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Aragua

Aragua
State of Venezuela
Flag of Aragua
Flag
Coat of arms of Aragua
Coat of arms
Motto: God, Fatherland, and Aragua
Anthem: Himno del Estado Aragua
Location within Venezuela
Location within Venezuela
Country Venezuela
Created 1899
Capital Maracay
Government
 • Governor Tareck El Aissami (2012–2016)
Area
 • Total 7,014 km2 (2,708 sq mi)
Area rank 20th
  0.76% of Venezuela
Population (2011)
 • Total 1,630,308
 • Rank 6th
  6.28% of Venezuela
Time zone UTC-04:30
ISO 3166 code VE-D
Emblematic tree Samán (Pithecellobium saman)
Website www.aragua.gob.ve

Aragua State (Spanish: Estado Aragua, IPA: [esˈtaðo aˈɾaɣwa]) is located in the north-central region of Venezuela. It has plains and jungles and Caribbean beaches. The most popular are Cata and Choroni. It has Venezuela's first national park which is called Henri Pittier.

The capital is Maracay, other important cities include Turmero and El Limón.

Aragua State covers a total surface area of 7,014 km² and, based on the 2011 census information, the estimated population of Aragua State in 2012 is 1,630,308 inhabitants.

The name Aragua is said to derive from a Cumanagota word for a type of palm, roystonea oleracea.

Aragua was part of the Province of Caracas until 1848, when the Province was split into three parts, one being Aragua Province. The Province became a state in 1864. Some mergers and demergers with other states followed, until Aragua became an autonomous state again in 1901. Its capital until 1917 was La Victoria (site of the Venezuelan War of Independence's Battle of La Victoria), when the capital was moved to Maracay.

Aragua borders the Caribbean Sea to the north, with its coastline backed by the fast-rising central Cordillera mountain range. Codazzi Peak reaches over 2400 m above sea level. Much of the rest of the state is made up of fertile valleys used for intensive agriculture, apart from in the extreme south where the flats of the central Llanos region begin. On the western border is Lake Valencia.


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