Mérida

Mérida, city, capital of Mérida estado (state), western Venezuela. The city lies on a large alluvial terrace near the Chama River in the Cordillera de Mérida. At an elevation of 5,384 feet (1,641 metres), it is the highest city in Venezuela and enjoys one of the most pleasant climates in the country. In the vicinity are five snowcapped peaks exceeding 15,000 feet (4,600 metres) in height. To one of them, Pico Espejo (Mirror Peak; about 15,600 feet [4,750 metres]), runs a cable-car system 72/3 miles (12 km) long, said to be the longest and highest in the world.

Although Mérida was founded in 1558, frequent earthquakes and relative inaccessibility long hindered its development. It did become a religious and educational centre, with a cathedral, convents, and the University of the Andes (founded in 1785). With the completion of all-weather highways to the major cities in the northeast, the northwest, and into the Llanos (plains) to the south, Mérida became a regional manufacturing and commercial centre as well as a tourist destination. The city is renowned for its candied fruits, ruanas (Andean poncholike woolen cloaks), fishing, skiing, and mountaineering. Pop. (2001) 201,294; (2011) 213,962.