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Caracas

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central & South American
Geography

   Coordinates: 10°30′N 66°55′W
   Santiago de León de Caracas
   Skyline of Santiago de León de Caracas

                Official flag of Santiago de León de Caracas
                                    Flag

                Official seal of Santiago de León de Caracas
                                    Seal

   Nickname: "La Sultana del Avila (English:The Avilas' Sultan)

   La Sucursal del Cielo (English:Branch of Heaven)"
   Motto: Ave María Santísima, sin pecado concebida, en el primer instante
   de su ser natural.

   (English: Hail Holiest Mary, conceived without sin, in the first
   instant of Your Natural Being)
   Coordinates: 10°30′N 66°55′W
   Country Venezuela
   State Miranda
   Counties Libertador, Chacao, Baruta, Sucre, El Hatillo
   Mayor Juan Barreto (2004 – 2008)
   Area
    - City 1,930 km²  (1199.2  sq mi)
   Elevation 900 m  (3,000 ft)
   Population
    - City (2005) 3,276,000
    - Density 1,697/km² (4,394/sq mi)
    - Urban 4,700,000
   Website: alcaldiamayor.gob.ve

   Caracas ( pron. IPA [ka'ɾakas]) is the capital of Venezuela. It is
   located in the north of the country, following the contours of a narrow
   mountain valley located on the Venezuelan coastal range (Cordillera de
   la Costa). The valley's temperatures are springlike, and the
   urbanizable terrain of the Caracas Valley lies between 2,500 and 3,000
   ft (760 and 910 m) above sea level. The Valley is close to the
   Caribbean Sea , separated from the coast by a steep mountain range (
   Cerro Ávila) that rises above 7400 ft (2200 m); to the south lies
   further hills and mountains. The historic centre of Caracas, known as
   the Libertador District, had an estimated population of 2.1 million in
   2005. In that same year, the official metropolitan area had an
   estimated population of 3.3 million. Distrito Capital (Capital
   District) is the name of Caracas' primary seat, covering part of
   Miranda State. The population of Caracas' urban agglomeration (Greater
   Caracas, including neighboring cities out of the Capital District) is
   about 4.7 million.

History

   Casa del Libertador (Simón Bolívar's home in Caracas)
   Enlarge
   Casa del Libertador (Simón Bolívar's home in Caracas)

   More than five hundred years ago, the area was populated by peaceful
   local ethnic tribes and Caracas did not exist. Years went by, and
   Francisco Fajardo, a Spanish colonizer founded a plantation there in
   1562. Fajardo's stay in the valley did not last long, and he was
   expelled by the locals who returned to their flower-filled freedom.
   This was the last rebellion on the part of the aborigines, for on July
   25, 1567, the Spanish captain Diego de Losada laid the foundations of
   the city of Santiago de León de Caracas, and the ethnic settlement of
   Catuchacao became transformed under the influence of the colonizers
   into the new city of Caracas.

   The cultivation of cocoa stimulated the development of the city which
   became the capital of the province of Venezuela.

   An attempt at revolution to gain independence organized by José María
   España and Manuel Gual was put down on July 13, 1797. But the ideas of
   the French Revolution and the American Wars of Independence inspired
   the people, and on July 5, 1811 a Declaration of Independence was
   signed in Caracas. This city was the birthplace of two of Latin
   America's most important figures: Francisco de Miranda and "El
   Libertador" Simón Bolívar. An earthquake destroyed Caracas on March 26,
   1812 and was portrayed by authorities as a divine punishment for
   rebelling against the Spanish Crown, during the Venezuelan War of
   Independence. The valley became a cemetery, and the war continued until
   June 24, 1821, when Bolívar gained a decisive victory over the
   Royalists at Carabobo.

   As the economy of oil-rich Venezuela grew steadily during the first
   part of the 20th century, Caracas became one of Latin America's
   economic centers, and was also known as the preferred hub between
   Europe and South America. During the 1950s Caracas began an intensive
   modernization program which continued through the 1960s and early
   1970s. The Universidad Central de Venezuela, designed by modernist
   architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva, now a UNESCO monument, was built.
   Joining El Silencio, also by Villanueva, several workers' (23 de Enero,
   Simon Rodriguez) and new middle class residential districts (Bello
   Monte, Los Palos Grandes, Chuao, Cafetal, etc.) sprouted in the valley,
   extending its limits towards the East and South East. On October 17,
   2004, one of the Parque Central towers caught fire. The change in the
   economic structure of the country, now oil dependent, and the fast
   development of Caracas made it a magnet for the rural communities who
   migrated to the capital city in an unplanned fashion, creating the
   'ranchitos' (slum) belt in the valley of Caracas.

