Acarigua, founded as San Miguel de Acarigua in 1620, is a city in northwestern Venezuela, in the northern part of the state of Portuguesa and its former capital. It encompasses the Páez municipality. It is a major commercial center for the northern Llanos region of South America. It is contiguous with the neighboring city of Araure.

Etymology

The name Acarigua comes from the indigenous word Hacarygua, given to the land by the indigenous Gayón people. The name San Miguel de Acarigua, given to the area by Spanish conquistadores, follows the Spanish Catholic tradition of naming cities after saints.

History

The first accounts of the Hacarygua territory was in the writings of German colonizer Nicolás Federmann, who arrived in one of the area's indigenous villages on December 15, 1530. He was headed to southwestern Llanos territory to search for the mythical city of El Dorado. In the winter of 1535, German colonizer Jorge Spira sought shelter and food during his travels in what is now Acarigua. It was established as the state capital of Portuguesa in 1927, but ten years later in 1937 Guanare took its place.

Demographics

The city's population was 116,551 in 1990 and was estimated at 208,495 in 2008. In 2012 the population was 143,704. In 2020 the population of the Páez municipality was 216,827.

Religion

Its Cathedral Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Corteza is the episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Acarigua–Araure.

Geography

Climate

Acarigua is in a tropical savanna wet (Aw) Koppen climate type region.

Fauna

Fauna of the area includes macaws, jaguars, howler monkeys, pumas, and moths. The Thysania agrippina is one of the world's largest moths, with wings 32 cm in size, and can be found in Acarigua.

Flora

The saman or Samanea saman is the most widespread tree throughout the city.

Protected areas

Agriculture

Acarigua is a principal commercial center of the northern portion of the Llanos (plains), in which cattle, peanuts, sorghum, cashews, beans, cotton, corn (maize), and rice are the principal products.

Media

Acarigua is home to 3 regional newspapers, and the community TV station Siguaraya TV.

Transport

Acarigua is served by the Oswaldo Guevara Mujica Airport and the Central Western Railway System. The main access road into the city is the José Antonio Páez Highway.

Sports

It is home to Portuguesa FC, whose home stadium is the Estadio General José Antonio Paez. Other sports facilities in the city include the Estadio Bachiller Julio Hernández Molina, the Wilbaldo Zabaleta Indoor Gym, and the Cancha Techada 19 de Abril de la Urb. La Goajira.

Notable people