to the southeast.
Maiquetía is mainly a commercial center. The historic center has many narrow streets lined with stores and a market. The main road in this part of the city is the Avenida Carlos Soublette. The recent geopolitical divisions in Vargas makes Maiquetía no longer include the
Simón Bolívar International Airport, the most important one in the country and the commercial airport serving Caracas. Conviasa, the Venezuelan flag carrier airline, is headquartered in the city. Even though the airport is now in the state of Vargas, it has kept the name Maiquetía, which cause some confusion among locals and foreigners alike.
The city forms a
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 ...
with
La Guaira
La Guaira () is the capital city of the Venezuelan Vargas (state), state of the same name (formerly named Vargas) and the country's main port, founded in 1577 as an outlet for nearby Caracas.
The city hosts its own professional baseball team i ...
with which it is linked via Avenida Soublette. Given its proximity to Caracas and seafront location, it offers an optimal location for some hotels.
Maiquetía suffered the devastating effects of torrential rains and mudslides during the 1999
Vargas tragedy.
Climate
Maiquetía has a
tropical savannah climate (
Aw) with hot, humid days and warm nights year round.
Sports
The city is home to the basketball team
Bucaneros de La Guaira. The team plays its home games at the Polideportivo José María Vargas.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maiquetia
Cities in Vargas (state)
Populated places established in 1670
1670 establishments in the Spanish Empire