   Reference: The history and geography of a valley, by Maurice
   Wiesenthal, article appeared in the book Caracas, published in 1981.
   University of Caracas, 1911
   Enlarge
   University of Caracas, 1911

Flag

   The flag of Caracas consists of a burgundy red field with the version
   of the Coat of Arms of the City effective since the decade of 1980. The
   red field symbolizes the blood spilled by Caraquenian people in favour
   of Independence and the highest Ideals of the Venezuelan Nation. Later,
   in 1994, presumably as a result of the change of municipal authorities,
   it was decided to increase the size of the Caracas coat of arms and
   move it to the centre of the field. This version of the flag is still
   in use today.

Coat of arms

   The coat of arms of the City of Caracas was adopted by the Libertador
   Municipality to identify itself. Later, the Metropolitan Mayor Office
   assumed the lion, the scallop and the St. James Cross for the same
   purpose.

Anthem

   The anthem of the City is the Marcha a Caracas by the composer Tiero
   Pezzuti de Matteis with lyrics by José Enrique Sarabia. The lyrics are
   said to be inspired by the heroism of the Caracas people, and the
   memory of the City of Red Roofs.

Law and government

   Caracas has five municipalities: Baruta, El Hatillo, Chacao, Libertador
   and Sucre. The constitution of Venezuela specifies that municipal
   governments be divided into executive and legislative branches. The
   executive government of the municipality is governed by the mayor,
   while the legislative government is managed by the Municipal council.
   In March 8, 2000, the year after a new constitution was introduced in
   Venezuela, it was decreed in Gaceta Oficial N° 36,906 that the
   Metropolitan District of Caracas would be created, and that some of the
   powers of these municipalities would be delegated to the Alcaldía
   Mayor, physically located in Libertador municipality.

Geography

   Caracas is located in a valley, urban development in the last century
   has expanded to the adjacents mountains. The main water body of Caracas
   is the Guaire river, which flows across the city. In the north side of
   the city is located the mountain Cerro El Ávila.

Economy

   Caracas as the capital of Venezuela, hosts numerous companies of
   services, banks, malls, among others. Its activity is in almost 100% of
   services, excepting some industries established in its metropolitan
   area, this city also host the Caracas Stock Exchange, that requests the
   operations of the purchase and authorizes the sale of the instruments
   for its negotiation in the stock-market. It also hosts Petróleos de
   Venezuela (PDVSA) which is the main company of the country, that
   negotiates all the international agreements for the distribution and
   export of petroleum.

Demographics

   Caracas downtown
   Enlarge
   Caracas downtown
   Shantytown in northwest Caracas
   Enlarge
   Shantytown in northwest Caracas

   The population of Caracas is of 3,276,000 inhabitants, not including
   the sorrounding suburbs, like Petare, whose population might get up to
   1,500,000 people.

   The mixture of races and cultures has marked this city throughout its
   history. Previously, during colonial times, spaniards mixed with local
   native indians and again with African slaves brought to work on the
   cocoa and coffee fields, thus, as a result, it is possible to see any
   kind of mixture of these races nowadays in the city.

   After this colonization period, when Venezuela was already independent
   and when petroleum was discovered and exploited, another kind of
   immigration arrived in the growing city: Europeans. The French, who
   brought the phone system (thus, people say "aló" like in French, when
   they answer the phone), and the Dutch (Shell Petroleum), who came to
   exploit the natural resources.

   Then afterwards, due to the Second World War, old European
   dictatorships and more exploitation of petroleum, many thousands of
   immigrants from Spain (Galicia, Canary Islands especially), Portugal
   (Madeira Island especially), Italy and some other countries like Turkey
   and Lebanon came to build a new life on a brand new city, about to
   burst. This European immigration was notorious during the 60s and 70s.
   But some years later, during the 80s and 90s, Caracas received another
   type of immigrants, this time from nearby countries such as Colombia;
   Ecuador; Peru, Bolivia, Trinidad and Tobago, Haití, bringing again a
   new type of demography to the former landscape.

