Falcón

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Falcón State
Estado Falcón
State

Flag

Coat of arms
Motto: Dios y Federación
(Spanish: God and Federation)
Anthem: Falcón State Anthem
Location within Venezuela
Country  Venezuela
Created 1864[c]
Capital Coro
Government
  Governor Stella Lugo (20122016)
Area
  Total 24,800 km2 (9,600 sq mi)
Area rank 10th
  2.71% of Venezuela
Population (2010 est.)
  Total 950,057
  Rank 11th
  3.45% of Venezuela
Time zone UTC-04:30
ISO 3166 code VE-I
Emblematic tree Cují yaque (Prosopis juliflora)
Website www.falcon.gob.ve
^[c] As Coro State; in 1874, it was renamed as Falcón State.
Cayo Sombrero, Morrocoy National Park, Falcón state.
Médanos de Coro, Falcón state.

Falcón State (Spanish: Estado Falcón, IPA: [esˈtaðo falˈkon]) is one of the 23 states (estados) that constitute Venezuela. The state capital is Coro.

Demographics and geography

Falcón State covers a total surface area of 24,800 km² and, in 2010, had an estimated population of 950,057.[1] The Paraguaná Peninsula is connected to the rest of the state by the Médanos Isthmus. The island of Aruba is 27 km off the northern coast of Paraguaná Peninsula. The other two ABC islands (Bonaire and Curaçao) are a little further off the coast of the state. It borders with Zulia state on the west, and both Lara and Yaracuy the south.

National parks

There are four national parks in the state: the Médanos de Coro National Park, the Cueva de la Quebrada del Toro, Morrocoy, and Juan Crisóstomo Falcón National Park.

History

The area was first explored in 1499 by Juan de la Cosa and Amerigo Vespucci, as part of an expedition overseen by Alonso de Ojeda.[2] The State is named after President Juan Crisóstomo Falcón.

Infrastructure

The region is mostly coastal lowlands and the northern Andean mountain hills, and is mostly dry with limited agriculture production.[2] Farming mostly occurs in river valleys and mountainous areas, and includes maize, coconut, sesame, coffee and sugar cane.[2]

Coro, the state capitol and the Paraguaná Peninsula have had significant amounts of industrialization and growth.[2] Large oil refineries such as the Paraguana Refinery Complex in the city of Punto Fijo 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[2] that ship internationally through the port of Amuay.

Municipalities and municipal seats

  1. Acosta (San Juan de los Cayos)
  2. Bolívar (San Luis)
  3. Buchivacoa (Capatárida)
  4. Cacique Manaure (Yaracal)
  5. Carirubana (Punto Fijo)
  6. Colina (La Vela de Coro)
  7. Dabajuro (Dabajuro)
  8. Democracia (Pedregal)
  9. Falcón (Pueblo Nuevo)
  10. Federación (Churuguara)
  11. Jacura (Jacura)
  12. Los Taques (Santa Cruz de Los Taques)
  13. Mauroa (Mene de Mauroa)
  14. Miranda (Santa Ana de Coro)
  15. Monseñor Iturriza (Chichiriviche)
  16. Palmasola (Palmasola)
  17. Petit (Cabure)
  18. Píritu (Píritu)
  19. San Francisco (Mirimire)
  20. Silva (Tucacas)
  21. Sucre (La Cruz de Taratara)
  22. Tocópero (Tocópero)
  23. Unión (Santa Cruz de Bucaral)
  24. Urumaco (Urumaco)
  25. Zamora (Puerto Cumarebo)

See also

References

External links

Coordinates: 10°03′N 60°48′W / 10.05°N 60.8°W / 10.05; -60.8

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