Government
In contrast with Colombia, the Republic is a federal and not a centralized union. It has the usual three branches: a President with his Cabinet forms the Executive Department; there are two Houses of Congress; also a Supreme Court.
The twenty States have each a President and a Legislature, a Supreme and other Courts. The two Territories and the Federal District are administered by Governors appointed by the President, who is elected for seven years.
The names of the States and of their capitals follow, with their populations estimated, as until recently no census had been taken since 1897. The new figures (December, 1921) are received only for the Territories. The Coastal States beginning at the northwest are Zulia, Falcón, Yaracuy, Carabobo, Aragua, the Federal District, Miranda, Anzoátegui, Sucre, Monagas. Anzoátegui and Monagas are also Llano States, with Guárico, Cojedes, Portuguesa, Zamora, and Apure. Táchira, Mérida, and Trujillo are Mountain States; Lara, north of Trujillo, almost comes into the coast region. Nueva Esparta is an Island State. Bolívar, south of the Orinoco, lies between the two Territories, Delta Amacuro and Amazonas.
| States | Population | Capitals | Population | Altitudes, in Feet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zulia | 185,000 | Maracaibo | 50,000 | 20 |
| Falcón | 170,000 | Coro | 20,000 | |
| Yaracuy | 103,000 | San Felipe | 15,000 | 808 |
| Carabobo | 200,000 | Valencia | 60,000 | 1,577 |
| Aragua | 115,000 | Maracay | 15,000 | 1,463 |
| Federal District | 137,000 | Caracas | 100,000 | 3,036 |
| Miranda | 173,000 | Ocumare del Tuy | 10,000 | 693 |
| Anzoátegui | 162,000 | Barcelona | 16,000 | 43 |
| Sucre | 117,000 | Cumaná | 15,000 | |
| Monagas | 90,000 | Maturín | 16,000 | 244 |
| Guárico | 221,000 | Calabozo | 10,000 | 330 |
| Cojedes | 75,000 | San Carlos | 12,000 | 495 |
| Portuguesa | 115,000 | Guanare | 11,000 | 636 |
| Zamora | 75,000 | Barinas | 7,000 | 594 |
| Apure | 30,000 | San Fernando | 8,000 | 240 |
| Táchira | 133,000 | San Cristóbal | 17,000 | 2,722 |
| Mérida | 115,000 | Mérida | 15,000 | 5,415 |
| Trujillo | 184,000 | Trujillo | 12,000 | 2,640 |
| Lara | 231,000 | Barquisimeto | 35,000 | 1,868 |
| Nueva Esparta | 60,000 | La Ascunción | 3,000 | 356 |
| Bolívar | 70,000 | Ciudad Bolívar | 20,000 | 125 |
| Territories | ||||
| Delta Amacuro | 12,258 | Tucupita | 1,000 | [A] |
| Amazonas | 3,298 | San Fernando de Atabapo | 400 | [A] |
[A] Figures for the area of the States and others omitted are unavailable.
Population
The number of inhabitants, estimated as a trifle less than 3,000,000, is about seven to a square mile. Seventy per cent of the people are called poor, hence with a rather small purchasing power. The Federal District has about 15 persons to the mile, the density in general decreasing in proportion to the distance from the capital. The Guayana region, the Delta, and Apure, supposed to have less than half a person to a mile, are among the least populated regions of the globe.
The white population is ranked as about 10 per cent of the whole, the mestizos, those of mixed race, as 70 per cent; the rest are Africans, Indians, and foreigners. About ³⁄₄ of a million live in 48 towns; 75,000 are engaged in agriculture. In most of the cities are people accustomed to European society, with a taste for European luxuries, as well as those of simpler habits and desires. As in Colombia, the requirements of those who live high on the mountains and those on the llanos are very different. Attractive inducements are offered to immigrants for colonization.
The Indians are of many tribes, some quite distinct from the others. As a small part of the Goajira Peninsula is in Venezuela, there are Goajiros like those in Colombia. A large proportion of the aborigines became mingled with the Spaniards; in the mountainous sections of the north live few Indians of pure blood. In the region of the Delta and in the southern part of the country are many Indians of at least 16 tribes; some are dirty and stupid, others intelligent and fierce; some are good workers and boatmen, others are timid and agricultural. The Arawaks are gentle, industrious, and clean.