   Fortunately, due to the old Spanish influence, mixture of races and
   cultures has been an accepted part of life in the city of Caracas.
   Therefore, it is not difficult to find blond people with dark eyes, as
   well as very dark people with blondish hair and blue eyes.
   Nevertheless, the common demography would be "mulatos" (black+white),
   "mestizos" (white+native indian), and "criollo" (three races all
   together).

   Nowadays, due to the new petroleum boom, and new immigration policies,
   Caracas is receiving immigrants who come now from Cuba, China and
   Arabic Countries like Iraq and Iran. This new immigration has a lot to
   do with the new alliance made by the current President Hugo Chávez with
   the above mentioned countries.

   As you can see, many people have arrived, but unfortunately the city
   has grown without any control. No demographic planning has ever been
   done, thus it is totally normal to find many and many zones and
   neighborhoods of Caracas without water and electrical systems, not to
   mention other services like schools, hospitals, police, fire
   departments, etc. Therefore, many suburbs and zones of the city are
   like lawless territories, in which crime and insecurity is felt every
   day and every night. Caracas, like many other Latin American cities,
   represents the best example of "non-planned supportable development",
   having as a result a modern, rich city, but at the same time,
   lawlessness combined with lots of misery and poverty.

   It is quite normal to find in Caracas an amazing 60-story, magnificent,
   high-tech building right next to a small house.

Sites of interest

   Main library of Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas
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   Main library of Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas
   Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex
   Enlarge
   Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex
   The National Pantheon (Panteón Nacional)
   Enlarge
   The National Pantheon ( Panteón Nacional)
   Mounted statue of Simón Bolívar in Plaza Bolívar, Caracas.
   Enlarge
   Mounted statue of Simón Bolívar in Plaza Bolívar, Caracas.
   Santa Rosalía de Palermo Church in El Hatillo
   Enlarge
   Santa Rosalía de Palermo Church in El Hatillo
   Pico Oriental of the Cerro El Ávila
   Enlarge
   Pico Oriental of the Cerro El Ávila
   Las Mercedes avenue
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   Las Mercedes avenue
   Altamira neighborhood
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   Altamira neighbourhood
   Centro Simón Bolívar
   Enlarge
   Centro Simón Bolívar
   A narrow street in the colonial town of Petare
   Enlarge
   A narrow street in the colonial town of Petare

Ciudad Universitaria

   The main campus of the Central University of Venezuela, designed by the
   renowned architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva and declared World Heritage
   by UNESCO in 2000, is considered to be a masterwork of Modern
   Architecture and Art. Over 28 artists from the Modern Avant-garde
   participated in the project. Among them Hans Arp, Alexander Calder,
   Fernand Léger, Victor Vasarely with the Venezuelans Francisco Narváez,
   Alejandro Otero and Oswaldo Vigas.

Capitolio Federal

   The Capitolio Federal occupies an entire city block, and, with its
   golden domes and neoclassical pediments, can seem even bigger. The
   building was commissioned by Antonio Guzmán Blanco in the 1870s, and is
   most famous for its Salón Elíptico, an oval hall with a mural-covered
   dome and walls lined with portraits of the country's great and good.

   Visit on Independence Day and you'll catch a glimpse of the original
   Act of Independence of 1811, installed inside a pedestal topped by a
   bust of Bolívar and displayed only on this most auspicious of public
   days. The halls surrounding the salon are daubed with battle scenes
   commemorating Venezuela's fight for independence.

Parque del Este

   Designed by Brazilian architect Roberto Burle Marx. A green paradise in
   the middle of the city, where diverse activities can be done. A park
   where typical animals can be seen in a little zoo. A replica of the
   famous ship led by Christopher Columbus, la Santa Maria, is in the
   southern part of the park.

Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex

   The Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex (Complejo Cultural Teresa Carreño),
   or more commonly the Teresa Carreño Theatre (Teatro Teresa Carreño), is
   one of the most important Theaters of Caracas and Venezuela, where
   symphonic and popular concerts imagine frequently, operas, ballet and
   theatre. It is located near the Seat of the museums, the Caobos Park
   and the Athenian of Caracas,in the cultural zone of the city. It is
   divided in two rooms: Jose Felix Ribas and Ríos Reyna. It is
   constructed on a land of 22 thousand square meters. The theater was
   thus called in honour to the pianist Teresa Carreño.

Casa Natal de Bolívar

   Skyscrapers may loom overhead, but there's more than a hint of original
   colonial flavor in this neatly proportioned reconstruction of the house
   where Simón Bolívar was born on July 24, 1783. The museum's exhibits
   include period weapons, banners and uniforms.

