Mérida, Mérida
Mérida on the map of Venezuela
Mérida (full Spanish name Santiago de los Caballeros de Mérida ) is the capital and the commercial center of the state of Mérida with 317 410 inhabitants ( 2013), as well as the tourist and university center of Venezuelan West.
- 2.1 Sons and daughters of the town
- 7.1 Cultural Institutions
- 9.1 Road Network
- 9.2 Transportation
- 9.3 airport
Geography
Minted is Mérida through its valley in the Andean highlands. The center is located at an altitude of 1,630 m on an alluvial terrace between the rivers Río Albarregas in the west and Rio Chama in the east.
Limited, it is of two mountain ranges, the Sierra Nevada to the southeast and northwest of the Sierra La Culata. In close proximity to the city and within sight is the highest mountain in Venezuela, the year-round by a ( shrinking ) glaciers covered Pico Bolívar ( 4,981 meters).
The closest major cities include San Cristóbal in the southwest, Valera in the northeast, Barinas and Guanare in the east.
Urban Development
Because of its location on a terrace in a valley, the city had grown therefore not many opportunities to develop and is pretty wild. Only the held in a colonial style center is arranged with its eight Avenues in an east-west direction and 40 roads in north-south direction.
The rest of the city is oriented along the main thoroughfares (such as the Transandina and the connection to the Pan-American Highway and other arterial roads ). In the southeast the city already comes close to the neighboring town of Ejido up to two kilometers.
Despite the cramped space for urban development Mérida has because of the variety of its courses and public parks on the highest percentage of green space per inhabitant of Venezuela.
History
Mérida was founded on October 9, 1558 by the Spanish captain Juan Rodriquez Suárez (at the present site of San Juan de Lagunillas ). He gave her the name of his eponymous western Spanish hometown, Mérida. Even the rivers he named after the rivers of the Spanish Mérida Albarregas and Guadiana (the latter was later renamed Chama ).
1559, she was transferred by Juan de Maldonado to their current location and renamed it " San Juan de las Nieves " or later " Santiago de los Caballeros ". It finally " Santiago de los Caballeros de Mérida " developed, which is still valid today, complete name.
In 1622, Mérida became the capital of the state and in 1778 became a bishopric. This helped to build a seminary, which was converted in 1811 to the Universidad de Los Andes.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Ignacio Andrade: President 1898-1899
- Román Delgado Chalbaud: General and father of Carlos Delgado Chalbaud, president of 1948-1950
- Tulio Febres Cordero: Writer and historian. According to him, the cultural center of the city is named.
- Mariano Salas picón: Writer
- Alba Quintanilla: composer
Attractions
As in all Venezuelan cities, the Plaza Bolívar is the heart of the city. The Cathedral ( Catedral de Mérida ) is located on its west side in Gothic style from the year 1803.
Biggest attraction of Mérida is the teleférico de Mérida, a cable car to Pico Espejo ( 4,765 meters). From the center of the city it leads into the glacier region of the Andes. In four sections, a vertical drop of almost 3,200 meters and a distance of more than 12.5 km will be handled (so that it is the highest and second longest in the world). Since August 2008, the cable car is closed, however, due to serious wear and tear; a renovation or new construction is being considered.
Since 2011, the cable car is in a total renovation, the opening of the first two sections of the track are set to May 2013.
The start is at the " Plaza Las Heroínas ", which was erected in memory of 5 " Merideñas " ( women from Mérida ), who fought for independence.
The " Mercado Principal" is an indoor market ( just outside the center ) are (together with gastronomic products ) offered in the craft goods and goods typical of the region in the Avenida Las Américas.
Also located in the city center, the " Heladería Coromoto ", an ice cream parlor, because of their diversity of flavors of ice cream (more than 800 different, of which about 75 to 100 permanently available) was included in the Guinness Book of World Records. Among them are so unusual ice cream flavors such as trout or garlic.
The Botanical Garden of Mérida contains the largest collection of bromeliads plants in South America.
To the National Park of Sierra Nevada and La Culata and a variety of mountain lakes like Laguna Mucubají, the Laguna Negra or the Laguna Tapada in the surrounding area.
75 km from Mérida is located in 3100 meters altitude the mountain Hotel Los Frailes. It was built in the 17th century as a monastery. The surviving clock tower is the landmark of the hotel.
