San Cristóbal () is the
capital city
A capital city, or just capital, is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state (polity), state, province, department (administrative division), department, or other administrative division, subnational division, usually as its ...
of the
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 ...
n state of
Táchira
Táchira State (, ) is one of the 23 States of Venezuela, states of Venezuela. The state capital is San Cristóbal, Táchira, San Cristóbal.
Táchira State covers a total surface area of and as of the 2011 census, had a population of 1,168,9 ...
. It is located in a mountainous region of Western
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 ...
. The city is situated above
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
in the northern
Andes
The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...
overlooking the
Torbes River, from the
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
n border. San Cristóbal was founded on 31 March 1561, by
Juan de Maldonado. From its inception, the city evolved rapidly as one of the most progressive and important centers of commerce in the country and the region, due primarily to its rich soil and its proximity to the border with
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
.

The city was severely damaged by the
Earthquake of Cúcuta (also known as Earthquake of the Andes) in 1875. The city is located on the
Pan-American Highway
The Pan-American Highway is a vast network of roads that stretches about 30,000 kilometers (about 19,000 miles) from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, in the northernmost part of North America to Ushuaia, Argentina, at the southern tip of South America. I ...
.
Education
San Cristobal has a large student population. There are many post-secondary schools, both public and private, in San Cristobal.
The main higher education facilities are:
*
Universidad Nacional Experimental del Táchira (UNET)
*
Universidad de los Andes (ULA)
*
Universidad Católica del Táchira (UCAT)
* Universidad Nacional Experimental de las Fuerzas Amadas (UNEFA)
* Universidad Nacional Abierta (UNA)
* Instituto Universitario de TecnologÃa Agro Industrial (IUTAI)
* Instituto Universitario Politecnico Santiago Mariño
* Instituto Universitario Antonio Jose de Sucre
* Instituto Universitario Monseñor Talavera
* Instituto Universitario Jesus Enrique Lozada
* Instituto Universitario de TecnologÃa Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo (IUTEPAL)
Law and government
San Cristóbal has one municipality: ''San Cristóbal Municipality'', Venezuelan law specifies that municipal governments have four main functions: executive, legislative, comptroller, and planning. The executive function is managed by the
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
, who is in charge of representing the municipality's administration. The legislative branch is represented by the Municipal Council, composed of seven
councillors, charged with the deliberation of new decrees and local laws. The comptroller tasks are managed by the municipal
comptroller
A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accountancy, accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior- ...
's office, which oversees
accountancy
Accounting, also known as accountancy, is the process of recording and processing information about economic entities, such as businesses and corporations. Accounting measures the results of an organization's economic activities and conveys ...
. Finally, planning is represented by the Local Public Planning Council, which manages development projects for the municipality.
[Law and government](_blank)
Economy
San Cristobal is the capital of the Tachira State. As throughout the Andean states, the people of
Táchira
Táchira State (, ) is one of the 23 States of Venezuela, states of Venezuela. The state capital is San Cristóbal, Táchira, San Cristóbal.
Táchira State covers a total surface area of and as of the 2011 census, had a population of 1,168,9 ...
are characterized as hardworking, cordial, conservative, and devoted to their historical, religious, and folkloric traditions. The primary industries here are centered around
agriculture
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
, mainly the production of
coffee
Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...
,
sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose
Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...
, and
vegetables
Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including flowers, fruits, ...
. Other important industrial sectors which have helped fuel the economic engines of the region include
meat production (cattle), manufacturing industries like shoe, basket, and ceramics production. A fact that perhaps is not widely known is that it was in Táchira State, and not in
Zulia State
Zulia State (, ; Wayuu language, Wayuu: ''Mma’ipakat Suuria'') is one of the States of Venezuela, 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 Vene ...
, that the first oil wells were excavated in 1875 (located in the Petrolea sector close to
Rubio)-- a procedure done in those days by hand and with buckets. It is a commercial, transportation, and industrial center.
Textile
Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...
s,
leather
Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...
products,
cement
A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...
, and
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
are produced, and
coffee
Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...
,
sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose
Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...
,
pineapple
The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a Tropical vegetation, tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae.
The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been culti ...
s, and
corn
Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...
are exported. The service sector is also strong. There are many branches of national banks located in the city, and it is the headquarters of an important financial institutions
Sofitasa (bank of private investment). This bank is an important economic engine of the local economy because they help to finance many project in the region. In the dairy industry, Leche Táchira is one of the most consolidated industries in the country; this company is based in San Cristobal.
Sports
Deportivo Táchira Fútbol Club, usually known as Deportivo Táchira, is a football club located in San Cristóbal.
