Macuro
Encyclopedia
Macuro, a town in Venezuela
, located a few miles from Bocas del Dragón
, is a small fishing town overlooking a peaceful bay on the south-west side of the Paria
peninsula, in Sucre state
, Venezuela
.
Macuro has the historical distinction of being the only part of the American continent visited by Christopher Columbus
. Columbus and his men spent a few days interacting with the natives. This took place in August 1498 during Columbus' third expedition to the Americas. Despite exploring this area of the continent for some time, Columbus thought that they were looking at a large island and named the area Isle of Grace.
A small mission-town was formally established in 1738 under the name of San Carlos Barromeo de Macuro. The town numbered over 1,000 people who lived off the harvest of cocoa and cotton
. Towards the end of the 19th century, the Venezuelan government decided to build a port to serve as an intermediate transfer point for cargo. In 1903, president Cipriano Castro
inaugurated the Cristobal Colon port. Its deep waters were ideal for receiving large ships. The town became the capital of Cristobal Colon Federal Territory and enjoyed a considerable level of activity. However in 1935, president Juan Vicente Gómez
ordered the port to be closed, and stopped all expansion activities. All the equipment and facilities were transferred to nearby Guiria.
Early in the 20th Century, when seaplanes started to become the main means of air travel, Pan Am used the bay of Macuro as the place where its passengers to Trinidad would disembark, due to the serenity of its waters; from there they would be taken by boat to the island a few miles away.
Macuro never had any terrestrial links, and all communications were by sea. This changed in the year 2000 when a small road connecting the town to Guiria, 65 kilometers away, was opened.
Today the population of Macuro is under 2,400 people. A cement company owns a gypsum
extraction facility there; it is the major source of jobs. The other main economic activity is fishing. The lack of job opportunities causes many young men to leave the town, seeking employment elsewhere.
Luis Estaba
is one of the famous people to be born in the Macura area http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=51390&cat=boxer.
Because of its proximity to Trinidad
and the presence of many small vessels engaged in smuggling in the area, the national guard permanently operates a small naval station with the purpose of patrolling the area.
Each year, a large number of sea turtles lay their eggs in the beaches of Macuro.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, located a few miles from Bocas del Dragón
Bocas del Dragón
The Bocas del Dragón is the name of the series of straits separating the Gulf of Paria from the Caribbean Sea. There are four Bocas, from west to east they are:...
, is a small fishing town overlooking a peaceful bay on the south-west side of the Paria
Paria
Paria is a village situated near Vapi in Valsad District, Gujarat. India. The town of Udwada, away from Paria, has a railway station which connects Paria to Mumbai and western Gujarat...
peninsula, in Sucre state
Sucre (state)
Sucre State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Cumaná. Sucre State covers a total surface area of 11,800 km² and, in 2007, had an estimated population of 916,600.-Municipalities and municipal seats:...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
.
Macuro has the historical distinction of being the only part of the American continent visited by Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
. Columbus and his men spent a few days interacting with the natives. This took place in August 1498 during Columbus' third expedition to the Americas. Despite exploring this area of the continent for some time, Columbus thought that they were looking at a large island and named the area Isle of Grace.
A small mission-town was formally established in 1738 under the name of San Carlos Barromeo de Macuro. The town numbered over 1,000 people who lived off the harvest of cocoa and cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
. Towards the end of the 19th century, the Venezuelan government decided to build a port to serve as an intermediate transfer point for cargo. In 1903, president Cipriano Castro
Cipriano Castro
José Cipriano Castro Ruiz was a high ranking member of the Venezuelan military, politician and the President of Venezuela from 1899 to 1908...
inaugurated the Cristobal Colon port. Its deep waters were ideal for receiving large ships. The town became the capital of Cristobal Colon Federal Territory and enjoyed a considerable level of activity. However in 1935, president Juan Vicente Gómez
Juan Vicente Gómez
Juan Vicente Gómez Chacón was a military general and de facto ruler of Venezuela from 1908 until his death in 1935. He was president on three occasions during this time, and ruled as an unelected military strongman for the rest of the era.-Early years:Gómez was a barely literate cattle herder and...
ordered the port to be closed, and stopped all expansion activities. All the equipment and facilities were transferred to nearby Guiria.
Early in the 20th Century, when seaplanes started to become the main means of air travel, Pan Am used the bay of Macuro as the place where its passengers to Trinidad would disembark, due to the serenity of its waters; from there they would be taken by boat to the island a few miles away.
Macuro never had any terrestrial links, and all communications were by sea. This changed in the year 2000 when a small road connecting the town to Guiria, 65 kilometers away, was opened.
Today the population of Macuro is under 2,400 people. A cement company owns a gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
extraction facility there; it is the major source of jobs. The other main economic activity is fishing. The lack of job opportunities causes many young men to leave the town, seeking employment elsewhere.
Luis Estaba
Luis Estaba
Luis Alberto Estaba is a former boxer from Venezuela, who was born in Macuro, South American point of entry for Cristopher Columbus. He was nicknamed Lumumba, because of his resemblance to Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba....
is one of the famous people to be born in the Macura area http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=51390&cat=boxer.
Because of its proximity to Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
and the presence of many small vessels engaged in smuggling in the area, the national guard permanently operates a small naval station with the purpose of patrolling the area.
Each year, a large number of sea turtles lay their eggs in the beaches of Macuro.
