Barinas, Barinas

:"Alternative use: Barinas (state)"Barinas is a city in west central Venezuela. According to an estimate in 2000, its population is 236,000. It is the capital of Barinas Municipality and Barinas State. The city of Barinas is known as the capital of llanos.

History

The original city was founded under the name "Altamira de Caceres" on June 30, 1577 by Captain Juan Andres Varela fulfilling orders of the governor of La Grita Francisco de Cáceres, who had founded this Andean city and established it governorate in 1576.

In 1786 Barinas state was established in the territories of existing states of Barinas and Apure. The city became the capital of the state and an important bastion of the patriots during the War of Independence. Cristóbal Mendoza, the first President of Venezuela, lived and practiced his profession in Barinas.

Etymology

Name of the city comes from an indigenous voice which identifies a strong wind that occurs during the rainy season, from the valleys of Santo Domingo.

Geography

The city is located in the northwest part of the state, along the river Santo Domingo in the Andean foothills about 165 km from the city of Merida and 525 km from Caracas. The city has about 270,000 inhabitants and is the most populous state of Barinas and one of the largest Venezuelan llanos cities alongside Calabozo, Acarigua-Araure, Guanare and San Fernando de Apure. The city is located about 188 meters above sea level.

= Economy = The city has become an important administrative centre being the headquarters of major educational institutions such as National Experimental University of the Western Plains "Ezequiel Zamora" and the more immediate market for everything produced in the state both in the field of agriculture and animal husbandry and oil exploitation. In recent years it has emerged in the city an important tourist industry since it has served as a base or point of entry to all eco-tourism locations in the region of Western Plains.

Transport

City has bus transportation, consisted of 5 lines that run throughout the city with over 80 different routes. It also has a large number of taxis or rental cars providing additional transportation services in the city.

Barinas International Airport, serves Barinas wit its two runways in the form of the letter "L".

Sights

* The Palace Marquis
* Museum Alberto Arvelo Torrealba
* Cathedral of Our Lady of Pilar of Zaragoza and Santiago
* Rio Santo Domingo
* Squares: Student Plaza, Plaza Bolivar, Zamora Plaza, Plaza of Old Mother
* Walk of the Trujillano
* The Federation Park
* Park Los Mangos
* Business Centers: C.C. Cima, C.C. El Dorado, C.C. Forum, C.C. Vemeca.
* Olympic Stadium Agustin Tovar "La Carolina"
* Botanical Garden of Unelez

See also

*List of cities in Venezuela

External links

* [http://www.barinas.net.ve/ Portal of Barinas state]