Architecture
San Cristóbal's architecture is rich and varied. The wedding cake and modernist architectural styles are particularly evident in the
façade
A façade or facade (; ) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loanword from the French language, French (), which means "frontage" or "face".
In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important asp ...
s of the
Universidad Nacional Abierta and
La Casa Antigua, a Spanish style building with various ornaments and sculptures. Another example is La Entrada Central, the only façade that's left from the old Hospital Vargas. Among the most notable churches are La Iglesia El Angel, the
Gothic styled church
San José, and the
El Santuario Church.
Transportation
There are three airports that serve Táchira State and its capital San Cristobal.
Juan Vicente Gómez International Airport of San Antonio,
Mayor Buenaventura Vivas Airport of Santo Domingo del Táchira and
La FrÃa Airport of La Fria. There is a bus terminal located just below the La Concordia neighborhood of San Cristóbal where buses, taxis, and other vehicles arrive and depart daily.
Notable people

*
Rafael de Nogales Méndez, soldier and writer
*
IsaÃas Medina Angarita
IsaÃas Medina Angarita (6 July 1897 – 15 September 1953) was a Venezuelan military and politician who served as President of Venezuela from 1941 until 1945, during World War II. He followed the path of his predecessor Eleazar López Contre ...
, military leader and former president of Venezuela
*
Manuel Felipe Rugeles, poet and journalist
*
Joel Casique, artist who formed the Escuela Cristóbal Rojas de Caracas
*
Luis Felipe Ramón y Rivera, folklorist and musician
*
Francisco Arias Cárdenas, former governor of Zulia State, presidential candidate, and Venezuelan ambassador to the UN
*
MartÃn Marciales Moncada, entrepreneur and philanthropist
*
Giancarlo Maldonado, footballer
*
Marco Antonio Rivera Useche, musician and composer
*
Tomás Rincón
Tomás Eduardo Rincón Hernández (; born 13 January 1988) is a Venezuelan professional Association football, footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A side Santos FC, Santos and Captain (association footb ...
, footballer
*
Júnior Moreno, footballer
*
Édgar RamÃrez
Édgar Filiberto RamÃrez Arellano (, born 25 March 1977) is a Venezuelan actor.
After studying communications at the Andrés Bello Catholic University, RamÃrez worked in media and considered becoming a diplomat. When filmmaker Guillermo ...
, actor
*
Mikel Villanueva, footballer.
Attractions and surroundings
One of the most celebrated festivities which attracts visitors from all over is the
Feria Internacional de San Sebastián held annually at Pueblo Nuevo next to Táchira state football club's grounds. This fair, which occurs at the end of January, combines bullfighting festivities with a myriad of sport activities such as the
Vuelta al Táchira, a bicycle race, artistic festivals, agricultural fairs, and many other spectacles. Nearby small businesses, in particular eateries, restaurants and small independent retailers thrive of the activities in Pueblo nuevo.
Places to visit in and around San Cristóbal include all the squares and parks around the city, the enchanting colonial town of
San Pedro del RÃo and Peribeca. During Christmas these towns are full of decorations and mangers of every shape and size. Near the border with
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
is the town of
San Antonio de Táchira, with its lively commercial beat. Other interesting towns are Palmira and Abejales, above the town of Tariba, famous for their sugar cane baskets, and the town of
El Topón, a typical agricultural town. The water fall of Chorro el Indio is an entertaining place to visit and be surrounded by nature.
Plaza de los Mangos, in Barrio Obrero, is a popular youth hangout close to San Cristobal's city centre. A leafy square home to music shops, imported clothing retailers, Mini malls, nightclubs, eateries, ice-cream parlours, pool halls, Internet cafés, and small music venues, Plaza de los Mangos has become a busy hub for youth life. On a small offshoot road on the Plaza's north-eastern corner, a small Virgin Mary figure is housed under a protruding old tree branch, a branch once used for public hangings; the date of the last hanging varies with who you ask.
Events
Feria Internacional de San Sebastian. the San Sebastian fair is the largest fair in the country. It takes place at the end of each January. There is animal, agricultural, industrial and commercial trade.
Gallery Images
File:Iglesia de la Ermita.jpg, Ermita Church
File:Iglesia El Angel.JPG, El Angel Church
File:Vista parcial de San Cristóbal desde el Mirador.jpg, San Cristóbal from the hills
File:Iglesia el Santuario, Luna.JPG, El Santuario Church
International relations
Twin towns and sister cities
San Cristóbal is
twinned with the following cities and municipalities:
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:San Cristobal, Tachira
Cities in Táchira
1561 establishments in the Spanish Empire
Populated places established in 1561