Education, Science and Technology
Mérida is the site of the second oldest university in the country, the "Universidad de Los Andes " ( ULA ), with about 44,000 students ( as of 2006).
It has its origins in a company founded on March 29, 1785 the seminary, which was on 21 September 1810 a ( church ) University converted ( called Real Universidad de San Buenaventura de los Caballeros de Mérida ). In 1832 the conversion to a secular university, and in 1883 it received its present name ( ULA ).
The range of programs distributed over the whole city university includes numerous subjects of humanities, natural sciences and engineering. The ULA has, inter alia, a student exchange program with the Department of Applied Linguistics and Cultural Studies at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germersheim.
Merida is home to the on 10 November 2006 opened National Center for the development and exploration of free technologies ( Cenditel ). This new research center was created in cooperation of the Foundation for Development of Science and Technology ( Fundacite Mérida ) of the state of Mérida with researchers from the Universidad de Los Andes and is subordinate to the Ministry of Science and Technology. The center opened a new space in the dispute over the use and development of free technologies ( Free Software, Open Source, free hardware, Open Standards ) and promoted the exploration and development.
Demographics
Although Mérida was always one of the most important cities of the Venezuelan Andes, it had a relatively small population compared to many other cities of the country. So lived at the beginning of the 17th century about 4,000 people ( about 3,300 Indians and 150 Spanish -born families ) in the city and this increased until the beginning of the 19th century to only 5,000 inhabitants.
This slow increase in population continued until the mid-20th century; thereafter it increased rapidly, tripling from 1971, for example, in only three decades ( 74000-205000 ). This is due in large part to the exodus of farmers in the area, as well as the reputation of the university.
The " Merideños " (or all the inhabitants of the Andes) are in the rest of the country (pronounced as Gotschos ) also called " Gochos ".
Economy
Traditionally, agriculture has played a major role in the city ( were distributed from which the goods across the state ). In the area there were large haciendas dedicated to growing sugar cane.
This changed with the construction of the cable car ( the teleférico ), the better connection to the national road network and the construction of the airport, which increased tourism and, consequently, developed a service company for their needs. This is currently the main source of income of the city.
Culture
The culture of the city depends very much of the " folklore of the Andes" on. Mérida is the most important representative of this folklore in the country.
The most important regional celebration is taking place in February, " Feria del Sol ", otherwise the usual Christian celebrations are held.
Cultural
- Tulio Febres Cordero Centro Cultural
- Archaeological Museum de Mérida
- Museo de Arte Colonial
- Teatro César Renginfo
Sports
There are in the city, a large number of sports venues, which are also used for national events (such as the Juegos Nacionales Andes 2005 or the Copa América 2007).
The largest of these is the Complejo Deportivo Cinco Águilas Blancas, in which also the Estadio Metropolitano de Merida is located. There, the local football team Estudiantes de Mérida carries out their games.
The most popular sports are football and baseball, but - thanks to the location of the city - can also be a variety of extreme sports are practiced.
Infrastructure
Road network
Until the mid-19th century, there was no transport links with the rest of the states; only then was connected with the construction of Transandina Mérida to the national road network. A second road connecting the city of El Vigia on the Panamericana. Other roads leading to neighboring cities of the state.
However, due to natural events (such as by the heavy rains triggered mudslides ) it always came back to impairments in regional -road.
Within the city there are 4 main roads that go through these lengthwise.
Transportation
Mérida has an extensive urban bus system, which connects the center with the suburbs and covers the city to a great extent.
Although the public transport is one of the best in the country, but faces a growing demand over. This is especially true for the main route between the center and the neighboring city of Ejido. In order to meet this, the Mérida trolleybus an environmentally friendly mass transport system has been built. On 18 June 2007 the first 10.2 km long section was opened, however, the continued expansion is uncertain due to financial problems.
Regional and national run intercity buses. You drive - with the exception of some regional buses - from the bus station of the city from.
Airport
Situated in the city national Alberto Carnevalli airport had been after the crash of an aircraft launched here on 21 February 2008 closed for commercial flights. The Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzo airport in the city of El Vigia has since then served as an alternate airport. This is by car ( taxi) within about an hour away and was already before the disaster as a fallback point when visibility is poor and generally used at night. The problematic valley shall be borne by the new acquisition of twelve modern airplanes type ATR 72 500 and a new airline Merida LAIMA account. This will hold the national operation step by step from August 2010. The expansion to an international airport is sought also.