   Much of the original colonial interior has been replaced by monumental
   paintings of battle scenes, but more personal relics can be seen in the
   nearby Museo Bolivariano. Pride of place goes to the coffin in which
   Bolívar's remains were brought from Colombia; his ashes now rest in the
   National Pantheon.

   Bolívar's funeral was held 12 years after his death at the Iglesia de
   San Francisco, just a few blocks west, and it was also here that he was
   proclaimed 'El Libertador' in 1813. The church dazzles the eye with its
   richly gilded baroque altarpieces, and still retains much of its
   original colonial interior, despite being given a modernizing once-over
   by Guzmán Blanco.

Museo de Arte Colonial

   The gardens that surround this museum are almost as enticing as its
   interior. The museum is housed in a gorgeous colonial country mansion
   known as Quinta Anauco, which is surrounded by beautiful greenery.
   Inside the house you'll find meticulously restored rooms, filled with
   carefully selected works of art, furniture and period household and
   many other historical artifacts.

   The "Quinta" was well outside the historic town when it was built back
   in 1797, but today it's an oasis in the inner suburb of San Bernardino.
   Head there late on a Sunday morning and you might catch a chamber music
   concert in rooms which were once the house stables

Panteón Nacional

   Venezuela's most venerated building is five blocks north of Plaza
   Bolívar, on the northern edge of the old town. Formerly a church, the
   building was given its new purpose as the final resting place for
   eminent Venezuelans by Antonio Guzmán Blanco in 1874. The entire
   central nave is dedicated to Bolívar, with the altar's place taken by
   the hero's bronze sarcophagus, while lesser luminaries are relegated to
   the aisles. The national pantheon's vault is covered with 1930s
   paintings depicting scenes from Bolívar's life, and the huge crystal
   chandelier glittering overhead was installed in 1883 on the centennial
   of his birth. It's worth hanging around to catch the ceremonial
   changing of the guard, held several times a day.

Parque Central

   At a short saunter east of Plaza Bolívar is Parque Central, a concrete
   complex of five high-rise residential slabs of somewhat
   apocalyptic-appearing architecture, crowned by two 53-storey octagonal
   towers while one of them is currently going under major repairs due to
   the fire which burned the building on October 17, 2004.

   Parque Central is Caracas' art and culture hub, loaded with museums,
   cinemas, the Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex, and the Caracas
   Athenaeum, home to the esteemed Rajatabla theatre company. The Mirador
   de la Torre Oeste, on the 52nd floor, gives a 360° bird's-eye view of
   the city.

Plaza Bolívar

   Leafy Plaza Bolívar is the focus of the old town with the inevitable
   monument to El Libertador, Simon Bolívar, at its heart. Modern
   high-rise buildings have overpowered much of the colonial flavor of
   Caracas' founding neighbourhood. But the lively area still boasts some
   important sites.

   The Museo Caracas on the ground floor highlights local history, and has
   some great models of the city as it appeared in the early 19th century
   and 1930s. To grasp just how much this city has grown, take a look at
   the map dating from 1578 in the building's central courtyard.

El Hatillo

   El Hatillo is a colonial town located at the south-east suburbs of
   Caracas in the municipal area of the same name. This small town, which
   is one of Venezuela's few well-preserved typical colonial areas, gives
   an idea of what Caracas was like in centuries past. Just like every
   town in Venezuela, El Hatillo has its own Plaza Bolívar with El
   Libertador's statue in the middle. It also has a well preserved Roman
   Catholic Church, and many colonial houses. Even the municipal
   government, banks, and bookshops in this neighbourhood keep the
   colonial look, with tall windows, floor-to-top wood doors, and red tile
   roofs.

   The actual colonial section of El Hatillo municipality represents only
   a small part of the total land size. Other parts of El Hatillo
   municipality are regular residential and commercial zones, including
   the neighborhoods of La Boyera, Oripoto, and La Lagunita.

Cerro El Ávila

   Cerro El Ávila (Mountain El Ávila) (Wuaraira Repano), is a mountain in
   the mid-North of Venezuela, it rises next to Caracas and separates the
   city from the Caribbean Sea, it is considered the lung of Caracas due
   to the fact that there is no construction on it, only vegetation, this
   makes it a sites of reference of the city. In 1958 the mountain was
   declared National Park, with the name of El Ávila National Park.

