Monagas State is surrounded by Sucre State in the north, Anzoátegui State in the west and south, Bolívar State in the south, Delta Amacuro State in the south and east and the Paria Gulf in the northeast.

The state is named after the general and president of Venezuela José Tadeo Monagas, native from this state, and his brother and fellow president José Gregorio Monagas, native from the neighbor Anzoátegui State.

The capital of the state is Maturín.

Chaimas, Waraos, Arawacos, and Kalina (Caribs) are some of the Indian peoples who had been living in the territory of Monagas state before the colonisation of this land by the Spaniards. The former Indian town of Uyapari (today the town of Barrancas of Orinoco) was the centre of a splendid kind of pottery admired by some European explorers as Diego de Ordaz. Scholars, who studied this pottery, gave the culture which designed it the name of Barrancoide Culture.

After a probable arrival of Columbus to the coast of Monagas State during his third voyage in August 1498 many explorations were done to this land. Some of the most famous Spanish explorers were Diego de Ordaz (discover of the Indian town of Uyapari), Diego de Lepe, Juan Bono de Quejo and Antonio Berrio. Apart from that, some hunters of Indians from the islands of Cubagua and Margarita sail around Monagas state looking for slaves in some Indians towns. The colonization of this state was very slow, for the resistance made by the Caribs. These Indians defended their freedom, families and lands against the Spanish conquerors who wanted to hunt and sell them to the encomenderos (persons who need slave for cultivating their farms).

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