Barinas
Venezuela · Americas
About Barinas
Barinas is a city in west central Venezuela. According to the 2011 census, its population is 503,442. It is the capital of the Barinas Municipality and the State of Barinas. The city of Barinas is known as the capital of the Llanos.
The original city was founded under the name Altamira de Caceres on June 30, 1577, by Captain Juan Andres Varela fulfilling orders of the governor of La Grita Francisco de Cáceres, who had founded this Andean city and established it governorate in 1576.
In 1786 Barinas state was established in the territories of the existing states of Barinas and Apure. The city became the capital of the state and an important bastion of the patriots during the War of Independence. Cristóbal Mendoza, the first President of Venezuela, lived and practiced his profession in Barinas.
The name of the city comes from an indigenous word which identifies a strong wind that occurs during the rainy season, from the valleys of Santo Domingo.
The city is located in the northwest part of the state, along the river Santo Domingo in the Andean foothills about 165 km from the city of Mérida and 525 km from...
Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.