Las Mercedes

   For those who wish to know the most commercial and cosmopolitan
   district of Caracas, you must visit Las Mercedes, this zone reunited
   some of the best restaurants of the city, that include the diverse
   gastronomical specialities, along with pleasant pubs, bars and pools.
   It is the favorite meeting place of the Caracas youth, it has some of
   the most exclusive stores of the city.

Altamira neighbourhood

   Altamira is a neighbourhood located in the Chacao municipality of
   Caracas, it has its own Metro Station, many hotels and restaurants, and
   is an important business centre of the city, the Francisco de Miranda
   avenue (a major avenue in Caracas) and the Distibuidor Altamira (a
   congested highway exit) are both located in Altamira.

The Caracas Cathedral

   The Cathedral is situated in one corner of the Plaza Bolívar, it was
   founded in 1594. The parents of Simón Bolívar are buried in the
   Cathedral, besides its hand carved altars, it possesses some
   magnificent works of art, a Resurrection by Rubens, the Presentation of
   the Virgin by Murillo, and the Last Supper, an unfinished work by the
   Venezuelan painter Arturo Michelena.

Religious buildings

     * Catedral de Caracas
     * Basílica Menor de Santa Capilla
     * Sinagoga Tiferet Israel en Maripérez
     * Mezquita Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim
     * Iglesia San Francisco
     * Iglesia Santa Rosalía de Palermo
     * Basílica Santa Teresa
     * Iglesia Rumana Ortodoxa de San Constantino y Santa Elena
     * Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Altagracia

Seats and parks

     * Plaza O’Leary
     * Plaza Venezuela/ Paseo Colón
     * Plaza Bolívar
     * Plaza Francia
     * Plaza La India
     * Plaza de los Museos
     * Plaza la Castellana
     * Plaza Andres Eloy Blanco
     * Plaza El Venezolano
     * Parque del Este: Francisco de Miranda
     * Parque del Oeste: Jovito Villalba
     * Parque Los Caobos
     * Parque Los Chorros
     * Parque Arístides Rojas
     * Parque Vinicio Adames
     * Parque ARUFLO
     * Parque Cueva del Indio
     * Parque Zoológico de Caricuao
     * Parque Zoológico El Pinar
     * Parque Manuel San
     * Parque Maracaibo
     * Parque Sanz
     * Parque Zoológico de Contacto: “Expanzoo”
     * Jardín Botánico de Caracas
     * Jardines de las Universidades: Simón Bolívar y Central de Venezuela
     * Paseo Los Próceres
     * Paseo El Calvario
     * Parque nacional El Ávila
     * Cerro el Volcán
     * Parque Nacional Macarao
     * Zona de Protección del Litoral Central
     * Zona de Protección del Área Metropolitana de Caracas
     * Zona de Protección “El Algodonal”

Colleges and universities

   Caracas is home for some of the most prestigious universities in the
   country, including Universidad Central de Venezuela, Universidad Simón
   Bolívar, Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, Universidad Metropolitana,
   Universidad José María Vargas and several others.

Sports

   Most notably football and baseball teams are located in Caracas.
   Several other sports also have Caracas as their home. The baseball
   teams Tiburones de La Guaira and Leones del Caracas have like seat the
   Estadio Olímpico de la UCV, of the Central University of Venezuela,
   with a capacity of 25.000 spectators. The Navegantes del Magallanes,
   another baseball team, although it was founded in Caracas, was moved to
   Valencia, Carabobo, but it has a great liking in the capital, in
   special by its historical rivalry with the local team.

   They city has two football stadiums:
     * Estadio Olímpico de la UCV, with capacity of 30.000 spectators (but
       is being extended to 40,000 for the Copa América 2007)
     * Brígido Iriarte stadium, with a capacity of 12.000 spectators (old
       seat of the Caracas Fútbol Club and Deportivo Italchacao). The
       Caracas Football Club opens its own stadium in August 2005, called
       Cocodrilos Sport Park.

   Caracas for being the capital of Venezuela, has the seat of the
   National Institute of Sports and the Venezuelan Olympic Committee as
   well as of many clubs and national federations of a great diversity of
   disciplines.

Sports teams

     * Baseball: Leones del Caracas B.B.C.
     * Football: Caracas Fútbol Club, Estrella Roja Futbol club, Deportivo
       Italia
     * Basket: Cocodrilos del Caracas B.C.

