Maturín
| Maturín | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s): "La Ciudad Distinta" (" The Different City") | |
| Motto: "La Ciudad más limpia de Venezuela" ("The Cleanest City of Venezuela") | |
 Maturín
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| Coordinates: 9°45′00″N 63°10′59″W / 9.750°N 63.183°WCoordinates: 9°45′00″N 63°10′59″W / 9.750°N 63.183°W | |
| Founded | December 7, 1760 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Warner Jiménez |
| • Demonym | Maturinés |
| Area | |
| • City | 13,352 km2 (5,155 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 67 m (220 ft) |
| Population (2013) | |
| • Urban | 472,909 |
| Website | alcaldiadematurin.gob.ve |
Maturín (Spanish pronunciation: [matuˈɾin]) is a city in Venezuela, the capital of the Venezuelan state of Monagas and a centre for instrumental exploration and development of the petroleum industry in Venezuela. The metropolitan area of Maturín has a population of 401,384 inhabitants. Maturín is also a busy regional transportation hub, connecting routes from the northeastern coast to the Orinoco Delta and the Gran Sabana.
December 7, 1760 is the official date of the foundation of Maturín (according to the Venezuelan Academy of History) by the Franciscan missionary Lucas de Zaragoza. However, the Jesuit priest Pablo Ojer found in the Archivo General de Indias a document which proves a previous foundation of the city in 1722. This primitive town was called San Juan de la Tornera de Maturín and its founder was the Spanish governor Juan de la Tornera y Sota. San Juan de la Tornera de Maturín had the category of city for Spaniards, but it did not survive very long because of the lack of population and little economical resources. At the beginning San Judas Tadeo de Maturín (Lucas de Zaragoza gave this name to Maturín) was a Spanish mission created for the conversion of Indians Chaimas and Waraos, who lived next to Maturín. The Spaniards decided to move to Maturín and in the 19th century it received the category of city and the name of San Fernando de Maturín.
Maturín was named after an Indian chief (el Indio Maturín) who lived with his tribe next to the bank of Guarapiche River. The Indian chief was murdered by a supposed Spanish captain named Arrioja during a battle of the Indians against Spaniards in the actual location of the town in 1718. Since then the place was known as el Sitio de Maturín (place of Maturín).
Some historians concluded that the name Maturín has a French root, not an Indian one. They based their opinions on the legend of a supposed French missionary who had explored this area at the end of the 17th century. The legend says that the missionary (whose surname might have been Mathurin) baptized a young Indian and gave him the name Mathurin. This young Indian became el indio Maturín later. Besides there is a French saint who lived during 4th century whose name was Saint Mathurin. The young Indian might have been named after this saint by the French missionary. However the legend of this supposed French missionary has not been proved yet. On the other hand, other historians disagreed with that theory. They argued that there is a plant with the same name. Besides there are some place names of Indian roots which are very similar to the name Maturín.
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