Mérida (state)

state of Venezuela

Estado Mérida (Spanish pronunciation: [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 km² and, in 2007, had an estimated population of 843,800.[1][2]

Location within Venezuela
Flag
coat of arms

Municipalities and municipal seats change

 
The countryside in Mérida
Municipality Localization Seat Nombre de
parish
civiles
Parish name Population
(2001)
Alberto Adriani   El Vigía
7
Rómulo Gallegos
Presidente Páez
Rómulo Betancourt
Gagriel Picón Gonzalez
Hector Amable Mora
José Nucete Sardi
Pulido Méndez
106,084
Andrés Bello   La Azulita
1
Capital Andrés Bello 11,652
Antonio Pinto Salinas   Santa Cruz de Mora
3
Mesa de las Palmas
Mesa Bolívar
Santa Cruz de Mora
23,276
Aricagua   Aricagua
2
Aricagua
San Antonio
4,383
Arzobispo Chacón   Canaguá
7
Canaguá
Mucutuy
Mucuchachí
Chacantá
El Molino
Capurí
Guaimaral
14,025
Campo Elías   Ejido
7
Fernandez Peña
Matriz
Montalbán
Acequias
Jají
La Mesa
San José
82,397
Caracciolo Parra Olmedo   Tucaní
2
Capital Caracciolo Parra Olmedo
Florencio Ramírez
22,524
Cardenal Quintero   Santo Domingo
2
Capital Cardenal Quintero
Las Piedras
7,833
Guaraque   Guaraque
3
Capital Guaraque
Mesa de Quintero
Río Negro
8,402
Julio César Salas   Arapuey
2
Julio César Salas
Palmira
12,207
Justo Briceño   Torondoy
2
Capital Justo Briceño
San Cristóbal de Torondoy
5,200
Libertador   Mérida
15
Antonio Spinetti Dini
Arias
Caracciolo Parra Pérez
Domingo Peña
El Llano
Gonzalo Picón Febres
Jacinto Plaza
Juan Rodríguez Suárez
Lasso de la Vega
Mariano Picón Salas
Milla
Osuna Rodríguez
Sagrario
El Morro
Los Nevados
204,879
Miranda   Timotes
4
Andrés Eloy Blanco
La Venta
Piñango
Timotes
19,760
Obispo Ramos de Lora   Santa Elena de Arenales
3
Capital Obispo Ramos de Lora
Eloy Paredes
San Rafael de Alcázar
20,873
Padre Noguera   Santa María de Caparo
1
Padre Noguera 2,494
Pueblo Llano   Pueblo Llano
1
Pueblo Llano 9,532
Rangel Mucuchíes
4
Cacute
La Toma
Mucurubá
San Rafael
15,206
Rivas Dávila Bailadores
2
Bailadores
Gerónimo Maldonado
16,001
Santos Marquina   Tabay
1
Santos Marquina 13,795
Sucre   Lagunillas
5
Chiguará
Estánques
Pueblo Nuevo
San Juan
La Trampa
44,418
Tovar   Tovar
4
Tovar
El Llano
San Francisco
El Amparo
32,805
Tulio Febres Cordero   Nueva Bolivia
4
Independencia
Santa Apolonia
Maria de La Concepción Palacios y Blanco
Nueva Bolivia
28,437
Zea   Zea
2
Caño El Tigre
Zea
9,085
Total  
85
715,268

Geography change

 
Laguna Santo Cristo

Hydrography change

Rivers change

Hydrography is divided into two basins of the Orinoco River (Atlantic) and Lake Maracaibo (Caribbean Sea): In the Orinoco River basin major rivers are: Santo Domingo, Canaguá, Escagüey, Ticopoto, Bumbúm and Carapo; in the In the Lake Maracaibo basin major rivers are: Chama, Motatán, Mucujepe, Capaz, Torondoy, Mocotíes and Nuestra Señora.[1][2]

Lagons change

Laguna de Coromoto

In the state there are a lot of gaps between them are: La Mucuy, Los Patos, Negra, Mucubaji, Santo Cristo, El Arco, Los Anteojos, Suero, Encierro, La Sangre, El Gallo, Don Pedro, Laguna Grande, campanario, La Honda, La Negra, Fría y La Carbonera. Other gaps: Laguna Brava, Los Lirios and Urao [1][2]

National parks change

 
Sierra Nevada - Pico Bolívar
  • Sierra Nevada National Park
  • Paramo Batallon – La Negra National Park
  • Sierra de la Culata National Park
  • Tapo-Caparo National Park

Natural monuments change

  • Chorrera de La González
  • Laguna de Urao
  • Meseta la Galera

Other sites of interest change

 
Laguna Santo Cristo
 
Pico Humboldt
  • Aguas termales de Chiguara.
  • Aguas termales de Jají.
  • Aguas termales de Tabay.
  • Aguas termales Valle de la Quebrada de las Tapias.
  • El Velo de la Novia.
  • Parque Natural Cascada De La India Carú
  • Parque Natural Cascada El Guayabal
  • Laguna de Mucubají o Laguna Grande.
  • Laguna Negra.
  • Kiubofibo "Inside my mind".
  • Collado del Cóndor (Pico El Águila).
  • Pico El Gavilán.
  • Pico Espejo.
  • Pico Mucuñuque.
  • Aguas termales de Santa Apolonia
  • Balneario de Palmarito

Climate and Vegetation change

 
The countryside in Mérida

The climate is cold but in the relatively small area of Mérida state, there are usually several dramatic climatic changes that occur daily. The climate in Mérida city is between 19 °C and 20 °C, temperatures between 5 °C and 9 °C at El Bolivar Peak, or below zero when it snows and 28 °C in the El Vigía area. Its rains almost every late afternoon in January–February that is the coldest months an August–September and 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" and in the "Coloradito" is found the tree at the highest altitude in the world. In this mountains habitat the "Oso Frontino" bear and the majestic Condor flies through the skies of the páramos and in the lagoons there are many trout.

References change

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Vila, Marco Aurelio, 1967: Aspectos geográficos del estado Mérida. Corporación Venezolana de Fomento. Caracas. 359p.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hernández Caballero, Serafín (Editor). (1998): Gran Enciclopedia de Venezuela. Editorial Globe, C.A. Caracas. 10 volúmenes. ISBN 980-6427-00-9 ISBN 980-6427-10-6

Other websites change