San Cristóbal, Venezuela
| San Cristóbal | |||
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| Nickname(s): "La Ciudad de la Cordialidad" | |||
| Motto: "Por un Táchira Bonito" | |||
| Coordinates: 7°46′N 72°14′W / 7.767°N 72.233°WCoordinates: 7°46′N 72°14′W / 7.767°N 72.233°W | |||
| Country |
 Venezuela
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| State | Táchira | ||
| Municipality | San Cristóbal Municipality | ||
| Founded | March 31, 1561 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Patricia Gutiérrez de Ceballos (2013-2017) | ||
| Area | |||
| • City | 247 km2 (95 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 860 m (2,820 ft) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • City | 645,925 | ||
| • Density | 2,615.7/km2 (1,634.4/sq mi) | ||
| • Urban | 1,015,623 | ||
| • Demonym | San Cristobalense | ||
| Website | http://sancristobal-tachira.gob.ve | ||
 
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San Cristóbal (Spanish pronunciation: [saŋ kɾisˈtoβal]) is the capital city of the Venezuelan state of Táchira. It is located in a mountainous region of Western Venezuela. The city is situated 818 m/2,625 ft above sea level in the northern Andes overlooking the Torbes River, 56 km/35 mi from the Colombian border. San Cristóbal was founded on March 31, 1561 by Juan de Maldonado. From its inception, the city evolved rapidly as one of the most progressive and important centers of commerce in the country, due primarily to its rich soil and its proximity to the border with Colombia.
The city was severely damaged by the Earthquake of Cúcuta (also known as Earthquake of the Andes) in 1875. The city is located on the Pan-American Highway.
San Cristobal has a large student population. There are many post-secondary schools, both public and private, in San Cristobal. The main ones are:
San Cristóbal has one municipality: San Cristóbal Municipality, Venezuelan law specifies that municipal governments have four main functions: executive, legislative, comptroller, and planning. The executive function is managed by the mayor, who is in charge of representing the municipality's administration. The legislative branch is represented by the Municipal Council, composed of seven councillors, charged with the deliberation of new decrees and local laws. The comptroller tasks are managed by the municipal comptroller's office, which oversees accountancy. Finally, planning is represented by the Local Public Planning Council, which manages development projects for the municipality.
San Cristobal is the third richest city of Venezuela, after Chacao and Baruta municipalities in Miranda State. As throughout the Andean states, the people of Táchira are characterized as hardworking, cordial, conservative, and devoted to their historical, religious, and folkloric traditions. The primary industries here are centered around agriculture, mainly the production of coffee, sugar, and vegetables. Other important industrial sectors which have helped fuel the economic engines of the region include meat production (cattle), manufacturing industries like shoe, basket, and ceramics production. A fact that perhaps is not widely known is that it was in Táchira State, and not in Zulia State, that the first oil wells were excavated in 1875(located in the Petrolea sector close to Rubio)-- a procedure done in those days by hand and with buckets. It is a commercial, transportation, and industrial center. Textiles, leather products, cement, tanneries, and tobacco are produced, and coffee, sugar, pineapples, and corn are exported. The service sector is also strong. There are many branches of national banks located in the city, and it is the headquarters of two important financial institutions Sofitasa (bank of private investment) and Banforandes (Government's bank). These two main local banks are an important engine of the local economy because they help to finance many project in the region. In the dairy industry, Leche Táchira is one of the most consolidated industries in the country; this company is based in San Cristobal.
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Wikipedia