El Dorado, Venezuela facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
El Dorado
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 El Dorado, Venezuela
Location in Venezuela
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| Country | Venezuela |
| State | Bolívar State |
| Municipality | Sifontes Municipality |
| Founded | 2 March 1894 |
| Time zone | UTC−4 (VST) |
| Climate | Am |
El Dorado is a small town located in the eastern part of Venezuela. It is found in Bolívar State, right by the Cuyuni River. This town is the second-largest in the Sifontes Municipality, with Tumeremo being the capital.
El Dorado is also on the main road that leads to Brazil. The town has its own small airport, which makes travel easier for people visiting or living there. Its airport codes are (IATA: EOR, ICAO: SVED).
History of El Dorado
El Dorado was officially started in the 1890s. At that time, people were very interested in finding gold in the area. This gold rush helped the town grow.
There was also some international discussion about the border between Venezuela and Britain, especially concerning the Essequibo region. This situation also played a part in the town's early days.
The El Dorado Prison
The town is home to a prison called the Centro Penitenciario de Oriente El Dorado. This facility is part of Venezuela's prison system.
In 2015, there were reports in the Venezuelan news about plans to make the prison better. These plans included building new areas to help people who were imprisoned learn new skills and get ready to return to society.
Famous Connections
- Henri Charrière. The prison is mentioned in a famous book called Papillon. The author, Henri Charrière, wrote about his experiences being imprisoned in Venezuela in the 1940s. While some parts of his book might be fictional, it is known that he was indeed held in Venezuela during that time.
See also
In Spanish: El Dorado (Venezuela) para niños
