El Tocuyo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
El Tocuyo
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Shire Town
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El Tocuyo Cathedral (Temple of La Concepcion)
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.svg)
 El Tocuyo
Location in Venezuela
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| Country |  Venezuela |
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| State | Lara | ||
| Municipality | Morán Municipality | ||
| Demonym | Tocuyano | ||
| Founded | 7 December 1545 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 2,231 km2 (861 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 622 m (2,041 ft) | ||
| Population
(2001)
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| • Total | 41,327 | ||
| Demonym(s) | Tocuyano/a | ||
| postal code |
3018
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| Area code(s) | 0253 | ||
| Climate | Aw | ||
Municipio-ESCUDO.jpg)
El Tocuyo is a city in west-central Venezuela. It is located in a green valley about 622 meters (2,041 feet) above sea level. You can find it in the southern part of Lara State, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) southwest of the city of Barquisimeto.
The town of El Tocuyo was started by Juan de Carvajal in 1545. It was built next to the Tocuyo River. For a short time, from 1546 to 1548, it was the main city of Venezuela Province. Its first name was very long: Nuestra Señora de la Pura y Limpia Concepción del Tocuyo. Today, El Tocuyo is the main town of Morán. In 2001, about 41,327 people lived there.
The land around El Tocuyo is very good for farming. It has rich soil and a perfect climate. The weather is dry and warm, and there's plenty of water from the Tocuyo River. People have lived in this area for a very long time, even before the Spanish arrived. When the Spanish explorers came, they found the Gayones Indians already growing crops like corn, cotton, and yucca. For many centuries, sugar cane was the most important crop. But since the 1980s, farmers have started growing more vegetables like tomatoes, onions, chili peppers, and potatoes.
History of El Tocuyo
How El Tocuyo Was Founded
In 1545, a German captain named Philipp von Hutten went on an adventure. He was looking for a legendary golden city called El Dorado. He started his journey from Santa Ana de Coro, where many Spanish people were having a hard time.
Meanwhile, Juan de Carvajal, a Spanish official, did not like how the German bankers (the Welsers) were treating people. He had worked in Hispaniola before. In 1544, Carvajal returned to Coro as a leader. He decided to start a new city because Coro was not a good place to live. So, in 1545, he led an expedition and founded El Tocuyo.
Notable People from El Tocuyo
- Lisandro Alvarado (born 1858 - died 1929) - He was a doctor, a scientist who studied nature, a historian, and someone who studied different cultures and languages.
- Mariam Habach (born 1996) - She is a dentist and a psychologist. She was also Miss Venezuela 2015 and competed in Miss Universe 2016. She started something called the El Tocuyo Awards in 2016.
- Zulmarys Sánchez (born 1987) - She is a Venezuelan athlete who competed in the Olympics in sprint canoeing.
See also
In Spanish: El Tocuyo para niños
