Amazonas State (Venezuela)

The Indigenous State of Amazonas or Amazonas is one of the twenty-three states that, together with the Capital District and the Federal Dependencies, make up Venezuela. Its capital, Puerto Ayacucho, concentrates 63% of the total population. It is located in the south of the country, in the Guayana region, bordering to the north with Bolívar State, to the northwest with Apure State in a small line at the confluence of the Meta River, to the east and south with Brazil through the watershed of the Orinoco and Amazon basins, and to the west with Colombia mostly using the Atabapo, Orinoco and Negro rivers as borders. With an estimated 189,614 inhabitants, it is the least populated state, with an area of 177,617 km², the second largest state, and with 1 inhab/km², the one with the least population density. It is made up of 7 municipalities and 23 parishes. Its main towns apart from the capital are: La Esmeralda, San Fernando de Atabapo and San Carlos de Río Negro.

Etymology

Amazon is a word of Greek origin that identified a race of warrior women who lived in Asiatic Sarmatia, beyond the Caucasus.

The name of this state was assigned as of June 2, 1856 in honor of the Amazon River, which was discovered by Francisco de Orellana in 1542, who is also credited with the name of the river as a result of a legend about a female tribe that put up a stubborn resistance to the Spanish conquistadors that reminded her of Greek legend.

The Amazon River does not pass through the State, but a part of the territory is covered by the Amazon, through the Negro River.

History

The territory of the state of Amazonas belonged to the Province of Guayana since colonial times. In 1864 the Amazonas Federal Territory was created, with San Fernando de Atabapo as its capital. Then, under the mandate of President Antonio Guzmán Blanco in 1881, it was decided to divide the area into two territories: the Amazonas Federal Territory and the Alto Orinoco Federal Territory. 12 years later it was decided to reunify the territories with the name of Amazonas 1893 and with its capital in San Fernando de Atabapo. In 1928 the then president Juan Vicente Gómez decided to move the state capital to Puerto Ayacucho to facilitate connections with Caracas.

Geography

Relief

Little Caño, Rio Orinoco.

The entire state of Amazonas is included in the so-called Guiana Shield. Its relief is comprised from the margins of the Orinoco to the Marahuaca peak with 2832 m. The highest peak in the state is Tapirapecó with 2992 ms. no. m., in the Serranía La Neblina National Park bordering Brazil. The relief of the state is very varied, beginning with the plains or savannahs, which range from 100 m to 500 m to continue with the mountain ranges and mountains, which abound in the area, with the exception of the western side of the state which, because it is Limited by the Orinoco, Guainía and Negro rivers, they obviously run through the lowest part of the territory. Indeed, to the north, east and south there are numerous mountain ranges, including Maigualida, Marahuaca, Unturán, Parima, Tapirapecó, La Neblina, Imeri and Aracamuni, among others.

Hydrography

In this state the main river of Venezuela, the Orinoco, is born in the Delgado Chalbaud hill and after traveling 2140 km it deposits its waters in the Atlantic Ocean. The Orinoco is, in turn, the basin where other important rivers in the region discharge their waters, such as the 474 km Ventuari.

Climate

The climate of the Amazonas state corresponds to the rainy, monsoonal and tropical savannah types. Basically there are two seasons, one dry and one rainy. To the south there are no dry months, while to the northwest there are up to four months of drought. In the central and northern areas there is a moderate water deficiency between December and March. Average rainfall exceeds 1200 mm per year. The annual thermal oscillation is minimal (between 1 °C and 1.5 °C) but the daily one is large (more than 15 °C). The temperature of the coldest month is above 15 °C. The average annual temperature of the Parima station, at an altitude of 810 m, is 22.3 °C while that of Tamatama (at 112 m and at the same latitude) is 27 °C.

Vegetation

A large part of the state of Amazonas is covered by immense jungles, so the vegetation, due to the high rate of rainfall, is typical of the jungle. There are also savannahs with dry soils and savannahs with humid soils. Higher up and depending on the height, the vegetation becomes scarcer, until it reaches more than 2000 where it almost completely disappears.

Wildlife

The rich fauna of the region is represented by numerous specimens of mammals, reptiles, fish and birds:

Mammals: puma, jaguar, tapir, monkey (araguato, marmoset), palmero or anteater (endangered), fox, etc.

Reptiles: Orinoco caiman (in danger of extinction), slime, turtle, morrocoy, snakes, anaconda, boa constrictor, rattlesnake, cuaima, mapanare, etc.

