Mérida, Venezuela

Mérida State Estado Mérida
State
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Mérida State Anthem
Location within Venezuela
Coordinates: 8°29′N 71°11′W / 8.48°N 71.19°W / 8.48; -71.19Coordinates: 8°29′N 71°11′W / 8.48°N 71.19°W / 8.48; -71.19
Country	Venezuela
Created	1864
Capital	Mérida
Government
• Governor	Alexis Ramírez (2012–present)
Area
• Total	11,300 km2 (4,400 sq mi)
Area rank	15th
	1.23% of Venezuela
Population (2007 est.)
• Total	843,800
• Rank	14th
	3,1% of Venezuela
Time zone	UTC-04:30
ISO 3166 code	VE-L
Emblematic tree	Bucare ceibo (Erythrina poeppigiana)
Website	www.merida.com.ve

Mérida (Spanish: Estado Mérida, IPA: [esˈtaðo ˈmeɾiða]) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Mérida.

Mérida State covers a total surface area of 11,300 square kilometres (4,363 sq mi) and, in 2007, had an estimated population of 843,800.

Climate and Vegetation

The countryside in Mérida

The climate is temperate but in the relatively small area of Mérida state, there are usually several dramatic climatic changes that occur daily. The climate in Mérida city has an average high temperatures between 24 °C and 25 °C, and low temperatures between 14 °C and 16 °C. At El Bolivar Peak the temperatures tend between 5 °C and 9 °C, but some times dip below freezing. El Vigía sees temperatures around 28 °C. It rains almost every late afternoon in January–February. These are the coldest months. In August and September it often rains at night. The vegetation is exuberant and there are many lakes and rivers, a great number of which are well stocked with trout, one of the delicacies of Mérida. The most important river in the state is the "Chama" because a large part of the water resources of Venezuela originates in the Mérida mountains. The state tree is the "Bucare" and the state flower is the "Frailejón", The "Coloradito" contains the tree that is found at the highest altitude in the world. In this mountains habitat the "Oso Frontino" bear and the Condor flies through the skies of the páramos and in the lagoons there are many trout.

Municipalities and municipal seats

The Mérida cable car, the highest and largest in the world.

Mucubají lagoon, Sierra Nevada National Park.

See also

• States of Venezuela
• Nevado
• Merida glaciation
• Sierra Nevada de Merida
• Los Aleros theme park

External links

http://merida.travel - the oficial travel website about Merida en Venezuela

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mérida, Venezuela.

• Government of Mérida State (in Spanish)

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