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Known as "La Ciudad de los Caballeros"
("The City of Gentlemen"), the city is considered one of the most
attractive tourist destinations in Venezuela. With a vibrant
metropolitan area that reaches the 350,000 habitants, Mérida is home
of the prestigious Universidad de los Andes (ULA) [1], and it hosts
the world’s highest and second largest cable car, the Teleférico de
Mérida, rising to 4,765 meters (15,633 ft) across 12.5 km in four
stages.
Mérida is located on a plateau formation in the valley of the Chama
river, which crosses the full length of the city. The city is at an
altitude of 1,630 m above the sea level, and has as a background, in
the horizon, the highest venezuelan summit: the Bolivar Peak.
HISTORY
Mérida is one of the
most beautiful states in the country for its wonderful landscapes
and mountains. This city is an excellent place to visit and it is
very known for its excellent tourist sites. Mérida is one of the
oldest cities in Venezuela. It was founded in 1558 by Captain Juan
Rodriguez Suárez. This city was originally called “Santiago de los
Caballeros”. The foundation of Mérida has caused many disputes. The
Spaniard Juan Rodriguez Suárez was entrusted by Ortún Velazquez,
governor of Pamplona, Colombia, with the mission of conquering the
lands of the Sierra Nevada, an undertaking which had attracted the
attention of Pamplonians for many years. There were many who thought
they would find gold under the snow, that coveted the metal which
led so many astray, not only from their expeditions, but also from
their reason. Many died in the jungles or lost their sanity in their
eager search. What is known is that Juan Rodriguez Suárez left
Pamplona with 80 men and on October 9 in 1558, he founded the city
where present day is Laguinillas. The site was questioned by Juan de
Maldonado who empowered by Santa Fe Audience, and moved Mérida to
its present site and named Santiago de los Caballeros. History has
recognized Rodriguez Suárez as the founder of Mérida. He is
remembered as a man of great courage, romantic spirit and quixotic
ideals. He was called (Gentleman of the Red Cape).
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GEOGRAPHY
The city is located in
the cordillera andina, in the valley formed between the Sierra
Nevada de Mérida and the Sierra La Culata, between the rivers Chama
and Albarregas.
Latitude: 8.598° N
Longitude: -71.145° W
Access by road is through Trasandina (troncal 7) joining Mérida with
Trujillo, Barinas and Táchira states. It also has a national airport
Aeropuerto Alberto Carnevali (SVMD). |
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LOCATION
Mérida state is situated in the center
of the Venezuelan Andes and has an area of 11.300 square kms, has a
population of about 700.000 inhabitants, and is divided into 23
autonomous municipalities. It is located in the west of the country
and it is considered the highest and coldest city in the county,
because has a mean temperature about 19°C and is located at the foot
of the Sierra Nevada at an altitude of 1620meters or 5315 feet.
It has wonderful landscapes such as the Sierra Nevada with its
majestic Bolivar Peak (5007 meters high) and located in the south-eastern
of the state and the Sierra de la Culata with its Los Conejos
Páramo) and El Campanario Peak (4500 meters high) located in the
northeast. The city has a high percentage of student population over
35000 young people from around Venezuela come here to study at the
Universidad de los Andes.
Climate and Vegetation
The climate is cold but in the
relatively small area of Mérida state, you will encounter several
dramatic climatic changes all in a day. The climate in the city is
between 19°C and 20 °C, temperatures between 5°C and 9°C at El
Bolivar Peak, or Below zero when its snows and 28°C in the El Vigía
area. Its rains almost every late afternoon in January –February
that is the coldest months an August-September and in August and
September it often rains at night. The vegetation is exuberant and
there are many lakes and rivers, a great number of which are well
stocked with trout, one of the delicacies of Mérida. The most
important river in the state is the “Chama” because a large part of
the water resources of Venezuela originates in the Mérida mountains.
The state tree is the “Bucare” and the state flower is the
“Frailejón” and in the “Coloradito” is founded the tree at the
highest altitude in the world. In this mountains habitat the “Oso
Frontino” bear and the majestic Condor flies through the skies of
the páramos and in the lagoons you can get the best trouts of the
city.
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