Puerto Ordaz
Encyclopedia
Puerto Ordaz is a planned city which, together with the older settlement of San Felix, forms Ciudad Guayana
in Bolívar State, eastern Venezuela
. Puerto Ordaz is located at the confluence of the Caroní
and Orinoco
Rivers and is the site of the Llovizna Falls
. There are bridges across the Caroni and a new bridge across the Orinoco (Second Orinoco crossing
). It is one of Venezuela's largest cities and is the base for large iron
and steelworks and aluminium industries. The city has a large hydroelectric power plant, Macagua Dam
.
Due to its planned nature, the city has a drastically different feel to it than many other South American cities. The towers of the Alta Vista district recall New York
, and many of the residential neighborhoods have architecture and landscaping that are similar to suburbs in the United States in the 1950s, including 'cookie cutter' homes, sidewalks, and patterned lawns.
), are also located in Puerto Ordaz..
. Edelca also built and administers Guri (currently the world's second biggest dam, in terms of the capacity of hydroelectric generation) and gave origin to the Guri reservoir, the second biggest lake in Venezuela. Puerto Ordaz is also the only city in the world with a hydroelectric dam in the middle of the city. Both the city, Puerto Ordaz, and Venezuela use some of the hydroelectric power from Guri Dam.
Puerto Ordaz is conformated by Caroní Municipality. Venezuelan law specifies that municipal governments have four main functions: executive, legislative, comptroller, and planning. The executive function is managed by the mayor
, who is in charge of representing the municipality's administration. The legislative branch is represented by the Municipal Council, composed of seven councillors, charged with the deliberation of new decrees and local laws. The comptroller tasks are managed by the municipal comptroller
's office, which oversees accountancy
. Finally, planning is represented by the Local Public Planning Council, which manages development projects for the municipality.
On December 3, 2006, the Orinokia bridge
, which crosses the Orinoco river, was inaugurated.
schools in Latin America. The main universities are:
Regional hubs:
Puerto Ordaz is headquarter of colleges like:
Technical Institutes
s. Other local attractions are the Caroní Ecomuseum located at the Macagua Dam. Near the city from the Angosturita bridge to the San Félix port the union of the Caroní and Orinoco rivers can be seen; the different colors of the water of both rivers make a very distinct demarcation line. Taking Puerto Ordaz as a starting point, the Orinoco Delta can be visited as well as Canaima's National Park and Guri's reservoirs. Other points of interest are the colonial castles at the Orinoco riverside and the "Cerro del Elefante" (Elephant's hill) which can be reached in a 4x4 vehicle. The Castles of Guayana are located at the right side of the Orinoco River, about 35 kilometers from San Félix.
Ciudad Guayana
Ciudad Guayana is a city in Bolívar State, Venezuela. It lies south of the Orinoco, where the river is joined by the Caroní River. The city, officially founded in 1961, is actually composed of the old town of San Félix at the east and the new town of Puerto Ordaz at the west, which lie either...
in Bolívar State, eastern 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...
. Puerto Ordaz is located at the confluence of the Caroní
Caroní River
The Caroni River is the second most important river of Venezuela, the second in flow, and one of the longest, 952 km from the Tepui Kuquenan, where she originates with the same name Kuquenan, up to its confluence with the River Orinoco to which basin she belongs...
and 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...
Rivers and is the site of the Llovizna Falls
Llovizna falls
Llovizna falls is a waterfall on the Caroní River, close to its confluence with the Orinoco, are located in the Llovizna Park, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela...
. There are bridges across the Caroni and a new bridge across the Orinoco (Second Orinoco crossing
Second Orinoco crossing
The Second Orinoco crossing or Orinoquia Bridge is a combined road and railway bridge over the Orinoco River near Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela. It was inaugurated on November 13, 2006 and named Orinoquia Bridge...
). It is one of Venezuela's largest cities and is the base for large iron
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
and steelworks and aluminium industries. The city has a large hydroelectric power plant, Macagua Dam
Macagua Dam
The Macagua Dam, officially known as Antonio José de Sucre, is an embankment dam with concrete gravity sections on the Caroní River in Ciudad Guayana, Bolívar State, Venezuela. It is upstream from the confluence of the Caroni and Orinoco Rivers, downstream of the Guri Dam and downstream of the...
.
Due to its planned nature, the city has a drastically different feel to it than many other South American cities. The towers of the Alta Vista district recall New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and many of the residential neighborhoods have architecture and landscaping that are similar to suburbs in the United States in the 1950s, including 'cookie cutter' homes, sidewalks, and patterned lawns.
Economic activity
Many of Venezuela's prime industries are based in Puerto Ordaz. These include Alcasa, Venalum, Bauxilum, Carbonorca (primary aluminium manufacturers and anode suppliers for the aluminium industry), Ferrominera (iron ore processing), and Ternium Sidor (Orinoco Steelmaking). The country's main electricity producer, Edelca, and the regional development office, CVG (Corporación Venezolana de GuayanaCorporación Venezolana de Guayana
The Corporacion Venezolana de Guayana is a decentralized state-owned Venezuelan conglomerate, located in the Guayana Region in the southeast of the country. Its subsidiaries include the aluminium producer Alcasa....
), are also located in Puerto Ordaz..
Port
The port of Puerto Ordaz in a combination of piers (muelles), all under the control of CVG, of which only one is considered for public use. The others are directly related to the CVG production companies in principal all aluminium related, approximately 9 piers in total. One of the most frequently used piers is Ferrominera at the mouth of the Caroni river. Another is Ternium Sidor (recently nationalised into a CVG company, and the only steel works) at mile 197.Hydroelectric Centrals
In Puerto Ordaz is located the electricity industry of Caroní (Edelca) which manage several of the hydroelectric centrals over the Caroní river: Macagua I and II and Caruachi, all of the 3 located on the urban side of Ciudad GuayanaCiudad Guayana
Ciudad Guayana is a city in Bolívar State, Venezuela. It lies south of the Orinoco, where the river is joined by the Caroní River. The city, officially founded in 1961, is actually composed of the old town of San Félix at the east and the new town of Puerto Ordaz at the west, which lie either...
. Edelca also built and administers Guri (currently the world's second biggest dam, in terms of the capacity of hydroelectric generation) and gave origin to the Guri reservoir, the second biggest lake in Venezuela. Puerto Ordaz is also the only city in the world with a hydroelectric dam in the middle of the city. Both the city, Puerto Ordaz, and Venezuela use some of the hydroelectric power from Guri Dam.
Law and government
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, who is in charge of representing the municipality's administration. The legislative branch is represented by the Municipal Council, composed of seven councillors, charged with the deliberation of new decrees and local laws. The comptroller tasks are managed by the municipal comptroller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
's office, which oversees accountancy
Accountancy
Accountancy is the process of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers. The communication is generally in the form of financial statements that show in money terms the economic resources under the control of management; the art lies in...
. Finally, planning is represented by the Local Public Planning Council, which manages development projects for the municipality.
Transportation
Puerto Ordaz is crisscrossed from north to south and east to west by numerous avenues. Some of them are:- Guayana Avenue is the main traffic avenue of the city, since it crisscrosses the city from its start to its end. It begins at the toll on the "Ciudad Bolivar-Ciudad Guayana" Highway, and goes all the way through Puerto Ordaz (industrial zone, airport, commercial zone, residential zone, even the touristic zone since it side passes the Cachamay Park).
- Atlantico Avenue runs through Puerto Ordaz from west to east on the south side of the city. It intersects with the Las Americas avenue and the Leopoldo Sucre Figarella avenue. This gives a high importance to this avenue.
- Las Americas Avenue connects the Altavista sector (north of the city) with the centre.
- Paseo Caroní Avenue starts on the west side of the city and ends at the Atlantic avenue.
On December 3, 2006, the Orinokia bridge
Second Orinoco crossing
The Second Orinoco crossing or Orinoquia Bridge is a combined road and railway bridge over the Orinoco River near Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela. It was inaugurated on November 13, 2006 and named Orinoquia Bridge...
, which crosses the Orinoco river, was inaugurated.
Recreation
In Puerto Ordaz the principal recreation centers are:- Natural: Llovizna parkLlovizna fallsLlovizna falls is a waterfall on the Caroní River, close to its confluence with the Orinoco, are located in the Llovizna Park, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela...
, Cachamay park, Loefling park. - Shopping centers: Orinokia mall, Altavista Mall, Atlántico Mall.
- Family: Macagua Eco museum, Christmas Park and the Italian-Venezuelan Club.
Colleges
Puerto Ordaz is also well known for having one of the best engineeringEngineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
schools in Latin America. The main universities are:
Regional hubs:
- Andrés Bello UCABUniversidad Católica Andrés BelloUniversidad Católica Andrés Bello is a private university in Venezuela. One of the biggest universities in Venezuela, UCAB has campuses in several cities, such as Caracas , Los Teques, Guayana and Coro....
(Catholic University) - UDOUniversidad de OrienteThe University of Oriente Venezuela is a university located in Eastern Venezuela.The university has 5 campuses located in the states of Sucre, Anzoátegui, Monagas, Bolívar, and Nueva Esparta....
(East University) - Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho (UGMA) University
- Bicentenaria de Aragua (UBA) University
Puerto Ordaz is headquarter of colleges like:
- UNEXPO (Polytechnic Experimental National University)
- UNEG (Experimental National University of Guayana)
Technical Institutes
- U.E.E.T.I. Fundación "La Salle" (San Felix)
- I.U.T. Antonio José de Sucre
- I.U.T. Pedro Emilio Coll
- I.U.P. Santiago Mariño
Tourism
Inside the city both the Llovizna and Cachamay Parks are located displaying their picturesque waterfallWaterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s. Other local attractions are the Caroní Ecomuseum located at the Macagua Dam. Near the city from the Angosturita bridge to the San Félix port the union of the Caroní and Orinoco rivers can be seen; the different colors of the water of both rivers make a very distinct demarcation line. Taking Puerto Ordaz as a starting point, the Orinoco Delta can be visited as well as Canaima's National Park and Guri's reservoirs. Other points of interest are the colonial castles at the Orinoco riverside and the "Cerro del Elefante" (Elephant's hill) which can be reached in a 4x4 vehicle. The Castles of Guayana are located at the right side of the Orinoco River, about 35 kilometers from San Félix.
Hotels
- Intercontinental Guayana Hotel
- Rasil Hotel
- Mara Inn Best Western Hotel
- Embajador Hotel
- Dos Ríos Hotel
- Eurobuilding
- Posada Turistica Residencias Tore
See also
- VenezuelaVenezuelaVenezuela , 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...
- Ciudad GuayanaCiudad GuayanaCiudad Guayana is a city in Bolívar State, Venezuela. It lies south of the Orinoco, where the river is joined by the Caroní River. The city, officially founded in 1961, is actually composed of the old town of San Félix at the east and the new town of Puerto Ordaz at the west, which lie either...
- Bolívar State
- List of cities in Venezuela
External links
- BBC article in a Puerto Ordaz aluminiumAluminiumAluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
plant