thumb|Old Aqueduct of the Hacienda Tiquire Flores, 17th Century, El Consejo, Aragua State
Aragua State (, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. Located in the central administrative region, it borders the Caribbean sea to the north. (part of the Orinoco basin), serves as the primary water source for the metropolitan aqueduct supplying Caracas, the Tuy valleys, and the Caucagua region.
thumb|248x248px|[[Tovar Municipality, Aragua|Tovar Municipality|alt=A house in the foreground with trees and a parrot sitting on a perched branch.]]
On the northern slope of the Litoral mountain range, a network of short-course rivers originates and drains directly into the Caribbean Sea. These rivers follow a west-to-east distribution, which coincides with a gradual increase in their water flow volumes. Watercourses in this specific coastal basin include the Ocumare, Cata, Tamaira, and Paraulata rivers. Conversely, on the southern slope of the same range, some rivers feed into the endorheic basin of Lake Valencia, while others form the Tuy River system, which flows back into the Caribbean basin after traversing the mountainous interior of the northern region.
The southern part of Aragua state features a plains landscape that extends across an inclined plane descending from north to south, from an altitude of 500 meters above sea level down to less than 250 meters. In this geographical unit, rivers including the Taguay and Tucutunemo have their headwaters. Additionally, low-flow watercourses originate here, forming a network that feeds the Camatagua reservoir and constitutes part of the drainage system for Guárico state. The Pao, Zuata, and Guárico rivers are components of the regional water infrastructure and natural ecosystems.
Lake Valencia (Also Tacarigua lake) is the third largest body of water in Venezuela, after Lake Maracaibo and the Guri reservoir. The lake has an elevation of 408 meters above sea level, a surface area of approximately 380 square kilometers, and a volume of 8,000 cubic kilometers. Its geological origin dates to the period between the late Tertiary and early Quaternary eras, and is located within a tectonic depression or fault line with an east-west orientation between the Litoral and Interior mountain ranges. This positioning has defined the lake's ecological and hydrological history.thumb|Cata Bay, AraguaThe Lake Valencia basin became an endorheic system approximately 278 years ago when water levels dropped below 427 meters above sea level, ending its natural contribution to the Pao River basin. Human occupation and water use since 1945 accelerated the lake's drying process. In 1975, water was imported from the Pao-Cachinche reservoir in Carabobo state to meet urban demand in Valencia. In 1978, the National Institute of Sanitary Works diverted the Cabriales River into the lake, resulting in a recovery of water levels.
Climate
Due to the diversity of its relief and altitudes, the region contains different thermal floors where temperatures decrease as altitude increases. A semi-arid and warm climate dominates the coastal strip, as it is evidenced in Turiamo and Puerto Maya. Orographic rainfall occurs at elevations on the northern flank of the Serranía de Litoral, resulting in cooler and more humid conditions that support cloud forests in the Henri Pittier National Park. Local conditions allow for greater humidity and warmer temperatures in coastal coves such as Chuao, Choroní, and Ocumare, which are used for cocoa plantations.
In the Coastal Range, an isothermal climate is present. At Colonia Tovar, located 1,900 meters above sea level, the average annual temperature is 15.4 °C and annual rainfall is 1,000 mm. Warmer conditions occur in the Lake Valencia depression and the Aragua valleys. In Maracay, at an altitude of 545 meters, the average annual temperature is 25 °C and annual rainfall is 834 mm, with a defined dry season. The plains sector has a rainy tropical savanna climate with an average rainfall of 1,100 mm, a dry season, and an average annual temperature of 26 °C.
Soils
thumb|Chuao, Aragua State
The soils of the Aragua valleys contain minerals and are fertile, and the mountainous areas are also suitable for certain types of crops. These areas contain soils with a medium accumulation of organic matter and clay, while the lake banks have calcium content due to the presence of fossils. Due to these characteristics, the soil of Aragua is among the most fertile in Venezuela.
Vegetation
Vegetation ranges from trees with abundant foliage in the cloud forests of Henri Pittier National Park, on the Litoral mountain range, to thorny scrub in the coastal area. Grasses predominate in the valleys and savannahs, and are accompanied by trees such as kapok, cedar, and saman.
