Guanare

Guanare, city, capital of Portuguesa estado (state), northwestern Venezuela. A centre of pilgrimage, Guanare contains the national shrine to Our Lady of Coromoto, the patron saint of Venezuela; for that reason, it is often referred to as Venezuela’s spiritual capital.

The city, which was founded in 1591, is also a commercial and manufacturing centre in the northern portion of the western Llanos (plains). Growth of the city was hampered by frequent outbursts of malaria until the mid-20th century, when the disease was largely eliminated in the area. Cattle, cotton, coffee, tobacco, rice, sesame, cacao, sugarcane, corn (maize), and lumber are the principal products of the area. Iron deposits are located in the vicinity. Guanare lies on the highway running along the southeastern flank of the Cordillera de Mérida, 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Acarigua, the former state capital, and 50 miles northeast of Barinas, capital of Barinas state. The city has an airfield and is also accessible by river vessels via its port, Guerrilandia, on the Río Guanare. Pop. (2001) 117,888; (2011) 145,223.