Fish: toad or (Semaprochilodus laticeps), tremor or electric eel, stingray, caribbean, piranha, catfish, guabina, etc.

Birds: eagle, harpy eagle (in danger of extinction), hawk, macaw (in bright colors: red, green, yellow, orange and blue), katana, woodpecker, curassow, toucan, etc.

Political-administrative division

The state of Amazonas is divided into 7 municipalities.

Municipalities of Amazonas
Brazil Colombia Bolívar Bolívar Alto Orinoco Atabapo Atures Autana Manapiare Maroa Black River

Demographics

It is the second largest state in the country after Bolívar but also the one with the lowest population density (1 inhab./km²) in the country. The population is basically concentrated in the northwestern area and to a lesser extent in border towns with Colombia.

According to the INE, Amazonas has a population of 174,942 inhabitants for the year 2015, which represents 0.55% of the national total; It is worth noting that 45.8% of the population of the State of Amazonas is or identifies as indigenous, of which the most representative are the Piaroa, Jivi, Yanomami and Yekuana peoples.

• Birth rate (per thousand inhabitants): 49,09 (2004); 43,23 (2005)
• Overall fertility rate: 3.63 (2004); 3.58 (2005)
• Gross mortality rate (per thousand inhabitants): 5.70 (2004); 5.71 (2005)
• Infant mortality rate: 35.90 (2004); 35.20 (2005)
• Life expectancy at birth: 66.02 years (2004); 66.19 years (2005)

Economy

Its economic activity is scarce, most agricultural products are consumed locally and in certain areas the State has a deficit, livestock and agriculture is extensive, these activities together with commerce are the main sources of employment for the region. Stresses the use of the extensive river network allows commercial development. Eco-tourism is in full development despite the potential represented by its natural landscapes, and it also lacks adequate tourist infrastructure for a high number of visitors. There are cultural traits of valuable specificity and other unique elements. It is one of the richest Venezuelan states in terms of natural resources currently exploited, according to complaints by opponents of the government of Nicolás Maduro and the government of Colombia, by the Colombian guerrilla of the National Liberation Army (ELN). There are deforestation problems in the border areas with Brazil.

Media

Because it is a primarily jungle region, the state of Amazonas has mostly precarious land routes, of which only 33.63% are paved. The communication routes par excellence are airways and waterways, although in the case of riverways, their navigation will depend on the rainy season and the dry season that characterizes this region, since in many cases the fluvial transit through streams it will be problematic in times of drought. In the state there is only one national airport. The rest are for private or military use. There are also landing strips in Cacurí, La Esmeralda, Ocamo, Kamariapó, San Juan de Manapiare, Santa Bárbara, Yaví, Yutajé and San Carlos de Río Negro.

Culture

Indigenous Peoples

Yanomami children's group in Upper Orinoco.

The indigenous population represents about 45% of the state's population. The ethnological culture of the Amazonas state is the largest in the country, having 20 different ethnic groups, differentiated by their own languages and customs. In Amazonas, indigenous languages of the Arawako, Caribe, Yanomami family or that represent isolated languages without any known relationship with others are spoken.

The Yanomami represent 26% of the state's indigenous population. They are located in the Alto Orinoco and extend to Guyana and Brazil, their settlements are located around "Shabonos", which can be the river or the mountain where the conuco that ensures their food is located.. Among their most interesting customs is that of cremating their dead, and then with the ashes, making a drink that, according to their customs, would bring them all the vitality of the deceased.

They are small in stature, adult women do not exceed 1.50 m, and they walk completely naked except for a small loincloth, among the most common facial adornments is that of a stick that crosses the nasal septum of the women, and the characteristic haircut of the ethnic group, it should be noted that while the majority of indigenous ethnic groups are in extinction, the Yanomami remain the largest aboriginal people in the Amazon. The Maquiritares or Yekuanas, from the family Caribbean, live in the East and Northeast of the state. The Piaroa represent 22% of the indigenous population. The Guahibos make up 21% of the aboriginal population of the state.

