Rubio, Venezuela
Encyclopedia
Rubio is a town in the 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...

n Andean
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...

 state
States of Venezuela
Venezuela is divided into 23 states , 1 Capital District and the Federal Dependencies that consist of a large number of Venezuelan islands...

 of Táchira
Táchira (state)
Táchira State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is San Cristóbal.Táchira State covers a total surface area of 11,100 km² and, in 2007, had an estimated population of 1,177,300....

. Founded in 1794 by Gervasio Rubio, this town is the shire town
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of the Junín Municipality and, according to the 2001 Venezuelan census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

, the municipality has a population of 68,869.

Rubio is one of the largest towns in the state of Táchira. Its importance derives from its coffee production and the nearby commerce that exists with Colombia. Venezuela's former president, Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez , also known as CAP and often referred to as El Gocho , was a Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1993. His first presidency was known as the Saudi Venezuela due to its economic and social prosperity thanks to...

, was also born in Rubio.

Rubio has beautiful natural tunnels called La Cueva de los Miagros. There are some rivers and waterfalls on the outskirts of town. The town has many bridges especially in Old Rubio. For this reason it is called "Ciudad Pontalida" or "City of Bridges." Rubio is located in the west of Estado Táchira and is a 40 minute drive from San Cristóbal, the capital of Táchira.

History

Rubio was founded by Gervasio Rubio in 1794. It was then the capital of the Táchira State, before the capital was moved to San Cristóbal
San Cristóbal, Táchira
San Cristóbal is the capital city of the Venezuelan state of Táchira. It is located in a mountainous region of Western Venezuela. The city is situated 818 m/2,625 ft above sea level in the northern Andes overlooking the Torbes River, 56 km/35 mi from the Colombian border. San...

. Rubio is sometimes called "La Ciudad Pontalida" ("The City of Bridges") and housed Christiansen Academy
Christiansen Academy
Christiansen Academy was a celebrated private boarding school in Rubio, Táchira, Venezuela. The school opened in 1952 as a preparatory school for missionary kids and international students. The school taught its rigorous coursework in both English and Spanish...

, an international school.

Demographics

The Junín Municipality, according to the 2001 Venezuelan census, has a population of 68,869 (up from 53,981 in 1990). This amounts to 6.9% of Táchira's population. The municipality's population density is 566.2 people per square mile (218.63/km²).

Government

Rubio is the shire town
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

of the Junín Municipality in Táchira. The mayor of the Junín Municipality is Juan Peñaloza, elected in 2004 with 42% of the vote. He replaced Luis Valladares shortly after the last municipal elections in October 2004.

Economy

The economy of the city is based on coffee production. The first exploitation of oil in Venezuela (1883) was in La Petrolia by the company "Compañia Nacional Minera Petrolía del Táchira" and the first well was called "Salvador" ("Savior").

Squares and parks

  • Plaza Simón Bolívar
  • Parque la Petrolia
  • Plaza Urdaneta
  • Plaza Gervasio Rubio

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK