Caracas

Caracas was founded by the Spaniard, Diego de Losada, in 1567 as Santiago de Lean de Caracas, and was sacked by the English in 1595.

In 1777, Caracas became the capital of the Captaincy General of Venezuela.

Sketch of Caracas in 1812

The city was destroyed by earthquakes in 1755 and 1812. During the fourth day of celebrations marking its 400th anniversary, on July 29, 1967, Caracas was shaken by another earthquake that killed hundreds of people.

The revolutionary leader Simon Bolivar was born in Caracas in 1783 and is buried in the Pantean Nacional there. Bolivar's home was destroyed by an earthquake but has been reconstructed as a museum.

Venezuela's most venerated building, the National Pantheon of Venezuela, stands on the northern edge of the old town. Formerly a church, it was given its new purpose as the final resting place for eminent Venezuelans by Antonio Guzman Blanco in 1874.

Caracas lies in a narrow mountain valley about 900 metres above sea level, separated from the Caribbean coast by El Ãvila mountain.

Because of that elevation, Caracas has a tropical savanna climate tempered by altitude and is often described as enjoying springlike weather.

The city became the federal capital of Venezuela in the 19th century and remains the country's chief center of industry, commerce, education and culture.

Caracas expanded dramatically after the 1940s as Venezuela's oil economy grew, drawing migrants from other parts of the country and from overseas.

The Caracas Metro opened in 1983 and became one of the most important urban transport systems in Venezuela.

Simon Bolivar International Airport, which serves Caracas from Maiqueti­a on the coast, is the main international air gateway to Venezuela.

Recent population estimates put the Caracas urban area at about 3 million people, making it Venezuela's largest urban agglomeration.