Crafts

Basketry or hard fabrics: they are made in different shapes, sizes and colors. Its manufacture is based on leaves of different types of palms: moriche, cumare, seje, cucurito, chiquichique, etc. All decoration has its meaning, related to the life of the users, its sacredness or its mythology. Soft fabrics: hammocks, hammocks, bags, baby carrier bands, dresses, guayucos and their looms; pottery or ceramics; the wood carvings; body adornments; hunting and fishing tools; the musical instruments; etc

Ceramics: In the regions of Manapiare (Corobal), Atabapo (Nericagua), on the islands of the Orinoco River, in the Lower Orinoco (Barrancas and Saladero), in Culebra, very close to Puerto Ayacucho, and in other places, They have found archaeological sites of this artistic manifestation dating from pre-Hispanic times. Musical instruments: they are another indigenous artisan expression of the Amazonas State of which there are more than 100 types. Body ornaments: Among these are the pintaderas, made of a circular or rectangular piece of wood carved with different designs according to their use and function. Wood carvings: benches (made in the shape of an animal), household items, ritual objects, bongos and curiaras, paddle paddles, pylons, etc.

Folklore

Among the extensive and varied folklore of the state are samples of 62 ethnic groups, among which stand out: Yanomami, Guahito, Piaroa, Yekuana, Yeral Curripaco, Bare, Baniva, Puinave, Piapoco, Hoti, Warequena, Yaborana. The folkloric manifestations are rich in native dances and songs, with music played with typical wind and percussion instruments.

Among the indigenous dances is the traditional Yekuana dance. As for musical instruments, there is the use of the morrocoy shell and bamboo flutes. The different ethnic groups have the custom of celebrating a Warime festival every three years; This festival is held to celebrate both a great harvest and new marriages within the community. Also, on the occasion of the arrival of the rains during the months of May, June and July, indigenous dances are performed in Puerto Ayacucho and San Fernando de Atabapo.

Gastronomy

In Puerto Ayacucho and in the interior of the state there are restaurants serving the best dishes in the area: turtle prepared in its shell, tapir, and limpet; also fish of the finest qualities, such as the morocoto, the curvina, the pomfret, the bocón, the caribbean, the guabina, the pavón and the lau lau; among the birds: the paují, wild duck, the turkey and the hen. Different types of bread are also made: if the manoco from cassava is not enough, you can taste the roasted or fried green plantain. It should be noted that the mañoco is made with bitter cassava, in whose processing certain native implements are used such as sebucán, ray and budare.

In Amazonas, fruits such as the pijiguao, the tupiro, the cocura, the moriche, the cupoazu, the curuba, the manaca, the pineapples and the ceje are produced; the latter is collected throughout the state, especially in the valleys of the Manapire, Casiquiare, Sipapo, Cuao and Ventuari rivers; ceje oil is extracted from it, endowed with medicinal properties. Catara is a regional spicy sauce made with cassava juice (yare), spices, and bachaco culón (type of ant). It is claimed that it is a powerful aphrodisiac, as well as having an excellent taste.

Sports

View of the Antonio José de Sucre Stadium, in Puerto Ayacucho, Estado Amazonas

Tucanes de Amazonas Fútbol Club was a soccer team belonging to the Second Division of Venezuela. Founded in 2008, and played its home games at the Antonio José de Sucre Stadium in Puerto Ayacucho, Venezuela. For the year 2018 Tucanes FC disappears definitively due to disagreements in its board of directors and a new third division currency called "Amazonas Futbol Club" arises, which is sponsored by the regional government and assumes the Antonio José Stadium as its headquarters. Sucre in the city of Puerto Ayacucho.

Politics and government

The State of Amazonas only has the right to a representation of 3 deputies in the National Assembly of Venezuela, which is the minimum indicated by the Constitution of 1999 since it has a very small population despite its large territorial extension. Additionally, it elects a deputy along with other states representing the indigenous peoples for the southern region.

The regional movements have considerable strength to the point that in the parliamentary elections of 2005 the regional party United Movement of Indigenous Peoples (MUPI) obtained 48% of the votes against 44% of the votes of the pro-government coalition led by the Movimiento V República (MVR), Patria Para Todos (PPT), and the regional party Multi-Ethnic United Peoples of Amazonas (PUAMA) considered until then as the first regional force. A deputy for MUPI, one for PUAMA and another for the PPT (together with the MVR-UVE) were elected.

The state is autonomous and equal politically, it organizes its administration and its public powers through the Amazonas State Constitution, which was adopted in 2002. The Constitution can be reformed or amended, they are proposed by the Legislative Power, and to be approved, they need the favorable votes of at least 60% of the State Legislative Council, and by 10% or more of the electoral population of Amazonas.

Executive Branch

Legislative branch

The state legislature falls on the unicameral Amazonas State Legislative Council, elected by the people by direct and secret vote every four years and may be re-elected for two consecutive periods, under a system of proportional representation of the state population and its municipalities, the State has 7 deputies, of which 6 are from the opposition.