Politics and government
As a federal state, Aragua is autonomous and politically equal to the other members of the Federation. The state organizes its administration and public powers through the Constitution of Aragua State, adopted in 2002. This constitution establishes a division of powers into executive and legislative branches and can be reformed totally or partially by the Aragua legislature. Approval requires an absolute majority of state deputies.
thumb|Mariano Montilla Barracks, La Victoria, Aragua State
Executive branch
The executive branch is composed of the governor of Aragua and a group of state secretaries appointed by the governor. The governor, who is in charge of the state administration, is elected by direct and secret vote for a four-year term with the possibility of immediate re-election for an additional term.
Since direct elections for Venezuelan state governors began in 1989, Aragua was governed by the Movement for Socialism and PODEMOS in 2008. The current governor is Daniela González of the PSUV.
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
! Took office
! Left office
! Governor
! vote
|-
| 1989
| 1992
| Carlos Tablante, MAS
| 50.51
|-
| 1992
| 1995
| Carlos Tablante, MAS
| 62.73
|-
| 1995
| 1998
| Didalco Bolívar Graterol, MAS
| 48.93
|-
| 1998
| 2000
| Didalco Bolívar Graterol, MAS
| 72.44
|-
| 2000
| 2004
| Didalco Bolívar Graterol, MAS
| 84.54
|-
| 2004
| 2008
| Didalco Bolívar Graterol, PODEMOS
| 67.70
|-
| 2008
| 2012
| Rafael Isea, PSUV
| 58.92
|-
| 2012
| 2017
| Tarek El Aissami, PSUV
| 55.56
|-
| 2017
| 18/10/2017
|Caryl Bertho, PSUV
| Replacement
|-
| 19/10/2017
| 2021
|Rodolfo Marco Torres, PSUV
| 56.83
|-
| 2021
| Current
|Daniela González, PSUV
| Replacement
|-
|}
Like the other 23 federal states of Venezuela, the region maintains its own police force, which is supported and complemented by the National Police and the Venezuelan National Guard.
Legislative power
The unicameral Legislative Council of Aragua State is responsible for the region's legislative functions. Its members are elected by direct and secret vote every four years and may be reelected for consecutive terms. Under a system of proportional representation of the state and its municipalities, the council consists of nine main deputies and their substitutes. Following the December 2015 elections, eight of these seats were held by the opposition and one by the government. The governor is accountable to the council and must provide reports to the body, which is responsible for approving the regional budget.
Municipalities and municipal seats
250px|thumb|Municipalities of Aragua
thumb|Municipalities of Aragua (unnumbered)
Aragua comprises eighteen municipalities (municipios):
thumb|Tovar Municipality
- 20pxBolívar (San Mateo)
- 20pxCamatagua (Camatagua)
- 20pxFrancisco Linares Alcántara (Santa Rita)
- 20pxGirardot (Maracay)
- 20pxJosé Angel Lamas (Santa Cruz)
- 20pxJosé Félix Ribas (La Victoria)
- 20pxJosé Rafael Revenga (El Consejo)
- 20pxLibertador (Palo Negro)
- 20pxMario Briceño Iragorry (El Limón)
- 20pxOcumare de la Costa de Oro (Ocumare de la Costa)
- 20pxSan Casimiro (San Casimiro)
- 20pxSan Sebastián (San Sebastián)
- 20pxSantiago Mariño (Turmero)
- 20pxSantos Michelena (Las Tejerías)
- 20pxSucre (Cagua)
- 20pxTovar (Colonia Tovar)
- Urdaneta (Barbacoas)
- 20pxZamora (Villa de Cura)
Demographics
With 8.28% of the country's total population, Aragua is the sixth most populous state in Venezuela. As of 2015, the state had a total population of 2,093,224 inhabitants, primarily concentrated along the coast and in the lower valleys. The Aragua valleys are among the most densely populated regions in the country, driven by the rapid industrialization of Maracay. The city's metropolitan area exceeds 2.1 million residents, including approximately 230,000 people within an area of influence that extends into the neighboring states of Carabobo and Guárico.
