Nueva Esparta
Encyclopedia
Nueva Esparta State is one of the 23 states
of Venezuela
. It comprises Margarita Island, Coche, and the largely uninhabited Cubagua
.
The state is the smallest one in area, and is located off the northeast Caribbean
coast of Venezuela. It is the only insular state of Venuezuela. Its name comes from the heroism shown by its inhabitants during the Venezuelan War of Independence
, deemed similar to that of the Sparta
n soldiers of Ancient Greece
. The main island of Margarita alone has an area of 934 km². In 1909 the state was constituted and in 1947 the island of Cubagua was added. Its capital city is La Asunción
, but the main urban center is Porlamar
. Other important towns are Juan Griego, Pampatar
(home of the Port Authority), Punta de Piedras, San Juan Bautista, Las Guevaras, Las Hernández, Villa Rosa, Bella Vista (Margarita), El Valle del Espíritu Santo.
Nueva Esparta was also the name of a Destroyer Class
, it was the leader of 1st Destroyer Division, a British built for Venezuela naval forces in the 50's.
was the oldest of those that in 1777 formed the Post of Captain-General of Venezuela
. It was dependent on the Royal Audience of Santo Domingo until 1739, when it was annexed to the Viceroyalty of New Granada
(Virreinato de Nueva Granada). In 1821, when the Greater Colombia was created, the Province of Margarita
was integrated to the Orinoco
Department, along with other regions. When the Republic
of Venezuela arose in 1830, it was one of its 13 original provinces. In 1864, when the country was divided into 20 states and a Federal District, Margarita took the name of State of New Sparta. In 1881 its status was changed to be a mere section of the Greater Guzmán Blanco State (Called Miranda
from 1889 to 1898). In 1901, two years after the autonomy of the states was restituted, it retook the name of New Sparta, but again lost it between 1904 and 1909, period in which it was included in the Federal District as "Eastern Section". Finally, in 1909 it recovered the condition of a State, and in 1948 it annexed the island of Cubagua territory.
States of Venezuela
Venezuela is divided into 23 states , 1 Capital District and the Federal Dependencies that consist of a large number of Venezuelan islands...
of Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. It comprises Margarita Island, Coche, and the largely uninhabited Cubagua
Cubagua
Cubagua or Isla de Cubagua is the smallest and least populated of the three islands constituting the Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta, after Isla Margarita and Coche. It is located 16 km north of Araya Peninsula, the closest mainland area....
.
The state is the smallest one in area, and is located off the northeast Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
coast of Venezuela. It is the only insular state of Venuezuela. Its name comes from the heroism shown by its inhabitants during the Venezuelan War of Independence
Venezuelan War of Independence
-The First Republic:Criollos resented the mercantilist policies of Spain. Trade was only allowed in Pacific ports which was a terrible burden for Argentina, Paraguay and the Caribbean colonies. This is significant as Cuba and Puerto Rico were forced to allow free trade in 1763 by Britain and...
, deemed similar to that of the Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
n soldiers of Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
. The main island of Margarita alone has an area of 934 km². In 1909 the state was constituted and in 1947 the island of Cubagua was added. Its capital city is La Asunción
La Asunción
La Asunción is a city in Venezuela. The capital of Nueva Esparta state, it lies on the Isla Margarita in the Caribbean Sea, off the South American mainland.Owing to its settlement by Spain in 1524, many colonial buildings still remain....
, but the main urban center is Porlamar
Porlamar
Porlamar is the largest city on Isla Margarita, Nueva Esparta State in Venezuela. It was founded on the southeast coast in 1536, less than 40 years after Christopher Columbus first sailed through. Porlamar was a quiet fishing village until the arrival of air travel...
. Other important towns are Juan Griego, Pampatar
Pampatar
Pampatar is a city on Isla Margarita, Nueva Esparta State, Venezuela. It is located at around .Pampatar lies 10 km northeast of Porlamar....
(home of the Port Authority), Punta de Piedras, San Juan Bautista, Las Guevaras, Las Hernández, Villa Rosa, Bella Vista (Margarita), El Valle del Espíritu Santo.
Nueva Esparta was also the name of a Destroyer Class
Nueva Esparta class destroyer
The Nueva Esparta-class destroyers were a class of warships used by the navy of Venezuela. The lead ship was named after Nueva Esparta , the name of the largest island in Venezuela....
