Caracas

Caracas is the capital city of Venezuela and rests in the shade of Aliva, a 7800-foot high mountain. http://www.metrolic.com/the-capitals-of-the-world-caracas-109740/  The city consists of the Metropolitan District plus four separate municipalities that include Chacao, Baruta, Sucre and El Hatillo.http://www.metrolic.com/the-capitals-of-the-world-caracas-109740/ 

Caracas serves as a major travel hub for Venezuela. The balmy weather, historic sites and shopping brings in people from all over the world. It is also home to the Central University of Venezuela, Simon Bolivar University and sports franchises, such as the Tiburones de la Guaira baseball team.

Despite the tourism industry, Caracas has distinguished itself as one of the most dangerous cities in the world.http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35766.htm 

Five hundred years ago the region that would become Caracas was inhabited by Aborigines. In 1567, Spanish captain Diego de Losada put down stone that would be the first foundations in the city of Caracas. Over time, the area came to grow opulent cocoa crops.http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/94473/Caracas/10547/History 

In 1797, the people of Caracas sought independence, inspired by the American Revolution. A declaration proclaiming the region and its people a sovereign republic was signed on July 13th that same year.

In 1812, the growing city of Caracas was devastated by an earthquake. Still in the midst of  their fight for independence, the natural disaster left the residents vulnerable to attack. On June 24th, 1821, Caracas was taken over by Simon Bolivar and the province of Venezuela.http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/94473/Caracas/10547/History 

Caracas is located at 10°30'0"N and 66°55'0"W.http://www.travelmath.com/city/Caracas,+Venezuela The city sits in the valley of  the Venezuelan central mountain range and is separated from the Caribbean Sea by the Cerrro Avila mountain and El Avila National Park. The landscape of the city is uneven. The altitude varies from 870 to 2,159 meters above sea level, with the highest point found in the Capital District. The Guaire river flows across the region to the Tuy river.http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/94473/Caracas/59387/Physical-and-human-geography  

• National Capital (Capitolio Nacional): The heart of the Venezuelan government was built in the late 1800's and consists of two primary buildings, the Legislative Palace and the Federal Palace. Inside the walls are lined with portraits of public leaders.http://www.travelchannel.com/Places_Trips/Destinations/South_America/Venezuela/Caracas/Attractions/Capitolio_Nacional_El 
• Birthplace of Simon Bolivar: A reconstructed home turned into a museum with weapons and military exhibitshttp://www.simonbolivarmuseoa.com/pags/kontaktoa/docs/SimonBolivarMuseum.pdf .
• National Pantheon (Panteon Nacional): Reconstructed from an old church, the National Pantheon holds the graves of some of the historical figures in Caracas history, including a bronze sarcophagus that holds the remains of Simon Bolivar.http://www.macalester.edu/courses/geog261/APaz/Demographics_&_Religion.htm 
• Parque Central Complex: A cultural nave full of museums, cinemas and art. The complex structure includes two octagonal tower that offers a 360 degree view of Caracas. Parque Central Complex is one of the tallest buildings in Venezuela.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3751790.stm  
• Cerro El Avila: The mountain that shadows the city has a cable car that goes to the top. On one side, visitors gaze down at the city of Caracas and on the other side the mountain provides a glimpse of the Caribbean Sea.http://www.parkswatch.org/parkprofile.php?l=eng&country=ven&park=avnp&page=hum   

• Simon Bolivar: Military leaderhttp://www.mahalo.com/caracas/ 
  
• Juan Bautista Plaza: Classical composer in the 19th-centuryhttp://wn.com/Juan_Bautista_Plaza 
• Martin Tovar y Tovar: 19th-century painterhttp://www.misionvenezuela.org/ingles/cultural/index.htm 
• Aquiles Nazoa: Writer and journalist that wrote about Venezuelan culturehttp://servicio.cid.uc.edu.ve/derecho/revista/idc26/26-10.pdf 
  
• Majandra Delfino: Actress and singer who appeared in Roswell http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004868/bio