Caracas

Caracas, the capital of the republic of Venezuela and of the Federal District, is situated in 10° 31' N. lat., and 67° 5' W. long., 6 miles (24 by rail) S. of La Guaira, its port. Built on the southern slope of the Avila (8635 feet), it is 3025 feet above the tide-level, and enjoys from this elevation a healthy air and a temperature ranging between 48° and 100° F. The streets, built at right angles, are broad and well paved. There are a handsome promenade and numerous public parks and gardens; the town has excellent water and gas, one telephone for every 117 inhabitants, 15 newspapers (8 of them daily), two tramway lines, and is the terminus of four railways. The most notable edifices are the Federal Palaces and other official buildings, including the president's 'Yellow House,' the university, whose library (30,000 vols.) is open to the public; the Exhibition Palace (see BOLIVAR); the cathedral; the magnificent basilica of St Ann (£200,000); and over a score of hospitals and charitable institutions. Besides the university, there are colleges of medicine, law, and engineering, and other technical schools, and in the Federal District 204 schools of all grades have an attendance of almost 12,000. Pop. (1891) 72,429.—The Federal District, with an area of 45 sq. m., includes, besides Caracacas, six other boroughs with a joint pop. of 14,259; total, 89,133. The neighbourhood is subject to earthquakes; in that of 1812, 12,000 citizens perished.