Culture

   Caracas is Venezuela's cultural capital, boasting several restaurants,
   theaters, museums, and shopping centers. The city is also home to an
   array of immigrants from but not limited to: Spain, Italy, Portugal,
   the Middle East, Germany, China, and Latin American countries.

Museums and theaters

     * Museo del Transporte Guillermo José Schael
     * Museo del Teclado
     * Museo Sacro de Caracas
     * Museo de los Niños
     * Museo de Ciencias Naturales
     * Museo Histórico Militar
     * Cinemateca Nacional
     * Museo de Arte Colonial: Quinta de Anauco
     * Galería de Arte Nacional
     * Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas (MACC), with one of the most
       important art collections of South America.
     * Museo Jacobo Borges
     * Museo de Bellas Artes
     * Museo Alejandro Otero
     * Ateneo de Caracas

     * Museo Arturo Michelena
     * Museo Audiovisual
     * Museo de la Estampa y el Diseño Carlos Cruz-Diez
     * Museo de Arte Popular de Petare
     * Museo Alejandro Otero
     * Galería Contini, an international gallery of paintings (America and
       Europe)
     * Centro de Arte La Estancia
     * Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas
     * Cuadra Bolivariana
          + Casa natal del Libertador Simón Bolívar
          + Museo Bolivariano
     * Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex
     * Teatro Municipal
     * Teatro Nacional
     * Centro de Estudios Latinoamericanos Rómulo Gallegos (CELARG)
     * Poliedro de Caracas

Notable natives

   Plaza Francia in Chacao Municipality
   Enlarge
   Plaza Francia in Chacao Municipality

   Caracas has been the birthplace of many politicians and artists that
   notably shaped the country's history and culture:
     * Simón Bolívar
     * Simón Rodríguez
     * Andrés Bello
     * Manuel Blum
     * Luisa Cáceres de Arismendi
     * Teresa Carreño
     * Rómulo Gallegos
     * Carlos Cruz-Díez
     * Pedro Gual
     * Antonio Guzmán Blanco
     * Francisco de Miranda
     * Armando Reverón
     * Tito Salas
     * Fermín Toro
     * Martín Tovar y Tovar
     * Arturo Uslar-Pietri
     * José Ángel Lamas
     * Juan Antonio Perez Bonalde

Recreation

   The city has two main football stadiums: The Olympic Stadium (35,000)
   and the Estadio Brígido Iriarte, with a capacity of 25,000 seats, which
   is home to the Caracas Fútbol Club and Italchacao). Baseball teams
   Tiburones de la Guaira and Leones del Caracas also play on their shared
   stadium Estadio Universitario (33,000 seats).
     * Caracas hosted the 1983 Pan American Games

Transportation

   Metrobus feeder bus
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   Metrobus feeder bus
   Agua Salud station of the Caracas Metro
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   Agua Salud station of the Caracas Metro
   Rómulo Gallegos avenue
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   Rómulo Gallegos avenue
   The Francisco Fajardo highway at night
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   The Francisco Fajardo highway at night
     * The Caracas metro has been in operation since 1983 and is the
       safest and quickest way to travel in the city. It is the pride of
       Caracas because of its functionality and cleanliness. With four
       lines and more than 40 stations, it covers a great part of the
       city, it also has an integrated ticket system, that combines the
       route of the Metro with those offered by the Metrobús, a bus
       service of the Caracas Metro, that arrives at zones with the same
       quality and excellence. The Metro system works from 5:30 a.m. to
       11:00 p.m.
     * Buses are the main means of mass transportation. There are two bus
       systems: the traditional system and the Metrobus. The traditional
       system runs a variety of bus types, operated by several companies
       on normal streets and avenues:

     * bus; large buses.
     * buseta; medium size buses.
     * microbus or colectivo; vans or minivans.

     * The Simón Bolívar International Airport, the biggest and most
       important airport in the country is located outside the city,
       roughly 20 miles from the Downtown. Taxis and Buses are available
       at the airport to provide transportation to the city.