Race and ethnicity
According to the 2011 Census, the racial composition of the population was:
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
|-
! Racial composition !! Population !! %
|-
| Mestizo || || style="text-align:right;"|51.9
|-
| White || style="text-align:right;"|763,351 || style="text-align:right;"|43.4
|-
| Black || style="text-align:right;"|63,319 || style="text-align:right;"|3.6
|-
| Other race || || style="text-align:right;"|1.1
|}
The regional population is highly diverse, reflecting significant immigration from the 1950s to the present. Most residents are of mixed descent, with ancestral roots primarily involving Spaniards, local Indigenous peoples, and Africans. The highest population density and the largest urban areas are located in the north, where white inhabitants comprise the majority in the municipalities of Tovar, Mario Briceño Iragorry, and Girardot.
The Tovar Municipality is populated almost entirely by people of German descent. This area was the site of Colonia Tovar, a town founded by German immigrants arrived in Venezuela during the 19th century.
thumb|Rancho Abu Hanna in Turmero, Santiago Mariño Municipality
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Municipality!! Capital!! Population (2015) !! %
|-
| Bolívar || San Mateo || 42.200||
|-
| Camatagua || Camatagua || 20.140||
|-
| Francisco Linares Alcántara || Santa Rita || 208.710||
|-
| Girardot || Maracay ||720.035||
|-
| José Ángel Lamas || Santa Cruz || 36.800 ||
|-
| José Félix Ribas || La Victoria || 150.081 ||
|-
| José Rafael Revenga ||El Consejo || 52.400 ||
|-
| Libertador || Palo Negro ||140.850||
|-
| Mario Briceño Iragorry ||El Limón || 126.313 ||
|-
| Ocumare de la Costa de Oro ||Ocumare de la Costa || 14.205 ||
|-
| San Casimiro || San Casimiro || 29.900 ||
|-
| San Sebastián || San Sebastián || 24.841 ||
|-
| Santiago Mariño ||Turmero ||250.091||
|-
| Santos Michelena || Las Tejerías || 43.208 ||
|-
| Sucre ||Cagua ||146.670||
|-
| Tovar || Colonia Tovar || 15.600 ||
|-
| Urdaneta || Barbacoas || 23.880 ||
|-
| Zamora ||Villa de Cura || 182.206 ||
|}
Transport
Aragua's road network spans 2,170.5 km and consists of trunk, local, branch, and sub-branch routes. Approximately 47.7% of this network is paved. The most significant routes include the Regional Highway of the Center (Trunk 1), which connects Aragua with the states of Carabobo and Miranda and the Capital District; Trunk 2, which traverses the state from north to south to reach Guárico; and local roads 6 and 7, which provide access to the Aragua coast.
thumb|Old trains of the Gran Ferrocarril de Venezuela. El Consejo, Aragua
Culture
Handicrafts
Aragua is home to several towns noted for traditional handicrafts, including Colonia Tovar, Magdaleno, La Villa, Tocorón, and Palo Negro.
Traditional Events
Traditional events in the state include the Velorio de Cruz de Mayo, La Llora, Toro de Colores, and San Juan Bautista. Other traditions are the Pastores del Niño Jesús of El Limón and Chuao, as well as the Diablos Danzantes of Cuyagua, Cata, Ocumare, Turiamo, and Chuao; of the eleven brotherhoods in Venezuela, five are from Aragua. The region also features the Burras Tradicionales, Joropo Central, Parranda Central, Gorilas de San Mateo, and the Jokilis and Gorilas of Colonia Tovar.
Museums
- Museo Aeronáutico de Maracay: Military and civil aeronautical technology museum created in 1963 in the spaces where the Aragua Air Base and the first Military Aviation School in the country used to operate.
thumb|Sukhoi Su-30MK2 of the Venezuelan Air Force at Libertador Base, Aragua
- Museum of Anthropology and History of Maracay: Museum of archaeological findings of the states of Aragua and Carabobo that were found as of 1889 during the government of General Guzmán Blanco, when the main towns and cities began to be built.
Mario Abreu Museum of Contemporary Art (MACMA): with an important collection of plastic arts from the 20th century.
- CADAFE Museum: this museum is located in the parish of Choroní, in the Girardot municipality.
- Colonia Tovar History and Craftwork Museum: one of the most important and interesting attractions of Colonia Tovar is its museum. In it, its creator, the city's chronicler, Professor Néstor Rojas, has put a great deal of his life into showing visitors and residents a piece of the history of the Colony.
