06.02.2006 - 11:23 AM

THE STATE OF VENEZUELAN STATES

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NACIONAL Y POLÍTICA. Design: Yolanda del Castillo
Html packaging: Norma Jiménez Montealegre
Translation: Maryflor Suárez

ANZOÁTEGUI STATE // Poverty prevails in one of Venezuela's top tourism paradises. Despite rich oil resources, beautiful beaches, and extensive trade and industrial areas, poverty prevails in Anzoátegui State. Deterioration is plaguing the state's major cities of Puerto La Cruz and Barcelona. (Photo: Nicola Rocco)

ANZOÁTEGUI STATE // Poor roads, troubled communication with the country's center and south regions, extensive floods during the rainy season are some of the problems facing Anzoátegui State. This is an unfair situation, as this is one of the Venezuelan states with the highest potential for development and for attracting foreign investment (Photo: Nicola Rocco)

BARINAS STATE // This state is a bridge between the country Andean region and the central area. With 35,250 square kilometers, this state has an important agriculture and livestock industry. This is the country's second largest bovine cattle producer, and the third largest cow milk producer. (Photo: Carlos Hernández)

BARINAS STATE // Despite its importance as a top agriculture and livestock producer, in Barinas -the state where President Hugo Chávez was born- poverty rate amounts to 72.4 percent, according to figures disclosed by the official National Statistics Institute (INE) for the second half of 2003. The report indicated that 69,281 households out of 144,441 in Barinas State live in extreme poverty. (Photo: Carlos Hernández)

CARABOBO STATE // This is Venezuela's top industrial region. The major industrial zone in Carabobo State is located at the Mariara-Valencia axis, north the Valencia Lake. This state has a major advantage: roads are in good conditions. (Photo: Alejandro Van Schermbeek)

CARABOBO STATE // Located in Carabobo State, port Puerto Cabello is one of the country's major customs. It handles approximately 70 percent of shipments in the country. Carabobo State also has an international airport, called Arturo Michelena. According to the official National Statistics Institute (INE), 283,036 households out of 504,831 live in poverty in Carabobo State. (Photo: Alejandro Van Schermbeek)

COJEDES STATE // This state is located between the center and west regions of the country. This is Venezuela's llanero state par excellence. Big central plains cross this state from west to east. Some heights -the coastal mountain range- can be seen north. With an extension of 14,800 square kilometers, Cojedes has a soil suitable to grow cereals, sugar cane, yam, potato and manioc. (Photo: Carlos Hernández)

COJEDES STATE // Bovine cattle is the predominant, raised in big ranches that are characteristic of this state. The capital city, San Carlos, was founded by Fray Pedro de Berja in 1678 as an urban center intended to facilitate Spanish domination and colonization in Cojedes llanos. It is over the Cojedes River (Photo: Carlos Hernández)

GUÁRICO STATE // This is the heart of the Venezuelan llanos. At Plaza Bolívar in the capital city of San Juan de los Morros, a handicapped woman tries to enter Guárico Governor's Office to ask for help, but she has no access to the building (Photo: Carlos Hernández)

GUÁRICO STATE // Poverty in Venezuela's second largest state, where agriculture and cattle-raising have deteriorated seriously in the last six years [Photo: Carlos Hernández]

MIRANDA STATE // Anarchy wanders around Petare neighborhood. Street vendors are one of the major problems in this area [Photo: Paulo Pérez Zambrano]

MIRANDA STATE // Even though many of these sellers do not throw garbage on the street and work in an orderly manner, others do not observe the same behavior and keep the area full of garbage, with their stands placed anywhere, thus creating chaos. Insecurity is another concern for passers-by [Photo: Paulo Pérez Zambrano]

NUEVA ESPARTA STATE // Between yearning and revolution. Foreign exchange controls have helped the island by attracting more Venezuelans to Margarita, but such restrictions have also made it more difficult for businesses to purchase the U.S. dollars they need for imports [Photo: Nicola Rocco]

NUEVA ESPARTA STATE // Margarita inhabitants claim that times have changed. In the past, the so-called pearl of the Caribbean was a booming place. Nueva Esparta is going through difficult times [Photo: Nicola Rocco]

PORTUGUESA STATE // The heart of Venezuelan llanos is deprived of financial resources. With near 1 million inhabitants, Portuguesa is one of the country's largest producers of cereals. It is located at the Andean piedmont, and is one of Venezuela's poorest areas [Photo: Carlos Hernández]

PORTUGUESA STATE // Agriculture and cattle-raising are the two major economic activities in Portuguesa State, with an extension of 115,200 square kilometers. At Plaza Bolívar de Guanare, the capital of Portuguesa, a worker uses nature resources for cleaning the place [Photo: Carlos Hernández]

SUCRE STATE // Extreme poverty and desolation. According to the official National Statistics Institute, Sucre is one of the Venezuelan states with the biggest number of poor households. [Photo: Nicola Rocco]

SUCRE STATE // An earthquake hit Cariaco in 1997 leaving some 50 people dead and causing serious damages in buildings and other premises. [Photo: Nicola Rocco]

TÁCHIRA STATE // This is one of the major Andean states. It borders with Colombia and its major economic activities are trade, services and tourism. Given its rugged geography, it is one of the states with the lowest access to drinkable water: 78 percent. [Photo: Carlos Hernández]

TÁCHIRA STATE // Another serious problem facing this region is a deficit of houses. This has forced some 120 families, including more than 300 children, to invade a sector near the capital city of San Cristóbal. These houses were originally intended for police officers in Táchira State. [Photo: Carlos Hernández]

VARGAS STATE // Scars from serious landslides in December 1999 still remain in Vargas State. This has been one of the Venezuelan states most seriously hit in the last seven years, not only because of merciless nature phenomenon, but also because of the neglectful behavior of the authorities. Now, Vargas suffers the impact of closure of the highway linking this state with the capital city. Productive operations in the state have plummeted 60 percent since closure. [Photo: Jorge Santos]

VARGAS STATE // In addition to existing problems, hurricane Ivan caused havoc in some of the vital tourist areas in Vargas State [Photo: Jorge Santos]

ZULIA // This is the economic engine of west Venezuela. Its major economic activities are oil and gas exploitation, as well as cattle-raising. Zulia has 63,100 square kilometers, and is home to the largest South American lake, Lago de Maracaibo, with an extension of 12,500 square kilometers [Photo: Ana María Otero]

ZULIA // According to the official National Statistics Institute (INE), 684,599 households live in Zulia State, out of which 405,473 are poor. A subway is currently under construction at the capital city of Maracaibo [Photo: Ana María Otero]


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