, it was the leader of 1st Destroyer Division, a British built for Venezuela naval forces in the 50's.
History
Founded in 1525, the Province of MargaritaProvince of Margarita
The Province of Margarita was a province of the Spanish Empire and later of Venezuela, from 1525 to 1864. Its capital was La Asunción. It was under the Royal Audiencia of Santo Domingo until 1739, when it became part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada. It was one of the 13 original provinces of...
was the oldest of those that in 1777 formed the Post of Captain-General of Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. It was dependent on the Royal Audience of Santo Domingo until 1739, when it was annexed to the Viceroyalty of New Granada
Viceroyalty of New Granada
The Viceroyalty of New Granada was the name given on 27 May 1717, to a Spanish colonial jurisdiction in northern South America, corresponding mainly to modern Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. The territory corresponding to Panama was incorporated later in 1739...
(Virreinato de Nueva Granada). In 1821, when the Greater Colombia was created, the Province of Margarita
Isla Margarita
Margarita Island is the largest island of the state of Nueva Esparta in Venezuela, situated in the Caribbean Sea, off the northeastern coast of the country. The state also contains two other smaller islands: Coche and Cubagua. The capital city of Nueva Esparta is La Asunción, located in a river...
was integrated to the Orinoco
Orinoco
The Orinoco is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes called the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3% of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia...
Department, along with other regions. When the Republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
of Venezuela arose in 1830, it was one of its 13 original provinces. In 1864, when the country was divided into 20 states and a Federal District, Margarita took the name of State of New Sparta. In 1881 its status was changed to be a mere section of the Greater Guzmán Blanco State (Called Miranda
Francisco de Miranda
Sebastián Francisco de Miranda Ravelo y Rodríguez de Espinoza , commonly known as Francisco de Miranda , was a Venezuelan revolutionary...
from 1889 to 1898). In 1901, two years after the autonomy of the states was restituted, it retook the name of New Sparta, but again lost it between 1904 and 1909, period in which it was included in the Federal District as "Eastern Section". Finally, in 1909 it recovered the condition of a State, and in 1948 it annexed the island of Cubagua territory.
Table of Municipalities
| Municipality | Areakm² | PopulationCensus Census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common... 2001-10-21 | Municipalcapital | | |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antolín del Campo | 66 | 20,325 | La Plaza de Paraguachí | |||||
| Arismendi | 55 | 23,097 | La Asunción | |||||
| Díaz | 141 | 47,257 | Parroquia San Juan Bautista | |||||
| García | 89 | 45,606 | El Valle del Espíritu Santo | |||||
| Gómez | 91 | 30,237 | Santa Ana | |||||
| Maneiro | 38 | 35,400 | Pampatar Pampatar Pampatar is a city on Isla Margarita, Nueva Esparta State, Venezuela. It is located at around .Pampatar lies 10 km northeast of Porlamar.... |
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| Marcano | 43 | 28,256 | Juan Griego Juan Griego Juan Griego is a city on the northern side of Isla Margarita, and is the most northern port in Venezuela. It has a population of 28,256 inhabitants and is capital of the Marcano municipality of the Nueva Esparta state.-History:... |
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| Mariño | 39 | 84,534 | Porlamar Porlamar Porlamar is the largest city on Isla Margarita, Nueva Esparta State in Venezuela. It was founded on the southeast coast in 1536, less than 40 years after Christopher Columbus first sailed through. Porlamar was a quiet fishing village until the arrival of air travel... |
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| Macanao1) | 320 | 20,935 | Boca del Río | |||||
| Tubores2) | 207 | 29,962 | Punta de Piedras | |||||
| Villalba3) | 61 | 8,242 | San Pedro de Coche | |||||
| Nueva Esparta | 1,150 | 373.851 | La Asunción La Asunción La Asunción is a city in Venezuela. The capital of Nueva Esparta state, it lies on the Isla Margarita in the Caribbean Sea, off the South American mainland.Owing to its settlement by Spain in 1524, many colonial buildings still remain.... |
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| 1) the western peninsula Peninsula A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands".... |
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| 2) including Cubagua Cubagua Cubagua or Isla de Cubagua is the smallest and least populated of the three islands constituting the Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta, after Isla Margarita and Coche. It is located 16 km north of Araya Peninsula, the closest mainland area.... Island |
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| 3) coincident with Coche Island | ||||||||
External links
- http://www.gobernaciondenuevaesparta.com/ State government page.