Nueva Esparta
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| Estado Nueva Esparta | |||||
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| Nueva Esparta State Anthem | |||||
| Motto: none | |||||
 Location within Venezuela |
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| Created (given current status) |
1909 | ||||
| State capital | La Asunción | ||||
| Area •% |
1,150 km² 0,12 (Ranked 23rd) |
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| Population •% |
436,900 hab. (2007 est.) 1,68 (Ranked 20th) |
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| Emblematic tree | The Guayacán (Guaicum officinale) |
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| ISO 3166-2 | VE-O |
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| Governor | Morel Rodríguez 2004 - 2008 |
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| Website: Guaiqueri.net | |||||
Nueva Esparta is one of the 23 states (estados) of Venezuela. It comprises Margarita Island (Isla Margarita), and other minor isles.
Nueva Esparta (New Sparta) is a state having a small area, located to the northeast of Venezuela, and is the only insular Federal State. Its name comes from the heroísm shown by its inhabitants during the Venezuelan War of Independence, deemed similar to that of the Spartan soldiers of Ancient Greece. It is conformed by three main islands: Margarita, Coche and Cubagua, and is divided into the districts of Arismendi, Diaz, Gómez, Maneiro, Marcano, Mariño, Macanao peninsula, and Villalba. The island of Margarita alone has an area of 934 km². In 1909 the state was constituted and in 1947 the island of Cubagua was added. Its capital city is La Asunción, but the main urban center is Porlamar. Other important towns are Juan Griego, Pampatar (home of the Port Authority), Punta de Piedras, San Juan Bautista, Las Guevaras, Las Hernández, Villa Rosa, Bella Vista (Margarita), El Valle del Espíritu Santo.
[edit] History
Founded in 1525, the Province of Margarita was the oldest of those that in 1777 formed the Post of Captain-General of Venezuela. It was dependent on the Royal Audiencia of Santo Domingo until 1739, when it was annexed to the Viceroyalty of New Granada (Virreinato de Nueva Granada). In 1821, when the Greater Colombia was created, the Province of Margarita was integrated to the Orinoco Department, along with other regions. When the Republic of Venezuela arose in 1830, it was one of its 13 original provinces. In 1864, when the country was divided into 20 states and a Federal District, Margarita took the name of State of New Sparta. In 1881 its status was changed to be a mere section of the Greater Guzman Blanco State (Called Miranda from 1889 to 1898). In 1901, two years after the autonomy of the states was restituted, it retook the name of New Sparta, but again lost it between 1904 and 1909, period in which it was included in the Federal District as "Eastern Section". Finally, in 1909 it recovered the condition of a State, and in 1948 it annexed the island of Cubagua territory.
[edit] Municipalities and municipal seats
- Antolín del Campo (Plaza Paraguachi)
- Arismendi (La Asunción)
- Díaz (San Juan Bautista)
- García (El Valle del Espíritu Santo)
- Gómez (Santa Ana)
- Maneiro (Pampatar)
- Marcano (Juan Griego)
- Mariño (Porlamar)
- Península de Macanao (Boca del Río)
- Tubores (Punta de Piedras)
- Villalba (San Pedro de Coche)
See also: States of Venezuela
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| Political Divisions of Venezuela |  |
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