El Tocuyo

Venezuela
El Tocuyo, Venezuela
Photo: Ramón Bolet Peraza (1836-1876) Public domain source More images ↗

Founded on 7 December 1545 by the Spanish official Juan de Carvajal, El Tocuyo served as the administrative capital of Venezuela Province from 1546 to 1548 and functioned as a base from which expeditions set out to found other cities across the region. This town in Lara State sits in a fertile valley along the Tocuyo River, with mountains close by, and the surrounding agricultural land — long devoted to sugar cane and now largely given over to tomatoes, onions, chiles, and potatoes — reflects a history of cultivation stretching back to the pre-colonial Gayones people.

  • Population74,829
  • Nearest water from center1.4 km
  • Nearest mountain from center5.0 km

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