Main avenues

     * Bolívar avenue (the longest avenue of Venezuela in straight line)
     * Simón Bolívar avenue (southeast of the city)
     * Universidad avenue
     * Baralt avenue
     * Sucre avenue
     * Urdaneta avenue
     * Andrés Bello avenue
     * Lecuna avenue
     * Panteón avenue
     * Libertador avenue
     * Francisco de Miranda avenue (the longest of Caracas)
     * Páez avenue
     * O'Higgins avenue
     * San Martín avenue
     * Teherán avenue
     * Acacias avenue
     * Las Palmas avenue
     * Abraham Lincoln avenue (Boulevard of Sabana Grande)
     * Francisco Solano avenue
     * Casanova avenue
     * Intercomunal avenue of El Valle
     * Fuerzas Armadas avenue
     * Nueva Granada avenue
     * Presidente Medina avenue (also known like: Victoria avenue)
     * Roosevelt avenue
     * Principal avenue of El Cementerio
     * Paseo Los Ilustres
     * Las Acacias avenue
     * Paseo Los Próceres
     * Río de Janeiroa avenue
     * Principal avenue of las Mercedes
     * Venezuela avenue of El Rosal
     * Tamanaco avenue
     * Intercomunal Santa Mónica-Cumbres de Curumo avenue
     * Boulevard of El Cafetal
     * Sanz avenue
     * Principal avenue of Caurimare
     * 4ª avenue of los Palos Grandes
     * San Juan Bosco avenue
     * Luís Roche avenue
     * Sucre avenue of los Dos Caminos
     * Los Castaños avenue of los Chorros
     * Rómulo Gallegos avenue
     * Principal avenue of Macaracuay
     * La Guairita avenue (Cemetery of th east)

Districts

                              Caracas Districts
Northwest Catia • 23 de Enero • Propatria • Lomas de Urdaneta • Casalta
El Atlántico • Caño Amarillo • Los Magallanes de Catia • Alta Vista •
             Ruperto Lugo • Lídice • Gramoven • Manicomio
Centre El Silencio • Capitolio • La Hoyada • Altagracia • La Pastora •
          Cotiza • Quita Crespo • Guaicaipuro • La Candelaria
   Southwest Artigas • Vista Alegre • Bella Vista • Colinas de Vista
 Alegre • La Yaguara • Zona Industrial de La Yaguara • El Algodonal •
Carapa • Antímano • Washington • Las Fuentes • El Paraíso • El Pinar •
 La Paz • El Paraíso • Montalbán • Juan Pablo II • La Vega • Las
                      Adjuntas • Caricuao • Mamera
  Centereastern El Conde • Parque Central • San Agustín del Sur • San
Agustín del Norte • Simón Rodríguez • Maripérez •La Colina • Las Palmas
• Las Lomas • San Rafael • Los Caobos • Quebrada Honda • San Bernardino
• La Campiña • La Florida • Alta Florida • Chapellín • Los Cedros • El
           Bosque • Chacaíto • Sabana Grande • Bello Monte
South Cementerio • Los Carmenes • Los Castaños • Prado de Maria • La
 Bandera • Las Acacias • Colinas de las Acacias • Los Rosales • Valle
Abajo • Los Chaguaramos • Ciudad Universitaria • Santa Mónica • Colinas
de Santa Mónica • Colinas de Bello Monte • Cumbres de Curumo • El Valle
 • Los Jardines de El Valle • Coche • Delgado Chalbaud • La Rinconada
Eastern Country Club • El Pedregal • San Marino • Campo Alegre • Chacao
• Bello Campo • El Rosal • El Retiro • Las Mercedes • Tamanaco • Chuao
• Altamira • Los Palos Grandes • La Castellana • La Floresta • Santa
Eduvigis • Sebucán • La Carlota • Santa Cecilia • Campo Claro • Los
Ruices • Montecristo • Los Chorros • Los Dos Caminos • Boleíta • Los
Cortijos • La California • Horizonte • El Marqués • La Urbina • El
Llanito • Macaracuay • La Guairita • Caurimare • El Cafetal • San Román
• Santa Rosa • San Luis • Santa Sofía • Santa Paula • Santa Inés • Los
                      Pomelos • Palo Verde • Petare
Southeastern Valle Arriba • Santa Fe • Los Campitos • Prados del Este •
Alto Prado • El Peñón • Baruta • Piedra Azul • La Trinidad • La Tahona
• Monterrey • Las Minas • Cerro Verde • Los Naranjos • La Boyera • Alto
 Hatillo • El Hatillo • Los Geranios • La Lagunita • El Placer • El
          Guayabao • El Volcán • La Unión • Sartanejas •

Panorama

   Caracas and the Francisco Fajardo Highway
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   Caracas and the Francisco Fajardo Highway
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caracas"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
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