- Museo Nacional de Suelos CENIAP: This museum is located in El Limón de Maracay. It has more than 600 soil micromonolites and 11 macromonolites from 20 states in Venezuela. A micromonolite is a small representation of a soil profile accompanied by information regarding the profile (horizons and characterization) and information regarding the collection site of the samples (climate, landscape, use, etc.).
Theatres
- Teatro Ateneo de Maracay: the original name was the "Teatro Circo Maracay" the work was sent to build by General Juan Vicente Gomez to the meridian Epifanio Balza Davila, its architecture is based on the Art Deco style, but due to the bad temper of General Gomez this does not have a particular style.
- Maracay Opera House: the work was entrusted to the architect Luis Malaussena, who together with Carlos Raúl Villanueva developed the monumental project full of sobriety within its spectacular nature where horizontal lines predominate while some free spaces compensate for the heaviness of this predominance.
thumb| [[Henri Pittier National Park]]
Tourism
The state of Aragua is famous within Venezuela, especially for the variety and beauty of its beaches, natural monuments, extensive green areas, and for the Colonia Tovar, a territory colonized by the Germans.
Henri Pittier National Park
Henri Pittier National Park is the oldest park in the country, since it is the first national park decreed in Venezuela, originally created in 1937 with the name of Rancho Grande and renamed in 1953 with the name of that Swiss geographer, botanist and ethnologist, who arrived in Venezuela in 1917 and classified more than 30 thousand plants in the country. The park has an irregular and abrupt topography. Its geological constitution is basically of metamorphic igneous rock. Likewise, there are rocky coastal environments. Its altitude ranges from sea level to 2430 m at Cenizo peak. Orchids, ferns, and climbing vines abound.
Pico Codazzi Natural Monument
Pico Codazzi Natural Monument is one of the highest peaks of the Coastal Range and is characterized by rainforest vegetation on its slopes. It takes its name from the Italian naturalist-cartographer and geographer Agustín Codazzi, who arrived in Venezuela in 1827. It was he who promoted the mobilization of German farmers to that area, giving rise to the Colonia Tovar.
thumb|Playa Grande (Grande Beach), [[Choroni Beach|Choroni]]
Natural heritage
- Onoto Hot Springs
- Villa de Cura Hot Springs.
- Bay of Cata.
- Bay of Turiamo
- Choroní.
- Ocumare.
thumb|Turiamo Bay
- Ensenada de Café.
- Chuao.
- Cuyagua.
- Ensenada Juan Andrés.
- Ensenada Puerto Maya.
- Lake of Valencia.
- Tasajera Mountains.
- Manantial La Peñita and El Banco.
- Codazzi Peak.
- Aroa.
thumb|[[Sindoni Tower]]
Built heritage
- Sindoni Tower.
- Ateneo de Maracay Theatre.
- House of Culture of Maracay.
- Culture House of La Victoria.
- Casona de Santa Rita.
- Colonia Tovar.
- Institute of Anthropology and History of the State of Aragua
- Aeronautical Museum.
- Archaeology Museum.
- Museum of Fine Arts.
- History Museum.
- Military History Museum.
- Casa del Ingenio San Mateo
- Ornithological Museum.
- Maracay Opera House.
- Zoo of Maracay.
- El Limón Tower
Sports
thumb|José Pérez Colmenares Stadium, Maracay
The Tigres de Aragua, a team of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, represents the state and plays in Maracay.
Aragua F.C. is a soccer club In Maracay.
- 20px Aragua Fútbol Club
- 20px Toros de Aragua
- 20px Aragua Voleibol Club
- 20px Tigres de Aragua
- 20px Proyecto Alcatraz Rugby Club
Media
Regional Television
- TVS
- TeleAragua
- TVR
- ICT TV
- NOVA TV
- Aragua TV
Newspapers
thumb|Puerto Maya, Aragua
The main newspapers are:
- El Aragüeño.
- El Siglo.
- El Periodiquito.
- El Clarín de La Victoria.
- Ciudad MCY.
Radio
- Aragueña 99.5 FM
- Rutas 90.7 FM
See also
- States of Venezuela
- Dancing devils of Corpus Christi
- Tren de Aragua, notorious international gang believed to have started in Tocorón prison in the state
References
External links
- Ciudad Maracay. Information about Maracay and Aragua State
- INE, Population statistics for Aragua